Best tips for visiting Japan

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Opening Note: These "Best tips for visiting Japan" are merely opinions and suggestions from an American who has lived in Japan and has travelled to practically every city in Japan for almost 20 years. If you really want to see and be guided to the coolest stuff in Japan, you might want to consider a JapanTravelPackes.com guide. Guides are native speaking English speakers who speak fluent Japanese and have lived in Japan a long time. In many aspects they know more about Japan than most Japanese.

In-country Travel

My best tip for traveling in Japan is to get a Japan Rail Pass. If your just going to be in Tokyo a couple/few days and don't plan on making any trips to other cities you don't need a Japan Rail Pass But, if you take just one round trip ride down to Kyoto and Back, the price for that single round trip ticket is just about the same price as a full week of unlimited riding to almost anywhere in Japan! Furthermore the Japan Rail Pass makes riding the trains much less complicated as you rarely have to stand in front of a spaghetti looking map of lines and prices and constantly try to figure out how much it's going to cost... you just flash your pass and go. Also the pass lets you ride in reserved seats on the Shinkansen (Bullet Train) and in Express trains that have reserved type seating. With just a 7 day pass you can ride all the way down to Kyushu, over to Kanazawa, up to Hokkaido and then back down to Tokyo... if you paid the regular fee for this tickets it would cost you upwards of $1,000 USD!! With a Japan Rail Pass, 7 day pass it would cost you around $250.

Accommodation

Tips on where to stay when visiting Japan; From around 2012 to 2018, Airbnb made travel in Japan incredibly awesome! You could rent really nice fully furnished apartments for $30 USD to $50 USD a day! Unfortunately three major factors contributed to the demise of Airbnb in Japan, 1.) Home Owner / Apartment Owner Associations complaining about unruly people staying and these apartments, 2.) Japan's very strong Hotels and Lodging Association successfully lobbying the government to force Airbnb owners to abide by extremely strict rules and regulations and 3.) the general policies of Japan's government to control everything. With the governments new regulations coming into effect in 2018, 80-90% of the Airbnb listings vanished and the remaining increased prices because A.) they had to pay more to cover government fees and B.) less competition so they could raise prices. Furthermore since around the beginning of 2019 Airbnb started required people to upload images of their ID, in some cases passports. This a huge privacy issue many if not most people should have an issue with.

These days it's a toss up of where to stay depending on your budget and desires. If your single or a couple and just want a clean room to lay your head at night, there are plenty of "Business Hotels" type hotel that might fit your style. With all the new tourism, Japan is rushing to build lots of "No Frills" type hotels as well. If your a family, it might be a good idea to check Airbnb as you might be able to find a decently price apartment that fits your budget. If money is no object, well... there are plenty of incredibly nice 5 star hotels and Hot Spring resorts that will cater to your every whim.

One of the big things that foreign tourists miss out on when they come to Japan is the huge "Hot Springs" industry. For the Japanese people, "Hot Springs" and staying at a Hot Spring Hotel or Japanese Inn is one of the best things you can do. In the winter, fall or spring, staying at a beautiful little Japanese Inn that is situated along a river in the mountains is one of the most relaxing and fulfilling Japanese experiences you can have. You can soak to your hearts content, eat great Japanese food created by the Japanese Inn, get a massage and just take it easy looking out over the Japanese scenery. Take a look at our Japanese Hot Springs Page, Hot Springs in Tokyo or Hot Springs Near Tokyo for more information.

Wherever you stay you can always expect a clean room and great service.

Season

Personally I would not recommend visiting Japan in August. It is extremely hot in August with high levels of humidity. In 2018 the temperature averaged 33-40 C with 60-80% humidity which means on average 45 C or 113 F by Heat Index Calculator. In 2019 the temperatures ranged from 33 - 36 C which is slightly lower than 2018 but still so hot and humid it will be very unpleasant outdoors. Furthermore, everyone else in the world also thinks "summer" is the time to visit Japan so most everywhere will be full of tourists. If you don't heed this Japan travel tip, be prepared to be hot and sweaty. Always bring a bottle of water along with you and a wet towel. Sit Down if you start feeling dizzy and drink water, drink water and drink more cool water.

