A Look at…Japan
photos by Helle Simonsen, Raimey Olthuis
Capital: Tokyo
Population: 127 million
Currency: Japanese Yen (JPY)
Time: PST + 17 hours
Government: Constitutional monarchy
Official Language: Japanese
Religion: Mainly Shinto and Buddhist
Climate: Temperate plus rainy season, June–July and typhoon season, August–September. Hot, humid summers. Bitterly cold winters in north.
Health: Update routine immunizations. Additional health insurance advised. Japan restricts some inhalers and other medications commonly used in Canada.
Health and Travel Advisories: Public Health Agency of Canada, Travel Health Online
Visa: Not required for stays less than 90 days. Required for longer stays or paid work.
Contacts: Japanese Consulate Vancouver, Canadian Embassy Tokyo, Canadian Chamber of Commerce Japan
Bits: Sumo is Japan’s national sport and has existed for over 1000 years. Only a sumo wrestler can wear the distinctive topknot hairstyle. To keep their weight up, they eat a rich stew called chanko-nabe before bed. The heaviest wrestler was former ozeki ranked Konishiki, who weighed in at 275 kg. However, weight and size do not determine success in the dohyo ring. Sumo wrestlers use various techniques to win. A bout lasts an average two minutes, with the loser the first to touch the ground or be pushed out of the ring. Sometimes a wrestler will bounce right out of the ring onto those seated below.
A Look at…China
photos by Cynthia Crick
Capital: Beijing
Population: 1.3 billion
Currency: Chinese Renminbi (RMB)
Time: PST + 16 hours
Government: Communist
Official Language: Mandarin
Official Religions: Buddhist, Taoist, Muslim, Protestant, Catholic
Climate: Temperate, tropical and semi-desert regions.
Health: Malaria risk in southern border areas.
Visa: Required.
Contacts: Chinese Consulate Vancouver, Canadian Embassy Beijing, Canada China Business Council
Bits: China’s biggest construction project since the Great Wall is slated to finish by 2009. The Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze River is the world’s largest power project, with a planned capacity of 18,200 MW. Flooding 632 square kilometers of land to create a reservoir has forced the resettlement of 820,000 people. Some towns were abandoned and buildings demolished to make way for the floodwaters. Historic temples have been dismantled and rebuilt on higher ground. Controversy has dogged the project with allegations of corruption leading to shoddy construction or the improper allocation of resettlement funds. Meanwhile, the water is rising.
A Look at…Cambodia
photos by Cynthia Crick
Capital: Phnom Penh
Population: 12 million
Currency: Cambodian Riel (KHR)
Time: PST + 15 hours
Government: Multiparty constitutional monarchy
Official Language: Khmer
Religion: Mainly Buddhist
Climate: Tropical. Rainy, May–October. Dry, November–April
Health: Malaria risk in some areas.
Contacts: Cambodian Embassy USA, Canadian Embassy Phnom Penh
Visa: Required. Visa on arrival or apply Seattle consulate.
A Look at…Indonesia
photos by Veronique Meurgues
Capital: Jakarta
Population: 220 million
Currency: Indonesian Rupiah (IDR)
Time: PST + 15, 16, 17 hours
Government: Republic
Official Language: Indonesian
Religion: Mainly Muslim
Climate: Tropical. Rainy, October–April. Dry, May–September
Health: No malaria risk in tourist areas.
Visa: Required. Visa on arrival possible. Business travellers advised to apply in advance.
Contacts: Indonesian Consulate Vancouver, Canadian Embassy Jakarta
A Look at…Thailand
photos by Helle Simonsen & Cynthia Crick
Capital: Bangkok
Population: 64 million
Currency: Thai Baht (THB)
Time: PST + 15 hours
Government: Constitutional monarchy
Official Language: Thai
Religion: Mainly Buddhist
Climate: Tropical. Warmer rainy, cooler dry seasons vary between north and south. Very hot, March–April
Health: Malaria risk in rural forest/jungle areas.
Visa: Not required for tourist stays less than 30 days. Required for work, study or longstay for retired people over 50 years old.
