trip to japan essay

Essays About Japan: Top 5 Examples and 5 Prompts

Japan is a beautiful country famous for its lush landscape, delicious food, and well-mannered people. Here are some examples of essays about Japan.

A developed country in Asia known as the “land of the rising sun,” Japan has become a hot commodity for tourism and business. Japan is truly a sight to behold, from its beautiful cherry blossoms, efficient public transportation system, and delicious food. 

Japan’s rich history has allowed it to develop into one of the most advanced nations in the world, and its technology is renowned worldwide. Moreover, its people are known for their discipline, hard work, and resilience, even in the face of severe natural disasters. Japan is, without a doubt, a country worth visiting. 

If you want to write essays about Japan, here are our best essay examples and writing prompts to help you begin. 

1. What Japan Taught Me About Life by Beth Louise

2. japan experience: reflection on japanese culture by rayan elhafiz abdalla, 3. what i learned about design from travel in japan by teo yu siang.

• 4.  The best time to visit Japan by Pat Kay

5. A Day Trip To Kobe by David Swanson

5 prompts for essays about japan, 1. what does japan mean to you , 2. misogyny in japanese society, 3. why visit japan, 4. japan’s history, 5. living in japan: what’s it like.

“In fact, there’s so much to see and do that it feels like a lifetime of exploring would never uncover all that’s on offer. It’s also a bright, buzzing lesson in living fast; just wandering around in the crowds is a massive adrenaline rush, and Monday nights are as mental as Fridays. But despite the intensity of a city so large, people are calm and quiet. It’s the most magical juxtaposition. Everything is moving at light-speed, but with such efficiency and thoughtfulness, that it feels like a well-oiled, intuitive machine, powering a ride that you never want to get off.”

In her essay, Louise writes about her experience traveling to Tokyo, Japan. She compares it to a machine, with all the people in the city playing their part. She is amazed by the people’s focus, discipline, manners, and sense of purpose, and she can better appreciate life’s simplicity. She is mesmerized by Japan and recommends booking a trip to Tokyo as soon as possible. 

You might also like these essays about being yourself and essays about college .

“People were very friendly, they will greet you even if they don’t know you. One shocking incident that I will not forgot, is when the cashier was trying to help me put all my coin money in my wallet with me. In America I am not used to having someone put my money inside my wallet, that is really invading personal space. However, I learned that in Japan it seems normal to just drop off someone’s coins in their wallet.”

Similar to Louise, Abdalla reflects on new things he discovered about Japan and its people during his time there. These range from trivial things such as the “Pokemon Go” rollout in the country to the Japanese’ sense of honor and discipline. He recounts an experience in which the cashier was helping him put his change into his wallet, something he is not used to back home. He provides excellent, although short, insight into Japan, its culture, and its people. 

“Everything around us is designed: from the smartphones we use every day to the tactile paving on a walkway. But it’s often hard to examine the designed environment around us with eyes as fresh as a tourist’s. So if you’ve made it to the end of this post, I’ve got a challenge for you: The next time you take a walk outside, try to become aware of the thousands of design decisions around you. What works, and what can be improved?”

Siang writes about the edge that Japanese cities and society in general have because they are well-designed. He cites innovations such as fast, automated cash register machines and aid for the visually impaired and recalls lessons such as the importance of accessibility when designing something. 

4.   The best time to visit Japan by Pat Kay

“When people ask me “When is the best time to visit Japan?”, I usually reply with “anytime”. Japan is always a good idea, at any time of year. It’s truly an all-year-round destination that provides vastly varied experiences throughout its distinct 4 seasons. Whether you’re a traveller who loves snow, or one who thrives in humidity; a traveller who wants to see beautiful nature changes, or wants to be thrown into crowds; whatever your style of travel, there’s a season and a time for that.”

Kay describes the weather and activities during the different seasons in Japan, giving readers an idea of when they would prefer to visit. Japan ranges from the ethereal but chaotic cherry blossom season to the calm, frigid snow season; however, each year’s season has its own charm. Kay’s essay gives good insight into the best times to visit Japan.

“When planning a visit to Kobe, consider the fact that the city has been completely rebuilt since 1995, following the great Hanshin earthquake that leveled much of the city. Except for a few memorials, you likely won’t be aware of the destruction at all. Instead, what you will discover is a cosmopolitan port city where foreign influences intermingle, museums are dedicated to sake, and a conveniently compact and walkable quarter showcases a robust nightlife scene that has featured jazz on the menu for nearly a century. Oh, and, of course, there is the beef.”

In this short write-up, Swanson lists the best things to do in Kobe, Japan, a place best known for its top-quality beef. However, there are many things to do in the city besides eating beef, such as viewing historical buildings, going to the hot springs, and visiting the botanical gardens. However, Swanson notes that eating is an integral part of a trip to Kobe, and one should not miss out on trying the beef. 

In your essay, you can write about the country’s significance to you. For example, are you from there, or do you have Japanese ancestry? Have you visited? Write about your connection to the country and why this connection exists in the first place. If Japan has a special place in your heart, this essay topic is for you. 

When editing for grammar, we also recommend taking the time to improve the readability score of a piece of writing before publishing or submitting

With all its glory and excellence, Japan is less evolved in gender equality. So how are women treated in Japan? First, delve into research about the treatment of women in Japanese society, and show how the culture differs from modern western gender equality ideologies. Then, discuss why Japan is behind in encouraging women’s equal rights. Make sure to cite research, statistics, and interviews to support your point. 

This topic is straightforward; whether you have been or not, try to persuade others to visit the country. Include highlights that others should visit and suggestions for places others can visit. If Japan was a bad experience for you, go the other way: why should you not visit Japan?

Japan has a dark history surrounding its role in World War II. In your essay, briefly explain these events and research their effects on Japan after the war. How did the war change Japan- for better or for worse? Elaborate on the impact and, as always, include references to strengthen your arguments. This is quite a broad topic, so you can focus on one element of Japanese society: values, city planning, relationships with tourists, race, inequality, and gender equality.

Based on reading articles and sample essays as well as any experiences in Japan, list the advantages and disadvantages of living in Japan and conclude whether it would be ideal for moving to Japan or not. Use anecdotes from travel writers or people who live in Japan to show why living in japan is enjoyable or not so enjoyable. Pick a stance for a compelling argumentative essay.

If you are interested in learning more, check out our essay writing tips !

If you’re stuck picking your next essay topic, check out our guide on how to write an essay about diversity .

Martin is an avid writer specializing in editing and proofreading. He also enjoys literary analysis and writing about food and travel.

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Personal Essay Example: Reasons Why I Want to Visit Japan

Where is one place in the world you would like to visit? Explain why you would want to visit this place, and what you would want to do or see once you arrive. Include specific details and examples in your response.

If I could visit any place in the world, it would be Japan. Many people, such as my friends, relatives, and reviews, told me how amazing Japan is. Japan is one of the most attractive places for tourists, millions of people each year travel there to try its exotic and traditional food. Another reason why is because of the beautiful sakura flowers that only bloom once a year. Japan also has one of the most unique hotels, one being a capsule hotel, like the name says you live in a capsule.

Japan is known for their natural beauty. There are many mountains, waterfalls, and forests, and most importantly, cherry blossoms. Like I said in my manifesto, I like adventuring to new places and especially in mother nature. As my parents say, I’m quite the photographer so, whenever I go to new places, I can add some photos to my collection and see many astonishing views. One of my wishes is that I get a Fujifilm X-T4, it is a camera that specializes in photography, and I want to capture almost everything that I do. If I go to Japan during April, I would definitely go to Chidorigafuchi. Chidorigafuchi is a seven hundred meters long river that leads to the Imperial Palace. The river is surrounded by cherry blossoms and you can take a boat/canoe ride down the river. Chidorigafuchi is one of the most popular places in Japan for viewing cherry blossoms, and during April, cherry blossoms bloom and shine at their brightest. Cherry Blossoms are one of my favourite types of plants because of how beautiful they are and how rare they are. Remember that this is a once-in-a-year time and the cherry blossoms die fast so if you get to see them, you are very lucky! The next place I would go to is Mount Fuji. Mount Fuji is a popular tourist attraction in Japan that a lot of people recognize. It is the thirty-fifth tallest mountain in the world and rises up to 12,388 feet, so I want to see it myself. When I’m at Mt. Fuji, I want to see around because there are five lakes and many temples that surround Mt. Fuji. There is also a lot of history, so I want to learn about it. An example is that Mt. Fuji was known as a sacred kami or spirit in the Shinto religion. The last place I would like to go is to a hot spring. Hot springs are very common because of all the volcanoes Japan has. Hot springs are very relaxing and are located in traditional Japanese inns.

Japan has one of the most unique and exotic foods in the world, that’s why I want to try their foods. Fun fact, 30% of the world's 7 Eleven’s are in Japan and it is pretty common to see a convenience store in every street. So whenever you need a cheap meal such as an egg sandwich, you can head over to 7 Eleven or Family Mart. Many shops in Japan have a traditional food called bento box. All families have a different recipe and they could be eaten for any meal, breakfast, lunch, dinner, and sometimes dessert. One exotic food that I want to try is omurice from Yukimura Motokichi. He works at Kichi Kichi and is most popular for his omurice. He entertains everyone with his cooking tricks, jokes, and makes a very memorable time for everyone. Omurice is a dish that contains fried rice and an omelette, topped off with some ketchup. Another dish I would like to eat is sushi, a traditional dish from Japan and is my favourite food of all time. I like sashimi over the rolls because I think that in sushi, the fish is the most important part of the combination. Sushi is a traditional food for the Japanese people and whenever you eat sushi in Japan, it may be pricey, but believe me, it tastes like heaven. Another food I would like to try is ramen. I love noodles and ramen is my favourite type of noodle dish. I would take tonkatsu ramen because ramen is about broth and tonkatsu ramen has pork bone broth. And for dessert, I would take mochi. Mochi has a wide range of flavours but I would take the green tea matcha because I drink green tea almost every day and it is my favourite type of tea. Unique food that is only grown in Japan is square or cube watermelons. They are essentially ornamental and are very expensive. They are around two hundred and fifty dollars and I want to see what’s so special about them. Another food I would like to try is street food. Every countries’ street food is unique but Japan’s stand out to me. There are more than two thousand items to try and street food doesn’t take very long.

There are a lot of tourist attractions in Japan and there is a lot I like to go to. I really want to go to Japan’s Disney World. I am a big fan of theme parks and I heard that Disney World is a very fun place to go to. So far, have been to Canada’s Wonderland and Universal and both turned out to be super fun. I really like Disney movies and now that they own Marvel or the Avengers, I really want to check out what they built for the Avengers. I also want to visit the Great Buddha of Kamakura. It is a colossal representation of Amida Buddha and is one of the most celebrated Buddhist figures. My family are Buddhists so it is nice to go here. Last but not least, I want to go to Hokkaido. Hokkaido is an island located north of Japan, taking up twenty percent of Japan’s mass and five percent of its population. Hokkaido is one of the most popular destinations for travelers in Japan. Boasting unspoiled natural sights, festivals, historical landmarks, coastline villages and the freshest seafood in the country, the island is sure to impress even the most seasoned traveler.

My third reason why I want to go to Japan is because of their unique hotels, one is a capsule hotel. Capsule hotels were also known as pod hotels are a type of hotel that has been invented in Japan. The room/capsule you get is roughly the length and width of a single bed and has the height for a person to crawl in and sit/sleep on the bed. The amenities you get would be the same as any other hotel, a/c, power sockets, slippers, etc. Amenities outside the capsule, you are given toilets, showers, Wi-Fi, dining rooms, and sometimes a cafeteria. It is around ¥2000 to ¥4000, which is 18 to 37 Canadian dollars, which is cheaper than most hotels. Once you get there, your clothing and footwear are swapped to Japanese clothing, yukata and slippers. Another unique hotel from Japan is bus and train hotels. Bus and train hotels both have the size of a business classroom in an airplane. They have comfortable reclining chairs that can turn into a bed. You are also given as many amenities as a hotel would.                  

In conclusion, I would like to visit Japan because I find that their natural beauty is really beautiful and their foods are very flavorsome. Japan, in general, is unique because I find that the culture, art, technology, etc is very different from other countries. I think that no other country can offer the same characteristics Japan has.

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JRailPass.com » Japan Travel Blog » Why travel to Japan? 20 best reasons to visit it

Why travel to Japan? 20 best reasons to visit it

June 15, 2022

There are a endless number of reasons to visit Japan , as the country has something to entice almost every kind of traveler.

Whether you’re dying to explore Japanese history and culture at the variety of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the country, indulge in diverse Japanese cuisine, or experience a ride on the lighting-fast Shinkansen trains, a trip to Japanese promises adventure around every corner.

From the chance to visit some of the many impressive temples and castles around the country, to the opportunity to take a dip in an Onsen hot spring, below you’ll find the 20 best reasons why you should visit Japan .

It’s easy to get around on public transportation

Japan has one of the most efficient and reliable public transport systems in the world, with a wide range of travel options including bus, train, and subway services across the country.

One of the best ways to get between cities is to ride the Shinkansen bullet trains , which can reach a speed of up to 300 km/h and boast a range of luxury services onboard. The most cost-efficient way to travel by Shinkansen is to buy a JR Pass online before traveling to Japan.

Book your Japan Rail Pass now

Japan is very clean

The Japanese really pride themselves on their cleanliness , and upon first arrival in the country you may be surprised by how sparkling clean the streets are.

Hotels and restaurants tend to be absolutely spotless , filled with pleasant smells, and regularly and efficiently cleaned. One downside is that there tends to be a total absence of trash cans in public spaces. However, you can just follow the Japanese example and carry garbage with you until you find a place to get rid of it later on.

Japanese people are polite and friendly

The Japanese have a worldwide reputation for being uncommonly polite, friendly, and welcoming. Although the language barrier may prove a challenge at times, people in Japan usually try to be as helpful as possible if you ask anything of them.

It’s a good idea to brush up on Japanese etiquette tips before traveling: locals will appreciate your efforts to respect local customs!

The incredible natural landscapes

Although Japan is perhaps best known internationally for its technologically advanced cities, the majority of the country is actually taken up by a vast expanse of forested hills and mountains , and there is lots of nature to explore.

One of the most obvious beauty spots to visit is the iconic Mount Fuji , but you shouldn’t rule out a visit to lesser known natural gems such as the Arashiyama bamboo forest or the Ritsurin landscape gardens on Shikoku Island .

The large number of UNESCO sites

Japan boasts a total of 21 World Heritage Sites , including 17 cultural monuments and 4 natural landscapes, and there are currently 8 more sites pending UNESCO classification.

Travelers interested in Japanese history should definitely pay a visit to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial , which commemorates the victims of the 1945 atomic bomb, as well as Shirakawago and Gokayama , historic villages which feature unique thatched-roof dwellings.

The majestic temples in Japan

There are number of stunning historic temples and shrines in almost every town and city in Japan, while larger cultural centers can have up to 1,000 temples within their municipality.

One of the most impressive temples in Japan is the Byodoin Buddhist temple in Uji, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that dates back over a thousand years. The Toji temple in Kyoto , which boasts the tallest wooden pagoda in Japan and an extensive garden full of cherry trees, is also well worth visiting.

The unique castles

Visitors to Japan can dig deep into the country’s history by exploring the elegant architecture and fascinating family legacies of Japanese castles.

Primarily serving as the homes for local feudal lords and their family during the Sengoku period of Japanese history, the castles in Japan are defined by their elegant façades and interiors, as well as extensive defensive features.

Some of the most impressive castles in Japan include the well-preserved Hikone castle , which dates back to 1622, and the castle in Himeji .

The spectacular cherry blossom season

Japan is one of the best places in the world to view the spring cherry blossom and attend a Cherry blossom festival.

Once the cherry blossom season peaks in April , locals and visitors alike flock to Japanese parks and gardens to engage in hanami (picnics beneath the cherry trees). Some of the best places to experience the blooming flowers include Hirosaki Castle Park and Shinjuku Gyoen, located in the heart of Tokyo.

The exciting summer festivals

If you’re visiting Japan during the summer months, you should plan to experience some of the colourful Matsuri festivals which take place all over the country.

These traditional celebrations pay tribute to legendary historical events and different deities connected to an individual shrine in the towns where they take place. Many Matsuri festivals feature processions of enormous floats , colorful parades, and spectacular fireworks shows.

Christmas in Japan is magical

Spending in Christmas in Japan is worth the effort just to experience the range of extravagant winter illuminations that saturate the city streets during the festive period.

Those planning to spend winter in Japan are also advised to visit the Sapporo snow festival in Hokkaido, where you can see a range of incredible ice sculptures , many based on well-known pop culture characters.

The world-class powder snow

Winter sports enthusiasts shouldn’t miss the chance to go snowboarding and skiing in Japan at one of the many resorts across the country, as Japanese powder snow is considered some of the best in the world.

Many of the best ski resorts in Japan are located on the northernmost island of Hokkaido, such as Furano, Rusutsu, and Niseko, as well as in the Japanese Alps on Honshu.

The chance to bathe in a natural hot spring

Onsens are Japanese hot spring baths filled with mineral-rich spring water heated by geothermal forces , somewhat like a natural Jacuzzi.

Onsen baths have been present all over Japan since at least the 8th Century , when the belief that hot springs had curative and rejuvenating powers was at its height. Taking a bath in an onsen is an incredibly relaxing experience , and popular with both Japanese locals and tourists.

The superb Japanese cuisine

Food is incredibly important in Japanese culture , and while in the country you’ll be able to sample a huge range of the many delicious dishes that make up Japanese cuisine.

From worldwide favorites like sushi and ramen , to Sukiyaki (beef hot pot) and Yakiniku (Japanese barbeque), there are an endless number of dishes in Japan guaranteed to make your mouth water.

Japan is also the country with the most 3-star Michelin restaurants in the world , and there are are also a number of Matsuri food and drink festivals you can experience during your trip.

The fantastic architecture

You’ll be able to take in some incredible modern architecture while in the major Japanese cities, such as the Tokyo Skytree , the tallest building in the capital.

You can also find some exquisite examples of traditional Japanese architecture all over the country, such as the majestic Ise shrines on the Shima Peninsula.

The advanced technology

From futuristic capsule hotels with complimentary tablets, to high-tech public toilets , advanced technology is in full display in every corner of Japan’s cities.

If you feel like getting an inside look at technological advancements in Japan, pay a visit to the permanent robotics exhibitions at Miraikan – The National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation in Tokyo’s Odaiba district .

Japan is a Mecca for manga and anime lovers

If you first fell in love with Japan through manga and anime , you’re bound to be in heaven during a visit to Tokyo, which boasts a number of anime-themed experiences .

Visit J-World Tokyo , an indoor amusement park based around popular manga characters, the One Piece Tower, or the Pokémon Mega Center Tokyo , a huge store which offers a range of Pokémon merchandise exclusive to Japan.

It’s the home of Studio Ghibli

Fans of classic Japanese animation films like Princess Mononoke (1997) and Spirited Away (2001) shouldn’t miss the chance to see some of celebrated director Hayao Miyazaki’s creations at the Studio Ghibli museum in Mitaka .

Children can play on a huge replica of the Catbus from My Neighbor Totoro (1988) and watch animated shorts exclusive to the museum. There is also an ever-changing range of exhibitions exploring Ghibli’s creative process.

Japan is the birthplace of karaoke

If you love belting out your favorite songs, whether in front of a small group of friends or a crowd of random strangers, then you’ll want to take advantage of the huge karaoke culture while in Japan.

You might not be aware that Karaoke actually originated in Japan and continues to be incredibly popular: there are currently around 100,000 karaoke boxes and bars across the country.

The fashion

Fashion lovers arriving in Japan should head directly to Tokyo’s most stylish area , Harajuku , where most of the biggest Japanese trendsetters set up shop.

Those more interested in traditional Japanese fashion may want to pay a visit to Kyoto and try on one of the elegant kimonos or yukatas the city is famous for.

Japan is very safe

Japan is considered to be one of the safest countries in the world, and has one of the lowest global crime rates .

Japanese people often leave their doors unlocked, children are perfectly safe traveling on the subway by themselves , and visitors are able to walk around the cities at night without having to worry.

Nevertheless,as when traveling to any foreign destination, visitors to Japan should still exercise caution in crowded places and use common sense.

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20 Reasons Why You Should Visit Japan

Japan is the most amazing tourist destination and it offers many unique experiences that you cannot find in any other part of the world. The culture of this country is an interesting blend of Eastern traditions and Western modernity that can be seen everywhere. Japan is one of the oldest civilizations and has a beautiful and diverse history. The stunning, diverse scenery with mountains and breathtaking views, which are much appreciated by the Japanese, offers so many different experiences that attract tourists from all corners of the world. In this article we give you our best reasons why you should make a trip to this amazing country at least once in your lifetime.

