Every guide about Trip planning for a trip to Japan, in one place.
Japan drives on the left, the tolls are expensive, and the permit that works almost everywhere else is not the one Japan accepts from every country. Sort that before you book.
Three periods when the whole country travels at once, trains sell out months ahead and prices rise. Here is roughly when they fall and what to do about them.
A country with contactless everywhere and a stubborn cash habit underneath it, where the machine that takes your card is in the convenience store rather than the bank.
Probably the easiest country in the world to travel solo, and built for it in ways that are not accidental, because a great many Japanese people eat and travel alone too.
A country long enough to hold subarctic and subtropical at the same time, which is why a single national answer to when to go is useless.
One of the most straightforward countries in the world to travel with children, for reasons that have very little to do with the theme parks.
The list changes more between Japanese seasons than for almost anywhere else, and two or three items make a disproportionate difference in every one of them.
How the sakura forecast works, what kaika and mankai actually mean, roughly when each region blooms, and why the booking decision has to be made long before the first forecast appears.
The Studio Ghibli museum in Mitaka and the newer Ghibli Park near Nagoya both sell timed tickets in advance only, nothing at the door, so here is how the two differ and how to actually get in.
Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea are two very different parks on one ticket. How to choose between them, how the ticketing and paid queue skipping system works, and how to plan a day that will not wreck you.
The pass got much more expensive and for many itineraries it no longer pays: how to do the arithmetic in ten minutes, which trips still justify it, and what to buy instead.
Japan or South Korea for your next trip? A fair comparison of culture, food, costs, transport, cities and nature, with a clear verdict for first-timers and every traveler type.
Tokyo or Osaka for your Japan trip? An honest comparison of the two great cities: sights, food, nightlife, day trips to Kyoto and Nara, costs, and a clear verdict for every type of traveler.
When to go to Japan, season by season: cherry-blossom timing, fiery autumn leaves, the crowded peaks to plan around, and the quiet shoulder months that may be the sweet spot.
Why travel insurance matters for a Japan trip: high private medical costs for visitors, ski and Mount Fuji coverage, long-haul flight disruption, typhoon and earthquake interruption, and baggage.
The numbers every visitor to Japan should save: 110 for police, 119 for fire and ambulance, the Japan Visitor Hotline, plus how koban police boxes, pharmacies and earthquake alerts work.
Japan runs on data and its free wifi is worse than you expect: the three options, what each actually costs in convenience, and why you should sort it before you fly.
Koyo runs from the northern mountains in September to the southern cities in December, lasts longer than the cherry blossom and is arguably more beautiful.
The bloom moves north over about six weeks and lasts a week in any one place: how the forecast works, where to go, and why hanami is a picnic rather than a photograph.
Do you need a visa for Japan? Most nationalities get up to 90 days visa-free, but not all of them. Here is how entry works in 2026: Visit Japan Web, passport rules, the higher departure tax and the questions officers actually ask.
Planning your first trip to Japan? Here is when to go, how the trains and IC cards work, whether the JR Pass is worth it, how much cash to carry, and the etiquette that keeps you out of trouble.