Japan Travel Guides
Everything for planning a trip to Japan — realistic itineraries, honest city comparisons, and the actual cost of getting around. No padded listicles, just what you need to book the trip.
Planning Your Trip
How Many Days in Tokyo Is Enough?
Three days or ten? After years living in Tokyo and hosting visiting friends, here's exactly how many days you actually need — and how to spend them.
Best Time to Visit Japan: Month by Month Guide
A month-by-month breakdown of Japan travel — temperature, crowds, cost, and what's actually happening. Plus the crowd-avoiding tricks most guides don't mention.
Japan 7-Day Itinerary for First-Time Visitors
The Japan 7-day itinerary that actually works, written by someone who lives here — realistic pacing, what to skip, and a day-by-day plan that won't exhaust you.
Getting Around
Narita to Tokyo: Cheapest & Fastest Ways in 2025
Every option for getting from Narita Airport to Tokyo — with real prices, journey times, and the honest verdict on which to choose depending on your situation.
Shinkansen Tokyo to Osaka: Prices & Times
Everything you need to know about the Tokyo-Osaka Shinkansen — prices, journey times, which train to pick, and where it actually arrives.
Osaka vs Kyoto: Which Should You Stay In?
Osaka or Kyoto — where should you base yourself? A direct comparison from someone who's lived in both: food, transport, atmosphere, cost, and when each wins.
More Guides
Awa Odori: How to Actually Join Japan's Most Participable Festival
A practical guide to Tokushima's Awa Odori festival — the dance styles, the niwaka-ren beginner groups, and exactly how to join in without a costume or booking.
Bon Odori: How to Join Japan's Festival of the Ancestors
What Bon Odori actually means, why the dance is structured the way it is, and how to join a circle dance happening in a park near you this August.
Gion Matsuri: Japan's Most Famous Festival — A Complete Guide
A complete guide to Kyoto's Gion Matsuri — the floats, the yoiyama evenings, the sacred moments to respect, and how to actually watch the procession.
Hatsumode: How to Do Japan's New Year Shrine Visit Properly
The complete step-by-step sequence for Hatsumode — purification, bowing, clapping, the saisen offering, and how to do Japan's first shrine visit properly.
Japan Festivals Guide: When to Go, How to Join
A month-by-month guide to Japan's major festivals — what's actually happening, where you can join in, and the etiquette that matters before you show up.
Nebuta Matsuri: How to Become a Haneto Dancer in Aomori
A practical guide to Aomori's Nebuta Matsuri — the costume you need, where to rent it, and exactly how to join the haneto dancers in the procession.
Setsubun: Japan's Bean-Throwing Festival Explained
Why Japan throws beans at demons every February — the mamemaki ritual, ehomaki sushi rolls, and how to join a public bean-throwing event.
Tanabata: Japan's Star Festival — Wishes, Decorations & Where to Go
The myth behind Tanabata, how to write a wish on a tanzaku, and why Sendai, Hiratsuka, and Anjo celebrate Japan's star festival so differently.
Where to Avoid Crowds in Japan: Interactive Map by Month
An interactive map showing how Japan's crowds move across the country month by month — and how to catch the famous spots in their quiet moment.