1. Pristine natural scenery

2. mount fuji , 4. incredible food, 5. beautiful temples, shrines, and zen gardens, 6. friendly people, 7. efficient public transportation, 8. thrilling experiences , 9. festivals/matsuri, 10. clean country, 11. shopper’s paradise, 12. weird stuff, 13. sakura (cherry blossoms), 15. onsen & sento , 16. unesco world heritage sites, 17. japanese castles , 18. sumo & sport events, 19. traditional arts and crafts, 20. unique accommodation, tour packages, other articles you might like.

The first reason to visit is obviously the natural beauty of the country. Even though many people think of Japan as a highly modern country with flashy neon lights and advanced technology, shopping malls and high-end stores, there are many ways in which Japan is a nature lover’s paradise as well!

As soon as you travel outside of the big and modern cities you will discover that the country is home to some of the best natural scenery in the world . From the wilderness in Hokkaido to the white pristine beaches of Okinawa , Japan’s nature is incredibly diverse. The rugged mountains, rocky coastlines, pristine white beaches, bamboo forests and some of the world’s most beautiful waterfalls are just some of the natural beauty to be enjoyed all year round. 

Mount Fuji is famous all over the world as a place to visit during any season of the year. But the majestic Fujisan is not ‘just a mountain’ as it takes a very special, sacred place in the Japanese culture. Since the 7th century it has been a sacred site for Shintoism, the indigenous religion of Japan . Japanese people have always held Mount Fuji close to their heart and Mount Fuji is displayed in many artistic outings, including (ancient) pottery, calligraphy, ukiyo-e paintings and woodblock prints.

Climbing Mount Fuji is at the top of many people’s bucket list and an estimated 400,000 people climb the volcano each year. The climbing season of the highest peak (3,776 m) in Japan lasts from early July to early September. Though, even if you are not keen on making your way to the summit, Mount Fuji is a sight to behold .

▼Book our tour to the 5th station of Mt. Fuji!

Japan is amongst the safest countries in the world , with an extremely low crime rate. This is something the Japanese are, understandably, quite proud of. Japanese people often leave their doors unlocked, children are perfectly safe traveling on the subway by themselves, and visitors are able to walk around the cities at night without having to worry. Japan’s low crime rate is partly due to the cultural belief in Japan where they always prioritize the common good above their own needs. You will likely come across some situations that you might think of as dangerous or stupid behaviour, but are perfectly normal in Japan. Japan is so safe, you can fall asleep on the train in Tokyo, the world’s biggest city, and wake up with your wallet and phone still in your possession. Or even on the street, you might see some salaryman passed out after 1 or 2 drinks too many but they won’t be robbed of their valuables. When you do forget something in a restaurant or on the train, always try to go back, it is highly likely that someone kept it for you or brought it to the police! 

Even though Japanese cuisine is available around the world, the country attracts millions of tourists every year just to experience authentic Japanese food . Some of the usual experiences are the sushi conveyor belt and sake bars and don’t forget to try some fresh sushi at Tsukiji Fish Market or the delicious street food like takoyaki in Osaka.

For many visitors, a trip to Japan provides the opportunity to indulge in some authentic Kaiseki food. Kaiseki is a traditional form of cuisine that has evolved over a period of thousands of years, using ingredients that are hardly found in any other part of the world. Any random, shady looking place makes the best sushi, ramen or tempura. Even the konbini food is tasty and freshly prepared on a daily basis. Tokyo has more Michelin stars than any other city in the world , with also the most three-star restaurants (12) in the world! Add to it a variety of traditional Japanese drinks and you have an experience of a lifetime waiting for you!

Are you hoping to try all the best food in Japan but don’t know where to start? Don’t worry, you can book a fun and delicious food and drink tour with us! We will assure that you will hit all the best spots that you would never normally stumble upon.

There are an estimated 80,000 temples and shrines in Japan of all sizes and some are over 1,000 years old! The Buddhist temples and zen gardens are incredibly beautiful and if you enter them you really can experience how peaceful and magical these places actually are.

Inari Shrines are the most familiar Shinto shrines to Japanese people and they are also known as “o-inari-san”. Thousands of them are spread all over the country. One of the most important Inari Shrine is Fushimi Inari in Kyoto, which is dedicated to Inari, the Shinto god of rice. It is famous for its thousands of vermilion Torii gates and definitely something you have to see with your own eyes.

Even if you are not visiting Kyoto, you will have the opportunity to visit shrines with rows of torii gates throughout the country , even in the centre of Tokyo!

When you’re visiting Japan you will quickly find out that Japanese behavior is completely different to how people behave in Western countries. People in japan have the attitude to bother the people in their environment as little as possible. You will notice it as soon as you enter the train because it is amazing how silent it is in the train! Everyone is as respectful as possible and also incredibly helpful. If you have a question or seem to be confused about something you will always find someone who can help you! The language barrier is difficult at times, but Japanese people will always try to help you. It is difficult to describe a feeling like this with words so you should definitely experience on your own.

Recommended article: Why You Should Learn Japanese

The public transportation network in Japan is simply amazing . Especially when you are in the bigger cities, the system is just incredible. With trains or metro’s departing every few minutes (during the day) it is amazing how fast you can commute from one part of the city to another part within a short period of time. 

The famous shinkansen, also known as the bullet train, takes you to all parts of the country. The extensive high-speed train network in Japan, connecting Hokkaido, Honshu and Kyushu, is extremely reliable with frequent departures throughout the day. The Tokaido Shinkansen line, connecting Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto, is Japan’s busiest and most popular line with 370 departures each day! As a tourist it is definitely the most convenient, reliable, fastest way of discovering Japan . The best part for international tourists is that they can purchase a Japan Rail Pass that will give them unlimited travel for a designated period of time throughout the country!

Adventure tourism is not something that one would associate with Japan, but the truth is that you can find many exciting experiences in this country. Whether it is snowboarding or skiing in Hokkaido or Nagano , or cycling along the Seto Inland Sea , catching a glimpse of Mount Fuji from the rollercoasters of FujiQ Highlands or sand-boarding in Japan’s desert of Tottori , the options for thrill-seekers are endless.

With about 75% of Japan covered in mountainous landscape you can embark on some amazing multi-day hikes or walk the steps of ancient pilgrimage routes like the Kumano Kodo Trail or the Shikoku 88 Temples Pilgrimage and witness the perfect mixture of nature and culture. At many tourist spots like Arashiyama or Asakusa you can also actively explore the area while riding a traditional Japanese rickshaw. 

At any time of the year, Japan hosts a number of events and matsuri for anyone to enjoy . Matsuri are traditional Japanese events where often floats, called mikoshi, are carried around between temples and shrines. They often take place in the summer and attract thousands or even millions of visitors with their energetic atmosphere, and amazing street food activities for everyone to enjoy. 

In wintertime you will find some unique and great festivals too, like the Kamakura snow hut festivals that are held around the country. There are also several illumination festivals with spectacular light shows and decorations, some only over the Christmas period where others last well into spring. Another world famous festival is Sapporo’s Snow Festival that attracts millions of visitors each year with spectacular ice sculptures and cozy winter scenes. 

Something that you will soon notice after your arrival; Japan is extremely clean ! Even in the metropole of Tokyo you will not often see trash laying around, no cigarette butts on the curbs and streets smell nice. The lack of garbage bins available in the cities might make you wonder how is this even possible? The answer is simple, Japanese people respect their surroundings, clean up after themselves and take their trash home. A cultural principle that is highly valued in the Japanese society is mottainai , which can be freely translated as nothing goes to waste. When something is broken, it is not immediately replaced but often repaired and re-used.

Shopping is another reason why you should visit Japan, more so for the local brands than for the international ones. Tokyo and other major cities have world-class shopping centers as well as traditional markets where you can shop for local handicrafts and souvenirs. Often cities, small or big, have their own local shopping street.

These shopping streets full of small stalls and local vendors are known as a Shotengai. If you are travelling to Tokyo, then you should visit the popular areas in Harajuku, Ginza and Akihabara. If you go to Osaka, Umeda and Shinsaibashi are also popular shopping destinations. For gaming and anime lovers, shopping in Tokyo will be an unforgettable experience, Nakano would be the best destination for you .

Square watermelons, washing toilets that blow-dry and play music, plastic food menus, cartoon versions and mascottes of everything, maid cafe etc, Japan has all kinds of unique things.

Walk around in Harajuku to experience the famous Japanese kawaii culture , it is literally everywhere! Cute girls, kawaii food, mascottes, the kawaiiness in Japan knows no limits! Another unique popular culture is Japan’s otaku or geek culture. Otaku refers to pop culture fans who are obsessed with manga or anime. Best places to experience some of Japan’s otaku culture are Akihabara and Nakano in Tokyo.

▼Explore all the weird that Harajuku has to offer with the tour below!

No visit to Japan in spring is complete without sakura. For two weeks, everyone and everything in the spirit of the beautiful flowers. Everyone wants to see this million dollar view and hanami (blossom viewing parties) are everywhere. Japan is very passionate about picnicking under the cherry trees in full blossom.

Sakura presents the arrival of spring, a time for renewal and optimism and because of the short blooming season (about two weeks), the cherry blossoms also symbolize the transience of life, a major theme in Buddhism. During the sakura season you will see limited edition sakura (flavoured) treats and souvenirs everywhere.

One of the biggest contributors to Japan’s famous anime culture is the Ghibli movies. Have you ever seen My Neighbor Totoro or Spirited Away? They are some of the world’s most famous anime movies produced by the renowned Studio Ghibli, the animation and art producer founded by Hayao Miyazaki. In Tokyo, you can visit the Ghibli Museum , home to drawings of Studio Ghibli movies, models of how animations are made, and a small theater showing a special short film. Also, Japan opened the Ghibli-themed park in Aichi prefecture in 2022. A must visit if you are a Ghibli fan! If you want something extra, you may want to visit some of the locations which were used in Ghibli movies ! 

When asked about their favourite thing in Japan, many people will (amongst others) answer onsen. Taking an onsen, a hot spring filled with mineral-rich spring water heated by geothermal forces that contains several minerals beneficial to the body, is a must-try activity for tourists as it is completely different from taking a bath in other countries around the world. It is also a big part of the Japanese culture and the ultimate activity to relax after a day filled with discovering the nature and culture of Japan. There are several written and unwritten rules to respect when taking an onsen, a ritual that dates back to at least the 8th century. Famous onsen destinations are Kusatsu Onsen, Hakone Onsen and Beppu Onsen .

Sento are communal bath houses where people pay for their entrance. These bath houses were traditionally used by households that did not have their own bath and could be found in big cities and small villages. Today, the number of sento is decreasing as the number of houses with bathing facilities is increasing. 

By now you should know Japan is home to some of the world’s most picturesque places, a rich culture and a long history.  Indeed, Japan is home to no less than 23 UNESCO World Heritage Sites ; 19 Cultural Heritage Sites and 4 Natural Heritage Sites. Ranging from historically important shrines like Itsukushima Shinto Shrine on Miyajima to unique natural ecological treasures like Mount Fuji or Shiretoko National Park. 

In the history of Japan, a large number of castles were built, many of which were destroyed during the many battles or natural disasters like earthquakes. But there are some beautiful castles in Japan that still exist and can be visited, some of which are also designated UNESCO sites. A total number of 12 original castles , meaning they have a castle tower (or main keep) that was built during the Edo period or earlier, are located around the country. 

Another type of unique cultural event are the Grand Sumo Tournaments that take place at each odd-numbered month and last for two weeks. Sumo is Japan’s national sport, but not just a sport. In act, sumo is full of shinto rituals and watching a sumo match with a guide will help you to understand this ancient sport even better. Watching a sumo game is definitely an experience you should have at least once in your life! 

Baseball is Japan’s most popular sport, first introduced in 1872 by an American college professor. Whether you are a baseball fan or not, watching a baseball game will be an exciting experience for anyone ! It is good fun to join the Japanese baseball spectators and cheer on the teams. The games usually start from 2pm or 6pm and last for about 3.5 hrs.

Craft in Japan has a long history and has played an important role in the Japanese culture. From the more famous ones such as knives, pottery, kimono, yukata, and tatami, to lesser-known ones such as kokeshi dolls, fireworks, kendama, origami, daruma dolls , Woodblock Prints , Nambu Ironware, and rounded and folding fans, there is a large list of traditional japanese crafts. Each region has its own local specialties. Some of the craft and art is more valuable in price since they are handmade by professional craftsmen but all make for a great souvenir to take home ! There are many places that offer craft and art experiences like pottery workshops and tea ceremonies.

Purchase your own beautiful Japanese crafts  here!

Japan is home to a large number of Western-style hotels, but something that you should not miss out on is staying at the traditional Japanese ryokan. A ryokan is a type of Japanese inn that has been around since the 8th century. It often features tatami-floor rooms, onsen, and other public areas where visitors wear yukata, the traditional more casual kimono. Often an overnight stay comes with a delicious, large, Japanese dinner and breakfast made from seasonal and locally produced products. Staying at a ryokan is a great place to enjoy onsen (privately) and experience some of the traditional elements of Japanese culture. 

If you are interested in experiencing the simple and traditional lifestyle of Buddhist monks, temple lodging known as shukubo is an excellent option. Shukubo literally means “sleeping with the monks” and besides a great night’s rest and delicious shojin-ryori, the Buddhist vegan cuisine, you can join the monks for morning prayers.

Originating in Osaka, capsule hotels have made their advance in Japan. These hotels, usually found in the larger cities, originally targeted individuals looking for a cheaper alternative for single nights stay. Recently there are also more luxurious alternatives of the pod hotel that are more comfortable, though not as cheap as you might think.

These are just 20 reasons why you should visit Japan, but the list is endless. We haven’t even talked about the beautiful autumn colors, the cute deers, animal cafes, and love hotels amongst other things. Nowhere else on earth will you find a country like Japan, with its unique blend of long standing traditions and modern rituals, century old buildings and peaceful gardens sandwiched between the city’s modern highrises. Incredible fresh food, domestic drinks, sake and local specialties that you can get from any hole in the wall spot. Friendly people that will go out of their way to make you comfortable and require as much as a simple thank you. Reliable and punctual public transportation in a country that is among the safest in the world. The list of reasons for you to come to Japan is simply endless. Conclusion: plan your trip to Japan as soon as possible, you are in for a treat!

Japan Wonder Travel Tours 

Japan Wonder Travel is a travel agency that offers guided tours throughout Japan.  From private walking tours to delicious Food and Drink tours, we can help you organize the best tours just for you! If you want to explore Japan and learn more about the history and backstories of each area you are visiting, our knowledgeable and friendly English speaking guides will happily take you to the best spots!  In addition, we can provide you with any assistance you may need for your upcoming trip to Japan, so please feel free to contact us if yu have any questions or need some help! 

▶ Tokyo Tsukiji Fish Market Food and Drink Tour Explore the most lively and popular fish market in Tokyo and try some of the local’s favorite street foods and sake with one of our friendly and knowledgeable English speaking guides! 

▶ Tokyo 1–Day Highlights Private Walking Tour (8 Hours) There’s no better way to explore an area than taking a tour with a knowledgeable local guide. You will have the chance to learn about the history and interesting background stories of Tokyo, as well as discover some hidden gems which can be hard to do without a guide.

▶ Mt. Fuji Day Trip Bus Tour from Tokyo Experience the breathtaking views of Mt. Fuji by visiting the highlights of the area on our guided sightseeing bus tour! Departing from Shinjuku in central Tokyo, you can travel comfortably to all of the best spots in the area by bus.

If you want to make travel easier, click here to find the best tour package from various operators!

These are just 20 reasons why you should visit Japan, but the list is endless. We haven’t even talked about the beautiful autumn colors, the cute deers, animal cafes, and love hotels amongst other things. Nowhere else on earth you will find a country like Japan, the unique blend of long standing traditions and modern rituals, century old buildings and peaceful gardens sandwiched between the city’s present-time highrise. Incredible fresh food, domestic drinks, sake and local specialties that you can get from any hole in the wall place. Friendly people that will go out of their way to make you comfortable and require as much as a simple thank you. Reliable and punctual public transportation in a country that is among the safest in the world. The list of reasons for you to come to Japan is simply endless. Conclusion: plan your trip to Japan as soon as possible, you are in for a treat!

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Happy traveling!

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A complete 7 day itinerary for Japan

Japan is a country I have long wanted to visit, with incredible mountain scenery, one of the world’s most chaotic & quirky cities (Tokyo), a long history of culture & tradition, and of course incredible cuisine with authentic sushi on offer everywhere you turn.

I have been asked many times over the past few years of blogging why I have not yet been to Japan, with the answer being that I was just waiting for a time that was right. This is a country I wanted to see as a whole over at least 2 weeks, instead of just flying in for a quick city trip to Tokyo or a ski trip in one of Japan’s famous ski resorts.

When I came across the Splendours of Japan Tour with Trafalgar (who I have travelled with previously in Peru ), it seemed like a great opportunity to take one of my parents overseas to visit Japan, as I knew either of them would appreciate the culture and history unlike anyone else I knew – so I booked my dad a plane ticket, told him to pack his bags, and we were off!

My Trip to Japan: Tokyo

Japan’s capital Tokyo is weird, wonderful, and at time completely whacky – but that is precisely what makes it such a sought after city for international visitors.

Our trip started in Tokyo as it is the main gateway to Japan and a great city to spend a few days discovering its many pockets – from the hustle and bustle of Shibuya & Shinjuku, over to the quiet peace and serenity of Japan’s public parks, and all the way through to Tokyo’s gaming district; Akihabara.

Be sure to allow yourself at least 3-5 days in this city as there is much to see and do – including tourist hot spots like the Mieji Shrine; Sensō-ji temple; Ueno Park for remarkable cherry blossom viewing in Spring; Harajuku for young fashion, nearby Omotesando for grown-up fashion, Tokyo Tower for impressive views at sunset, and if you have more time, day trips to Tokyo Disneyland, Disney Sea, or nearby Mt. Fuji.

For our Tokyo hotel we stayed at New Hotel Otani and I would highly recommend it, though for location I would have preferred to be position in Shibuya or Shinjuku.

Further reading:

A Quick Guide to Tokyo

Mt. Fuji Day Trip

After enjoying all of the chaos and craziness that is Tokyo, allow yourself one day to get out of the hustle and bustle and escape to nearby Mt. Fuji to view the impressive mountain where many Japanese and foreign guests make their climb to the summit each year.

Whilst here enjoy great views (weather dependent) from Lake Kawaguchi and enjoy a delightful blueberry + vanilla soft serve from the gift store.

Onwards from Mt. Fuji we proceeded to visit Hakone, a small village on lake Ashi, which also offers great views of Mt. Fuji from afar by taking the cable car to the viewing platform.

Further Reading:

Matsumoto Castle (En route to Takayama)

After 3 nights in Tokyo (I would suggest booking at least 1-2 more nights to allow time to see/do everything in Tokyo), we made our way by bus to Takayama via Matsumoto Castle – one of Japan’s most picturesque castle. Also known as crow’s castle due to its black exterior, this castle is entirely built of wood and as per Japanese tradition, built completely without nails (it pieces together like a jigsaw puzzle and can be entirely pulled apart and put back together).

There isn’t a great deal to see beyond the castle, so after a quick look inside and walk around the grounds, it was onwards to Takayama in the same day!

This gorgeous little city known as Takayama is the gateway to the Hida region. One day to explore this city is enough time to see most points of interest, though if time is on your side this would be a great town to slow down and spend a couple days immersed in Japanese culture and traditions.

Soft serve ice cream plays a big role in Takayama with many flavours available on the many street – don’t be afraid to try them all! There are also some great Izakaya restaurants here (casual Japanese food), offering a great chance to try regional food.

For our hotel in Takayama we stayed at the three-star Hida Plaza Hotel . I wouldn’t particularly recommend it and I believe Takayama is a great location to try a traditional Ryokan whilst in Japan.

A Quick Guide to Takayama

Gokoyama & Shirakawago

After two nights in Takayama, we made our way through countryside villages toward the busy city of Kanazawa – but as is often the case, today was all about the journey to get there.

En route we stopped at two traditional villages – characterised by thatched roofs and traditional wooden houses. These two villages are UNESCO World Heritage listed as they portray Japanese traditional in its truest form – so be sure to take plenty of photos!

Onwards we stopped at a Nomura House, a traditional samurai house where we learned the history of the local region, ongoing traditions and the history of the samurai.

Sadly I have only a couple of rainy, not-so-clear photos to show from our time in Kanazawa, as we experience rained for the two days we were though and thus mostly stayed indoors.

Should you be received in Kanazawa with sunshine, be sure to visit Kenroku-en, regarded as one of Japan’s three most beautiful gardens and just next door is Kanazawa castle, which is also worthy of a visit.

