Japan is a vacation spot not like every other. With such a various vary of sights starting from futuristic cities to outdated temples, distinctive cultural experiences and conventional tea ceremonies, Japan gives quite a lot of journey experiences which might be unmatched.
Nonetheless, there’s a lot about Japan that’s fully distinctive and international to many travellers.
For first-time guests, the whole lot from entry to wifi to getting round by public transport will take some getting used to. Plus, there’s a sure stage of respect, politeness, and cleanliness that’s distinctive to Japan, with some quirky etiquette ideas to concentrate on earlier than visiting.
After spending a number of weeks exploring Japan, we’ve provide you with an intensive listing of a very powerful journey ideas. This listing of the most effective Japan journey ideas contains all of the up-to-date data you’ll must plan your superb journey to Japan.
Asakusa, Tokyo
Earlier than You Go
Should you’re planning your Japan journey, right here’s the whole lot it’s essential to know earlier than you go.
1. The place to Go
Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka are Japan’s most well-known cities. Tokyo is the busy capital on the east coast of Japan and is the place most travellers start and finish their journey to the nation. Arrive at Tokyo Haneda Airport or Narita Worldwide Airport and discover from there.
Kyoto and Osaka are straightforward to go to by bullet prepare. From there, you may as well discover the southern a part of Japan.
Whereas we extremely suggest visiting one or two main cities in your journey, getting off the crushed observe could be very rewarding in Japan. Head outdoors of the town to discover a number of the nation’s huge landscapes and conventional Japanese tradition which might be rapidly disappearing from city areas.
From Tokyo, go to the journey capital of Minakami in Gunma province, or head additional north to Hokkaido crammed with volcanoes, wildlife, and world-class snowboarding. Within the south of Japan, discover the hidden gem of Kuma Valley on the island of Kyushu for someplace off the vacationer radar.
Sundown on Sumida River in Asakusa, Tokyo
Higashiyama space in Kyoto
Osaka Citadel
Kuma Valley, Kumamoto, Kyushu
Minakami, Gunma
Usu Bay, Hokkaido
2. Finest Time to Go
You’ll be able to go to Japan at any time of the yr, with professionals and cons for each season. All of it is determined by what you intend on doing and seeing within the nation and whether or not you like to keep away from the crowds.
It’s usually agreed that spring and fall are the 2 greatest seasons for visiting Japan.
Spring is excessive season because the cherry blossoms bloom across the parks and temples, and vacationers flock to seize these stunning pastel colors in opposition to the outdated Japanese structure.
Fall can also be a well-liked time to go to, because the falling leaves and fall foliage make for equally stunning images across the nationwide parks and gardens within the cities. The climate is normally gentle for exploring outside.
Nonetheless, you’ll must deal with crowds, excessive costs, and reserving forward for many lodging throughout these months. If you wish to keep away from the enterprise, then among the best Japan journey ideas is to go to throughout off-season.
Winter brings world-class snowboarding, whereas summer time is when you’ll be able to expertise a number of the greatest cultural festivals.
Summer season is taken into account off-season for tourism, because the climate might be fairly scorching and insufferable. However there are many fascinating issues taking place in Japan over the summer time months. Gion Matsuri, the pageant of Yasaka Shrine, runs over all the month of July in Kyoto, and the Tenjin Festival is in the course of summer time in Osaka with fireworks and processions on the second day of celebrations.
Cherry blossoms in Minakami, Gunma
Backyard in Gion, Kyoto
3. Get the Proper Visas and Documentation
Residents of almost 70 nations can enter Japan with no need a vacationer visa for as much as 90 days. All you want is a legitimate passport and two clean pages for stamping. This contains most European nations, Australians, People, Canadians, and others.
Should you plan on renting a automotive, you will need to maintain a legitimate Worldwide Driver’s Allow, which you may get previous to leaving your private home nation. You cannot get it upon arrival in Japan, so add this to your pre-departure guidelines.
4. Be taught a Little bit of Japanese
There’s an enormous language barrier in Japan as English shouldn’t be as extensively spoken as you would possibly anticipate. It’s actually well mannered to be taught just a few fundamental Japanese phrases corresponding to thanks, sorry, please, and howdy, in addition to just a few phrases that will help you order meals and pay your invoice.
