Doc Holiday: Is Christmas a good time to visit Japan?

Christmas in Japan sounds like an incredible experience, but is it really worth it at that time of year?

Much of Japan remains open for business (yes, even on Christmas Day) right up until December 29.

Escape's Doc Holiday, Dilvin Yasa, answers your travel-related questions.

My partner and I want to visit Japan but we only have leave between December 25 and January 7. Will things be closed for much of this time?

Get in line for a celebratory bucket of KFC (a local Christmas tradition), because much of Japan remains open for business (yes, even on Christmas Day) right up until December 29 when you’ll notice things start shutting down. Most, but certainly not all, tourist attractions, museums, restaurants and stores close for a couple of days from December 31, but temples and shrines remain open.

Plan to see the bulk of your must-visit attractions between the 25th and the 29th, then again from January 4, leaving that shutdown period of December 31 to January 2 to embrace Hatsumode. This is the local tradition of visiting your first temple or shrine for the new year to pray for good fortune for the months ahead.

Not into temples? In major tourist areas such as Tokyo’s Shinjuku, many shopping malls and boutiques will remain open so you can always allot these as dedicated shopping days.

It’s well worth looking at Japan Guide, which will give you a good idea of the expected closure dates of various attractions, including castles and gardens.

Having an Israeli stamp in your passport can be problematic for those hoping to visit countries such as Iraq and Lebanon.

It is my understanding that it is no longer necessary to have my passport stamped when I enter Israel but can I ask immigration to stamp an expired passport as a souvenir?

Having an Israeli stamp in your passport can be problematic for those hoping to visit countries such as Iraq and Lebanon (for example). There are many countries which do not recognise Israel as a legitimate country, which means you will either be refused entry, or at the very least, be given an “extended audience” with an immigration official (depending on the country).

Immigration officials in Israel now no longer stamp passports, but give travellers a stamped blue piece of paper for entry, then a pink exit slip in lieu of an exit stamp. It’s important that you keep this blue slip of paper with you at all times as some, particularly front desk staff in hotels, will ask to see it before allowing you to check in.

You absolutely can ask your friendly immigration officer to stamp an old passport or a scrap of paper to place in your old passport.

Your daughter needs to be looking for expatriate travel insurance.

My daughter (an Australian citizen working in China) has been unable to find a company that will provide her with travel insurance from China to other destinations. Please help.

Most garden-variety travel insurance policies will not cover Australians if they live overseas. Even in cases where your daughter can successfully buy a policy online, a detailed search into the terms and conditions of the Product Disclosure Statement is likely to show that the policy is invalid if the policyholder doesn’t normally reside in Australia.

What your daughter needs to be looking for is expatriate travel insurance, and although they’re hardly a dime a dozen, I did find a couple of suitable options, such as one from Southern Cross Travel Insurance. 

Southern Cross Travel Insurance chief executive Jo McCauley says the company’s Working Overseas policy is available to Australians who intend to live and work abroad, automatically covering office-based work and some types of manual work.

Most garden-variety travel insurance policies will not cover Australians if they live overseas.

“Benefits are tailored towards longer experiences of living and working overseas such as optical treatment, emergency dental treatment, mental health care, rehabilitation and occupational therapy and maternity care,” McCauley says. “Other benefits include cover for holidays away from travellers’ main destination.”

You can buy its Working Overseas policy for up to 12 months’ cover, and, if required, travellers can buy subsequent 12-month policies once overseas, provided their total cover is no longer than 60 months. If the policy is bought when someone is already overseas, a 72-hour stand down period applies after the date the insurance starts.

I recommend your daughter take a look at this product, as well as the expat travel insurance provided by Expatriate Group. Finder.com.au has a great comparison page on expat travel insurance providers for Australian citizens.

Originally published as Doc Holiday: Is Christmas a good time to visit Japan?