Contacts: Thai Consulate Vancouver, Canadian Embassy Bangkok,Thai-Canadian Chamber of Commerce
Bits: Water pistols all but sell out in April as Thais get ready for Songkran. This is Thai New Year by the lunar calendar. The devout bathe Buddha figures with scented water and people throw water on each other to symbolize cleansing and renewal. What was once a gentle sprinkling of water, though, has turned into massive water fights in some areas. As many head to family in the provinces, Bangkok streets become eerily quiet, making it all the more shocking when a cannon of water hits you from a passing pickup truck.
A Look at…South Korea
photos by Cosmin Visan
Capital: Seoul
Population: 48 million
Currency: South Korean Won (KRW)
Time: PST + 17 hours
Government: Republic
Official Language: Korean
Religion: Mainly Buddhist and Christian
Climate: Temperate. Cold winters, hot summers.
Health: Malaria risk in North Korea border areas.
Visa: Visa on arrival for tourists, business (unpaid) travellers. Stay 90–180 days.
Contacts: Korean Consulate Vancouver, Canadian Embassy Seoul, Korea Trade-Investment Promotion
A Look at…Philippines
photos by Cynthia Crick
Capital: Manila
Population: 82 million
Currency: Philippine Peso (PHP)
Time: PST + 16 hours
Government: Republic
Official Language: Filipino
Religion: Mainly Catholic
Climate: Tropical. Rainy, June–October. Dry, November–May
Visa: Not required for tourist stays up to 21 days. Business travellers advised to apply in advance.
Contacts: Philippine Consulate Vancouver, Canadian Embassy Manila, Philippines-Canada Trade Council
A Look at…Vietnam
photos by Erika Richardson
Capital: Hanoi
Population: 81 million
Currency: Vietnamese Dong (VND)
Time: PST + 15 hours
Government: Communist
Official language: Vietnamese
Religion: Mainly Buddhist, some Christian
Climate: Cooler north, tropical south. Rainy, June–November
Health: Malaria risk in rural and highland areas.
Visa: Required.
Contacts: Vietnamese Embassy Ottawa, Canadian Embassy Hanoi
Bits: The line can stretch for blocks outside Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum in Hanoi. Uncle Ho, still revered, lies embalmed inside. Monitors keep watch to ensure silence as visitors file past, mesmerized by the waxen features of his preserved body. The building closes periodically when Ho Chi Minh’s body is moved to Russia for maintenance. It’s been over 30 years since he died, and rumour has it the blanket covering his lower extremities is slowly creeping up.
A Look at…Burma
photos by Helle Simonsen
Official Name: Myanmar
Capital: Yangon
Population: 48 million
Currency: Myanmar Kyat (MMK), Foreign Exchange Cert. (FEC)
Time: PST + 14.5 hours
Government: Military regime
Official Language: Burmese
Religion: Mainly Buddhist
Climate: Tropical. Cool, October–February. Hot, Mar–May. Rainy, June–September
Health: Malaria risk in rural areas.
Visa: Required. Mandatory exchange of $200 US on entry.
Contacts: Myanmar Embassy Ottawa,
Canadian Embassy Bangkok, Thailand has consular responsibility for Myanmar
Bits: At dusk each evening a line of sweepers walks the perimeter of Schwedagon Pagoda in Yangon, brooms moving in unison. They sweep to gain merit, an important part of the Buddhist faith. To the east, pilgrims watch the sun set over Kyaikteyo, a giant gold leaf covered rock balanced on a cliff edge. On the Irawaddy River to the north, thousands of temple ruins at Bagan glow warmly in the sun’s last rays. Buddhism is a part of daily life for many people in Burma, and even children become monks or nuns.
Health and Travel Advisories: Public Health Agency of Canada, Travel Health Online
Update routine immunizations. Vaccinate against hepatitis, typhoid, Japanese encephalitis, rabies depending on area visited. Evacuation coverage advised.
Fact Sheet Researchers
Allan Bayhon, Carmen A. Gelette, Robert Golbeck, Laura Hinkelman, Dorina Latis, Jacqlyn Lawrence, Ngoc Le, Melany Lund, Samantha Marciniak, Aili Meutzner, Sonja Nedd, Jennifer Nicklason, Kathleen Peters, Allyson Podrats, Marianne Powley, Clara Rigonan, Sammi Sam, Winnie Siu, Sharon Visser, Diana Yip