Should you’re exploring off the crushed observe outdoors one or two cities, then obtain the Google Translate App for offline use so you’ll be able to converse with locals when wanted.
Fundamental phrases and phrases to be taught embrace:
- Hi there: Konnichiwa
- Goodbye (when going away for a very long time or not coming again): Sayōnara
- Thanks: Arigatō gozaimasu
- I don’t perceive: Wakarimasen
- I don’t converse Japanese: Nihongo ga hanasemasen
Individuals strolling of their kimonos in Gion, Kyoto
5. Foreign money and Cash
The Japanese forex is the yen. Payments are available in 1,000 yen, 2,000 yen (very uncommon), 5,000 yen and 10,000 yen denominations. Cash are available in 1 yen, 5 yen, 10 yen, 50 yen, 100 yen and 500 yen denominations. You’ll must have Japanese yen to pay for the whole lot in Japan, as international forex shouldn’t be accepted anyplace outdoors of the worldwide airports.
Japan nonetheless has a cash-based economic system, so at all times carry some money. You’ll discover that many bars, eating places, and even vacationer sights solely settle for money. Though increasingly more settle for bank cards too – you don’t wish to be caught out with out money.
You’ll be able to simply withdraw money from ATM machines utilizing your EFTPOS or bank card from dwelling. One of the best place to withdraw cash are, surprisingly, 7-Eleven and different comfort shops and Submit Workplaces. Simply be ready for worldwide transaction charges should you’re utilizing your personal financial institution card reasonably than a world journey card.
Many Japanese outlets are on a cash-only foundation. Be sure you at all times carry money with you!
6. Get Journey Insurance coverage
We don’t journey anyplace with out journey insurance coverage, and we hope you don’t both. We’ve discovered the exhausting method that journey accidents occur once you least anticipate them, so that you’ll wish to be ready with good journey insurance coverage to cowl further bills incurred.
7. Word on Vaccinations
Whereas vaccinations should not required to enter Japan, it’s really useful to have the next vaccines updated:
- Japanese encephalitis
- Hepatitis A and B
- Chickenpox (Varicella)
- Diphtheria-Tetanus-Pertussis
- Flu (influenza)
- Measles-Mumps-Rubella (MMR)
- Polio
8. Get an eSim Earlier than You Arrive
To cut back your hassles on arrival, manage a pay as you go journey eSIM, which might hold you linked all through your Japan journey. An eSim is a good journey hack – because it means that you can have a world sim card with out eradicating your private home sim. You should buy a package deal on-line, scan an activation code and have the eSim arrange in your telephone inside minutes.
There are many eSim suppliers available on the market, however we suggest both Holafly or Airalo. Seize a package deal with 5-10GB (is determined by your sufring wants), set it up earlier than you permit for Japan and have a connection the minute you arrive to navigate from the airport and whereas exploring the cities.
Holafly eSim set up
9. Guide Lodging in Advance
In the course of the in style seasons in Japan, like spring and fall, it’s preferrred to guide lodging upfront to make sure you get the locations you need. There’s a spread of lodging accessible, from accommodations to conventional ryokans, which each provide an perception into the native tradition in numerous methods.
Motels
You’ll discover a whole bunch of accommodations dotted round each metropolis. Choices are plentiful and most, even those on the decrease finish, provide clear and cozy lodging. In style lodge chains like APA are dependable and located in most main cities. They’re inexpensive however very small.
If finances permits, splurge for a much bigger room, and even higher, for a smaller extra environmentally pleasant boutique lodge to cut back your affect on the atmosphere.
Solo travellers would possibly take pleasure in staying in one of many distinctive capsule accommodations with pod-like rooms. We discovered these to be unsuitable for us, as a pair however nice for solo finances travellers.
Ryokans
A visit to Japan shouldn’t be full and not using a keep in a standard Japanese inn (ryokan). Ryokans are extra typically discovered within the countryside in rural cities or on the outskirts of massive cities. They’re notably widespread in scorching spring cities.
A keep in a ryokan means that you can expertise conventional life-style and structure, together with tatami rooms, futon beds, and Japanese delicacies. Simply make sure you brush up on Japanese etiquette for ryokans earlier than staying.
