A few museums in Tokyo offer free admission to seniors over 65 (be sure to have your passport handy), including the Tokyo National Museum; others in Tokyo and elsewhere may offer discounts. However, discounts may not be posted, so be sure to ask. In addition, visitors to Japan should be aware that there are many stairs to navigate in metropolitan areas, particularly in subway and train stations and on pedestrian overpasses.
Before leaving home, consider becoming a member of AARP, 601 E St. NW, Washington, DC 20049 (tel. 888/687-2277; www.aarp.org), which brings a wide range of special benefits, including AARP: The Magazine and a monthly newsletter. Anyone over 50 can join. If you want something more than the average vacation or guided tour, try Elderhostel (tel. 877/426-8056; www.elderhostel.org), which arranges study programs for those 55 and over (and a spouse or companion of any age) to countries around the world, including Japan.
