Japan travel guide

This page gathers the essentials for a trip to Japan, whether it is your first visit or your fifth, organized by region: Tokyo, Osaka and Kansai, Fukuoka and Kyushu, Okinawa and Hokkaido. Currency, transport, seasons, food and ryokan stays are checked against official sources such as the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO).

Family trips, honeymoons, food tours, hot springs, shopping or Disney: Japan is one of the rare destinations where a weekend, a four-day trip or a full week all work well.

Visa and entry requirements for Japan

Whether you need a visa, how long you can stay and which pre-arrival forms apply all depend on your nationality and the purpose of your trip. Check the official source below, and your own government's travel advice, before you book.

Visit Japan Web lets you register immigration and customs information online before arrival, which speeds up arrival procedures. Working holidays, study and employment require a separate visa.

• Visa information and exemptions (short-term stay) (Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan)
• Visit Japan Web (online immigration and customs registration) (Digital Agency, Government of Japan)

• Currency: Japanese yen (JPY)
• Time zone: JST (UTC+9)
• Best seasons: late March to early April for cherry blossoms, late October to late November for autumn leaves, December to February for snow festivals and hot springs
• Electricity: 100 V, 50/60 Hz, Type A plugs
• Internet: pocket Wi-Fi, SIM cards and eSIMs are all widely available

Japan packs an enormous amount into a short distance. From Tokyo, Hakone's ryokan and hot springs and Tokyo Disneyland are about an hour away and Mount Fuji about two hours, so one trip can combine city, nature, culture and theme parks. Food is good value: a bowl of ramen costs 800–1,200 yen, and an izakaya evening averages 4,000–6,000 yen per person.

Japan's public transport is among the best in the world. Passes for foreign visitors such as the JR Pass, Tokyo Metro passes and the Kansai Thru Pass can cut travel costs considerably, and the shinkansen runs with over 99% punctuality, so you can plan to the five or ten minutes.

Tokyo (Kanto)

A megacity of 14 million people, where Shinjuku, Shibuya, Harajuku, Ginza, Asakusa, Roppongi and Odaiba each have a distinct character. Urayasu (Chiba), home to Tokyo Disneyland and DisneySea, is part of the greater Tokyo area. Five days and four nights is the recommended length; first-timers usually plan around Shinjuku, Shibuya, Asakusa and Disney. Add a night at a Hakone hot spring for a ryokan experience.

Osaka and Kansai

Osaka (food, Dotonbori, Universal Studios), Kyoto (tradition, Gion, Fushimi Inari), Kobe (food, Arima Onsen) and Nara (deer park, Todaiji) are all within 30 minutes by shinkansen, so you can day-trip to several cities from one base. Four days and three nights is recommended; two nights in an Osaka hotel plus one in Kyoto is a popular plan.

Fukuoka and Kyushu

A compact city and a food powerhouse (ramen, motsunabe, mentaiko). Two hours by car are the Yufuin and Beppu hot springs, ideal for adding a night at a ryokan. Oita, Kumamoto and Nagasaki can be combined as part of Kyushu.

Okinawa

A subtropical beach destination. From Naha Airport, visit the Churaumi Aquarium, Cape Manzamo, the culture shaped by the US military presence and the sites of the Ryukyu Kingdom. April to October is the best season, and outlying islands such as Miyakojima and Ishigaki are a further one to two hours by air. Pool villas and rental cars are popular with families.

Hokkaido

Every season is different: the Sapporo Snow Festival and skiing from December to February, lavender and cool summers in Furano from June to August, autumn leaves in October and November, and cherry blossoms from late April to early May. Sapporo, Otaru, Hakodate, Furano, Asahikawa and Noboribetsu are the main bases.

Tokyo and Osaka have plenty of business hotels (city hotels, KRW 80,000–150,000 per night), five-star luxury (Park Hyatt, Mandarin Oriental, The Peninsula, KRW 600,000–1,200,000 per night) and capsule hotels (budget, KRW 30,000–50,000 per night). Outside the big cities and in hot-spring towns, the ryokan is the highlight: a traditional Japanese inn with a kaiseki dinner, an open-air bath (rotenburo) and tatami rooms, typically KRW 300,000–800,000 per night. A night at a ryokan is highly recommended for anniversaries, honeymoons and trips with parents.

JR Pass (nationwide): for foreign visitors only; 7 days 50,000 yen, 14 days 80,000 yen, 21 days 100,000 yen, with shinkansen rides included. A one-way Tokyo–Osaka shinkansen ticket is 14,720 yen, so the pass can pay for itself on a route covering Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka and Hiroshima.

Tokyo Metro pass: unlimited rides for 24/48/72 hours at 800/1,200/1,500 yen. Enough if you are staying within Tokyo.

Kansai Thru Pass: 2 days 4,800 yen, 3 days 6,000 yen, for travel around Osaka, Kyoto, Kobe and Nara.

Suica and PASMO: rechargeable IC cards that also work at vending machines and convenience stores.

• Sushi: Tsukiji Outer Market (Tokyo) and Kuromon Market (Osaka); conveyor-belt sushi costs 100–500 yen a plate
• Ramen: shoyu in Tokyo, tonkotsu in Fukuoka (Ippudo and Ichiran's original shops), miso in Sapporo
• Izakaya: 4,000–6,000 yen per person, with motsunabe, skewers and sake
• Okonomiyaki and takoyaki: Osaka specialties, 800–1,500 yen a plate
• Kaiseki: a ryokan's multi-course dinner, often included in the room rate
• Sukiyaki and shabu-shabu: wagyu at 8,000–15,000 yen per person

Late March to early April (cherry blossoms): Tokyo (Ueno Park, Meguro River), Kyoto (Philosopher's Path), Osaka Castle and Yoshino. Flights and hotels are at their most expensive; book six months ahead.

Golden Week in May: a Japanese holiday period with huge crowds, best avoided.

July and August: heat (35°C and above), the rainy season and peak season. Okinawa's beaches are fine.

September and October (early autumn): the leaves turn in earnest in November, and September is still hot.

Late October to late November (autumn leaves): Kyoto (Arashiyama, Tofukuji), Nikko and Fujioka. The most popular season after cherry blossoms.

December to February (winter): the Hokkaido Snow Festival (February), Tokyo's illuminations, and the best season for ryokan and hot springs.

In peak seasons (cherry blossoms, Golden Week, autumn leaves and the New Year holidays) prices can rise 1.5 to 2 times, so we recommend booking four to six months ahead.

• No phone calls or loud conversations on public transport; keep your phone on silent
• No tipping in restaurants or izakaya (it may even be refused)
• Check in advance about tattoos at hot springs and ryokan; many do not allow them
• Some restaurants do not accept credit cards, so carry cash
• Do not stand chopsticks upright in rice (it recalls funeral rites)
• Blow your nose in the restroom, not at the table