Contained in the room at Ayu-no-Sato Ryokan
Personal onsen contained in the room at Ayu-no-Sato Ryokan
Various lodging
You can even go for various locations to remain like Airbnb locations or tenting out within the countryside.
Some campgrounds are free, whereas others cost per individual or per web site. They’re an effective way to expertise the nationwide parks and pure environments of Japan. Whereas Airbnb gives fully distinctive lodging from cabins within the woods to entire vacation homes within the mountains.
Whereas in Japan
Listed here are some extra Japan journey ideas for when you’re within the nation and attempting to navigate between cities and across the tradition of a international nation.
10. Finest Approach to Get Round Japan
There are many transport choices to wrap your head round when planning a visit to Japan. If you wish to persist with public transport reasonably than home flights, you can go for trains and buses for lengthy distances, and metropolis transport like subway techniques to maneuver quick distances.
In any other case, for these preferring to get off the crushed observe and canopy a whole lot of floor in a short while, renting a automotive will also be a great way of shifting round.
Practice in Kyoto, Japan
Trains and Japan Rail Move
Bullet trains are iconic in Japan and virtually everybody desires to journey one a minimum of as soon as throughout their time within the nation. The prepare community is unquestionably probably the most environment friendly method of travelling between cities, with quite a lot of trains, departure occasions, and costs to go well with a spread of travellers.
Should you plan on travelling to a number of areas in Japan, contemplate getting a Japan Rail Move, which permits limitless rail journey (with some exceptions to the sorts of trains you should utilize) for a number of weeks.
Nonetheless, there was a large value improve on JR Passes on the finish of 2023, which makes the JR Move virtually not price getting except you intend on travelling between cities loads in a brief period of time. You should utilize this JR Move calculator to work out whether or not getting a Japan Rail Move will likely be price it in your journey.
Japanese “Bullet Practice” or “Shinkansen”.
Buses
Whereas slower than trains, buses can value lower than half, particularly on busy routes the place low cost fares might be extremely low. In a single day buses might be preferrred for finances travellers seeking to reduce down on general each day prices.
You can even get a Japan Bus Move by Willer Categorical, which can be utilized on in a single day and daytime long-distance buses for 3, 5 or seven days of your alternative inside two months from buy.
Subways and City Transport
Inside cities like Tokyo and Kyoto, you should utilize a mix of subway stations and public buses.
To get round inside cities, we suggest buying a pay as you go IC card, like Suica or related. You’ll be able to prime up the cardboard at any prepare station and apply it to public transport all through Japan.
Whereas a few of these playing cards don’t at all times work out less expensive than buying particular person journey passes, it could actually save time at prepare stations and standing in line at ticket machines. You should buy these rechargeable playing cards at a merchandising machine in most comfort shops and stations.
There are various kinds of IC playing cards for every metropolis space. For instance, the Suica card is for JR trains when visiting Tokyo, whereas Icoca is for JR trains in Osaka and Kyoto.
Tokyo Station
Renting a Automobile
For final freedom, contemplate renting a automotive, particularly should you plan on exploring outdoors of the primary cities.
Having a automotive means that you can discover freely between cities and out into extra distant areas, together with nationwide parks and wilderness areas. Nonetheless, a draw back is that site visitors in massive cities tends to be heavy, and parking might be inconvenient and costly.
You’ll want a world license to lease a automotive in Japan, so make sure you organise this earlier than arriving within the nation.
We discovered automotive rental in Japan to be a really well-organized and easy course of. You’ll be able to guide a automotive upfront utilizing Japan’s main automotive rental corporations like Toyota Rentacar, Nippon Rentacar, Orix Rentacar, Instances Automobile Rental, Nissan Rentacar and Ekiren. Costs begin from round 5,000 yen per day for a small automotive, which is completely appropriate for navigating most areas in Japan.
Rideshare
Uber might be present in Japan, though solely in massive cities. It’s not extensively utilized by locals as a result of the prepare system is so handy, so we solely used it a handful of occasions all through our travels in Japan.
We used Uber for airport pickup and dropoff, in addition to to get to our lodging when dragging heavy luggage up and down the steps in Kyoto, simply felt a bit an excessive amount of.
