Both Japan Airlines (JAL) (www.jal.co.jp/en) and All Nippon Airways (ANA) (www.ana.co.jp/eng) offer international connections to Japan.

From London to Tokyo is 12 hours; from New York is 12 hours 30 minutes.

Narita International Airport (NRT) (Narita City) (www.narita-airport.jp/en) is 65km (40 miles) east of Tokyo (journey time - 1 hour 10 minutes) and has two terminals.

To/from the airport: Airport Limousine Buses (www.limousinebus.co.jp) depart regularly from the airport to city-centre hotels. Japan Railways' reservation-only Narita Express line (www.jreast.co.jp/e/nex) runs from Narita station terminal located beneath the airport to Tokyo station (journey time - 1 hour), Shinjuku (journey time - 1 hour 30 minutes) and Yokohama (journey time - 1 hour 45 minutes) regularly. There are also private Keisei line trains (www.keisei.co.jp) running to Ueno in northern Tokyo. Travellers should note that a taxi to the city from Narita is at least five times as expensive as the train and no faster than the buses.

Facilities: Duty-free shops, bank/bureau de change, car hire, restaurants, tourist information centre in both terminals, post office, mobile phone and video camera hire and Internet facilities.

Departure Tax: ¥2040.

(Osaka) Kansai International (KIX) (Kansai) (www.kansai-airport.or.jp) is 50km (31 miles) southwest of Osaka.

To/from the airport: There are several trains to the city with the Nankai Express train to Nakai Namba station offering the fastest journey time of just over 40 mintues. JR West services goes to JR Osaka station (journey time - 1 hour 10 minutes). Taxis are available to the city (journey time - 1 hour) but are very expensive compared to buses which take about an hour to reach the city also. Facilities: Duty-free shops, car hire, banks/bureaux de change, tourist information and bar/restaurant.
Departure Tax: ¥2650.

Central Japan International Airport (Centrair) (NGO) (www.centrair.jp/en) is 35km (23 miles) south of Nagoya.

To/from the airport: The high-speed Meitetsu Airport rail line (www.meitetsu.co.jp/english/airport-access/index.html) connects the airport with the city (journey time - 28 minutes). JR Tokai Bus Company operates frequent services between the airport and Nagoya station (journey time - about 45 minutes). Meitetsu bus services are also frequent and call at Sakae and several hotels in the city. Taxis are available.
Facilities: Car hire, bureaux de change, ATMs, bars, restaurants and shops.
Departure Tax: None.
 
Fukuoka International (FUK) (www.fuk-ab.co.jp) is 20 minutes' journey time from Fukuoka City.
Facilities: Outgoing duty-free shop, car hire, bank/bureau de change and bar/restaurant.
Departure Tax: ¥945.

Main ports: Osaka, Kobe and Okinawa.

Japan is accessible by sea, and passenger ships include the major ports on their schedules. Ferries operate daily from Osaka and Kobe to Shanghai (China) and weekly from Kobe to Tanggu (near Tianjin, China). For Taiwan, ferries depart from Okinawa with Arimura Sangyo Lines.  To confirm sailing times in English, try tel: (3) 3562 2091 or (98) 860 1980. For South Korea there's a route between Busan and Fukuoka (www.jrbeetle.co.jp/english), Busan and Hakata (www.camellia-line.co.jp), and Busan and Shimonoseki (www.kampuferry.co.jp).

Links to the Russian Federation include weekly services between Fushiki, near Toyama, and Vladivostok (www.bisintour.com). Alternatively, there is a twice-weekly service to Wakkanai in Hokkaido from Korsakov in the Russian Federation. There are cruises between the Japanese islands en route to Shanghai and Hong Kong.

The Trans-Siberian route to Japan is an interesting, if lengthy, trip. Connections can be made daily from London via Harwich or Dover through Europe to Moscow. The Trans-Siberian railway departs regularly from Moscow (see Russian Federation section). Among the many tour operators that organise tickets for this is The Russia Experience (www.trans-siberian.co.uk).