Kanazawa is a larger city (with multiple Starbucks and McDonalds if that gives any indication!), so I would recommend just one day to explore here, to allow for more time in the countryside or cities that have more to offer in terms of sightseeing and culture – like the next stop; Kyoto!

For our hotel in Kanazawa we stayed at the Kanazawa Tokyu Hotel , which I would highly recommend for both location & a fantastic buffet breakfast!

Once the capital of Japan, Kyoto is as idyllic as one could ever imagine Japan to be. Although the charm of Kyoto lies beneath the bustling city that it is today, when you take the back streets you soon begin to discover the history, culture and traditions that live on in Japan to this day.

Be sure to wander through Gion, Kyoto’s most renowned Geisha district and an absolute mecca for green tea (matcha) lovers! Here green tea comes in any and all forms – ice cream, parfaits, frappes, hot lattes and more!

Kyoto is also home to the famous Fushimi Inari Taira – an incredible shrine of thousands of red torii gates that line the 4 kilometre stretch to the sacred Mt. Inari. Nature lovers will enjoy the bamboo groves, whilst those looking for a city escape can always make a quick trip to Osaka – just a 30 minute express train ride away!

For our hotel in Kyoto we stayed at the  Hotel Nikko Princess  which I would highly recommend due to the large rooms, amazing service (particularly from the concierge), great location and a great breakfast buffet.

A Quick Guide to Kyoto

Although Osaka wasn’t on our itinerary for the tour, we had an extended stay at the end in Kyoto, which allowed for a spontaneous trip to nearby Osaka (30 minutes by express train from Kyoto). The trip happened completely by chance, as we were sat in our hotel room making a plan for the following two days, deciding when would be best to visit each location for less crowds, particularly as it was a public holiday that day. All of a sudden we made the decision to head out of Kyoto to nearby Osaka and experience the hustle and bustle of now my absolute favourite city in Japan.

My favourite areas to explore in Osaka were Shinsekai and Dotonbori. Shinsekai felt like a time warp as you quite literally step back in time to a Japan that time forgot, but of course with the added colour and livelihood of the 21st Century! Dotonbori is the main tourist thoroughfare in Osaka which is also home to the best street food in Osaka (and some of the best in Japan), whilst allowing plenty of opportunities to spend some cash.

A Quick Guide to Osaka

World of Wanderlust experience the Splendours of Japan Tour as a guest, however my opinions and oodles of photos are all my own!

Brooke Saward founded World of Wanderlust as a place to share inspiration from her travels and to inspire others to see our world. She now divides her time between adventures abroad and adventures in the kitchen, with a particular weakness for French pastries.

Find me on: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook

*early next year

Hi Brooke! I love your Japan travel blog! Planning to go there early next week. Btw, may I ask what camera do you use? Your photos are fantastic!

Great post, japan is so calming even though i haven’t been there by reading your post i feels like i was also there. hope i can visit there soon and try alot of ramen, thankyou!

Great blog! Thanks for sharing informative and complete japan itinerary.

Japan always make me dream…and you made that too with your post and pictures!! I really can’t wait for restrictions to go away, the first place i’m gonna visit are Gokoyama e Shirakawago for sure!

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What’s it Like to Travel in Japan?

I thought I had finished writing about Japan, but it turns out I was wrong.

My posts about Japan  have quickly become my most-read of all time and I’m now starting to receive a hell of a lot of questions about how to make the most of a trip to this wonderful country. I’m diving back into my time in the Land of the Rising Sun , then, and planning on sharing a ton of resources over the next couple of weeks.

Up first: what it’s like to travel in Japan! These are my favourite type of blog posts to write — you can browse my growing collection of them on my What’s It Like to Travel In? page — as they allow me to blend a detailed travel guide with random observations, fun stories, and first impressions.

Let’s get stuck in!

It’s Going to Be Overwhelming for the First Few Days

Does that photo make you feel like having a panic attack and hiding away from the world? Me too.

Most people kick off their Japan adventure in Tokyo or Osaka, both of which are large cities full of bright lights, flashing signs, loud noises, unfamiliar smells, crowds of people, and plenty of chaos. When you throw a hefty case of jetlag into the mix, visitors often end up feeling as though they’re walking around in a bubble, unable to process what on earth is going on.

Arriving in Japan is culture shock to the extreme. I’ve been to 80-odd countries and I’ve never experienced it to the extent that I did here.

But the good news is that the sensory overload doesn’t last for long.

While you’ll never fully understand what’s happening as you travel around the country, the differences become less overwhelming and you quickly learn to embrace Japan’s unique mix of order and chaos.

But it Really Wasn’t That Weird?

Now, I don’t know about you, but when I first started planning my trip to Japan, I prepared myself to see   things . Strange things. Unexplainable things. Extraordinary things.

And… I didn’t.

I arrived in Tokyo, fully expecting to hit the ground and start taking photos of a thousand peculiar sights. I planned on barely sleeping during my trip, because I thought there’d be so much unfamiliarity to absorb.

Nope. 

I landed in Tokyo and it felt like a big city. A regular city. A familiar city.

Which isn’t to say it wasn’t special — I adored Tokyo — but just that it felt like a normal city filled with normal people. I didn’t run into people cosplaying on the streets, I wasn’t served by robots in restaurants, I wasn’t surrounded by outlandish fashion choices, I didn’t spot vending machines filled with used underwear on every street.

My preconceived notions of Japan were based on bad stereotypes that have been perpetuated by Western society and I felt like a dumbass for buying into them.

Japan was no more “weird” than any other country I’ve been to.  It has its quirks, sure, but what country doesn’t?

The Food is Going to Blow Your Mind

I’m  still talking about the incredible meals I devoured in Japan!

Whether it was the pork rib ramen in Osaka, the crispy takoyaki in Tokyo, or the fresh as hell sushi in Kyoto, I couldn’t get enough of the food in Japan. There was plenty of interesting foods to try for the first time, like pufferfish jerky and pickled quail eggs, and experiencing my first  kaiseki  (a traditional multi-course Japanese meal) was one of the highlights of my entire trip.

After visiting Japan, I can easily place Japanese food in my top 5 cuisines in the world, along with Mexican, Vietnamese, Greek, and Spanish. I even wrote a blog post about my favourite meals in Japan  because I was so enamoured with the food.

Train is the Best Way to See the Country

If you’re planning a trip to Japan, the first thing you should be doing is buying a Japan Rail Pass .

While the rail passes seem like a fairly large expense to pay up-front (I paid $420 for my two-week pass), they’ll more than likely save you money on your trip.

I’ll confess I was skeptical the passes would be as much of a necessity as people said, so picked one up then made a note of the cost of every train we took in the country. It turned out that my  14-day JR pass  saved me a whopping ¥19,000/$175! That’s a huge amount of money, so I’m firmly of the belief that this is an investment you’ll want to make.

Travelling by train across Japan is such an iconic experience, too. The trains are incredibly fast and punctual, the rail network is extensive, and it’s altogether a comfortable and convenient way to get around. It’s a huge expense if you’re going to be travelling in Japan on a budget, but I think it’s a cultural experience that’s worth splurging for.

Confession: I Was Baffled by Tokyo’s Metro

On our first day in Japan, my partner tweeted: “If you think you’re a competent traveller and would like to be very humbled, can I suggest trying to figure out the Tokyo metro?”

I’ve muddled my way around a hell of a lot of subway systems around the world, but Tokyo’s was the first to leave me well and truly flummoxed.

To start with, the stations are enormous. I was staying beside Shibuya station and it would regularly take me a solid 30-60 minutes to figure out where on earth my platform was even located. It was just as complicated trying to find the right exit!

The stations are hyper-busy, too. The top 20 busiest train stations in the world are all found in Japan. Shinjuku station — the busiest — sees 3.6 million people transiting through it every single day . I can’t even comprehend that many people passing through a single building, let alone every day!

Oh, and here’s a map of the Tokyo metro and train lines:

For some reason, buying the correct ticket seemed to be impossible for us to do correctly! The Tokyo subway system is operated by three separate companies, and you’ll need different tickets for the lines that each company owns.

If our route required us to change stations, we simply could not buy the right ticket. I don’t think we succeeded even once! Even when we were convinced we finally understood where we were going, our ticket would invariably fail in the machines when we went to change lines and we’d need to find help from a member of staff. It’s probably no great surprise that we ended up walking around Tokyo for most of our time there and only used the subway three times.

What we should have done, however, was buy a SUICA card, rather than bothering with single tickets. It’s a rechargeable travel card that’s valid on all of the metro and train lines across Japan, and it would have saved us a hell of a lot of time, confusion, and hassle.

It’s Worth Getting Out of the Main Cities While You’re There

A lot of people devise an itinerary that’ll take them to the three big hitters in Japan tourism: Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka. And while those cities are undoubtedly most popular for a reason, I found myself really enjoying the lesser-known spots just as much.

Wandering around the town of Yamanouchi in freshly-fallen snow was a wonderful experience, Takayama was the perfect place to learn about traditional Japanese architecture, and beautiful Miyajima Island was the most relaxing stop on my trip.

Even if you don’t have a huge amount of time in Japan, I’d still recommend jumping on a day trip or two to explore outside of the huge cities. Hit up Nara as a day trip from Kyoto, head to Hakone to see Mount Fuji as a day trip from Tokyo, or set off for Myajima Island for some respite on a day trip from Hiroshima.

During my next visit to Japan, I’d like to get further away from the beaten track and explore a bunch of places I haven’t even heard of right now. Which, yes, is essentially me admitting to being too lazy to research lesser-known places in Japan to include here.

There’s a Lot of Animal Attractions… Most of Which Exhibit Dubious Ethics

Japan is the land of animals being treated badly, unfortunately.

As you travel across the country, you’ll be struck by how many animal cafes you can visit. There’s hedgehog cafes, otter cafes, owl cafes, alpaca cafes, ferret cafes, penguin bars, and the vast majority of them are not doing great things for the animals’ health.

In Japan, owl cafes offer the chance to sit beside  a tethered owl  that’s been forcibly domesticated and will never be allowed the opportunity to fly. In 2016, a cat cafe in Tokyo was shut down after  it was discovered  owners were keeping 60 cats within a 30 square metre rom. The penguin bar in Tokyo  keeps four penguins captive  in a tiny enclosure at the back of a smoky bar.

I went to a hedgehog cafe in Tokyo and came away  feeling conflicted by the ethics of me having done so, and decided I wouldn’t repeat the experience.

Even the snow monkeys ended up being a disappointment for me. The animals were herded towards tourists by staff, fed in order to keep them from leaving the hot springs, encouraged to fight with each other, and generally seemed to be distressed that they couldn’t get away.

And this was just what I personally experienced. Japan has also experienced international condemnation for a whole host of animal welfare violations, from whaling to the Taiji dolphin hunt.

If in doubt, steer clear of any animal-based attractions in Japan.

Japan’s Vending Machines are the Bomb

I loved the vending machines in Japan! They’re everywhere, sometimes dozens of them in a row, and they’re standing on practically every street. There’s over 5 million of them — one for every 23 people in the country — and they’ll be one of the first things you notice when you first arrive.

The vast majority of them sell drinks — hundreds of varieties, from the delicious-but-gross-sounding electrolyte-filled Pocari Sweat to hot coffee in a can — and they’re a fantastic way to stay refreshed while you’re exploring

And, of course, there’s a whole bunch of unusual stuff you can buy from them, too, like actual puppies, live lobsters and beetles, a Coke that freezes into a slushy when you open it, umbrellas, surgical masks, mystery boxes, pizzas, ties, wigs for dogs, origami, and yes, used women’s underwear. I even ordered several meals from a vending machine in Japan!

And You’ll Probably Get Weirdly Excited Over the Toilets

Everybody falls in love with Japanese toilets! I feel like such a predictable beast for even including this in my post, but let’s face it: Japan’s toilets are in a whole other league.

So what’s so life-changing about them? They have so many features! As someone who visited the country during winter, I loved that there was a seat warmer. On top of that, there’s a built-in bidet that self-cleans between each use and a blow-dryer for afterwards. You can adjust where the water sprays, the temperature of it, and the amount of pressure it applies. You can even play music from the toilet if you don’t want anybody to hear what you’re doing in there, and some feature a deodoriser, too.

The buttons on the toilet are fairly self-explanatory, but every one I used had a slightly different design and set of features, which kept things fun. Mystery toilet!

As I begin contemplating buying a house within the next couple of years, let me tell you that I’m already thinking about how I’m going to get myself a Japanese toilet for it!

Why Are There So Many Ugly Cars?

Why are the cars in Japan so squished and blocky?!

One of the first things I noticed after arriving in the country was how many odd-looking cars there were. There were so many that looked like this photo: like they’d been plopped into a car crusher for a second, then removed and placed on the streets.

Yeah, It’s Fairly Expensive, But Also Not That Expensive

I put off travelling to Japan for years due to one simple reason: I didn’t think I could afford it.

To my great surprise, it ended up being much more affordable than I expected! In total, I paid just under $100 a day while travelling as part of a couple on a mid-range budget. That included my rail pass, accommodation in hotels and guesthouses, entrance tickets to temples and attractions, food and drink, and travel insurance. I’ve definitely visited more expensive countries in the world.

For more information on my expenses, check out my detailed guide on how much it costs to travel in Japan .

There Are So Many Different Types of Accommodation

One aspect I loved about Japan travel is how many different types of accommodation there are to stay in. I tried to check out as many of them as possible.

I stayed in a capsule hotel, spent a night in a ryokan, slept on a tatami mat floor, hung out in family-run guesthouses, and checked out some pretty hipster hostels.

My biggest surprise was learning that sleeping on a tatami mat was so comfortable! I often opted for the tatami mat rooms over Western-style bedrooms, as they’re usually a couple of dollars cheaper, and they worked out to be just as comfortable. I actually found it super cool to be staying in a minimalist room without any furniture! My only complaint was the smell of the tatami mats — most people love it, but I just couldn’t get used to it.

Staying in a ryokan was another exciting accommodation experience. These Japanese inns are generally known for being super-expensive, giving you the opportunity to experience a traditional local lifestyle. You’ll stay in a tatami mat room, bathe in a communal onsen, and tuck into a kaiseki with the other guests during dinner and breakfast. It was one of the coolest experiences I had in the country.

My final accommodation standout was a capsule hotel. I stayed here more for the novelty than the comfort levels, but it ended up being surprisingly cosy. My room had around 20 beds in small pods, all packed in together, but you still had a lot of privacy. I had my own little light in my capsule, my own power sockets, temperature control, and a curtain to close to keep people from peering in. These are a great way to save money in Japan, so I’d recommend trying them out if you’re going to be visiting on a budget.

I Felt Super-Safe in Japan

Japan has a reputation for being one of the safest countries in the world, and I certainly never felt in any danger while I was there. I felt perfectly safe exploring the country alone, walking around at night on my own, sleeping on the train with my bags at my feet, and carrying my expensive camera in the open. I felt safer in Japan than anywhere else I’ve been in the world.

Still, that doesn’t mean that you should grow complacent and let your guard down. As with any country in the world, you should still keep watch over your belongings, be wary of complete strangers that are taking a sudden interest in you, and be careful with your alcohol consumption. All that good stuff.

Oh, and you should probably refresh your knowledge on what to do if there’s an earthquake before you get there. I experienced my first earthquake in Taiwan and because I grew up in the U.K., had no idea what to do. I remember feeling my bunkbed rattle beneath me as I frantically googled what to do in an earthquake. I should have been better prepared.

My fellow female travellers out there may want to utilise the women-only train carriages during peak travel times to ensure you’re away from any wandering hands — this is likely the only safety issue you’ll encounter in the country.

Keep your wits about you, take common sense safety measures, and you’ll have a wonderful time.

Winter is Going to Be Cold

Japan gets freezing in the winter and scorching in the summer.

I visited in December and was so cold. So much colder than I thought I would be. Although I confess to having little tolerance to the cold, so you’ll probably think I was being pathetic. Temperatures hovered around the freezing mark, and it snowed in Hiroshima and Yamanouchi. I regularly wore five layers of clothing and still spent most of my time shivering.

Visiting during summer takes you to the other end of the temperature spectrum. It gets super-hot in the summer months, with temperatures hitting as much 40 degrees (100°F) some years.

This is a destination that’s best visited in the spring or autumn.

But the Bonus with that is the Onsens!

One of the huge bonuses to visiting in the winter is getting to dive into Japan’s onsen culture. Onsen is the Japanese word for hot spring, and you’ll find them scattered all over this volcanic country. Some are outdoors, some are inside, some are found in guesthouses, ryokans, and hotels, some are in public bathhouses, some are public, some are private, some are same sex, some are mixed gender. The only rule is that you have to be naked.

I jumped in an onsen almost every night of my trip and it was so relaxing and comforting to do so. I highly recommend looking for accommodation with on-site onsens, as it allows you a little more privacy. At my hostel in Hakone and my ryokan in Yamanouchi, I got to jump in the private couples onsen with my boyfriend, which was so much fun!

In theory, you’re not supposed to use the onsens in Japan if you have tattoos, although the rules have relaxed in recent years. If you have one that can’t be covered up with a bandaid, I’d recommend checking out Tattoo Friendly , which lists hundreds of Japanese onsens you can visit if you’re inked.

And that was Japan!

This post was so much fun to write! If I’m being honest, I think I could have sat down and written another 3,000 words about my time in Japan — there’s just so much to learn from this country.

I can’t wait to return.

Have you been to Japan? If not, do you dream of visiting one day?

Related Articles on Japan 🏯 How to Spend Two Weeks in Japan: An Itinerary for First-Time Visitors 💴 The Cost of Travel in Japan: My Budget Breakdown 🍣 15 Weird and Wonderful Things to Eat in Japan 🎌 23 Incredible Things to Do in Osaka, Japan 😎 Hipster Harajuku: The Coolest Neighbourhood in Tokyo 🦔 Should You Go to a Hedgehog Cafe? My Experience in Japan 🐒 Why Seeing the Snow Monkeys in Japan Sucked

Lauren Juliff

Lauren Juliff is a published author and travel expert who founded Never Ending Footsteps in 2011. She has spent over 12 years travelling the world, sharing in-depth advice from more than 100 countries across six continents. Lauren's travel advice has been featured in publications like the BBC, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and Cosmopolitan, and her work is read by 200,000 readers each month. Her travel memoir can be found in bookstores across the planet.

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25 comments.

Japan sounds fascinating on so many levels. I think I would feel overwhelmed at first, but reading your post has made me think that going here is still achievable for us. I would love to experience a capsule hotel and their crazy vending machines as well as the cultural side of the country

This is a very useful post, Lauren! Elliot and I are most likely going to go to Japan next year (we’re thinking autumn), and I’m already overwhelmed thinking about planning it. So hearing helpful tips about trains (and that SUICA card!) and tattoo-friendly onsens is great!

I went to Japan last year for the first time and I feel like we barely scratched the surface! My favourite dish was pork ramen, it was the first meal I had in Kyoto and it was absolutely delicious. I can’t wait to go back!

Good point about being prepared for earthquakes. I’ve never experienced one, but if I continue traveling the way I do now, then maybe it’s just a matter of time. It makes me kind of nervous. You wrote it was your first earthquake, have you experienced many? And in that case, where? In Asia?

I never been drawn to Japan but as usual after reading your blog posts about a destination I feel an urge to go there NOW. You’re such a good writer!

Cool post Lauren. Did you take any of the high-speed trains while you were there? One of the best parts of my trip to Japan was experiencing the fast bullet trains. They go 320 km/h!

I’ve been staring at that metro map for the last 5 minutes trying to figure it out! :D Thank you for sharing this. I’m planning on heading to Japan soon, hopefully in a few months, and this definitely helps get me prepared for it, at least mentally :)

It’s true that Japan is not as expensive as everyone seems to think. Of course it’s a country with a high standard of living, but there are many ways for the budget traveler to get around that. For instance, most supermarkets have a cook preparing fresh food to sell. It’s usually quite good and way cheaper than restaurants. Plus, if you come 1 hour or so before they close, they’ll offer big discounts on the last meals available!

When is the best time to travel to Japan? You would say April/May or September/October? Which is the perfect month in your opinion?

This post really reminds me of the one have years I spent living in Japan. Japan is such a unique and special country in so many ways but it was difficult to live there.

I used to always hate Shibuya station. I don’t was trying avoid getting off there are changing there because I would inevitably get lost. One thing that I did live about Japan now is that sometimes you could find Beer vending machines I found that so cool.

Oh and then the small cars are called K cars. They have cheaper insurance. I think people like them because of the limited parking space, you even have to pay extra to park your car outside your apartment.

I really love Japan! I always make sure to eat my fave Japanese Food when I’m there and yes, the Metro gave me a headache too!