Uber fares are usually cheaper than taxis. A draw back to Uber is that there aren’t as many drivers in comparison with North America, so that you typically find yourself ready longer than should you flag a taxi.
11. Understanding Cultural Etiquette
Japan has a vastly completely different tradition from virtually anyplace else on the planet. As a customer, you’re not anticipated to know all the principles, but it surely’s useful to know fundamental etiquette so that you don’t offend anybody.
Listed here are a very powerful cultural etiquette tricks to keep in mind when visiting Japan.
- Apply bowing respectfully: In Japan, folks greet one another by bowing. A bow can vary from a small nod of the top to a deep bend on the waist. If the greeting takes place on the tatami ground, folks get on their knees to bow. Bowing can also be used to thank, apologise, make a request or ask somebody a favour.
- Footwear off indoors: It’s usually anticipated that individuals take their footwear off indoors, particularly in conventional lodging, folks’s houses, historic websites, and temples, so at all times do because the locals do and go away your footwear outdoors.
- Silence in public locations: You’ll discover that many public locations are quiet when visiting Japan. There’s typically little noise, so don’t create any boisterous sounds or loud noises in public.
- Queueing (ready in line): Japanese persons are very well mannered, particularly in terms of queues. It doesn’t matter what time it’s, there are only a few line jumpers, complainers, or folks breaking rank, and it’s anticipated that everybody is affected person, even throughout rush hour.
- No tipping: You shouldn’t tip whereas in Japan. It’s probably not a part of the tradition and won’t be anticipated. Should you do tip, you’ll end up in an ungainly scenario because the individual will attempt to return your cash to you.
- Correct use of chopsticks: Apply utilizing chopsticks earlier than visiting Japan. Chopsticks are a quite common utensil used extensively in Japan. Whereas many eating places in touristy areas do additionally provide forks and knives, this isn’t the case when eating in small eating places in distant areas. Discover ways to use them and keep in mind just a few easy guidelines. By no means spear your meals with chopsticks or put your chopsticks dealing with up in a bowl. These gestures are paying homage to funerary rites and are seen as offensive.
- Pictures etiquette: Avid photographers will wish to be conscious when taking pictures within the streets and round folks. Japanese persons are fairly shy and it’s impolite to take their image with out asking permission first. You also needs to ask permission earlier than taking pictures of individuals’s outlets or merchandise on the market.
- Consuming etiquette in public: It’s thought-about impolite to stroll and eat on the identical time or eat on public transport. Permit time to take a seat down at a restaurant or restaurant to eat reasonably than grabbing one thing on the go.
- Cash etiquette: Don’t straight hand somebody money when paying for one thing; at all times put it within the tray that’s on the counter and wait to obtain your change in the identical tray.
Minakami, Gunma
12. Perceive Japanese Meals
Together with the distinctive and quirky Japanese tradition, you’ll discover that foods and drinks in Japan are fairly completely different from elsewhere in Asia. There are many distinctive experiences in terms of meals in Japan, so we suggest studying extra about Japanese meals and embracing distinctive meals experiences with each alternative.
Should-Have Eating Experiences
There are many distinctive eating experiences to have throughout your journey to Japan. Attempt to have time for a standard tea ceremony and kaiseki or a standard multi-course Japanese dinner in Kyoto, head for a sake tasting in downtown Tokyo or go to one of many themed cafes in Tokyo, and check out correct Kobe beef in Osaka.
Kaiseki meal at Seikoro Ryokan
Wagyu beef in Dotonbori, Osaka
Comfort Shops and Merchandising Machines
Fast eats or takeaway meals is wildly in style in Japan. Regardless of it being impolite to stroll and eat, grabbing meals to eat later is quite common.
You’ll discover a comfort retailer round each nook, with a terrific choice of ready meals, together with salads, sandwiches and baked items. The meals might be fairly tasty and is right for finances travellers, as you’ll be able to eat a meal for only a few {dollars}. 7-Eleven, Household Mart, Lawson’s, and a lot of different comfort retailer manufacturers are plentiful in each metropolis city and might be discovered even in small villages. Lots of them are open 24/7.
