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.
How these pages were made. We have not yet been to Japan. With South Korea, it is one of the two places at the top of our list, and every Japan guide on this site is researched rather than remembered: built from official and published sources, and checked and dated. What follows is what we would tell a friend who asked us to look into it properly: where to go, how long it takes, what it costs, and which of the received wisdom is wrong.
Last updated 13 September 2026
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. Choose a region on the map or from the list to see its guides. Names marked full guide set carry where to stay, getting around, costs and food as well.
Japan stretches from snowy Hokkaido in the north through the main island of Honshu to Kyushu and subtropical Okinawa in the south. Tokyo and the Golden Route sit in the centre of that long arc; the farther regions usually need a deliberate extension, a domestic flight or a separate journey.
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.
- TokyoFull guide setNeighbourhoods, food and rail connections at the centre of most first trips
- YokohamaWaterfront districts, port history and an easy contrast with Tokyo
- HakoneFull guide setOnsen, lake views and one of the most useful approaches to Fuji
- NikkōForest shrines, mountain scenery and a rewarding Tokyo extension
Crisp alpine air, Fuji in mirror-still lakes, silky thermal water.
- TakayamaFull guide setAn old mountain town, morning markets and Hida traditions
- KanazawaFull guide setGardens, crafts and preserved districts on the Sea of Japan
- Shirakawa-gōSteep-roofed farmhouses in a secluded mountain valley
- NaganoTemple heritage and a practical gateway to the Japanese Alps
- Mount FujiLakes, viewpoints and seasonal climbing around Japan’s highest peak
Incense-filled temples, street-food aromas, Osaka after dark.
- KyotoFull guide setTemple districts, gardens and early mornings worth protecting from haste
- OsakaFull guide setStreet food, nightlife and a well-connected urban base
- NaraAncient temples, parkland and an easy cultural day from Kyoto or Osaka
- HimejiJapan’s most celebrated surviving castle and a useful rail stop
The calm Seto waters and the floating torii of Miyajima.
- HiroshimaFull guide setPeace heritage, a generous food culture and the gateway to Miyajima
- MiyajimaA tidal shrine island that rewards an early start or overnight stay
- OkayamaA noted landscape garden and a convenient base for the Seto Inland Sea
- KurashikiCanal-side storehouses, museums and preserved merchant streets
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.
The four practical questions
Blossom, rainy season or autumn?
Month by month — heat, rain, crowds and prices, and the weeks we would avoid.
Read the guide → What it costsIs Japan expensive?
Daily budgets at three levels, built from published prices rather than guesswork.
Read the guide → Where to stayRyokan or business hotel?
Ryokan, business hotel or apartment — who each one suits, and what to pay.
Read the guide → Getting aroundIs the rail pass worth it?
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
KansaiKyoto’s temple dawnFushimi Inari before six, when the vermilion gates are yours alone.
KantōTokyo after darkGolden Gai’s six-seat bars, and a ramen counter at midnight.
KantōFuji from HakoneA crater lake at first light, the mountain doubled in still water.
ChūgokuThe floating toriiMiyajima at high tide, deer on the path, the Seto sea flat as glass.
HokkaidoPowder and steamNiseko’s dry snow, then an outdoor onsen as the light goes.
ShikokuNaoshima’s art islandsConcrete galleries in the Seto sea, and a pumpkin on the quay.
Scroll or swipe for all six — every one is a link
The practical ground
Arrival and onward travel
Tokyo’s Haneda and Narita airports are the usual gateways, while Kansai International can make more sense for a route beginning or ending around Osaka and Kyoto. For the current choice of airport, rail pass and domestic connection, use our Getting Around Japan guide.
Weather across the regions
Japan does not have one national weather answer: spring blossom moves north, autumn colour moves south, and the conditions in snowy Hokkaido differ sharply from subtropical Okinawa. Use our Best Time to Visit Japan guide to match the season to the regions in your route.
The culture you’ll travel through
Japan is courteous rather than formal, and much of what first looks like a rule is really a way of reducing inconvenience for other people. Understanding that idea matters more than memorising a catalogue of prohibitions.
Begin with our guide to Japanese etiquette for visitors. Before using a public bath, read how onsen culture and etiquette work in practice.
The same attention opens up the country’s food and sacred landscape. Tasting Japan explains the dishes and regional differences worth following, while Japanese temples and shrines explains what distinguishes them and how to visit respectfully.
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
- Japan National Tourism Organization Official
- FCDO travel advice Official
- Official Japan Rail Pass information Official
Do I need to speak Japanese?
No. Major transport systems use English as well as Japanese, and translation tools help with menus and more detailed exchanges. Learning a few greetings is still useful and courteous.