The map of local trains actually scared me haha. Surely I’d get lost in this mess. Off great post as always ;)

This is not appropriate for school children in the beginning It said a very naughty word in the very beginning I’m Offended. and It also said Dumba**

Why on earth would you think my site was written for kids?

Wow! I’m a lazy person Lauren, but you make travel seem so awesome! I love your writing- your words are clear and your voice is really articulate. You’re an image for women all around the world- follow your dreams!

The key to the Tokyo subway system is to focus on the Yamanote Line, which is the main loop around central Tokyo. From there, you can connect to other lines to take you where you want to go.

We love Tokyo and my daughter and I have even done a 72 hours in Tokyo trip! She still talks about Tokyo and a recent trip to Hong Kong was a good comparison for her, but she still likes Tokyo better.

Piss Alley was a blast – mostly Yakitori stands are what is mostly there now – but there is a good little Ramen joint, and another we really liked is gone now.

There are also a ton (no kidding!) of great sushi places – web search for cheap sushi in Tokyo for lots of options.

Another great place we loved to eat at was Pepper Lunch – they serve the food to you on a flat-iron cooker that comes straight out of the oven – and you cook your food and eat it!

Tokyo is not intimidating – it’s a great place to visit and signs are in English (mostly) and the city is pretty easy to navigate.

Thanks so much for sharing, Brent!

The picture telling people to not poke the face of Sarubobo is so typically Japan, I love it!! I recently moved to Tokyo to take a break from backpacking and I have to pinch myself every day that I get to live in this hectic and beautiful city. You’ve captured Tokyo and Japan’s quirks really well!

Good article. Visited Japan last year for ten days and absolutely loved it. Like many people, I also postponed visiting due to fears about very high cost, but once there I realize it is not that bad- how much you spend is really dependant on your tastes and how much luxury you require. It is very possible to do Japan on a budget, you just have to know ways to save money. Fore example, many corner stores sell packaged, relatively inexpensive meals that tasty and healthy for only a fraction of the price of what you would pay in a restaurant.

Hi, I enjoyed reading your article. The pics are beautiful, especially the one with the train on the bridge. I have to mention a few things that stuck with me. First…OMG! I got vertigo just by looking at the metro map. Used women’s underwear!? Really??? I laughed when I read your description of the cars “squished and blocky”. Yup! I will go to Japan just to use the toilets. LOL! Great post. Can’t wait to go there.

Hope you have a wonderful time there! :-)

I am going to Japan at the end of december, 1. I really tought it wasnt going to be that cold, but you now scare me a little :P. I live in Medellin now (70F all year) but I use to live in upstate NY, how come I can get so scare about cold? ehehe 2. I really wanted to see the snow money park. In the pictures, the mokeys look so Zen :(. But after reading your post, I am for sure not going. I love animals, but I dont want to see them being misstreated or in distress

Oh, don’t be scared of the cold in Japan! I’m super sensitive to it after spending seven-odd years travelling in mostly tropical places.

Really appreciated this post! I can’t wait to get to Japan :)

One of the best articles I’ve read on Japan that shows me exactly what to expect as a traveler.

I highly recommend using google maps while riding public transportation in Japan. With Tokyo’s subway systems, it offers detailed instruction for transferring plus giving you the exact exit numbers to use to reach your destination. One warning, Japanese people walk about twice faster than me, the estimated transfer time is usually not enough for me. However, the next one is usually minutes away. I have used it successfully in other parts of Japan with public transportation systems that will link all options in Osaka, Nara, Fukuoka and Kanazawa. I am not 100% sure about very rural area which I usually get to by car.

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How Two Weeks in Tokyo Helped Me Rediscover My Personal Style

By Michelle Li

Back in April, I landed in Japan at 3 a.m. after a long flight from New York—and awoke three hours later to begin my first (jetlagged) day in Tokyo. Thankfully, more than any other destination, Tokyo has always had the remarkable ability to reinvigorate me—and just as importantly, how I get dressed. It’s a city of contradictions, with subway supermalls only a few steps away from a serene neighborhood shrine, or charming streets with local ramen and third-floor monjayaki spots located across from a seven-floor TGI Fridays. Which instead of confusing me, makes complete sense—contradictions and contrasts have always been the bedrock of my approach to style.

Recontextualizing an item in an unexpected way was how I originally found my place within the fashion industry. A pair of track pants with a ruffled feminine top, an anorak with a soft chiffon skirt, pastels with a hint of neon. It’s a delicate balancing act that I felt I’d lost over the past few years in New York City. I had started to question if I was overcomplicating the items in my closet—even pieces I loved—after spending too much time on social media.

So, I started planning this trip. There are some vacations that are meant for relaxing (by the beach, cocktail in hand) and other vacations that are meant for challenging yourself. Historically, Tokyo has pushed me out of my comfort zone—but I’ve always come home feeling reinvigorated creatively.

This would be my third trip to Japan. The last time I visited was in 2019: I was a fashion assistant at a magazine, my hair was pink, and in all honesty, I still didn’t have my personal style quite figured out. I packed my usual everyday items: a puffer coat, some easy comfortable pants, a few sweatshirts, and a pair of Skechers. But after returning home, I felt a sartorial shift after observing how authentically everyone dressed for themselves in Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka. People dressed in outfits that felt truly lived in. Thoughtfully tailored to be worn for a lifetime. Making a convincing case for putting care into the clothing you already own. I remember clearly thinking: This is how you translate those fashion editorials into your real, everyday life.

By Irene Kim

By Christian Allaire

So it was that spirit I tried to reconnect with when I began packing my suitcase for two weeks in Tokyo. It forced me to get creative with how I built my outfits, and to see the clothing I own in a new context. When in Tokyo, my “boring” everyday denim and leather jackets looked shiny and new. My two pairs of shoes seemed to be the only shoes I would ever need! I packed some wild-card-last-minute-decision items, like a pair of green lace-up leather pants and a striped Kiko Kostadinov dress. These pieces—that see the light of day only a few times every year in New York City—somehow became staple items in Tokyo. I started brainstorming outfits around the daunting pieces in my closet at home that I loved but had neglected. It could even be the simple process of adding a belt, or trying a different pair of shoes to bring out a different texture. It reminded me that an outfit doesn’t have to go big to be good.

In Tokyo, where overstimulation is only a subway ride away (if that), instead of feeling panicked when I got out of Shibuya station, I felt a sense of calm and curiosity. I could process it all on my own time. I was staying at K5 Hotel in Kabutocho, formerly the financial district and home to the Tokyo Stock Exchange, and housed in a bank building that dates back to 1923. My everyday routine was simple: I woke up and read a few chapters of My Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion (I try to read a book every vacation so that I can associate the book with the trip), then headed out for the day to find breakfast (a surprisingly difficult task because a lot of places in Tokyo don’t open until 11 a.m.), then took my time popping into shops in various neighborhoods. By 8 p.m., I was exhausted and ready to go to the local sento —or neighborhood communal bathhouse—and give myself time to fully process everything I saw that day.

Instead of “decompressing” by scrolling mindlessly on TikTok and Instagram, I would reflect on the outfits I saw that day. I especially loved seeing the unique styles of the salarymen on their way to work, with the subtlest winks to their own personal style. Like the guy I sat across from on the train with a Comme des Garcons multi-pocket briefcase reading manga on his way to work, or the elderly man I spotted in one of the city’s smoking sections wearing a leather Bottega Veneta tie. Beautiful pieces of clothing brought to life by the authenticity of how they were worn. The kind of thing you can only appreciate when you see it in real life.

On my final days in Tokyo, I began to find myself mentally removing items that I had previously put in the box of “things I would never wear.” (V-neck sweaters, collared shirts, bomber jackets, anything yellow—the list goes on.) I asked myself why I felt so inspired and excited to dress up every day in Tokyo, but couldn’t bring that same energy to my day-to-day life in New York City? For some reason, after two weeks here, getting dressed here felt like an opportunity, not an obligation.

Now that I’m back home, I’ve been inspired to undergo a massive closet overhaul. But instead of waving items of clothing goodbye, I’ve been trying everything on, thinking about the fit, and finding new places for it in my wardrobe. It’s challenging to find ways to grow with your clothing (trust me and my green leather lace-up pants) but as I’ve learned from my trip to Tokyo, it’s worth it. Sometimes all it takes is getting dressed in a new city to get you excited again about the clothes you already own.

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How to Plan a Trip to Japan: a Step By Step Guide

By: Author Kris

Posted on Last updated: December 6, 2023

Wonder how to plan a trip to Japan? If you don’t know where to start, or how to plan a trip to Japan, you have come to the right place.

Planning a trip to Japan, a country with a completely different culture, an unintelligible language, and several stretched-out megacities, can be a little overwhelming.

But let me reassure you immediately, it is very easy to travel independently in this country.

Japanese are welcoming, helpful, and well-organized. You will find yourself at home in this country in no time.

In this Japan travel blog post,  we will explain step by step how to get started with your Japan trip planning.

We share a lot of travel tips for Japan, how to get to the country of the rising sun, where to stay, all of the best things to do for first-timers, and everything else you need to know to craft a perfect holiday. 

We have some example itineraries to get you started, we will cover what to pack and the best travel time. 

We also mapped some things against a timeline so you know how far in advance you should take care of some of the more important things.

This step-by-step guide is also handy if you are only planning a trip to Tokyo, Kyoto, or Osaka.

Ready? Let’s start working on this amazing Japan trip!

There is a really good chance that this post contains affiliate links. If you click one of them, we may receive a small commission (for which we are deeply grateful) at no extra cost to you.

Table of Contents

When to Visit Japan

A good item to start your planning with is to record your travel period.  Once you’ve decided on a certain period you can start looking for flights.

Below is an overview of the different seasons in Japan with the pros and cons of each season.

Best Time to Travel to Japan

Japan is a long and narrow, stretched-out country.   It has a mountainous region in the North that attracts skiers in winter.  The Southern island of Okinawa is a popular beach location and scuba divers are raving about its untouched colorful underwater world.

The most popular tourist hotspots of Tokyo and Kyoto are located between those two regions. 

The best time to travel to Japan obviously depends on your interests and the region you want to visit.

The best time to travel to Japan for first-time visitors who want to see the highlights of the country is Spring and Autumn.

We would advise against traveling in summer because the cities are very hot and humid in this season.

The Sakura is a bonus of traveling in Spring, the cherry blossoms are an attraction in and by themselves.

Here are some more details about the different seasons.

Spring is an excellent season to visit Japan.  Certainly, if you can arrange your plans to coincide with the so-called Sakura, the famous cherry blossoms.

The cherry trees start blooming in the South of Japan and gradually transform the entire country into a colorful floral display.

The northern peninsula of Hokkaido is the last to showcase its beautiful colors.

It’s difficult to predict exactly when the flowers will bloom. 

You can check the predictions and forecasts on the site of the Japanese tourist board and the Japanese Meteorological Corporation.  The predictions become more accurate as the date approaches and they’re not really useful at this stage of your travel planning.

The period can vary a few weeks every year. It’s best to plan your trip across the country in a southerly direction.  It guarantees that you will see the blossoms at their best in at least one location.

We witnessed this glorious natural phenomenon in Tokyo , Kyoto, and Osaka. The cherry blossoms attract huge numbers of people all over the country, the Japanese even organize Hanami in the parks. (A Hanami is a flower-viewing party)

You can see cherry blossoms all over the world, but the atmosphere in Japan during this time of year is one you won’t find anywhere else.

The Sakura blossoms draw in large crowds, so this is a busy and somewhat more expensive time to travel to Japan.

Right after the Sakura Season is another busy travel week, the “Golden Week”.  It is formed by 4 national holidays, the first of which is Emperor day on April 29.  The other days are Constitution day on May 3, Greenery day on May 4, and Children’s day on May 5.

Many Japanese take advantage of this period to explore their own country, which makes the popular tourist attractions much busier than usual. This, in turn, causes the hotel rates to increase as well.

Temperatures will range from 15 degrees Celcius to 25 degrees Celcius.  In March and April, you may experience an occasional shower, during May it starts raining more often and more heavily.

Insider tip: Did you know that we also have a travel planner that you can download and use for your trip planning? Check out our  Japan travel planner ! This document will help you plan your trip smoothly. 

Summers in Japan are warm with temperatures that often exceed 30 degrees Celsius.  The humidity makes the wind chill even higher and unenjoyable if you’re not used to tropical climates.

The cities are always crowded and the combination of this bustling activity and such a high temperature can make exploring these concrete jungles unpleasant during this season.

June and July statistically know the most rainfall. This applies to most of the country, only the northern peninsula of Hokkaido is mainly spared from the downpours. 

The rainy season starts and ends a month earlier in Okinawa where most rainfall is measured in the months of May and June.

It doesn’t rain every day in the rainy season.  Some days are dry, while some days have light rain and other days come with massive downpours.

It’s difficult to predict, but as a rule of thumb, one can say that it will rain roughly every other day.

The benefit of traveling through Japan during this time of year is that the popular tourist sites, where otherwise you’d be part of a huge crowd, are much less busy.

Even after the rainy season has come to an end the weather remains hot and humid. 

The official typhoon season starts in May, but the typhoons that can disrupt everyday life are most common in the months of August and September.

Only a few severe storms reach the Japanese mainland and the storms are also very predictable.  This means that it is not necessary to avoid this period. It’s sufficient to watch the weather forecast to know when you shouldn’t go outside.

That being said, heavy rainfall does have the potential to cripple public transportation, while temples and amusement parks are sometimes closed during strong winds or sudden floods.

Many Natsumatsuri are organized in Summer. 

A Natsumatsuri is a summer festival.  It’s a cause for Japanese women to get their colorful Yukata out of the closet.  Huge crowds gather around the food and drink stalls and watch the fireworks together.  

If you’re in Japan during Summer you must definitely join these celebrations.

If you’re not a fan of warm and humid summer weather, you could still always go to Hokkaido. This is the only region with summer temperatures around 20 degrees Celsius (68 degrees Fahrenheit).

Fall is another great time to travel to Japan.

Japan is home to many expansive parks and forests, and the fall colors transform them into a gorgeous and colorful palette.

The fall foliage craze is no match for the popularity of the Sakura but that couldn’t stop the Japanese from giving it a special word: Koyo.

The best period to admire the amazing Koyo colors depends on the weather conditions and the location.  Japan is fairly big and the peak period differs significantly between the different regions.

Japan’s official tourism website has an Autumn leaves guide. You can track the Koyo predictions just like you can track the cherry blossoms.

Autumn temperatures start around 26 degrees Celcius.  When you visit Japan in October, you’ll normally still be able to enjoy pleasant temperatures that exceed 20 degrees Celsius. During the month of November, the temperature drops below 20 degrees Celcius to 15 degrees Celcius.

Although November is a bit cooler, it still counts plenty of sunny days to enjoy.

This makes both October and November pleasant and comfortable months to travel to Japan.

Winter announces the low season in most parts of Japan.  Only Hokkaido, with its many ski resorts, experiences a peak in tourism during this season.

Temperatures in Hokkaido range around 0 degrees Celcius.  In central and South Japan it is around 10 degrees Celcius. 

Some melting snow may fall in Tokyo during January and February, but the snow typically doesn’t stick around very long.

This is an atypical time to visit Japan, but the country does have some fun things to offer in winter. Great examples are the snow monkeys that you can see bathing in the onsen. You can also visit idyllic villages such as Shirakawa-go that are very enchanting when they’re covered by a layer of fresh snow.

The Japanese brighten up these cold months with various winter festivals featuring ice sculptures and fairytale-like lights. The most famous of those is the Sapporo Snow Festival.

General Do’s and Don’ts in Japan

It is clear that etiquette is still an important element of everyday life to the Japanese. They are some of the most courteous, helpful, and respectful people we’ve come across.

That was one of the aspects that made our trip so unforgettable.

You are certainly not supposed to comply with all their etiquette rules as a tourist, but the least you can do is try to return the favor.

Soaking in an onsen is one thing you absolutely must do while in Japan, but please read a little about basic onsen etiquette before you do.

Also, try your best at learning a little Japanese so you can say thank you and please when the locals help you out when you ever get lost in one of the huge train stations. (it happened to us a few times)

If you’re staying in a Ryokan, something we also recommend, it’s also good to read a little in preparation so that you know what to expect.

A Ryokan stay is an excellent way to experience Japanese tradition but you will enjoy it so much more if you understand the typical customs that come with such a stay.

They will provide you with slippers and a Yukata to wear around the property and Ryokans usually also have an onsen.

Are you afraid to cut a silly figure? Don’t let this stop you from staying a Ryokan and remember that you can always ask the owners about their house rules.

Intrigued by what we write above? Here you can find all our ryokans posts:

• Best Ryokan with private onsen in Kyoto
• Best Ryokans in Osaka
• 20 best Ryokans with private onsen in Hakone
• Best Ryokans in Kanazawa

Different cultures have different eating etiquette and it won’t come as a surprise that Japan also has a number of rules about eating with chopsticks. If there’s one thing you absolutely must remember, it’s that you shouldn’t place your sticks vertically in food, which is associated with death.

Did you come here expecting a list of things absolutely not to miss in Japan? We’ve got that too. Here is our Japan bucket list and famous landmarks you shouldn’t miss !

How Many Days in Japan

There’s no easy answer to this question. As Japan lovers, we recommend that you go as long as possible. 🙂

Japan is a country of contrasts. From the bustling city of Tokyo to the stillness of a Zen garden, from the neon-lit nightlife to the serene beauty of Kyoto. There is enough variation in the various sights so that traveling around Japan isn’t boring or repetitive.

To truly appreciate Japan, and its people, we recommend taking at least two weeks to explore this fascinating country.

We have carefully mapped out 5-day, 7-day, 2-week , and 3-week itineraries specifically aimed at first-time visitors.

If you want to make a city trip, check out Tokyo is the perfect destination for a 4 or 5-day city trip .

And if you have a week you can visit Tokyo and make some side trips to nearby places such as Hakone and Nikko or even Kyoto and Osaka.

Check out this list of example itineraries for various destinations in Japan

Japan Trip Cost

Japan is not the cheapest country to explore but some good planning can save you a lot of money.  Hotels will take the largest chunk out of your travel budget.  You can save a lot of money by booking these several months in advance.

Transportation is the second-largest cost item.  Oftentimes you can save on this by using local discount passes or special tourist passes.  The most well-known is the Japan Rail Pass but we also cover other passes on our site such as the Tokyo Metro Pass (Tokyo Subway Ticket) and the Hakone Free Pass .

Food is relatively cheap in Japan.  We spent an average of €12 per day per person on food.  (That is excluding breakfast which was usually included in our hotel rate)

We go into much more detail about the cost of these  3 items in our Japan Travel Guide .

Your Japan Trip Planning

Once you know when you will be traveling you can start working on your Japan itinerary.

Here we share a complete timeline.

The Timeline for Your Japan Trip Planning

6 months in advance

Book international flights

Get travel insurance Plan your itinerary Check if you need a Visa

About 3 months in advance

Book your Japan Rail Pass Book domestic flights

1 month in advance

Internet in Japan Book Tours and other Fun Experiences

1 week in advance

What to pack

6 Months in Advance

Join our japan facebook group.

Be sure to become a member of our  Japan Travel Planning and Tips Facebook group. 

The purpose of this group is to help you plan an amazing vacation to Japan. 

You can ask questions and exchange tips with fellow travelers.

Cheap Flights to Japan

We recommend that you start looking for flights as soon as your travel dates are fixed.  Prices for flights fluctuate continuously and it’s hard to predict when is the best time to buy. 

Tickets can be booked one year out until the very last day and over the course of this period, the price follows a stretched-out U curve.

Prices start high to drop gradually to a low point, and from there on they start rising again.

Everybody knows it’s expensive to wait until the very last minute but nobody knows the exact low point.

Usually, this is 4 to 6 months out for intercontinental flights.  We recommend tracking the price of your flights before you book. 

These days such tracking functionalities are available on all major booking sites (some sites call them price alerts). 

You can also use the insights provided by websites such as Momondo to get a clue about what the price will do.

Here are some tips to find cheap flights to Japan

• Use travel comparison sites such as Momondo , Skyscanner , and Kayak to instantly compare the prices on hundreds of sites.  Direct flights are almost always more expensive.  
• Japan has 2 excellent airlines. Japan Airlines (JAL) and All Nippon Airways (ANA).  Both are recognized by Skytrax as 5-star airlines for their outstanding service.  You will notice that, because of this award, their flights are often more expensive.
• Chinese carriers often offer rock-bottom prices to Japan with a stop in Shanghai or another Chinese hub.  We flew with China Eastern and thought the service was equally good as what we have experienced on many other European carriers.
• Japan counts several airports.  Make sure to compare prices to all these airports when you’re looking for flights: Narita and Haneda in Tokyo, Kansai and Itami Airport in Osaka, and Chubu Airport in Nagoya.
• Twice yearly we compare several travel booking sites to see which one offers the best flights.  You can check the results here .