One other quick-eat possibility is to seize meals from merchandising machines. You should buy snacks and drinks straight from the machines and take them to go. Some small eating places additionally function merchandising machine ordering techniques to hurry up the ordering and fee course of and scale back employees prices. You’ll be able to order your meal from a machine and have the meal delivered to you to your desk inside minutes.
Deciphering Menus
It may be obscure menus in Japan, particularly since smaller eating places typically don’t have an English menu. Don’t shrink back from these spots; as an alternative, use the digital camera possibility in Google Translate in your telephone to scan the menu. You’ll get a translated menu and be capable to order the dishes by merely pointing.
In main vacationer sights and prepare stations, you’ll additionally discover many eating places with plastic meals shows. You’ll be able to see precisely what your order will appear like and be capable to order by pointing to the dish.
Merchandising machines provide one other various to ordering with none Japanese. Merchandising machines sometimes embrace photos of the menu, making it simpler to pick the dish you need.
Ordering meals at Ichiran Ramen
Meals Allergic reactions and Dietary Restrictions
Whereas travellers with meals allergy symptoms or restrictions would possibly assume Japan can be troublesome to navigate, you’ll be stunned to seek out that’s unfaithful. You’ll be able to eat very well in Japan on a spread of dietary restrictions, and locals are usually glad to accommodate you so long as you clarify what you’ll be able to’t have and use translation playing cards outlining your allergy symptoms.
For instance, Tokyo is crammed with great gluten-free and Celiac-friendly cafes and eating places serving the whole lot from gluten-free sushi to gluten-free pancakes.
Vegan and vegetarian choices are additionally rising in popularity within the main cities, with numerous conventional meals now providing tofu choices to interchange meat or seafood. An app like Joyful Cow is a good software to have for any vegetarian/vegan travelling to Japan.
13. Perceive Japanese Bogs
Utilizing a Japanese public rest room is an expertise all in itself. Matching the futuristic fashion of the cities, bogs in Japan are very superior, with many buttons and features on provide.
The very fundamental ones have a built-in bidet with water for laundry your back and front. some extra luxurious varieties even have music for privateness, air dryers, seat heaters and extra. Don’t be afraid to mess around with the buttons. And should you discover buttons not labelled in English, Google Translate turns out to be useful.
14. Onsen Etiquette
Staying at an onsen lodge is likely one of the greatest experiences when visiting Japan. Taking within the stunning environment whereas stress-free in a pure scorching spring is an integral a part of Japanese tradition and has been loved for hundreds of years for its therapeutic properties.
Nonetheless, following onsen etiquette is important whereas visiting a shared tub home, so make sure to familiarise your self with some fundamental ideas earlier than you go. Onsen bathing is often finished in gender-specific baths, with women and men bathing in separate baths.
The one strategy to expertise an onsen is within the nude. So know that bathing with garments on, even with a washing go well with, is an enormous NO-NO.
Take a bathe to cleanse your self earlier than bathing, then use a small towel to cowl your privates (if you want) on the stroll from the showers to the bathtub. Don’t immerse the small towel within the tub – you’ll be able to hold it in your head or on the facet of the bathtub. Preserve your tub to 10-Quarter-hour, and get out to chill off should you really feel lightheaded or dehydrated.
In case you are bathing with companions, you’ll be able to chat, however be thoughtful of different friends and hold the noise stage down. Diving, splashing, and swimming are prohibited within the onsen. Pictures isn’t allowed in most onsens both.
Personal onsen contained in the room at Ayu-no-Sato Ryokan
15. Security in Japan
Japan is taken into account one of many most secure nations on the planet. There’s little or no you need to fear about whereas visiting Japan, as any type of crime charge is sort of low. The one exception is perhaps pickpockets in crowded locations, though even that’s extraordinarily uncommon. Nonetheless, it’s higher to maintain your fingers and eyes in your valuables at any time when travelling.
Conclusion
There is perhaps loads to recollect in terms of cultural etiquette and Japan journey ideas, from utilizing the bullet trains to soaking in a standard onsen. Japan is a totally completely different cultural expertise from every other nation in Asia and, much more so, on the planet.
Nonetheless, that is what makes the nation so distinctive, so embrace the eccentricities and the quirkiness and actually immerse your self within the tradition. When you would possibly make some errors with the etiquette alongside the way in which, it’s all a part of visiting Japan for the primary time.