Japan Travel Planning FAQ

Quick answers for planning a trip to Japan: when to go, what to pack, how to ride the train, and what to see in Tokyo, Kyoto and beyond. Each answer links to the full guide. See the main Japan FAQ or browse all articles.

How many days do you need in Kyoto?

Three days is a practical first-visit plan. Kyoto was Japan's imperial capital for more than a thousand years (Emperor Kanmu chose the site in 794) and holds roughly 2,000 religious sites, about 1,600 Buddhist temples and 400 Shinto shrines. Sorting the city into districts, such as Higashiyama (the eastern hills), makes it manageable. Read the full guide: Kyoto in Three Days: A First-Timer's Plan for Temples and Geisha Districts

Why is Himeji Castle called the White Heron Castle?

Seen from the station avenue, its white plastered earthen walls and sweeping layered roofs look like a bird about to lift off, which gave it the nickname Shirasagi-jo, the White Heron Castle. UNESCO calls it the finest surviving example of early 17th-century Japanese castle architecture, and it is one of the most authentic castles you can enter. Read the full guide: Himeji Castle: The White Heron Castle, Its History and How to Visit

Why is Matsumoto Castle called the Crow Castle?

Locals call it Karasu-jo, the Crow Castle, because of its black exterior and the wing-like sweep of its eaves. It is a hirajiro (flatland castle) and one of twelve castles whose original wooden keep still stands, and the keep is a National Treasure. The snowy peaks of the Japanese Alps rise behind it. Read the full guide: Matsumoto Castle and City: The Black Crow Castle and the Alpine Gateway

What are yatai in Fukuoka?

Yatai are open-air food stalls that open along the rivers of central Fukuoka at dusk, serving pork broth ramen, grilled skewers and oden to customers seated on stools shoulder to shoulder. Fukuoka's yatai were named in The New York Times list of 52 Places to Go in 2023. Fukuoka was once two towns: Hakata, the old merchant port, and Fukuoka, the castle town. Read the full guide: Fukuoka and Hakata: Yatai Stalls, Tonkotsu Ramen and the Gateway to Kyushu

What is Hakodate known for?

Hakodate, in southern Hokkaido, is known for its night view from the summit of Mount Hakodate, ranked among the best night views in the world, and for one of Japan's best seafood markets. It was one of the first Japanese ports opened to the wider world, has about 240,000 residents and has an easy rail link from Tokyo. Read the full guide: Hakodate: Night Views, Morning Market Seafood and Hokkaido's Southern Port

What is there to see in Sendai and Matsushima?

Sendai is the largest city in the Tohoku region, nicknamed the City of Trees, shaped by the samurai leader Date Masamune (1567 to 1636) and famous for grilled beef tongue. A short train ride away, Matsushima Bay scatters about 260 pine-covered islands across calm water and is one of Japan's celebrated Three Views. Read the full guide: Sendai and Matsushima: Date Masamune's City, Pine Islands and Beef Tongue

Is Nagoya worth visiting?

Nagoya is Japan's fourth-largest city, with about 2.3 million residents. It combines a major castle (ordered by Tokugawa Ieyasu in 1610), one of the country's most venerable Shinto shrines, a food culture all its own and the factories that built the Japanese car industry. It is also close to Ghibli Park. Read the full guide: Nagoya Beyond the Stopover: Castle, Shrine, Eel Rice and Ghibli Park

What can you do in Yokohama?

Yokohama is Japan's second-largest city, with about 3.7 million residents, and sits around half an hour from central Tokyo by train. Its port opened in 1859. Highlights include Minato Mirai, Chinatown, the Sankeien garden, the Red Brick Warehouse and the Cup Noodles Museum. Read the full guide: Yokohama: Port City Pleasures from Minato Mirai to Chinatown and Sankeien

How do I ride the Shinkansen bullet train?

Choose a reserved or unreserved car, board at a city-center station, and follow the luggage rules for the train. The Tokaido Shinkansen began service on October 1, 1964 and runs at up to 285 kilometers per hour, while the Tohoku line reaches 320 km/h. The full guide covers train types, tickets, the best seat for views of Mount Fuji, and the tradition of the ekiben (station box lunch). Read the full guide: Riding the Shinkansen: Tickets, Train Types, Luggage Rules and Seat Tips

When is the best time to visit Japan?