Travel Insurance

Flights to Japan are no longer as expensive as a few years ago but they still take a big chunk out of your budget. 

That’s why we recommend taking out  travel insurance as soon as these are booked.

Insurances only cover accidents that occur after taking out and you don’t want to lose this money in case things suddenly turn awry. 

Such accidents happen when you least expect them.

We once couldn’t leave on vacation because one of us slipped on an icy terrace and severely bruised an ankle.

Our travel insurance saved us a lot of money back then because it was a complete family trip that needed to be canceled.

Travel Insurance is something that can be overlooked when you prepare for your vacation.

We were glad we had it back then because, in all honesty, we didn’t always think about it before then. 

Since then we always make sure that our travel expenses are covered.

Travel Insurance for Japan

Japan is a safe and civilized country. The country has an excellent healthcare system that is free for most residents but the costs of medical treatments can be extremely high for foreigners. 

Drawing up a travel insurance policy may seem expensive at first but it can potentially save you a significant sum, significantly more than the small insurance fee. 

We explain what to look for in your travel insurance policy here .  Don’t just go with the cheapest option, make sure to look at what’s covered and to what amount.  Cheaper policies usually come with low limits which can result in high out-of-the-pocket expenses for you.

Most travel insurance policies are usually aimed at residents of a specific country.

Have a look at what’s available in your country and compare this with what’s offered by SafetyWing and HeyMondo travel insurance.

Both are good and trusted insurance companies and offer really good protection for a very affordable rate!

Passports and Visas

Most people won’t need a visa when traveling to Japan, at the time of writing residents of 68 countries were exempt from a visa for short-term stays .   

If you’re a resident of another country, such as China, the Philippines, or Vietnam amongst others, you will need to apply for a Visa before traveling to Japan.

Your passport needs to be valid for the duration of your stay and not longer.  It needs to contain one empty page for the entry stamp.

Health Declaration

Currently, everybody who enters Japan needs to have a health declaration. This declaration can be completed online on the Visit Japan Web site. You need to create an account, enter your passport and flight details, and add proof of vaccination (or a recent test certificate).

At the time of writing Japan requires visitors to have at least 3 vaccinations or a test certificate from a test taken a maximum of 72 hours before boarding the flight. (Check the links for the full official guidelines. We always recommend checking the official website as this information can change anytime.)

In the next step, you can add the customs declaration.

This will result in 2 QR codes, one for the health officer and another one to show at customs. the codes will appear at the latest 6 hours after entering the data.

The Japanese government highly recommends using the online application but it is not mandatory. Just having proof of your vaccination or test results is also OK to be allowed in the country.

We recommend using the application as there have been reports of airlines denying boarding passengers without the QR codes. This is overzealous and incorrect on the part of these airlines, but it can give you serious problems.

Plan your travel itinerary

This may be the hardest part of your Japan trip planning but it’s also the most fun and rewarding part.  

A good place to start your travel planning is our Japan Guide .  This guide contains a mix of inspirational posts about the country complemented by very practical travel information to help you explore the land of the rising sun.

Our articles will keep you busy for several hours. if you still think you miss something have a look at the wide range of books that Lonely Planet has about Japan .  

Below is our advice on the things you shouldn’t miss if this is your first trip to Japan.

We have wrapped them up in short here. More on these highlights can be found here .

Japan Highlights – Top Japan Destinations

Tokyo : Japan’s bustling capital is an amazingly fascinating city of which you will never grow tired. You will need 4 to 5 days to get an impression of the various districts. Each district has its own appearance and charm. 

9 Best Ryokans in Tokyo With Private Onsen (2024 edition)

Samurai Restaurant, the new Robot Restaurant

Mt. Fuji tour from Tokyo: 9 best tours and tips (2024 guide)

How to use Tokyo’s public transport

10 Best Ryokans in Tokyo You Need To Stay At

10 Best Airbnbs in Tokyo: 2024 Guide

17 Best Onsen Hotels in Tokyo You Need To Stay At

A thrilling Tokyo itinerary for 4 days

Where to stay in Tokyo for the first time?

The Hakone day trip guide that covers everything (2024 edition)

Best Private Mt Fuji Tour: 7 Flexible and Customizable Tours

Planning a Tokyo to Mount Fuji day trip: All you need to know

BEST Tokyo itinerary 7 days suggestions for Tokyo + surroundings

12 best Airbnbs in Tokyo for families in 2024

EPIC Tokyo Itinerary: 5 Days of Unforgettable Adventures

Where to find cheap Robot Restaurant Tickets

The best places to visit in Tokyo

Best sakura spots in Tokyo you don’t want to miss

Kyoto :  Kyoto is most tourists’ favorite.  Prepare for temples galore, the city counts no less than 1600 temples.  2 days won’t be enough to visit them all but it should be sufficient to see the highlights of Japan’s cultural capital. 

You may want to add a third day if you don’t want to feel rushed.

19 Amazing Ryokans in Kyoto in The Best Areas (2024 Guide)

How to find the best Airbnb in Kyoto

15 Best Kyoto Onsen Hotels You Need To Stay At

16 BEST Ryokan with Private Onsen in Kyoto (2024 Edition)

Where to stay in Kyoto: Best areas and hotels for 2024

The BEST Kyoto 2-day itinerary for first-timers (2024 edition)

25 Amazing Things to Do in Kyoto at Night

15 of the coolest hotels in Kyoto

Things to do in Gion at night

Osaka :  Osaka is Kyoto’s neighbor.  Both cities are just 30 minutes away by train.  Despite it being so close many tourists skip Osaka and only visit Kyoto. 

We absolutely loved Osaka, it’s also called Japan’s Kitchen, so we strongly recommend reserving 2 days to explore this city.

10 Best Osaka Capsule Hotels You Should Stay At

18 Osaka Hotels With Onsen For A Perfect Stay

Best Osaka Ryokans with Private Onsen (2024 Guide)

How To Find the Best Airbnb in Osaka (2024 Guide)

10 Best Osaka Food Tours For 2024

16 Best Ryokans In Osaka You Need to Stay At (2024 guide)

EPIC Osaka 2-day itinerary: Perfect for first-timers (2024 edition)

Where to stay in Osaka: our best recommendations (2024 guide)

EPIC 1-day Osaka itinerary: Lots of highlights in 1 day

16 BEST things to do in Osaka at night

12 of the coolest hotels in Osaka you have to see

Hiroshima : A city with a dramatic past.  We were touched by the stories in the peace museum and also loved nearby Miyajima with its picturesque floating Torii gate and the free-roaming deer.

You can find more info on what to see and what to do in Hiroshima here.

Mt. Fuji :  Japan’s iconic volcano is a sight for sore eyes.  On clear days the mountain can be seen from the capital but you better not count on that to happen. 

In the following articles we explain the best ways to see the mountain with a tour or independently .

Is The Hakone Freepass Worth It in 2024? The Ultimate Guide

14 Amazing Mt Fuji Hotels with Private Onsen

Best Ryokans in Mount Fuji You Need To Stay At

16 Best Hakone Ryokans You Need To Stay At

Hakone 2-Day Itinerary: Epic Hakone Itinerary+ Tips (2024 Guide)

12 Wonderful Airbnbs in Hakone (2024 Guide)

20 Best Ryokan in Hakone with Private Onsen (2024 edition)

The snow monkeys : Being animal lovers this was a true highlight of our trip.  The best time to see these cute monkeys is in Winter or early Spring when they’re bathing in the onsen.  but it’s also fun to see them in Summer or Autumn. You can visit on your own or join a guided tour from Nagano Station.

Check prices and availability:

Snow monkeys tour GetYourGuide

Snow monkeys tour Viator

Visit an onsen :  Living in Japan can be stressful.  They have long working hours, a high work ethic, and also something known as Tatemae which means you must be an upstanding, ideal citizen to everyone except maybe your close family.  Japanese like to visit an Onsen to find relief after a stressful day.  We also enjoyed the warm water after a full day of walking around in the immense cities.

Samurai restaurant : The Samurai restaurant is the new name of the robot restaurant. The robot restaurant was infamous because it was the epitome of Japanese kitsch, you either hated it or you loved it.  That is still the case today. Attending this crazy neo-Japanese cabaret show might be one of the highlights of your trip.

Check prices and availability: Samurai Restaurant tickets

Or read our full post about the restaurant here. 

Kaiseki dinner : The Japanese kitchen is well-balanced and widely known to provide numerous health benefits. A Kaiseki dinner is Japan’s gastronomy at its best.  It’s a multi-course meal made of local fresh ingredients presented in a beautiful pleasing way.  It’s a real culinary treat.

Kyoto is a great place to enjoy a Kaiseki dinner. The below-mentioned tour combines a guided walk through Gion with a Kaiseiki diner.

Check prices and availability: Kyoto Evening Gion food tour

A traditional tea ceremony : This is another enjoyable Japanese tradition.  It originated in Zen Buddhism and it is bound to strict rules.  A lot of places offer tea ceremonies, we suggest doing some homework and not entering the first tea house you pass.  Not all ceremonies are equally good. 

This is a well-appreciated tea ceremony in Kyoto .

Check prices and availability: Kyoto tea ceremony

Stay in a Ryokan :  A Ryokan is a traditional Japanese family hotel.  Staying in one can be a real treat as the hosts are usually very accommodating and breakfast and dinner are mouth-watering. 

Opt for a small ryokan for the best experience.

The success of Ryokans has attracted larger properties with dozens of rooms but these are nowhere as charming as the small traditional Ryokans where it feels like you’re really a guest staying with the family.

Rent a Kimono :  Ideal if you want some great pictures of your trip. Don’t worry that you will stick out, the Japanese put on these traditional clothes for all kinds of festive occasions.  We counted loads of Japanese that were taking pictures of the cherry blossoms in their colorful Kimonos. 

Here is one address in Kyoto where you can rent a kimono for a day .

Check prices and availability: Kimono rental

Example Japan itineraries

Here are some example itineraries.  You can copy them exactly or you can use them as a basis to start with.

Sapporo Winter Itinerary: Enjoy Sapporo in Winter in 2 or 3 Days

What to Do in Hiroshima? Best Activities in 2024

The Perfect 14-Day Japan Travel Itinerary for First Timers

4 Best Japan 7-Day Itinerary Suggestions For First Timers (2024 Guide)

A wonderful Kanazawa itinerary for 2 days

EPIC 3-week itinerary for Japan (perfect for first-timers)

The best Japan 5-day itinerary suggestions for first-timers

Hotels in Japan

Accommodation in the larger cities of Japan can be expensive. 

Kyoto takes the cake with prices that can reach $800/night and higher for a standard room in a 4-star hotel in the high season. 

Prices in Tokyo and Osaka skyrocket as well in peak season, albeit slightly less.

It’s good practice to be prepared and book your rooms as soon as you’ve got your Japan itinerary fixed.

Don’t be put off by the above prices. If you plan in time and compare different hotels, you can also book very good hotels for quite a bit less. We traveled through Japan during the cherry blossom season, an expensive period to be in Japan, and paid on average €105/night for our hotels. 

We stayed in a combination of Ryokans and 3 or 4-star hotels. All were well-maintained and very clean.

Best Booking Sites for Japan

It’s easy to book the hotels for your trip online.  These are the sites we used:

Booking.com

Who doesn’t know Booking.com ? What else do I need to say?   

Less popular but equally trustworthy is Agoda. It is also part of the Booking.com group.  Agoda originated in Asia and it will sometimes show better rates for Asian hotels.  We also found some Ryokans on Agoda that couldn’t be booked on Booking.com

Apartments and Houses

Hotel rooms in Japan can be on the small side.  Certainly in the megacities of Tokyo and Osaka. 

If you’re traveling with children or friends it might be better to look for an apartment instead.  We recommend renting through VRBO, Booking, and Airbnb.

And don’t worry, Airbnb is completely legal in Japan.

Here is an overview of the best Airbnb’s in Tokyo. If you are traveling to Tokyo with your family, check out this post. 

If you are looking for apartments and houses in Kyoto, click here. 

Those that are traveling to Osaka can find a selection of apartments and houses here. 

Special Accommodations

We already shortly talked about ryokans in this article, here are some other options for an original overnight stay in Japan.

As written above a stay in a Ryokan, a traditional Japanese family hotel can be a real treat.  In a Ryokan, you sleep on a futon on the floor, believe me when I say that it is much more comfortable than it sounds. 

Ryokans can be booked on both Booking.com and Agoda.

A Minshuku is very similar to a Ryokan. The term Minshuku is not as widely known as many people probably just refer to these hotels as Ryokans. Opinions differ as to what a Minshuku is. Sometimes you will see it described as a low-budget Ryokan. According to us, it is better seen as a small-scale Ryokan.

All Ryokans used to be small family-run properties but these days you can find some large Ryokans with dozens of rooms. These offer luxurious accommodations with top-notch service but don’t have the homely feeling of what a Ryokan used to be about.

To experience this you have to opt for a smallish Ryokan or a Minshuku.

Very few hotels call themselves Minshuku as not many tourists know this term. Usually, they are also listed on booking platforms as Ryokans.

Temple Stay

Here you will stay at a temple. 

The room is comparable to that found in a ryokan.   

A healthy vegetarian dinner is usually included in your stay and we suggest you retire early as you’re also invited to participate in the morning prayers that start at 6 am sharp. 

You can also enrich your stay with meditation classes offered by Buddhist monks.

Temples that offer temple stays can be found in Kanazawa and Kyoto but the most popular place by far for this experience is Koyasan.  We left our temple a little disappointed, it all felt too touristy and not authentic but your mileage may vary.

There are special sites that specialize in temple stays but you will also find these temples on Booking.com and Agoda.

Check prices and availabilty: Booking.com

Check prices and availability: Agoda

Capsule Hotels

Capsule hotels, also known as pod hotels, originated in Japan. 

They were originally only aiming at busy businessmen that were looking for a place to crash for a few hours.

Many still only cater to men but some now welcome both genders, still strictly separated in separate parts of the hotel.

The capsules in the hotel are usually the size of a bed with just enough space to sit upright.  The capsules are stacked side-by-side and are usually two units high.  In the capsule is a small TV and power sockets, all other amenities like toilets and showers are communal.

Over the years capsule hotels have become more popular among tourists, on the one hand for the unique experience but backpackers also love them because they’re cheap. 

The tourists were the driver for them to start with Woman sections and Kiba hotel in Tokyo now even has pods with a double beds for couples.

Capsule hotels can be booked on Booking.com and Agoda.

Check prices and availability: Booking.com

Staying in a Machiya can be a unique experience. Machiya are vacation rentals and ideal in case you’re traveling with friends or family. The properties almost always have a full kitchen to prepare your own meals.

What distinguishes a Machiya from a regular holiday home is that they are located inside a traditional townhouse. The townhouses have been restored, respecting all elements of Japanese traditions. Some come with some Western comforts but all have a traditional Japanese interior.

Several Machiya can be found in Kyoto .

What you Should Know When Booking Accommodation

• Rooms in Japan tend to be small.  Certainly in the major cities.  The less you pay the smaller your room will be.  In our experience, the price is a good indicator of the size of the room.
• Regardless of whether we stayed in cheap Ibis or Comfort Inn hotels or more expensive Hilton and Marriott properties, our rooms were always spotlessly clean.
• Capsule hotels will require you to check in and check out every day irrespective of the length of your stay.  Your bags will also need to be stored in lockers.  Make sure you arrive prepared with all you need for the night in a separate small bag.  It’s not really practical if you need to start digging in your suitcase right there.

21 Amazing Hokkaido Ryokans with Private Onsen

Ryokan in Kanazawa: 9 BEST Traditional Japanese Inns To Stay At

15 of the coolest hotels in Tokyo you must stay in (2024 edition)

Getting Around Japan

Now that you know what you will be visiting in Japan it’s time to glue all this together.  There are 3 means to get around Japan.

Below is a short summary of the 3 options.  Click here for more information on getting around Japan .

The train is by far the most convenient way to get around Japan.  It’s also the most popular among tourists.  Japan’s train network consists of several companies. 

The formerly state-run JR is the largest company and also the one to offer the Japan Rail Pass. 

This pass is exclusively available to tourists and is often a good way to save on your transportation. 

See further in this article for more about the Japan Rail Pass.

Highway buses offer a cheap alternative to the more expensive trains.  Buses are a slower and less comfortable means of transportation but can save a few bucks in your travel budget.

There is a dense network of bus routes operated by several different companies. 

Not all companies have an English website, to book buses, it’s best to use the website of Japan Bus Online .

Rental Car or Campers

It’s also possible to rent a car or a van. 

While this probably won’t be more affordable than getting around by train it may offer you more flexibility.

Avoid large cities though where your car will be more like a liability than an asset.

Organized tours

These tours are great alternatives if you just won’t succeed to plan your trip or if you rather just enjoy your holiday without needing to worry about all the details.

There is a range of group tours, but there are also tours where you still travel independently according to a pre-organized itinerary.

TourRadar is the place to go for an all-encompassing overview of the available tours.

It is an online marketplace for tour operators. 

It shows an overview of all available tours and it avoids having to separately search the website of each tour operator. 

You will find tours from popular international household names as well as a broad selection of Japanese niche operators.

They have a very user-friendly website. Several filters allow you to limit the selection to your liking and the reviews can give you a good impression of what to expect from the tour.

Below is an overview of some excellent 5 and 7-day tours that can be found on TourRadar.

How to Choose the Best 7 days Japan Tour Package (2024 Edition)

How to choose the best Japan tour package

Best Self-Guided Tours in Japan: 10 Amazing Tours For 2024

How to choose the best 5 days Japan tour package? (+tips and tours)

3 Months in Advance

Japan rail pass.

The train is a super-convenient way to get around Japan. 

I’m a big fan of car rentals as these give you a lot of freedom during your trip and even I made an exception in Japan.

When planning our Japan trip I carefully checked the train schedules and prices and compared this with what it would cost to rent a car. 

Renting a car is not cheap, Japan counts many toll roads and fuel prices are on the high side.  What won me over is how easy it was to get everywhere with the trains.

Trains aren’t particularly cheap in Japan either but they run on time and even the most secluded stations seem to be serviced several times a day.

That brings us to the Japan Rail Pass , is it worth buying one or not?  The answer is, it depends.

Those rail passes are not cheap.  It would be a shame if you draw conclusions too quickly and buy one if you don’t need it. The rail pass makes it easier to travel by train but it’s too expensive to buy it only for comfort. 

It’s only really worth buying one if you will save on your tickets or if the difference is marginal.

We explain how you can calculate if, and how much, you will save on your tickets in this article .  I really encourage you to do the math before you buy your Japan Rail Pass.

Is the Japan Rail Pass still worth it in 2024: Tips and Tricks

Domestic Flights

The efficient Shinkansen that traverse the country in all directions make flights almost unnecessary. 

Still, there remain a few locations that are more quickly reached by plane than by train. 

Most notable is, of course, Okinawa, an island south of Japan’s main island that can only be reached by boat or plane.  Another journey, which is also faster by plane, goes to Hokkaido.  The island is north of Japan’s main island.  It’s possible to ride the Shinkansen to Sapporo but the aircraft on average cuts the travel time in half.

Japan counts a wide range of low-cost carriers.  You have Jetstar, Peach Aviation, Vanilla Air, and Fuji Dream Airlines to name just a few.  The prices for the flights are usually very good thanks to this fierce competition.

There’s also no need to book these flights long in advance. 

Somewhere between 3 months and 3 weeks in advance should be OK unless you are looking for flights in peak travel periods like Golden Week.

Use travel comparison sites such as Momondo , Skyscanner and Kayak to instantly compare the prices of all the low-cost carriers.

Check what’s included with your ticket.  Some low-cost carriers have carry-on only fares, others use 15kg as the standard baggage allowance.  (For comparison: Regular carriers usually allow 20-23kg for each piece of baggage).

1 Month in Advance

Staying online in japan.

A local SIM card or a Pocket Wifi device is an invaluable asset if you would like to discover Japan independently. 

We did use our phones intensively to avoid getting lost, to find local restaurants, and to check the train or subway schedule.

There is a whole range of other Japan apps that can help you to travel deeper.

We cover the advantages of staying online in more detail in the below articles. 

You can choose between a pocket WiFi device and a local tourist SIM card.   Both have their pros and cons which we also discuss.

The BEST pocket WiFi rental for Japan (2024 guide)

What’s the best tourist SIM card for Japan (2024 guide)

Tours and other Fun Experiences

Tourism has boomed in Japan and popular attractions can fill up several days in advance. Most notable is Teamlab Borderless where tickets are sometimes sold out several weeks in advance.  

To avoid missing out on fun experiences like these it is best to book your tickets well in advance.

In many cases, it will not only give you peace of mind but will also save you a few bucks.  Often online tickets are cheaper than the price at the door.

