Three weeks is one of the best amounts of time you can have for a first trip to Japan. You have enough time to see Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka without treating them as a checklist, but you can also go beyond the standard Golden Route and experience places that many shorter itineraries have to leave … Read more
Five days in Japan is short. It is still enough time for an excellent first trip, but only if you resist the temptation to keep adding destinations. Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Hiroshima, Nara and Mt Fuji might look manageable when you see them connected by fast trains. In reality, every additional city means checking out, moving … Read more
Choosing where to stay in Japan is one of the most important decisions when planning your trip. The best hotel is not necessarily the cheapest hotel or the one closest to a famous attraction. In Japan, staying near the right train or subway station can save significant time across a multi-day trip. For most first-time … Read more
A Japan Rail Pass calculator is the easiest way to determine whether the nationwide JR Pass will actually save you money. The calculation is more important than ever. The Japan Rail Pass used to be an almost automatic recommendation for travellers taking the classic Tokyo–Kyoto–Osaka route. After major price increases, that is no longer the … Read more
A Hiroshima day trip is possible from both Osaka and Kyoto, but combining Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park and Miyajima in one day requires an early start and a realistic itinerary. The biggest mistake is assuming Hiroshima and Miyajima are beside each other. They aren’t. Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park is in central Hiroshima, while Miyajima requires … Read more
Two days in Osaka gives you enough time to experience the city’s famous food districts, neon nightlife, Osaka Castle, retro neighbourhoods and modern skyline without rushing from one side of the city to the other. The key is grouping Osaka geographically. For a first visit, spend Day 1 in southern Osaka, moving through Kuromon Market, … Read more
Two weeks is one of the best trip lengths for a first visit to Japan. You have enough time to experience Tokyo, Mount Fuji or Hakone, Kyoto, Osaka and Hiroshima without turning every day into a race between train stations. You can also add somewhere beyond the standard Golden Route, such as Kanazawa. The important … Read more
Japan’s train system looks complicated when you first see a Tokyo rail map, but most tourists only need to understand a few basic rules. For everyday city travel, you will usually tap an IC card such as Suica or Pasmo at the ticket gates. For longer journeys between cities, you may need a separate Shinkansen … Read more
Two days in Kyoto is enough to see many of the city’s most important sights, but only if you plan your route carefully. Kyoto is very different from Tokyo. Its major attractions are spread between eastern, western and northern districts, and travelling across the city can take longer than the distance on a map suggests. … Read more
Ten days in Japan is enough time to experience Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka while adding one smaller destination without turning the trip into a race between train stations. For a first visit, the most efficient route is: Tokyo → Hakone → Kyoto → Osaka From Osaka, you can add Hiroshima and Miyajima as an ambitious … Read more