However, that being said, many big festivals are held during the summer because the kids are out of school. Every town and city in Japan holds some sort of festival like this local festival in Chiba. Some of the festivals are parade like and some are with fireworks. Many parades are held in the middle of the day when it's so hot and humid that just standing there watching you'll drip with sweat. At least the firework events are at night but usually the temperature doesn't drop by much.

June and the first half of July is rainy season in Japan. Please don't think, "well, maybe this year it won't rain so much" because... it usually does rain and doesn't stop. If your ok with holding an umbrella most the time, Rainy Season is not so bad. At least it's cooler than August and the rain brings out lots of flowers and vegetation.

Although Japan spans a large range from Northern latitudes to Southern latitudes, the whole country from Hokkaido in the North to Kyushu in the South can get quite cold in January and February. Most cities see some snow during these months and you will need to bring a warm jacket.

The best time to visit Japan is of course during the spring or fall. The weather is generally pleasant and you might be able to catch Cherry Blossom Season or the Autumn leaves changing color.

Food

Sushi

Although I've lived in major metropolis around the world and have eaten at "supposedly" the best sushi restaurants in those cities, Sushi is best in Japan... I have no idea why, there must be some sort of secret society that gets all the best sushi to Japan. You can find decently priced really good sushi and you can find expensive incredible sushi in Japan. You should definitely try to find some good sushi in Japan and see what you think.

Ramen

Ramen has been becoming increasingly popular outside of Japan since 2010. Some of Japan's large chain Ramen company's have been opening shops overseas along with private business owners as well. As with Sushi, the Ramen within Japan just somehow tastes better to me. I've had pretty good Ramen outside of Japan but have never managed to find Really Good Ramen outside of Japan. However, even in Japan there are some crappy places so make sure to find a good Ramen shop and you might have to queue up to get in.

Other foods that are lesser known but tourists will really enjoy are Okonomiyaki, Yaki Niku and Tonkatsu or Katsu. Check out our Essential Japanese Food page describing each of these types of dishes.

Shopping

I must admit I'm not a huge shopper but there are a couple things I think might be of interest to buy in Japan. For both men and women a summer Kimono which is called a "Yukata" might be something you want to buy. Yukatas are very pretty/handsome and very comfortable to wear. However, it's important to get a good one... if you buy a cheap thing it will be rough on your skin and scratchy. There are some very interesting Japanese candies you can find at local supermarkets. Walk into a supermarket and head into the candy section, there you can find all kinds of interesting stuff. The best thing about Japanese candy is that it has a lot less sugar than say American candy, especially chocolate. Even the M&M in Japan taste better (in my opinion) because you can actually taste the chocolate and not just super sweet sugar. Even in your not a Japanophile or Weebo, there are some cool "figures" and interesting gadget type things you can find in Nakano and Akihabara. A good looking Godzilla figure sitting on your desk at work could add some character to that plainness.

Destinations

I could fill a book (or a website like SnapJapan.com) with tips on places to see in Japan but I'm just going to cover a few of my top places... places I feel are "Must See" spots in Japan. Also note that these are major, well-known destinations that people should consider visiting if they are on a once-in-a-lifetime type trip to Japan.

• Tokyo, DisneySea - It's the only one of it's kind in the world. Yes, Florida's Disneyworld is better but DisneySea is pretty darn cool. Once again... I wouldn't go in the summer, it's Jam Packed but if you can get there on a weekday (other than summer), check it out!
• Tokyo, Asakusa - One of Japan's most visited cities, Asakusa is a really interesting city. It's got the great temple and shrine along with lots of culture all in one spot. Since it is so popular, it's constantly crowded these days but getting there early in the morning might help you miss the crowds.
• Tokyo, Shibuya - Yep, THE Shibuya. The famous Shibuya Crossing, Shibuya Girls and Shibuya craziness. If you like "trendy and young" type shopping, this is also a place for you but it's also just interesting to walk around and check it out.
• Kyoto, Kinkakuji - One of those world famous places that is quite amazing. The "Golden Pavilion" will surely leave you inspired. Be prepared for large crowds if you go during peak seasons/times.
• Osaka Castle, Osaka or Himeji Castle, Himeji - Both of these castles are amazing. Osaka Castle was built mainly for War & Defense while Himeji Castle is more "beautiful"... as it were.