Most activities and tours can be booked with either GetYourGuide or Klook. 

Booking Sites for Japan Activities

Here is some information about the booking sites we use most for bookings in Japan.

GetYourGuide

Millions have already booked their tours with GetYourGuide. 

What we love about GetYourGuide is its outstanding customer service. 

They’re just a call or an e-mail away and will respond quickly and professionally. 

Most activities booked on GetYourGuide can be canceled for free until 24 hours in advance which leaves you with enough flexibility in case your plans might change.

Check prices and availability: GetYourGuide

Viator is just like GetYourGuide a middleman that brings tourists in contact with local tour companies. Viator was independent until 2014 when it was acquired by TripAdvisor. It is a reputable company with a wide range of tours, even bigger than GetYourGuide.

If you can’t find what you’re looking for on GetYourGuide, maybe you should check out Viator.

Most activities can be canceled for free until 24 hours in advance. This way you can book your activity knowing that your schedule is still flexible in case your plans need a change.

Check prices and availability: Viator

Klook is a major Asian ticket-booking site aimed at independent travelers.

They offer more activities in Japan than any other booking site.  In many cases, tickets on Klook are cheaper than the official prices at the door.

This might have you wonder if Klook is legit.  It is! 

The site is completely trustworthy, it has already been featured in several reputable business magazines (such as Forbes ) and we have used it, as well as thousands of other users , without any problems. 

Not all activities offered by Klook can be canceled 24 hours in advance.

Pay attention to this when booking if your plans are not 100% fixed.

Check prices and availability: Klook

Fun Activities

Here’s a list of things you might consider booking in advance:

Robot Restaurant ( renamed the Samurai restaurant): Tickets online are usually cheaper than at the door.  Read our review to see what this show is about.

teamLab Borderless : A very popular experience in Tokyo unlike anything else you have seen before.

Tokyo Skytree : Amazing 360-degree views of Japan’s capital.  This ticket allows you to skip the line.

Traditional Tea Ceremony in Kyoto : An introduction to the traditional Japanese tea ceremony.

Ghibli Museum : The Ghibli Museum contains a world-famous collection of art pieces

Sumo Tournament or Sumo Practice : Sumo tournaments are only held 3 times per year.  If you can attend one we certainly recommend it.  If you are not in Japan during the tournaments it is still worthwhile to attend a practice session.

Amusement Parks

Tokyo Disney and DisneySea : Tokyo Disney is very much like Disneyland anywhere else in the world.  DisneySea, on the other hand, is a unique and very well-designed theme park with some amazing rides.

Universal Studios : Another amazing theme park in Osaka.  Your ticket includes access to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter and Minion park.  To spend your time efficiently you can upgrade your pass to skip the line at 4 attractions or 7 attractions .

Fuji-Q : This theme park is located at the base of Mount Fuji, one of Japan’s famous landmarks.   It has some record-holding rollercoasters and several anime-themed attractions.

Airport Transportation

Do you already know how you will get from the airport to your hotel?  We definitely recommend that you plan this in advance so that you arrive in the country stress-free. 

Here’s more info on how to get to Oska from the airport or on how to get to Tokyo from the airport .

Tokyo Tokyo Narita – Skyliner Express Ticket The N’ex train is covered by the JR Pass.  If you have no JR pass this train is a good alternative.

You can also book a private or shared transfer .

Osaka Kansai – Nankai Line rapi:t The JR Haruka is covered by the JR Pass.  If you have no JR pass this rapit train from the Nankai line is a good alternative.

You can also use the Osaka Limousine bus or a private or shared transfer .

Discount Passes

Hakone Free Pass A good discount pass to explore Hakone and see Mt. Fuji

Tokyo Subway Ticket (Tokyo Metro Pass) The cheapest option to get around Tokyo (unless you plan on using your JR Pass in the capital).  If you pre-order your metro pass it will be ready at the airport and you can use it to get to your hotel.

1 Week in Advance

What to pack for your japan trip.

We’re almost there.  It’s time to start packing.

The most important things are of course your passport and an open mind. 

Once those are taken care of you can have a look at our Japan Packing List , a handy list that covers everything from the official stuff, to travel gear to make your trip more comfortable as well as what to wear in the various seasons.

Great, you reached the end of this post!  I hope this means you’re all done and can start counting down to this amazing adventure.

Don’t forget to join our Japan Facebook group if you haven’t already done so.  In this group, you can exchange tips with fellow Japan Travelers to fine-tune those last details of your trip.

Let’s wrap it up by wishing you a Japan vacation of a lifetime!

What’s It Really Like to Travel Japan?

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How do I even begin to describe what it’s like to travel in Japan?

It is an experience . It surrounds you. Every moment of every day is filled with new discoveries and cultural difference and utter delights. I can’t describe it beyond that, but everyone who has been knows exactly what I’m talking about.

If there were a word to describe Japan as a whole, it would be reverent. This is a nation where every action displays a culture of deference, respect and obedience. It encompasses daily life.

Some examples?

Reverence of food. The food here is prepared and delivered with such deep respect and meticulous care, even in fast food joints. Anything else would be anti-Japanese. I didn’t have a single bad meal in Japan.

Reverence of manners.  Japan has a longstanding reputation of politeness. One place where this was most evident was on trains. Whenever a conductor entered a car, he would enter and exit the car with an energetic yet crisp bow before attending to passengers.

Reverence of nature. Nature receives the utmost respect here, and you’ll often find that everything from architecture to food plays into an overall respect of the natural environment of Japan.

Reverence of rules. Japan is a rules-based culture. There are lots of written and unwritten rules – the Japanese wouldn’t dream of throwing recyclables in the trash, or acting rude to a stranger, or dressing like a slob. The list of taboos here is extensive.

Yes, most than anything else, it’s reverence that defines Japan. But beyond that, here are a few of the idiosyncrasies I noticed in the Land of the Rising Sun:

English is used for style, not function.

See English lettering somewhere? Chances are it’s not used for the purpose of communicating with non-Japanese speakers. Again and again, I noticed that English was used for little more than decoration.

On my first night in Tokyo, I was looking for a restaurant in a mall and I was delighted to find a pamphlet emblazoned with Mall Directory in ornate script. I opened it up…and it was all in Japanese. The English was just used for stylistic purposes.

Sex is overt — except when it’s not.

If there’s any neighborhood you must visit in Tokyo, make it Akihabara. I planned to check out the electronics stores, seeing the newest innovations years before they hit the western market.

Instead, I found myself in the center for otaku (super-geek) culture. Electronics stores held court next to porn shops, crammed with sex toys and hentai (anime porn) comic books. Arcades were filled with nipple-baring figurines in sexual poses as prizes. Throughout the neighborhood, girls dressed as sexy maids advertised their cafes.

Now — the strange thing is that actual sex is kept under lock and key. While seeing men reading porn on the subway is a common occurrence, you wouldn’t see a couple making out and borderline dry humping in Tokyo. You barely saw people even holding hands. As I mentioned in my geisha post , there are clear boundaries between actual, consensual, conventional, relationship-based sex and just about everything else.

It’s not as expensive as you think.

Japan has long held a reputation as being one of the most expensive countries in the world to visit, with Tokyo holding the crown as one of the world’s most expensive cities.

After my visit, I think that reputation is a bit undeserved . Two things in Japan are quite expensive: lodging and long-distance transportation. But beyond that, prices aren’t that bad. I’d compare them to prices in London, Paris or New York.

Food, in particular, can be done on the cheap. Almost all of our meals cost less than 1000 yen ($10). My splurge meals actually weren’t that painful – I had a seafood feast in Kyoto for 3500 yen each ($35), a Kobe beef lunch in Kobe for 2950 yen each ($29.50), and a selection of sushi at a nice sushi bar in the pricey Tokyo neighborhood of Ginza – plus sake – for about 2100 yen ($21).

Subway rides in Tokyo cost 100-200 yen each ($1-2). Vending machine beverages cost 80-200 yen ($0.80-2). I even bought a Kindle Paperwhite from a discount camera shop in Shibuya for 8200 yen ($82) when it currently retails on Amazon for $139 !

I found Japan to be much cheaper overall than Australia or Switzerland, countries where everything is expensive.

Food is theater.

One night in Kyoto, my new friends Michael from the Deep Kyoto blog and his girlfriend Miu took me out for a seafood feast at a fun, wild and cheap seafood restaurant called  Asahi Suisan . Halfway through our meal, a badass fishmonger (and the most muscular Japanese guy I’ve ever seen) brought out an enormous bluefin tuna and butchered it with gusto to cheers throughout the restaurant and squeals from a table of nearby girls.

And while he did it, video played in the background of the same fishmonger on a reality show in Japan, competing for his region in the field of tuna butchering!

It was a fabulous night of entertainment and it was another side of seeing how reverent the Japanese are toward the preparation of food.

Everything is marvelously efficient.

One of the greatest performances was when my  nozomi train to Kyoto pulled in. A fleet of women dressed in salmon uniforms, down to matching sneakers (!), entered the car and performed identical movements, taking out the trash bags and turning the seats around to face the other way, preparing them for the next influx of passengers.

In Japan, I would constantly think to myself, Oh. That makes sense . In the West, when presented with a more efficient solution, people would give reasons why not to implement it — that doing so would cost too much time or money that could be spent elsewhere. In Japan, they just do it, no questions asked.

The best-dressed women in the world live in Tokyo.

Sure, Italian and Parisian women dress beautifully, and London and New York women have a lot of style, but it’s nothing like the women in Tokyo. From perfectly tailored short dresses to their understated but highly functional designer flats, I gawked at the fashion in Tokyo.

Where to Stay in Tokyo: Best Areas and Accommodation

Kimonos are still very much worn.

I had the idea that Japanese women only wore kimonos for special occasions or times when traditional wear was best. Well, that’s not the case — I saw plenty of kimono-clad women (and men wearing the more plain yakuta ) throughout Tokyo and Kyoto!

In Kyoto, some temples allow women in for free if they’re wearing a kimono. That will actually save you a fair amount of cash, as most Kyoto temples charge around 400-600 yen ($4-6) entry. But in other cases, they’re simply what is worn for formalwear. I would love to get a formal kimono of my own someday.

Japan is HOT!

I thought August would be the perfect time to travel through Japan, with nice summer sunshine – no way, Jose! It gets unbearably hot with very high humidity. People in Kyoto actually walked around with towels around their necks to mop up their ever-dripping brows.

It’s too bad, because the heat put a damper on a lot of our sightseeing in Kyoto in particular, when I was visiting lots of outdoor temples.

While I was in Tokyo, the mercury actually hit 42 C (106 F), breaking records. People told me again and again that I was traveling at the worst time possible. My advice to you? Visit Japan in the spring or fall if you can.

Japanese toilets really are that amazing.

Believe it or not, those fancy Japanese toilets with all the push buttons aren’t only found in luxury establishments. You’ll even find fancy Japanese toilets at cheap ramen joints and Starbucks. Once you figure out which button performs the “rear cleansing”, you’ll never go back.

Incidentally, Japanese women take longer in the bathroom than anyone I’ve ever met.

These facts may or may not be related.

Cute rules.

You know all about Hello Kitty — but there’s so much cutesiness throughout Japan! Mascots for everything from companies to products often involve little furry cartoon characters holding hands and playing together. Cute little tunes, the kind you’d expect on a children’s show, play throughout Japan as well.

One might start thinking about the psychological implications of that – the Japanese work so hard that they enjoy their childhood wherever they can — but I just found it fun to bop along with the little animals.

Everyone is incredibly helpful.

Do you look lost? You won’t be for long. Japanese people are exceedingly helpful and even if they don’t speak English, they will drop everything to help you find your way.

I first noticed the exceptional level of helpfulness when I entered an electronics store. I asked about Kindles and the man replied that they didn’t have any, but another store might, and he’d be happy to give them a call and check.

This wasn’t another branch of their stores – this was a competitor. And he offered to call them for me. In the US, the most I would get from a salesperson would be, “You could try Best Buy.”

Japanese people love to photobomb.

Do they EVER love to photobomb!

But what is the single most shocking aspect of all?

You turn into a Japanese tourist.

Ah, Japanese tourists. The older ladies are decked out in visors and Keds, the teenagers with cameras worth thousands of dollars, the groups being led around by an umbrella. I squeezed through huge Japanese crowds on my way to class in Florence each morning, as they took up entire piazzas on their own.

And the Japanese tourists take pictures of absolutely everything .

Well. You know what I took pictures of in Japan? Toilets. Trash cans. Vending machines.

Yes, I became a Japanese tourist myself – because everything here really is so different and I couldn’t stop marveling at it all.

I get it now, Japanese tourists. I’m sorry I’ve made fun of you.

Japan is all-encompassing.

Even though Japan is on the pricier side, I consider it an extremely high value destination. Like Paris and New York, just walking down the street is a fascinating experience in Japan. Every moment, you will be stunned and amazed at the world that surrounds you.

Japan is delicious. Japan is kind. Japan is ridiculously clean. Japan is freaky and cute.

More than anywhere else I’ve been, I feel like Japan is the kind of destination that every traveler must experience at least once in his or her lifetime. I loved my two weeks there and I can’t wait to return.

Just one thing – don’t forget to buy travel insurance before you travel to Japan! I never travel without it and always use World Nomads.

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Leading a short-term study trip for students in japan.

The best way for students to study the history, culture, and livelihoods of another country is through an organized in-country experience. There are various benefits that can accrue through such an endeavor. One can learn about a part of the world away from home while at the same time gaining a deeper appreciation of one’s own culture by looking at it from the outside. Ideally, a student will spend a full semester or year studying abroad, but that is a luxury that many cannot afford in terms of time or money. Another possibility is a carefully orchestrated group trip of ten to fifteen college-age students who travel with an informed instructor to a specific locale for two or three weeks of intensive study. The instruction should include the study of the host nation’s history, culture, and contemporary institutions and population. Efforts must be made to visit important historical or cultural sites, and to mingle with and especially have the chance for conversations with residents of the country. A short visit of two to three weeks can produce a fairly superficial view of another people and their culture, but even a brief encounter can give students a greater appreciation of the world around them.

Taking student groups abroad for short study courses was the most satisfying experience in my almost four decades of teaching at Mary Baldwin University (MBU) in Virginia. MBU has a short three-week “May term” every spring where it is possible for professors to take small groups of students abroad for mini-study tours. Over the years, I took students to Japan, China, Korea, Russia, Australia and New Zealand, Israel–Palestine, and all over Europe, including Switzerland, Italy, and Croatia. Because I am a Japan specialist who lived, worked, and studied in that country for several years as a student and young scholar, my most effective study abroad courses involved a dozen or more experiences in Japan from the early 1980s through 2015. The major goal of the essay that follows is to provide a nonspecialist undergraduate or high school instructor who might have the opportunity to take students to Japan (or visit Japan alone or with a partner) with what I believe to be an optimal Japan experience given limited time.

Developing a Brief Study Visit to Japan

A meaningful study trip to Japan must incorporate three elements: introducing the student to the natural beauty of the land, visiting important historical and cultural sites, and encountering modern institutions such as schools and government buildings. My colleagues and I also included visits to various businesses to allow students to see Japanese at work. Such visits included a stop at the news office of a major television station where students could watch a full noon news broadcast. We also included visits to a major Tokyo newspaper, department stores, and a recruiting office for Japanese students who wish to study in the United States.

Planning a study tour involves visits to many sites of interest, but there is also a realization that the students need at least two or three free days spread out throughout the trip to allow them to rest or go out on their own individually crafted experiences. Japan, with its justly deserved reputation as a safe place to travel and urban areas that consistently provide English-language signs for public transport and tourist attractions, is particularly appropriate for student-generated side trips. Students looked forward to these days off and found their own way to such places as Tokyo Disneyland, the Ghibli Art Museum in the Tokyo suburb of Mitaka to study Japanese animation, and Tokyo’s early morning fish market.

Each of these Japan study tours was listed in my college’s catalog as a three-credit-hour May term course titled Introduction to Asia. Students had to register for the course and subsequent trip by the beginning of February. The faculty included myself and another colleague who went on all Japan study tours with me. We met with our ten to fourteen students for six two-hour sessions during the spring semester, where we got to know each other as a group and we familiarized the students with the dynamics of the trip. Students received a brief overview of traditional and modern Japanese history, religion, and aspects of modern culture, including the role of education, the changing status of women, and modern Japanese pop culture. Students gained a lot by viewing the 2005 movie Nana about contemporary pop stars in Japan. Given the continued popularity of Japanese popular culture, more recent movies might be substituted for the one we used. We always invited exchange students from Japan to visit the class to talk about youth culture in Japan.

We also assigned students various readings on Japanese history and culture, and required a series of essays responding to questions concerning the readings. Students read Christopher Goto’s excellent 2009 book Modern Japan: A Very Short Introduction , my own 2001 book Under the Gaijin Gaze about education and the changing status of women, and selected articles on Japanese culture from past issues of Education About Asia . We developed essay questions asking students to discuss various Japan topics such as the role of Shinto as a religion of thanksgiving, who the students felt was responsible for Pearl Harbor, and to compare and contrast the worldviews of young women in Japan and the United States. Since the course was open to all Mary Baldwin students, including those who had never taken a course in Asian studies, this preparatory work meant that every participant had some background understanding of Japan before going there.

Another advantage of our six meetings before the actual trip was that we got to know each other as a group. We spent a lot of time with group discussions and listening to student questions, which always created a greater sense of group cohesion, which is vital for the success of the trip. By the end of this preparatory class, everybody knew each other’s names and personalities, which allowed us to work more as a cohesive group when in Japan.

Travel and Lodging

Taking off from Dulles International Airport was always an exciting time, especially for those two or three students who had never flown before and who, when they arrived in Japan, were riding trains for the first time. There were always students who had never really been away from Virginia but who were on their way to Tokyo. We always tried to travel on a Japanese airline, where our students could become acquainted with Japanese service and watch select Japanese movies en route.

When we began making these study trips to Japan in the mid-1980s, we found that it was most economical in terms of cost and time to choose one base of operations rather than moving students from one hotel to another. This led to our decision to focus our trips on Tokyo, which offered, along with some day trips, all the sites that we wanted students to experience while in Japan: nearby historical sites such as Kamakura, Hakone, and Nikkō would give students a sense of Japan’s heritage and natural beauty, while Tokyo itself would provide opportunities to visit museums, a couple of schools, the National Diet (parliament), and various Tokyo-area businesses.

There are many fine, efficient hotels in central Tokyo that cater to foreign student groups. We always chose the Hotel Asia Center of Japan ( Ajia Kaikan ) in Akasaka, very close to the Roppongi area of central Tokyo. The Hotel Asia Center of Japan still caters to foreign study tour groups with inexpensive but clean rooms and individual baths. We got double and triple rooms at very reasonable rates, which included a sumptuous breakfast that always included fresh fruit and some of the best croissants I have ever eaten. The center was very near several major subway lines that could take us anywhere we wished to travel in the city. Students soon became quite adept at using the Tokyo subways and made full use of them on their own during their free days.

We always timed our trips for May just after the crush of the national holiday Golden Week (late April and early May) and before the dreary and muggy monsoon rainy season that makes portions of summers so wet and miserable in Japan. May in Japan offers cool, sunny days and the glory of beautiful gardens in full bloom.

Historic and Scenic Sites Relatively Near Tokyo

The Tokyo area is blessed with a number of important cultural and historic sites that were not destroyed during the Pacific War. The most important of these places is the coastal city of Kamakura, which from 1185 to 1333 was the shogunal capital of Japan. Visitors to Kamakura, only about an hour from Tokyo station by train, can see a great number of stunning Buddhist temples and shrines that rival many of those found in Nara and Kyoto. I always took my students to the Hase temple complex, which includes caves, beautiful gardens, historic temples, and stunning mountain views of Kamakura’s beaches and harbor. We also visited the big Buddha (daibutsu) and Hachimangu Shrine, and hiked across the island of Enoshima to enjoy the caves, rocky coastline, and crashing waves on the far side of the island. Enoshima is connected to the mainland by a short causeway and is located just west of Kamakura, a few minutes by train from Kamakura station.

Another historic site that all visitors to Japan should visit is Nikko National Park deep in the mountains of central Japan but only two hours one way from downtown Tokyo. There is a large temple and Shinto shrine complex that honors the Tokugawa shoguns, as well as spectacular natural scenery, including Lake Chuzenji with its famous waterfall, which enthralled each of my student groups.

Students always got a thrill when we traveled from Tokyo to nearby Fuji Hakone National Park, roughly ninety minutes, and about fifty miles west by train from Shinjuku station in Tokyo. The trip includes a good haul on the Hakone Tozan railway, several cable car rides, and a lengthy boat ride across Lake Ashinoko with spectacular views of Mount Fuji. This trip also includes a visit to various thermal hot springs, where tourists can experience the beauty of Japan’s mountain scenery.

