Japan travel guide

Fushimi Inari Taisha

Kyoto

Thousands of red torii gates — go early morning

Mt Fuji & Kawaguchiko

Yamanashi

Classic Fuji views; climbing season July–September

Shibuya Crossing

Tokyo

The world’s busiest pedestrian crossing

Nara Park & Todai-ji

Nara

Giant Buddha and free-roaming deer

Itsukushima Shrine

Miyajima

The “floating” torii gate

Hakone

Kanagawa

Hot springs (onsen), lake cruises and Fuji views

Shirakawa-go

Gifu

Thatched-roof UNESCO village

Okinawa

Southern islands

Tropical beaches and a distinct Ryukyu culture

Tokyo

Shibuya, Shinjuku, Asakusa, Akihabara — the world’s largest metropolis

Guides in Tokyo →

Osaka

Street food capital: Dotonbori, Osaka Castle, Universal Studios Japan

Guides in Osaka →

Kyoto

Over a thousand temples and shrines, geisha district of Gion

Guides in Kyoto →

Sapporo

Hokkaido’s capital — snow festival, skiing in Niseko nearby

Guides in Sapporo →

Fukuoka

Yatai food stalls and Hakata ramen; gateway to Kyushu

Guides in Fukuoka →

Hiroshima

Peace Memorial Park and nearby Miyajima island

Guides in Hiroshima →

✈️ Tokyo — Narita (NRT)

• Narita Express (N’EX) to Tokyo, Shinjuku, Shibuya
• Keisei Skyliner to Ueno — fastest to east Tokyo
• Limousine Bus to major hotels

✈️ Tokyo — Haneda (HND)

• Keikyu Line to Shinagawa
• Tokyo Monorail to Hamamatsucho
• Taxis are expensive but fine late at night

✈️ Osaka — Kansai (KIX)

• JR Haruka express to Kyoto and Shin-Osaka
• Nankai rapi:t to Namba

🚆 Getting around

• Shinkansen (bullet train) between cities — check whether a JR Pass still pays off for your route (prices rose in 2023)
• Get an IC card (Suica, PASMO or ICOCA; Welcome Suica for visitors) and tap for trains, buses and convenience stores
• Google Maps transit directions are very accurate in Japan
• Taxis are clean and safe; doors open automatically

🙏 Culture & etiquette

• Take off your shoes when entering homes, ryokan and some temples/restaurants
• Don’t talk on the phone on trains; keep conversations quiet
• Don’t stick chopsticks upright in rice or pass food chopstick-to-chopstick (funeral customs)
• Eating while walking is frowned on in many areas
• Queue in lines on platforms and escalators (left side in Tokyo, right in Osaka)

📍 Places, scams & seasons

• Some private alleys in Kyoto’s Gion ban tourists and photography — follow the signs
• Tattoos may bar you from public baths (onsen); look for tattoo-friendly ones
• Typhoons July–October and crowds in Golden Week (late Apr–early May) and Obon (mid-Aug)

⚖️ Laws & restrictions

• Foreign visitors must carry their passport at all times
• Some common cold and allergy medicines (with pseudoephedrine) are banned — check before packing
• Zero tolerance for drugs; strict drink-driving laws

💬 Words & topics to avoid

• Never use the slur “Jap”
• Avoid loud, direct criticism; Japanese communication is indirect
• Avoid casual WWII jokes or references

Tokyo

Shinjuku or Shibuya (nightlife), Asakusa or Ueno (budget, traditional), Ginza (upscale)

Stay near a JR Yamanote Line station

Kyoto

Kyoto Station area (transport) or Gion/Higashiyama (atmosphere)

Try one night in a ryokan with kaiseki dinner

Osaka

Namba or Umeda

Great base for Kyoto, Nara and Kobe day trips

Budget idea

Capsule hotels and business hotels

Clean, cheap and central

Tsukiji Outer Market

Tokyo

Fresh sushi and seafood breakfast

Dotonbori

Osaka

Takoyaki, okonomiyaki, kushikatsu

Nishiki Market

Kyoto

“Kyoto’s kitchen” — pickles, tofu, sweets

Nakasu yatai stalls

Fukuoka

Open-air ramen and yakitori by the river

Sushi & sashimi

From conveyor-belt to omakase counters

Ramen

Tonkotsu (Fukuoka), miso (Sapporo), shoyu (Tokyo)

Tempura

Light battered seafood and vegetables

Okonomiyaki

Savoury pancake — Osaka and Hiroshima styles

Wagyu

Kobe, Matsusaka, Omi beef

Matcha sweets

Green tea desserts, especially in Kyoto/Uji

Sapporo Snow Festival

February

Sapporo

Cherry blossom (hanami)

Late March – early April

Nationwide

Gion Matsuri

July

Kyoto

Awa Odori

12–15 August

Tokushima

Obon

Mid-August

Nationwide

Autumn leaves (koyo)

November

Kyoto and nationwide

📱 SIM & eSIM

• Main networks: NTT Docomo, au (KDDI), SoftBank, Rakuten
• Easiest options for visitors: eSIM data plans or pocket Wi-Fi rental at the airport
• Voice SIMs for tourists are hard to get — data-only is normal

📶 Coverage & Wi-Fi

• Very fast and reliable 4G/5G almost everywhere, even on trains
• Free Wi-Fi in stations and convenience stores

🔌 Power plugs

100V, 50Hz (east) / 60Hz (west) — plug types A and B; most phone/laptop chargers work fine