About Japan Pocket Guide
Plain-English travel help for all 47 prefectures of Japan, checked against official sources.
Last checked
Japan Pocket Guide is an independent travel information website about Japan, written in plain English for people who are planning a visit or are already here. It is run by an individual based in Japan.
What you will find here
- Guides to all 47 prefectures — what each one is known for, what to eat and buy there, when to go and how to get there. Most visitors see three or four prefectures; the other forty-odd are where the crowds thin out.
- Month-by-month planning — weather tables built from the Japan Meteorological Agency's 30-year averages, public holidays, long weekends and the festivals worth planning around.
- Rules and practical help — the things that trip people up: tax-free shopping, rail passes, luggage on the Shinkansen, driving, cash and cards, etiquette, and what has changed recently.
- Food and shopping — regional dishes, where to eat them, and the items visitors actually take home.
- Rankings built from published statistics — which prefectures foreign visitors go to, what they spend and what they buy, with the source and date on every table.
- Free tools — a trip budget calculator, a tax-free refund calculator, a Shinkansen baggage checker, a printable allergy card and more.
Why "47"?
Japan is divided into 47 prefectures. Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto get most of the attention, but every prefecture has its own food, festivals and landscapes, and many are a short train ride from the famous places. This site covers all of them so that you can plan a trip that fits you rather than the usual list.
How the site is funded
The site is free to read. It is funded by advertising served by Google, and may in future include affiliate links, which are always disclosed on the Affiliate disclosure page. Advertisers do not choose or change what we write. See How we check facts for how pages are made.
Not affiliated
Japan Pocket Guide is not affiliated with any government body, tourism authority, transport operator or shop. Official names and logos belong to their owners. When we refer to an official source, we link to it so you can check the original.
Contact
Corrections and suggestions are welcome through the Contact page.