Visiting Japan
Travelling in Japan
Japan rewards the unhurried. The trains are punctual to the minute and the cities never sleep, but the country’s real pleasures — a cedar-lined shrine path at dawn, a mountain onsen in falling snow, a fish market breakfast — ask you to slow down and stay put.
We have travelled Japan in every season across four visits, from Hokkaido’s powder to Okinawa’s coral shores. What follows is what we would tell a friend: where to go, how long it takes, what it costs, and which of the received wisdom is wrong.
Explore Japan
Japan’s nine regions each reveal a different side of the country. Most first-time visitors follow the Golden Route through Kantō, Chūbu and Kansai — venture further and you’ll find snow-covered wilderness, pilgrimage trails and subtropical shores. Below, every region we have published, and beneath that every city.
Japan at a glance
Where Japan changes character
Each region is a different country in temperament, climate and kitchen. Every place we have published a guide to is listed under the region it belongs to — nothing is held back. Names marked full guide set carry where to stay, getting around, costs and food as well.
Weightless powder, clear air, and steaming mountain onsen.
A hidden Japan where only rising steam breaks the silence.
Tokyo’s electric pulse, and the tranquil places just beyond it.
Crisp alpine air, Fuji in mirror-still lakes, silky thermal water.
Incense-filled temples, street-food aromas, Osaka after dark.
The calm Seto waters and the floating torii of Miyajima.
Japan’s smallest main island, at a quieter rhythm.
Ancient volcanic landscapes and the country’s hottest springs.
A subtropical Japan with its own kitchen and its own history.
Thirty-seven guides across nine regions. If we have published it, it is here.
Answer a question instead →The four practical questions
The best time to visit Japan
Month by month — heat, rain, crowds and prices, and the weeks we would avoid.
Read the guide → What it costsWhat Japan actually costs
Daily budgets at three levels, from our own records rather than an estimate.
Read the guide → Where to stayWhere to stay in Japan
Ryokan, business hotel or apartment — who each one suits, and what to pay.
Read the guide → Getting aroundGetting around Japan
Which rail passes are worth buying, which are not, and when to fly instead.
Read the guide →How long do you need?
Seven days buys you the Golden Route at a brisk pace. Ten lets you add Kanazawa or Hiroshima without rushing. Fourteen is where Japan opens up — a mountain onsen, an island, a day with no train.
We compare all three honestly, including what each one makes you skip.
| Route | Days | Covers |
|---|---|---|
| Golden Route | 7 | Tokyo, Hakone, Kyoto, Osaka |
| Golden Route plus | 10 | Adds Kanazawa or Hiroshima |
| Unhurried Japan | 14 | Adds Tōhoku or Kyūshū |
Six things worth planning a trip around
Scroll or swipe for all six — every one is a link
The practical ground
Getting there from the UK
| From | To | Time | Direct |
|---|---|---|---|
| London | Tokyo Haneda | 14h 10m | Yes |
| London | Osaka Kansai | 15h 30m | Seasonal |
| Manchester | Tokyo Narita | 16h 45m | No |
Weather by season
| Season | Tokyo | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Spring | 9–19°C | Blossom, crowds, book early |
| Summer | 23–31°C | Humid, festivals, typhoons |
| Autumn | 12–23°C | Clear skies, best walking |
| Winter | 2–10°C | Dry, bright, empty temples |
The culture you’ll travel through
Japan is courteous rather than formal, and almost everything that looks like a rule is really a kindness. Behind the courtesies sits the older sacred landscape — Shintō shrine and Buddhist temple side by side, and the difference between them worth knowing before you stand in front of one. These four are the ones worth reading before you arrive.
Eating in Japan
The dishes worth planning a day around, and how to order without English.
Read → EtiquetteGetting it right
Shoes, bathing, queueing, tipping — the handful that genuinely matter.
Read → OnsenBathing culture
How a public bath works, tattoo rules, and the etiquette in order.
Read → The sacredTemples and shrines
Which is which, why they stand together, and what is actually being asked of you at the gate.
Read →A final word on Japan
Go with fewer places on the list than you think you need. Japan is at its best when you stay long enough to be recognised in the same coffee shop twice.
Andrew + Margaret
- Japan’s nine regions compared Overview
- Getting around Japan by rail Practical
- Japanese etiquette for visitors Culture
- Rail journeys worth taking Journeys
- Japan National Tourism Organization Official
- FCDO travel advice Official
- Japan Rail Pass prices Booking
How many days do I need in Japan?
Ten to fourteen. Seven is enough for Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka at pace, but you will spend a third of it on trains.
Do I need to speak Japanese?
No. Signage on the rail network is bilingual and translation apps handle menus. Learning to read hiragana helps more than you would expect.
Is Japan expensive?
Less than its reputation. Accommodation and long-distance rail are the costs; eating well is genuinely cheap.
When is cherry blossom season?
Late March to mid April, moving north. Book accommodation five to six months ahead, or travel in autumn instead.