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Plan your trip to Japan

Everything you need to sort out before you land: how to pay, which rail pass (if any) is worth it, where to stay, what to pack and what the rules are. Each guide was checked against the official source on the date shown.

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Start here
First time in Japan: what to know before you go
A first-timer's guide to Japan: where to go, how long to stay, what visitors really do, and what to sort out before you fly: visa, money, trains and phone.
Start here
Japan itinerary ideas: 7, 10 and 14 days
Japan itinerary ideas for a first trip: 7, 10 and 14-day routes through Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka with Shinkansen times and fares, extra stops and dates to avoid.
Money
How much does a trip to Japan cost in 2026?
What a trip to Japan costs: official 2025 survey figures per visitor and per night by country, where the money goes, everyday prices and ten ways to cut the bill.
Before you go
Japan visa 2026: who needs one and how to apply
Who can visit Japan without a visa in 2026, the 74 visa-free countries and how long each may stay, how a tourist visa works if you need one, and when JESTA starts.
Before you go
Visit Japan Web 2026: how to use it step by step
How to use Visit Japan Web for Japan's arrival card and customs form: the account, passport scan, family, the QR code at the airport, offline use and tax-free.
Before you go
Travel insurance for Japan: do you need it?
Why Japan strongly recommends travel insurance, what hospital care can cost, what cover to look for, buying it after arrival and whom to call if you fall ill.
Before you go
Taking medication to Japan: what you can bring
How much medication you can bring into Japan without paperwork, when you need an Import Confirmation, which drugs need advance permission and which are banned.
Before you go
Japan rules for tourists 2026: laws to know
Japan's rules for tourists in 2026: entry and customs, zero-tolerance drugs, drinking and smoking, tax-free, bicycle fines, e-scooters, drones, Kyoto and tattoos.
Before you go
Japan with kids 2026: fares, best age and tips
Travelling to Japan with kids: what children pay on trains, the Shinkansen and flights, the best age by price, strollers, car seats, ryokan and nursing rooms.
Staying connected
Japan SIM card for tourists: where to buy, cost
Where to buy a prepaid tourist SIM in Japan — airport counters, 24-hour vending machines, Bic Camera — what it costs, and why tourist SIMs are data-only.
Staying connected
eSIM for Japan: setup, costs and which to buy
How an eSIM works in Japan, which iPhones, Pixels and Galaxy phones support it, how to install it before you fly, what to switch on when you land.
Staying connected
Pocket Wi-Fi in Japan: rent, cost, who needs it
What a pocket Wi-Fi router is, when it beats a SIM or eSIM, where to rent one at Narita, Haneda and Kansai or by hotel delivery, and how returns work.
Getting around
Suica card in Japan: is it worth it, how to buy
What a Suica card does, which version to get (Welcome Suica, Welcome Suica Mobile or a regular card), where to buy it, how to top up and where it works.
Getting around
Japan Rail Pass 2026: price, is it worth it
Japan Rail Pass prices in 2026 (official site vs agents), who can use it, what it covers, the Nozomi supplement, how to buy it and when it pays off.
Getting around
Tokyo Subway Ticket 2026: price, how to buy
Tokyo Subway Ticket 2026: the 24-, 48- and 72-hour prices, what it covers, who can buy it, airport sales points, the QR version and when a Suica wins.
Getting around
Shinkansen tickets 2026: prices, official sites
Shinkansen ticket prices on the main routes, the official sites to book online, when seats go on sale, buying at the station, changes, refund fees and big bags.
Getting around
Japan domestic flights 2026: fares, bags, rules
Flying within Japan in 2026: ANA, JAL and Peach, fares for visitors with an international ticket, baggage and liquid limits, power banks, ID and arrival times.
Getting around
Japan free domestic flights 2026: JAL and ANA
Is Japan offering free domestic flights to foreigners? What JAL and ANA include with an international ticket, who qualifies, stopovers, taxes and how to book.
Getting around
Japan bus guide 2026: tickets, passes and fares
Buses in Japan: how to ride city buses, paying with Suica, booking highway and night bus tickets online, bus passes for foreigners, fares, luggage and etiquette.
Money
Credit cards in Japan: what works and where
Which credit cards work in Japan (Visa, Mastercard, JCB, Amex), where cards are and are not accepted, tap-to-ride at train gates, and how to avoid declines.
Money
Cash or card in Japan 2026: what to carry
Does Japan use cash or card? Where cards, IC cards and QR wallets work in 2026, where cash still rules, how much yen to carry and the simplest ways to get it.
Money
ATMs in Japan: which take foreign cards
Which ATMs in Japan take foreign cards (7-Eleven, Japan Post, Lawson, FamilyMart), their withdrawal limits, fees and hours, and how to withdraw yen step by step.
Where to stay
Where to stay in Japan: areas, types and costs
Where to stay in Japan for a first trip or on a budget: the best areas in Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka, hotel or ryokan or hostel, what a night costs and when to book.
Where to stay
Ryokan in Japan: cost, what to expect, etiquette
What a ryokan is, what a night costs with two meals, ryokan versus onsen, bath etiquette including tattoos, and where first-timers should book one.
Where to stay
Hotels in Japan: types, chains, prices, booking
What hotels in Japan are like, the business and luxury chains, what a night costs from official data, how to book on Rakuten Travel or Jalan, and check-in rules.
Where to stay
Capsule hotels in Japan: cost and what to expect
What a capsule hotel in Japan is, what a pod contains, what a night costs, luggage, gender rules and etiquette, and the best areas in Tokyo and Osaka.
Where to stay
Japan accommodation tax 2026: rates by city
Japan's accommodation tax: per-person nightly rates in Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, Fukuoka, Kanazawa, Hokkaido and Nagano, the bathing tax, and what changes in 2027.
Getting around
Luggage in Japan: forwarding, storage, lockers
How luggage forwarding works in Japan and what Yamato charges, airport delivery deadlines, coin lockers, storage counters, Shinkansen rules and buying a suitcase.
Getting around
Taxis in Japan: fares, apps and how to ride
How much a taxi costs in Japan, how the Tokyo meter and night surcharge work, how to hail or book one, the GO app for visitors, airport fixed fares and rideshare.
Getting around
Renting a car in Japan: prices, IDP, tips
Rental car prices in Japan by class, the International Driving Permit rule, fuel and tolls, regional expressway passes, child seats and when a car beats the train.
Getting around
Driving in Japan: rules, speed limits, tips
Driving in Japan as a visitor: left-hand traffic, the new 30 km/h limit on narrow roads, zero alcohol, child seats, tolls, parking, winter and blue-ticket fines.

Tools for this topic

Free tool
Budget calculator
Starts from what visitors from your country actually spent in 2025, then lets you change every line.
Free tool
Tax-free calculator
Does your purchase qualify, and how much comes back? Both the current rules and the November 2026 refund system.
Free tool
Shinkansen baggage checker
Length + width + height over 160 cm? Then you need a reserved seat with a baggage area. Check in seconds.
Free tool
Allergy card generator
Tick your allergens and diet, get a polite Japanese card to show at any restaurant. Copy or print.
Free tool
Travel phrases
Forty phrases that cover trains, taxis, restaurants, shopping and emergencies, with audio and romaji.
Free tool
Packing checklist
Tick off documents, phone, medicines, luggage and bookings — saved in your browser, printable.
Free tool
What to wear
Pick a city and a month: average highs, lows, rain and snow from the weather agency, plus what to pack.
Free tool
Public holidays
Every public holiday for 2026 and 2027 and the long weekends they create — the dates to book early or avoid.

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