Opportunities in Tokyo

Tokyo is a vast, very modern city with a virtually infinite number of interesting opportunities to pursue. In order to deepen historical understanding of the city, I always took my students first to the outer moat and views of the Imperial Palace (once the residence of the Tokugawa Era shoguns from 1600 to 1868), which are spectacular. Another must-visit is the Meiji Shrine in the Harajuku section of Tokyo. Students always took a special liking for the Inner Garden, with its beautiful iris garden that was always in full bloom when we visited. I always took the students to the huge Edo Museum, which gives a very colorful and comprehensive view of Tokyo history from the Edo period (1600–1868) to the Pacific War bombing and rebirth of Tokyo after the war.

Some students always asked me to take them to the Yasukuni War Memorial Shrine and associated war museum. Before visiting Yasukuni Shrine, I explained that it was a memorial to honor Japanese war dead and that several of Japan’s notorious wartime leaders were honored there. The adjoining museum’s focus is Japan’s modern military history and includes a brief movie honoring Japan’s war dead.

When I was a full-time faculty member, Mary Baldwin College had two sister school relationships with a small college outside of Tokyo and with Soka University in Hachioji, a Tokyo suburb. Instructors and students on a study tour of Japan should make every effort to visit one or more Japanese schools. We spent a full day visiting the Soka primary, middle, and high schools in Tokyo, which gave my students ample time to meet and mingle with Japanese students of all ages. There was also a visit with students at our other sister school.

Another must-visit is the National Diet in Tokyo. I had long ago befriended a leading member of the Diet, who always met with our students and personally guided them through some of the inner sanctums of Japan’s parliament. This is not a likely one-to-one relationship many study tour leaders might have, but there are also public tours that foreigners are welcome to join. Lunch in the parliamentary dining room is also highly recommended.

Nara and Kyoto

As described earlier, because of severe time limits and the abundance of things to see and do in Tokyo, we made the Tokyo (Kantō) region the hub of our activities. However, I offered an optional one-day trip to Nara and Kyoto for those students interested in getting a glimpse of these historic cities. We left on the first morning shinkansen (bullet train) headed to Kyoto from Tokyo Station, arrived at 8:30 a.m. We spent a full morning in Nara visiting Tōdaiji temple and associated temples and shrines in the morning, as well as a variety of temples and Nijo Palace in the afternoon, in Kyoto, we paid a courtesy visit to our sister college in Kyoto, Doshisha Women’s College. We caught the last train back to Tokyo after dinner.

Our students got a very good taste of Japan in two and a half weeks and were always reluctant to leave. It was fascinating to learn what they had done on their free days. A number always made the trek to Tokyo Disneyland or went with me to see a Japanese baseball game at the Tokyo Dome or at Meiji Jingu Stadium near our hotel. Others found their way to the morning fish market, and all of them spent countless hours in various large department stores in Shinjuku and Harajuku and at various youth hangouts in Shibuya. I was always amazed at how adept even the shiest student became at mastering the maze of Tokyo subways.

Students were obliged to keep a detailed journal of their impressions of Japanese life, which also became the basis of their final grade for the Introduction to Asia course.

Two to three weeks is a very short time to visit another country, but it was a very welcome opportunity for students with limited time and budgets. They always commented that their own culture was in itself unique, and they expressed greater respect and tolerance for people from other places. A number of these students later returned to Japan to spend a full semester at one of our sister schools in Japan. Many became teachers in Japan’s JET Program, and even today, years after my retirement from full- time teaching, there are a half-dozen or more former students who have made Japan their permanent homes.

Mary Baldwin’s unique relationship with Japanese schools has brought dozens of Japanese students to study at our Virginia campus for a semester or a full year. We also receive students from India, Taiwan, China, and Korea, which allows American students to encounter young Asians on their own turf. I am grateful to have been part of the international exchanges that have occurred because of the college.

I also hope this essay is helpful to those instructors and students who wish to maximize their opportunities in Japan given limited time.

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Trip within a Trip: Osaka and Kyoto, Japan

May 1, 2024 • 9 min read

Make your next trip to Japan even better by adding on four days in exciting Osaka (pictured) and Kyoto © EarnestTse / Shutterstock

Senior Director of Content Laura Motta recently spent 10 days in Japan . To make the most of her time in the country, she included a four-day mini-excursion to Osaka and Kyoto – a trip within a trip, if you will, which anyone can replicate.

Everyone goes to Tokyo , and I would never tell you to skip it. But another critical part of any Japan itinerary is that magical Shinkansen (bullet train) ride south to Osaka , and the astounding sites that await beyond. A mind-boggling pair of cities – Osaka and Kyoto – are crammed with more shrines and temples, steel-and-glass skyscraper malls, scenic vistas and world-class restaurants than you can experience in a month, never mind in just a few days. This was my third trip to Japan and my second time visiting Osaka and Kyoto.

Before I get to my recommendations, here are a few practical tips:

• When to arrive: Arriving in Osaka around midday lets you drop your bags at the hotel, rest and then hit Dōtonbori in the evening, when its famous neon lights are ablaze. 
• Getting there from the airport: The spotless, inexpensive airport limousine bus from Kansai Airport makes eight stops in Osaka, which include all of its main train stations.
• Getting around: Japan is world-famous for the ease and comprehensiveness of its public transit for a reason. You can – and certainly should – do this route without a car. High-speed (more expensive/faster) and local (less expensive/slower) trains cover every inch of this region and will shuttle you quickly between Kyoto and Osaka. Both cities have easy-to-use subway systems.
• What to pack: Certainly, your walking shoes and room in your stomach for a lot of ramen. Keep in mind that Japan has four distinct seasons and temperatures vary significantly between them. Check the weather ahead of time – and pack accordingly.
• How to structure your days: It’s tempting to cram your schedule when there are so many things to see. Yet realistically, you won’t be able to do more than two major sites – maybe three, if you’re really going for it – in a single day. This is especially true in Kyoto, where the best sites are far apart and can require up to an hour of travel to reach.
• Take it easy:  Don’t forget to eat, hydrate, rest and wander. And tell yourself you’ll be back.

Day 1: Osaka

Snack time .

You’ve been traveling all morning. It’s time to eat. (Unless, of course, you stuffed yourself en route on the amazing bento boxes you can get at Tokyo Station.) Keep it simple like I did and grab onigiri (rice balls) or a  sando  at 7-Eleven. There’s one on every corner, you’ll only spend a few dollars, and buying local snacks – especially in Japan – is among travel’s greatest joys. 

See the neon

If you’re in Osaka, go see the Glico man. It's a rule. Or maybe it's just mine. This famous animated sign of a runner, arms raised, about to cross the finish line in some hypothetical marathon in the sky, remains delightful despite the tourist crush on the streets below. This ad for the Glico candy company (candy bars give you energy – get it?) has become an informal mascot of Dotonbori , Osaka’s dining and nightlife district. After dark, it’s fun to wander here through the area’s many arcades, claw-machine and pachinko parlors, and shops. If you start here on a weeknight, it’s delightfully quiet.

Insider tip: Arrive before sunset and duck into a tiny side street to Hōzen-ji , a small temple known for its moss-covered statues. I was there when they were lighting the lanterns for the evening – a dreamy experience indeed.

Have a cheap and cheerful dinner

Dotonbori is teeming with restaurants. You can’t miss the distinctive signage advertising takoyaki (grilled octopus balls), gyoza and crab. My favorite takoyaki stand, Takoyaki Yoriyabunzaemon , is humble compared to its bombastic neighbors; there is no 5ft marquee. Inside, you’ll sit on a well-worn barstool while the single cook pours takoyaki batter into the famous round molds and serves it to you still piping hot, and slathered in mayo, barbecue sauce and bonito flakes. A warning: if you value the skin on the roof of your mouth, do not eat too fast here.

Day 2: Kyoto

Bullet train .

The Shinkansen train between Osaka and Kyoto is cheap and lightning fast. This trip is included in many Japanese rail passes , but if you’re paying for a standalone ticket, you’ll pay 1420 yen (about US$10). The trip takes 15 minutes, so slower local trains hardly seem worth the mildly cheaper price. Arrive midday and head to your hotel to check in and drop your luggage. Before you depart, don’t forget to look around Kyoto Station for the eki  ink stamp, which you can imprint into a notebook as a souvenir. Every train station in Japan has a uniquely designed stamp, even if you sometimes have to ask the attendant at smaller stations where to find it.

Stay in style

If there’s one place to splurge on a fabulous hotel in Japan, it’s in Kyoto. Whether you’re strolling under vibrant fall leaves or spring cherry blossoms, or wandering the narrow alleys and stepped streets of the Gion district , Kyoto is romantic, its temples and shrines otherworldly. My choice was Hotel the Mitsui Kyoto , a new luxury property that blends smart contemporary design with traditional Japanese accents. Beside its excellent restaurant – more on that below – the highlight is the hotel's updated approach to the traditional onsen, called Thermal Spring. This vast, moodily lit indoor space offers heated pools and loungers amid beautiful rock formations and water features. And unlike many onsen experiences, this one is a bathing-suits-required, mixed-gender space where everyone can hang out. There is also no surcharge for entry.

Visit the temples

My boyfriend cheekily refers to Fushimi Inari Taisha , Kyoto’s famous shrine with its rows and rows of vermillion gates ascending a dramatic hillside, as “the Instagram shrine.” It’s hard to say that he’s wrong: the site is a favorite among foreign travelers for good reason. The gates are simply gorgeous and – yes – photogenic. Just don’t expect to find yourself there alone. 

Insider tip: Afterward, stop at the charming Vermillion Cafe for a sweet snack and coffee. Sit on the back porch, which overlooks a lovely stretch of forest, for especially serene vibes (spectacular in autumn).

If you still have energy left in the afternoon, head to Nishi Hongan-ji , a mammoth Buddhist temple complex that’s home to some of the largest wooden structures in Japan. After you marvel at the huge lanterns and expansive halls, stop by the brightly painted Chinese Gate, which dates back to the late 1500s. This temple is also within walking distance of Kyoto Station, and can be a good place to start or end your trip.

Day 3: Kyoto

Go for the gold.

Kinkaku-Ji , sometimes called the Golden Pavilion, is among Kyoto’s (and Japan’s) most famous and photographed landmarks. This UNESCO World Heritage site , where a brilliant gold temple appears to float along the shores of a serene lake, is well worth braving the crowds for, especially in sunny weather when the reflection of the lake glints off of the temple’s exterior walls. Go early, packing your patience – and you’ll understand instantly why so many people flock here. 

School Bus Coffee Stop is a charming spot for an easy, affordable breakfast or lunch in cozy, industrial-farmhouse-style surroundings. Comforting selections like bagel sandwiches and avocado toast are accompanied by the shop’s excellent, house-roasted coffee.

Modern love

For an aesthetic palate cleanser after a quick lunch, stop by the Kyoto City KYOCERA Museum of Art , which houses rotating exhibits, often of contemporary and modern art, in a fantastic brick structure that dates to the 1930s.

Taste sensation

And you’d be remiss if you stayed at the Hotel the Mitsui Kyoto without eating at its elegantly flamboyant Italian restaurant, Forni . Yes, there are pizzas and pastas on its à la carte menu. But I’d highly recommend the tasting dinner, where impeccably composed dishes like sea bream citrus tartare and grilled wagyu arrive on geometric plates and stands. It’s a feast for the eyes as well as the stomach.

Day 4: Osaka

Smart hotel.

After going luxe in Kyoto on meals and lodging, I came back to Osaka looking to save money without sacrificing too much comfort. I wasn’t ready to sleep in a sarcophagus-sized pod or get every meal at 7-Eleven. (Well, not every meal – just a few.) After getting off the train from Kyoto at the massive Shin-Osaka Station, I took the easy-to-use metro to one of the best places I’ve stayed in Japan, the chicly designed, austere-but-comfortable  Hotel Noum , just across the river from Temmabashi Station. The location made transportation connections easy and kept me sheltered from the stark urban rush of Umeda, Osaka’s high-rise business district. Rooms are small, comfortable and spotless; mine had a river view. The hotel also has an airy coffee shop in its lobby that attracts as many locals as travelers. I popped in here for a breakfast pastry and a latte and was ready to start the day.

Window(less) shopping

Even if you don’t stay in Umeda, visiting the neighborhood is a must. Spend a day wandering its cavernous, endless indoor shopping malls and underground food courts. You may never see daylight, but you will find everything from Hermès bags to the best 300-yen (US$2) gyoza you’ve ever tasted. I like to check in on the enormous red whale, which hangs suspended from the atrium of the Hep Five department store, which also happens to have a ferris wheel on its roof.

Enjoy a messy lunch

Train stations are where you’ll find some of the best food in Japan – and Osaka’s sprawling Umeda Station is no exception. My favorite train-station ramen is at Menya Takei, located behind the entry gates for the Hankyu Railway. Menya Takei specializes in tsukemen , in which the ramen noodles and broth are served separately. Dip the noodles into the broth to eat – yes, you’ll undoubtedly get it all over your clothes, but that’s part of the fun. Lots of laundry to do when you return home is a sure sign of a great trip. 

Insider tip : Ask the gate agent to let you through. They’ll make you pay for a rail ticket on the way in, and then may refund you on the way out.

From Osaka, hop back onboard the Shinkansen for more exploring in Japan, or do what I did and catch a quick, affordable domestic flight to Tokyo’s Haneda airport to connect to your flight home.

Keep planning your trip to Japan:

The 24 best things to do in Japan Find out if you need a visa to enter the country Take to the open road on these top drives How to discover Japan on a budget

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Japan: A Dream Destination

Japan; a dream destination for many world travelers. It's a country that never fails to impress regardless of how crowded it's gotten over the past few years. It's a one of a kind destination and there's nowhere else like it. Tokyo is a bustling city that is full of history and futuristic technology. It is a city that I could spend a week or longer exploring with no problem. There is just so much to see and do! On your first visit, you must see the Imperial Palace, Sensoji Temple in Asakusa, and of course the Meiji Shrine across the street from Harajuku. This tour is best via public transportation as it is the most efficient way to travel in Japan. This half day tour will end in the Shibuya area where the guide can explain how to get back to the hotel or the next sight of interest. This way you can spend the rest of your day in the city at your own pace. Grab some lunch or dinner then consider visiting the cat/owl/hedgehog/maid cafes around the city!

Though you can visit the Japanese Alps throughout the whole year, the winter time is extra special as you will get a chance to see the snow monkeys in Obuse, which is an easy visit from Nagano. There's nothing like seeing hundreds of snow monkeys all bathing in the hot spring (onsen). Though it is tempting, this particular onsen is for monkeys only! There are also plenty of ryokans with onsens in the area that you could spend a night and enjoy the Japanese traditional accommodation. Another area that is a must visit in winter is this UNESCO World Heritage site, Shirakawago where you'll find beautiful prayer farm houses capped with a blanket of snow across the village.

I don't think a trip to Japan is complete without a visit to Kyoto. This historical city is full of shrines and temples. It's highly recommended to spend at least 2 nights in Kyoto. You can stroll around the Higashiyama District, hang out at the restaurants or bars in Gion and maybe get lucky to see some geikos (geisha) before they head to work! In the Kyoto Full Day tour, it'll also include the East side of Kyoto: the Philosophy's Path and Ginkakuji (Silver Pavillion).

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Study Like a Boss

Trip To Japan

There is a great deal of planning that goes into booking a vacation in a foreign country. Passports have to be taken care of, flights have to be scheduled, and accommodations have to be arranged for when the flight arrives. Also, it is important that some entertaining sites have been chosen ahead of time that would be nice to visit. By doing this, it will make the trip much easier to manage and much more enjoyable. Vacationing in a foreign country can be a great experience for family and friends, but it is important that travel arrangements, accommodations, and entertainment options are researched thoroughly before going.

Japan is where the vacation will take place, but before that can happen, some travel arrangements will have to be made. Before departing from home, every person must have a passport. A valid U. S. passport is required to enter and leave most foreign countries (“U. S. Department of State”). Acceptance facilities include courts, post offices, and some public libraries. There are also 13 regional passport agencies which require appointments.

According to the U. S. Department of State: To obtain a passport for the first time, you need to go in person to one of 6,000 passport acceptance facilities located throughout the United States with two photographs of yourself, proof of U. S. citizenship, and a valid form of photo identification such as a driver’s license. The closest place in Indiana to obtain a passport would be the Indiana Main Post Office on South 7th Street . Passport acceptance hours are from 9 am – 2 pm. Now that the passport has been taken care of, its time to find a flight and hotel.

Most places will have round trip air fare and the cost of the hotel as a package deal, which is the best way to go. It will cost less doing it this way then booking the flight and hotel separately . In General Tours Japan travel guide produced by the United States Tour Operators Association, there are different package deals to choose from. I chose a fully-escorted tour for nine days, two of which will be spend traveling to and from Japan. The problem is, the flight to Japan is leaving from New York, so another flight must be purchased from Indiana to New York.

No flights were available from Indiana to New York City , so I selected Pittsburgh to New York City instead. The price is $292 round trip on United Airlines. During the trip, there will be four stops from Tokyo to Hakone to Kyoto to Osaka. The price for this is $2,599 which includes round trip airfare and also the cost of the four different hotels that will be visited over the course of the week. This also includes a daily breakfast at the hotel restaurant. The trip is scheduled for April 2nd – 10th which is the heart of the spring season in Japan.

Early April is a great time to visit Japan because it is cherry-blossom season there. A wave of pink and white blossoms travel across the island from the southern tip of the country to the north (“Tokyo 3”). “Tokyo – where the blooms typically appear from late March to early April provides ample viewing opportunities, with thousands of cherry trees” (“Tokyo 3”). This will create a beautiful atmosphere for the trip, especially because three of the seven days will be spent in Tokyo.

A great feature of Japan is the experience you will receive in their western-style hotels, which is equivalent to the United States . Japan is known for having great customer service and staff. “The staff at the hotels are able to speak English to their guests and provide excellent facilities” (“Yokoso Japan”). Among western-style hotel options in Japan are: deluxe, business, or capsule (“Yokoso Japan”). The deluxe hotels will be the ones selected for the trip, because the staff members are trained to speak English.

Deluxe hotels also include swimming pools, interpreters, and shopping malls (“Yokoso Japan”). Throughout the trip, the sites and events attended are all scheduled ahead of time through your guide. This is a great feature because the tour guide can show some great cultural sites as well as shops and theaters and great restaurants. During the first stop in Tokyo, the tour guide will show the Imperial Palace Plaza as well as the Asakusa Kannon Temple, the oldest in the city. After leaving Tokyo, Mt. Fuji is the next stop. There will be a station for views and photo opportunities.

Also during the trip, some of Japan’s finest temples and shrines will be visited in Kyoto and Osaka. Not only will these great sites be explored, but there will also be a day to spend however you would like. This will be spent in Tokyo, “one of the most dynamic and changeable cities of all time” (Cybriwsky 1). All factors must be accounted for in order for your vacation to go smoothly. Passports, travel arrangements, and accommodations must all be taken care of. If research is done in these areas and effort is put into finding the best prices, the trip to Japan will be very enjoyable.

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April 14, 2016 2 Comments

My Trip to Japan: Travel and Tokyo

I am recently back from a once-in-a-lifetime trip to JAPAN! My sister is currently living the ex-pat life in Tokyo, and I just had to go visit before she comes back this summer. I have so so much to write about that I’m not even sure where to start. I think I’ll start with an overall summary of the trip, and then write many individual posts about the various places and artworks I experienced on my journey.

First up, I’ll cover my first few days from the long trek to get to Japan and the first stops in Tokyo.

This will be a great journal for me to look back at my trip!

Day 1: Travel

I left bright and early on Wednesday morning from DFW airport. I flew 3-4 hours to Detroit and from there, I took a 13 hour plane ride to Tokyo. I slept very little and watched lots of movies. I splurged for the Delta Comfort seat, so I had a little bit of extra leg room. Worth it.

When I got to Japan, I took a 1+ hour train ride to Tokyo station where my sister met me.

I arrived at my sister’s apartment around 6pm Thursday. I powered through the exhaustion and jet lag with a dinner at Andy’s in the Ginza neighborhood. I don’t like crab, but these crab legs were amazingly delicious. Also gyoza-stuffed chicken wings.

I don’t know how they got the gyoza in there, but it as so so good. My number one question about my trip so far has been about the food.

We also wondered around the neighborhood, had some wine at a wine bar, and enjoyed checking out all of the store and restaurant fronts. Each one was such a spectacle, and I loved them all.

My sister said she wanted me to feel like I was in Japan on my first night, and boy did I!

Day 2: A Full Day in Tokyo

In the morning of the first day, we took it a bit slow and had brunch at a place near my sister’s house. Interestingly, my sister says it’s hard to find breakfast in Japan, because Japanese people don’t usually eat out in the morning. Fun fact.

