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Destinations

• Destinations Guides to all 47 prefectures of Japan by region: what each is known for, what to eat and buy, how to get there, and which ones foreign visitors go to most.
• Tohoku Aomori, Iwate, Miyagi, Akita, Yamagata and Fukushima
• Kanto Ibaraki, Tochigi, Gunma, Saitama, Chiba, Tokyo and Kanagawa
• Chubu Niigata, Toyama, Ishikawa, Fukui, Yamanashi, Nagano, Gifu, Shizuoka and Aichi
• Kansai Mie, Shiga, Kyoto, Osaka, Hyogo, Nara and Wakayama
• Chugoku Tottori, Shimane, Okayama, Hiroshima and Yamaguchi
• Shikoku Tokushima, Kagawa, Ehime and Kochi
• Kyushu & Okinawa Fukuoka, Saga, Nagasaki, Kumamoto, Oita, Miyazaki, Kagoshima and Okinawa

Plan

• Plan Money, trains, SIM cards, entry rules, luggage, hotels and the questions that come up before every trip to Japan — answered from official sources and dated.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.

When to go

• When to go Japan month by month: average weather in nine cities, public holidays, long weekends, crowds and what is on — from official data, so you can pick the right month.

Food

• Food What to eat in Japan and how restaurants work: ordering, prices, allergies, regional dishes, convenience-store food and the manners that matter at the table.
• What to eat in Japan: must-eat foods for 2026 What to eat in Japan in 2026: the must-eat foods visitors rate best, what Japanese people eat every day, regional dishes, prices and how to order.
• Japanese convenience stores: what to buy, prices Japanese convenience store food and prices for 2026: what to buy at 7-Eleven, Lawson and FamilyMart, which chain is best, and how to pay, use ATMs and print.
• Ramen in Japan: prices, styles and where to eat Ramen in Japan in 2026: what a bowl costs (about 620 yen in Tokyo), the regional styles to try, where to find the best ramen, how to order and pork-free bowls.
• Japanese snacks to buy: best picks and prices The best Japanese snacks to buy in Japan in 2026: the most popular brands, where to buy them cheaply, prices in yen, Japan-only flavours and what you can take home.

Shopping

• Shopping What visitors actually buy in Japan, where to buy it, how tax-free shopping works in 2026 and what you can and cannot take home.
• What to buy in Japan 2026: the shopping list What to buy in Japan in 2026: snacks, skincare, clothes, knives, anime goods, electronics and crafts, where to find each, tax-free rules and what you can take home.
• Japanese souvenirs 2026: what to bring home The best Japanese souvenirs for 2026: omiyage for coworkers, cheap gifts, traditional crafts, gifts for kids, and where to buy them in Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka.

Culture

• Culture Japanese etiquette, customs, festivals and traditions explained for visitors: what to do at a shrine, in an onsen, on a train and at the table.

Things to do

• Things to do Ideas for what to do in Japan by interest: nature, hot springs, skiing, anime, temples, theme parks, day trips and seasonal experiences.

Rankings

• Rankings Japan tourism by the numbers: most visited prefectures, visitors by country and month, what people buy, do and spend — official 2025–2026 data, ranked and explained.
• Most visited prefectures All 47 prefectures of Japan ranked by foreign visitors in 2025, with spending per visitor and nights stayed, from the Japan Tourism Agency survey.
• Where each nationality goes The prefectures visitors from the US, UK, Australia, Korea, Taiwan, China and 13 other countries actually visit, from the 2025 Japan Tourism Agency survey.
• Visitors by country Every source market for tourism to Japan ranked by 2025 arrivals, with growth, share and the January–August 2026 figures, from JNTO statistics.
• Busiest months Monthly visitor arrivals to Japan for 2024, 2025 and 2026, the peak and quietest month for each nationality, and what it means for your dates.
• Visitors by year Foreign visitor arrivals to Japan for 2019, 2023, 2024, the record year 2025 and 2026 so far, with the month-by-month figures, from JNTO.
• What visitors buy The shopping categories foreign visitors bought in Japan in 2025, what they spent on each and which nationalities buy what, from the official survey.
• What visitors do The activities foreign visitors did in Japan in 2025 and what they want to do next time, ranked, with the gaps that show what people wish they had planned.
• Spending by country Average spending per trip and per night in Japan for visitors from 20 countries, split into accommodation, food, transport and shopping, 2025 data.
• Spending by prefecture All 47 prefectures ranked by what foreign visitors spent there in 2025, and by spending per visitor, from the Japan Tourism Agency survey.
• Guest nights by prefecture Foreign guest nights for all 47 prefectures in 2025, the foreign share of all hotel guests and the change since 2019, from the Overnight Travel Statistics.

Tools

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

News

• News Dated, sourced updates on rules that change a trip to Japan: entry, tax-free shopping, rail passes, payments and prices — each linked to its official source.

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