Sensō-ji Temple

After breakfast, we headed to Sensō-ji which is Tokyo’s oldest Buddhist temple. Originally founded in 645 C.E., it was destroyed in World War II and was later rebuilt.

It was packed with tourists, but it gave the area a very festive feel. There were lots of little shops and food vendors filling the streets around it.

I loved the giant sculptures and lantern of the Kaminarimon , or “Thunder Gate.” The sculptures, representing both Shinto and Buddhist gods, varied from fierce to calm.

I visited many more temples and shrines on my trip, and I will be writing about them in more detail in the weeks to come!

And since I know you care about the food, I then ate some bacon-wrapped rice balls covered in a green onion slaw from a food vendor. I smelled like onions the rest of the day, but I didn’t care one bit.

Skytree Tokyo

From Sensō-ji, we hopped on the subway a couple of stops to the Skytree Tokyo.

Skytree is the tallest structure in Japan, the second-tallest structure in the world, and the tallest tower in the world. After waiting in line for about 30 minutes, we took the elevator up 350 meters for a 360 degree view of Tokyo!

It was beautiful and a perfect introduction to Tokyo!

Unfortunately, it was an overcast day, and Mount Fuji was hidden behind the fog and clouds. (But, you can see 36 Views of Mount Fuji by Hokusai in this post !)

We met up with some of my sister’s friends to view the Cherry Blossoms along the Nakameguro River. I happened to go to Japan during the short 1-2 week time period where all of the Sakura (Cherry Blossoms) were in bloom. How lucky am I? Holy cow.

The Japanese traditional custom of viewing the Sakura blossoms is called Hanami, which basically means “Flower Viewing.” Hanami dates back as far as 700 C.E.

We went to Aloha Table where we got to sit for 2 hours while they brought us champagne and a set menu of lots of different types of food.

Pink and white lanterns lit up the Cherry Blossoms from below, and it was gorgeous!

We then walked up the river and stopped by a pink champagne table where we parked it and enjoyed the spirit of Hanami.

Before I totally crashed from the jet lag, we also visited my sister’s friend’s high rise apartment with amazing views of Tokyo! It didn’t feel like real life, and it still seems like a dream!

I was in Japan for 8 days, so I have much more to say. To be continued!

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Reader Interactions

April 24, 2016 at 4:17 pm

There’s so much to Japan, isn’t there? I was there from 2001-2003 and although I’ve only written a little about it so far, I have several posts in the pipeline this year that have me excited to share!

I love seeing Japan again through the eyes of others, it brings back all of those memories!

April 28, 2016 at 10:37 am

Yes! It is astonishing to think about how much I saw in 7 days!

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16 Surprising Things I Learned From My First Time in Japan

I barely remember my first time in Japan.

Although I was only eight years old to be fair.

In 1996, Japan was a world away from my childhood life in London – a place which had barely crossed my mind – but then my dad got a job directing a play in Tokyo , and that summer my mum and I flew out to join him. We spent a month exploring Japan as a family, and for a child who’d never been out of Europe before, my first time in Japan was nothing short of incredible.

Alas, my memories now are somewhat hazy. I can remember the sugar-fuelled excitement of Goofy’s bouncy house at Tokyo Disneyland; eating hot vending machine spaghetti on the grass at the base of Mount Fuji; staring wide-eyed at the perfect plastic food replicas outside restaurants.

I remember my dad’s joy at the high-speed trains which arrived the exact second they were expected, and my mum’s happiness when a group of Japanese businessmen sent over a bottle of sake to our restaurant table – followed by a bowl of ‘hot and cold ice cream’ for me to try. And of course I immediately fell in love with sushi.

Japan was the first truly different country I ever travelled to, and ever since it’s been firmly lodged in my mind as the most wonderfully surreal place. So when I finally returned to Japan almost two decades after my first visit, I was over the moon to discover that it’s just as fascinating as I remembered!

But it’s different navigating a country as an adult. I also had to get to grips with a number of things, from following traditional rules about shoes, slippers and toilet etiquette to learning the correct way to wash my hands at temples and how to eat my noodles.

So if it’s your first time in Japan, here are some of the things you should know before you go.

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1. Japanese toilets are just as incredible as you’ve heard.

They speak, they clean themselves, they come with all manner of gadgets and gizmos – and the ultimate amazing factor? The toilet seat is heated. It seems like all of Japan’s toilets are amazingly high-tech, including public bathrooms in airports, at restaurants, and even on the street.

The full extent of Japan’s bathroom services can get a bit complicated for us tourists, so luckily there’s usually a sign (or five) on the wall to help you understand what to do. As long as there’s an English translation available, you can choose from a range of buttons on the wall-mounted control panel to invoke bidet-like water jets, a speaker playing birdsong, or the sound effect of running water to mask any noises you might be making.

The only downside? Normal temperature toilet seats will feel like something of a disappointment afterwards.

Read more: the worst toilets I’ve ever experienced on my travels

2. Shoe etiquette in Japan is a real thing.

It’s considered impolite to wear shoes inside in Japan. Pretty much anywhere you go – hotels, temples, restaurants and tourist sites – you’ll be expected to remove your shoes at the small atrium just inside the door, a space known as ‘ genkan ‘.

As with many traditions in Japan, this one harks back over many generations. The floors of Japanese homes and buildings have long been laid with tatami mats (woven straw mats), and they’re really hard to clean if you’re tracking outside dirt onto them. When you combine this with the Japanese custom of eating and sleeping on the floor, it makes sense that outdoor shoes don’t belong there.

What’s more difficult to get used to is the specific method by which you have to remove your shoes – which goes something like this:

• Step into the ‘ genkan ‘
• Walk towards the raised step which signifies the separation between ‘outdoor’ and ‘indoor’
• Turn back to face the door you’ve entered through
• Nudge your outdoor shoes off, making sure they remain pointing towards the outside world
• Step backwards and up onto the step behind you, either in your socks or in slippers (which have been provided by the place you’re entering)
• Leave your outdoor shoes waiting patiently for when you return

My top tip? Wear shoes which are easy to slip on and off when you’re in Japan – it’ll make your shoe-related life much easier.

[ Image via Flickr ]

3. Get used to wearing slippers everywhere indoors – except on tatami mats.

Generally speaking, slippers are worn everywhere indoors – except for when you encounter tatami mats. The soles of slippers are considered not clean enough to touch tatami, so you take your first set of slippers off and then continue walking in your socks.

This can get confusing.

Case in point: in one traditional hotel I stayed at, there were tatami mats in the restaurant but nowhere else in the building. That meant I removed my outdoor shoes at the genkan, put on hotel slippers to carry my suitcase to the lift, exited the lift and had to remove my slippers again because the lift had opened to tatami matting.

Thankfully nobody expected me to understand exactly when to switch from shoes to slippers to socked feet to slippers again – but it’s worth knowing the customs exist. Particularly when you come face to face with ‘bathroom only’ slippers…

4. Wear double socks if you’re prone to cold feet (and to hide any unexpected holes!)

After taking my shoes off I spent so much time in castles, temples and shrines walking around on tatami mats, which don’t really retain any heat. If you also have terrible circulation in your feet like I do, this is a crucial thing: wear two pairs of socks in Japan!

The positive aspect of double socks is there’s less chance of revealing any unsightly sock holes. While it’s understandable that you wouldn’t intentionally put on worn-out socks, I often end up with toe holes and was a little nervous about this happening in Japan. Double socks = zero problems!

5. Public foot spas must be tried to be believed.

For a country so concerned with dirty shoes and foot hygiene etiquette, it seems conflicting that Japanese people are also keen to sit in public spaces and soak their legs in hot water.

But thanks to the hot springs (‘ onsen ‘) which criss-cross Japan, the country is filled with public outdoor foot spas, known as ‘ ashiyu ‘. These shallow pools of hot volcanic water are usually placed at street corners and are free for anyone to use.

A particularly special version of an ashiyu is this wooden steam foot bath in Ureshino, Saga Prefecture. These aren’t a common sight and our Japanese guides were really excited that we tried it out!

6. You can soak in a private onsen on your hotel roof.

Japan’s volcanic landscape means there are hot springs (‘ onsen’ ) all over the country – and understandably it’s resulted in a lot of onsen tourism, with entire towns clustered around a hot spring.

Public  onsen is the most common way to experience the hot spring lifestyle, where both indoor and outdoor bath houses are separated by gender. Some of the rules for a public onsen include:

• getting naked
• washing your body before getting in
• not using soap in the water
• tattoos   are not usually allowed (although some places are OK with it)

If you’re not too keen on being naked in a communal bath, there are also lots of ryokans (traditional Japanese guesthouses) which offer private onsen attached to your bedroom. Sometimes they’re even on the roof!

7. It’s traditional to sleep on the floor in Japan.

Many Japanese people sleep on a futon mattress laid out on the floor. The most common reason seems to be because it allows for more space: once you’ve woken up you can pack away your bedding and use the room for other activities. Sleeping this way can also save you money (as a futon is much cheaper than a bed frame and mattress!) and keeps your body in better alignment during the night.

If you stay in a ryokan (a traditional Japanese guesthouse) then you’ll most likely sleep in this traditional Japanese style (although they often have modern rooms available too). Don’t be surprised when you check into your room and don’t see a bed – staff will set up the futon while you’re at dinner.

Here’s a tip: if the futon mattress feels too thin for you, check behind the sliding wardrobe doors as there are often more mattresses hiding away. One night I had a ‘Princess and the Pea’ situation and eventually ended up sleeping on approximately four futons laid on top of each other – which was a lot more comfy.

8. Japanese breakfasts can be absolutely epic.

In all the countries I’ve travelled to, breakfast in Japan is the most lavish I’ve ever seen. It typically includes a bare minimum of steamed rice, grilled fish and miso soup but can involve dozens of components too: little dishes of sides like pickles, egg, cold noodles, tofu, vegetables like onion and pepper, and dried seaweed. It’s all washed down with a big pot of green tea.

The sheer number of different dishes means you can have little mouthfuls of everything in rotation. Perfect for a grazing type of eater like me!

Most ryokans will serve a traditional Japanese breakfast with local delicacies. However, just in case eating rice on an empty stomach every day is not your idea of a good breakfast, double-check if your chosen accommodations serve continental breakfasts too.

9. Japanese restaurants display plastic food replicas outside to tempt you in.

My absolute favourite memory from my first time in Japan? Standing with my nose pressed against restaurant windows, staring at the plates and bowls of perfectly detailed food – all of which was fake. But it looked so damn real!

Japan’s replica food industry began in the 1930s and is now worth $90m . These faithfully reproduced bowls of ramen, platters of sushi, tempura prawns and even pints of frothy beer are made from wax and plastic, and they allow foreign visitors to point at their chosen dishes instead of scrutinising a Japanese-only menu.

You can also buy mini versions of these models in the form of magnets, erasers, pencil sharpeners and key-rings – which is why I’m now the proud owner of a piece of prawn sushi stuck onto my fridge.

10. Food in Japan is more raw than you’d think!

Back when I was eight years old, I used to boast smugly about how delicious I found ‘raw fish’ – yes, my love of sushi made me insufferable – but I hadn’t quite understood the extent of Japan’s adventurous eating.

Japan’s cuisine involves strong flavours, peculiar textures, and using every part of an animal. Often when it’s thinly sliced and raw, sashimi  style. On this trip, I ate at a roadside restaurant where we grilled our own oysters, scallops, clams and sea urchins; I was offered raw beef tongue and a strange cheese made from sake run-off; but the pinnacle was one evening in Tokyo where I was presented with raw chicken sashimi. A lifetime of warnings about salmonella from my anxious mother meant I had a total inability to even contemplate eating it.

11. Japan has an eternal love of ramen.

The delicious noodle broth dish known as ramen is everywhere in Japan, available both as a dried, pre-packaged option and at sit-down restaurants. The solo dining experience at Itchiran, a ramen-only chain, is amazing – but my crowning ramen-related moment was actually at a 7-Eleven.

I stood with my Japanese guide looking at the floor-to-ceiling shelves stacked with three dozen different kinds of packaged ramen and asked if she was familiar with all of them. Immediately she started pointing at different ones: “That one is my favourite,” she said, “and this is the spicier one… this one I always have in the cupboard but it’s a quick dinner… and that one I eat when I’m drunk…”

12. Slurping your food is encouraged.

Given that Japan has a strong focus on politeness and etiquette, it’s a wonderful anomaly to sit in a restaurant and listen to your fellow diners noisily slurping their food. But in Japan, loudly sucking up your noodles is a sign of enjoyment – and there’s a logical reason too, as it allows air to circulate around the noodles and cool them down, enhancing the flavour.

Unfortunately, it’s also one of Japan’s cultural aspects which hasn’t translated well to foreign visitors. There’s even a name for it – nu hara – which sounds Japanese but is actually a shortened form of the phrase ‘noodle harassment’. Someone on Twitter mentioned it and the name spread like wildfire!

13. You’re actively invited to eat by yourself.

Japan has a nation-wide chain of ramen restaurants called Itchiran, which is famous for its complete lack of face-to-face interaction. The process goes as follows:

• Pay for your ramen at the automated vending machines
• Step into a narrow room divided into booths big enough for just one person each
• Sit down and order your chosen ramen dish by circling items on a paper menu
• The hanging curtain in front of you rises up
• A pair of hands appears and quickly takes your paper menu away
• After a few minutes, a steaming bowl of ramen is thrust onto the table
• You eat, happily slurping away in total privacy and anonymity!

As a self conscious person, eating at Itchiran was absolutely incredible. And their ramen is pretty damn tasty too.

14. You can buy anything from a vending machine – even seaweed!

The Japanese love convenience, which might explain why you’ll see vending machines everywhere in Japan. Usually brightly painted and placed in stations and on the street, lots of Japanese vending machines stock typical stuff – like packaged snacks, sandwiches, and hot and cold drinks – but there’s more unusual machines too.

Take your pick from comic books, clothes, batteries, bananas and beer, and if you happen to fly through Saga airport you should keep your eye out for this nori vending machine I saw! Turns out the Japanese love dried seaweed so much that it needs to be available at all times.

15. Japan has over 300 flavours of Kit Kats.

Kit Kat chocolate bars are really popular in Japan – and a cursory Google search reveals why. The name sounds like ‘kitto katsu’, a common Japanese expression of good luck, so Kit Kats are often given to wish people luck.

In the last twenty years, Nestle has released more than 300 Kit Kat flavours including apple, chestnut, soy sauce, miso soup and wasabi. Some have only been available for a limited run, while others are specific to different regions of Japan – so when we left Saga in Kyushu Prefecture I was able to get my hands on Kyushu’s local Kit Kat, flavoured with purple sweet potato!

16. The Japanese love giving gifts.

When I first visited Japan as a child, I was literally weighed down with gifts from my dad’s Japanese cast at the theatre: jointed puppets, my name artistically painted in katakana characters ,  and a Disney music box which I still have today.

It happened again on this trip too. Within hours of my arrival in Tokyo I’d already been gifted a box of beautifully hand-painted chopsticks from a sushi chef – and over the next few days I amassed little folded pieces of origami, a handful of badges, stickers, postcards, key rings, and a huge amount of food.

Along with the souvenirs I managed to cram in, my suitcase weighed an extra five kilos by the time I flew back back home. And when I checked in for my flight, the kindly airline staff even gave me a little bag filled with gifts and a note. How’s that for Japanese hospitality?!

Pin this article if you enjoyed it!

NB: my trip to Japan was supported by Tokyo Metropolitan Government and #KyushuxTokyo – but the observations about plastic food and talking toilets are all my own.

Flora Baker is the founder and editor of Flora the Explorer, where she writes about her travels around the world, her volunteering exploits and her ongoing attempt to become fluent in Spanish by talking to anyone who'll listen. Follow her on Facebook , Twitter , and Instagram .

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My Trip to Japan Essay Example

• Pages: 4 (1067 words)
• Published: October 16, 2017
• Type: Essay

I started our trip to Japan along with two of my CAGE friends Cravings, Durra on 14th June morning. First we went to Achaean airport to go to Delhi. The flight time was 7:30 am. We reached there an hour earlier. After all the procedures, we boarded the flight, SPICIEST. That was my first travel by flight. I was waiting to fly. Really I was stunned while flying. After reaching Delhi airport, we started to move from there to Hotel Shook by prepaid taxi. In the hotel we had a warm welcome by the (organized by ICE) organizers.

We met our group co-ordination and aides. Our team guides were Mayhem San and Hosing San. They were so Jovial persons. I was surprised to be a part of the programmer. There they distributed some materials regarding

our trip. 15th June: We had a nice breakfast. After our breakfast, there was a meeting to give instructions about the trip. Then we had a health check-up session. After dinner, a friend from Briar and I went to buy some gifts to present my host-family members. That day got over with shopping. 16th June: At 7:25 a. M. Morning, we had our flight CAL) from Delhi (India) to Marina Pan).

After customs check we were allowed board the plane. The plane was really gigantic. After taking off the plane, we were in air for nearly 9 hours. In plane, at first we were provided with Juice. Then they gave our food (Indian). It was so delicious. After nine hours travel, we reached Marina airport. The average temperature in Japan was 20 degree Celsius. So it was chilly. From

Marina airport to Ukases View hotel we traveled by a bus. Then we had our lunch in our room itself. After taking rest, we went to Indian Embassy in Japan. There we had a warm welcome and a photo session. 17th June:

The next day, we had some lecture on "Japan and Japanese". They spoke about their traditions and culture and about the beauty of the language. After having our lunch, we went to "Eddo-Tokyo Museum". In that museum we were able to know the traditions and culture of Japanese. After that we went to a science museum named, "TEPID". It was an advanced technology exhibition hall to know the latest technology innovations of Japan. 18th June: After breakfast, we went to Tokyo Bullet train station to go to Kobo, which is in Yoga prefecture. We traveled from Tokyo to Kobo by bullet train (Shakiness).

At the Kobo station, we met two guides for us named Yukon Yakima San and Namesake San. Then we went to Kobo port tower. There we had a photo session. That photo was also distributed along with our certificates at the end of our trip. Then we had a briefing session about our home stay. After dinner, we went Kobo Portia hotel. 19th June: The next day we started to go to Mammogram Women's University. There we had nice chat with those students. It led us to know more about Japan and Japanese. We Just exchanged information with those Mammogram students.

Then there was a restoration and discussion session on environment. After that session we had introduction ceremony for home-stay program. We were waiting to meet our host sister. My

host sister name is Arrack yoke. She took me to her home. Actually they took care of me as a son for three days. After dinner we were chatting till 1 a. M. Daily. 20th June: After having Japanese food for breakfast, host father, host sister and I went to Osaka Castle. There I saw some people in the traditional dress of samurai. I wore their dress and took a photo with them. Then we had our lunch in a Japanese restaurant.

After that my host sister and I went to her college. There, I saw Kabuki (their classical dance) videos. From college we went to Universal Studios Japan, a famous amusement park in Japan. We had a lot of fun there. We returned home and had dinner together. 21st June: That day we went to a hotel for farewell party. In that restaurant I had lunch with my host sister. Since that was my last day of home stay, they presented me with a memento. After the farewell party, we went to MINT KOBO to experience the art of Calligraphy. There we were taught how to use the calligraphy brush and how to write.

Then we had our dinner at an Indian restaurant. 22nd June: That day we went to garbage disposal centre (Insomnia West Municipal refusal disposal centre) to know the proper disposal of garbage. I learnt their sense of cleanliness. Then we went to an Italian restaurant to have lunch. After lunch we went to shopping market to use our Japanese skill through shopping. Then we had a workshop regarding our daily findings in Japan. In that workshop we came to know

more about Japan. 23rd June: We were in Kobo bullet train station to leave from Kobo. After two and a half hours journey we reached Tokyo.

On the way we were able to see Mount Fuji. Then we were roaming in Ukases area. After that we had lunch at a Japanese restaurant. While roaming in Sensuous temple, I met a couple from Achaean. 24th June: We were taken to Shagbark, the electronic town of Japan. There we went to a shop called Hydrophobia. That was a huge shop. That has separate floors for camera, TV, games and other electronic gadgets. Then we had our lunch at an Indian restaurant. There was a meeting to give instructions about briefing for departure and post- programmer questionnaire. Then we had workshop presentation session.

After that, here was a farewell dinner in Ukases hotel. 25th June: We had our last breakfast in Japan. Then we left the hotel and reached Marina airport by bus. It was really emotional to leave a wonderful place like that. I wish to visit again. After nine hours of travel we reached India. We stayed in Hotel Samara. The next day morning, we went to Delhi airport to return to Achaean. My trip to Japan is very memorable for me. I learnt a lot about enjoying life. I would go to Japan again if I get a chance. I wish to thank Anna University and all the ICE members for giving this great opportunity to me.

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