There is no single best time. Spring brings cherry blossoms, summer brings festivals, autumn brings colored maples and winter brings snow. Japan stretches from Hokkaido in the north to Okinawa in the southwest, so climate and crowds shift by region, and holiday periods change prices, trains and hotel availability. The best season is the one that matches what you most want to see. Read the full guide: The Best Time to Visit Japan: Season-by-Season Weather and Crowd Guide

What should I pack for a trip to Japan?

Pack light and pack for the season. Spring runs from roughly 5 to 23 degrees Celsius and calls for layers, while summer ranges from about 20 to 35 degrees. Hotel rooms are compact and many older stations have long staircases, so a smaller suitcase is easier to manage. Check the plug and voltage you need, carry some cash, wear comfortable shoes, and bring a small hand towel. Read the full guide: Packing for Japan: What to Bring, What to Skip, and What to Buy There

What is the Kaminarimon at Senso-ji?

The Kaminarimon (Thunder Gate) is the outer entrance to Senso-ji in Asakusa, Tokyo, with a red paper lantern nearly four meters tall that weighs about 700 kilograms. The temple traces its beginnings to the year 628, when, according to tradition, two brothers fishing in the Sumida River pulled up a small statue of Kannon, the bodhisattva of compassion. Read the full guide: Asakusa and Senso-ji: Gates, Lanterns and the Legend of the River Statue

What is Akihabara known for?

Akihabara grew from a district named after a fire-protection shrine into Electric Town for radio parts and home appliances, and then into the world's best known address for anime, manga, video games and collectible figures. A single walk can pass hobby shops, floors of vintage game cartridges and maid cafes. Read the full guide: Akihabara Explained: From Radio Parts to Anime, Retro Games and Maid Cafes

How does Shibuya Crossing work?

It is a scramble crossing: all vehicle traffic stops at the same time and pedestrians cross in any direction, including diagonally. Up to 3,000 people can cross during a single green light, and the pattern repeats about every two minutes. It opened in this form in 1973. Nearby are the Hachiko statue and the Shibuya Sky viewpoint. Read the full guide: Shibuya Without the Stress: The Crossing, Hachiko, Shibuya Sky and Station

What is Shinjuku known for?

Shinjuku (new lodging) began as the Edo-period post station Naito-Shinjuku, established in 1698. Its station carries about 3.6 million people a day by one estimate and is widely described as the busiest in the world. Highlights include the tiny bars of Golden Gai, Omoide Yokocho, the 58-hectare Shinjuku Gyoen garden and the free observation decks at the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building. Read the full guide: Shinjuku Decoded: Skyscrapers, Tiny Bars, a Giant Garden and the Station

What is Yanaka, and what does shitamachi mean?

Shitamachi means low town: in Edo, the low-lying districts near the river and the bay were home to merchants, craftspeople and townspeople. Yanaka is one of the few Tokyo neighborhoods where that old atmosphere can still be felt, and with nearby Nezu and Sendagi it forms an area nicknamed Yanesen. Read the full guide: Yanaka and Yanesen: A Slow Walk Through Old Tokyo's Shitamachi Streets

What are the best parks and gardens in Tokyo?

Six well-known green spaces are Hama-rikyu Gardens (a tidal garden whose history begins in 1654), Koishikawa Korakuen, Rikugien, Shinjuku Gyoen, Yoyogi Park and Ueno Park. Several began as the private estates of shoguns and feudal lords. Read the full guide: Six Green Escapes in Tokyo: Shogun Gardens, Cherry Parks and Tidal Ponds

What is the Kumano Kodo?

The Kumano Kodo (Kumano old roads) is a network of pilgrimage routes on the Kii Peninsula in western Japan that lead to the three grand shrines of Kumano: Kumano Hongu Taisha, Kumano Hayatama Taisha and Kumano Nachi Taisha. They are among the very few pilgrimage routes in the world listed by UNESCO, and the best known route is the Nakahechi. Read the full guide: Kumano Kodo: Walking Japan's Ancient Pilgrimage Forests to Hongu Taisha

What is the Nakasendo?

The Nakasendo (central mountain route) was an inland highway between Edo (Tokyo) and Kyoto, about 534 kilometers long with 69 post towns, and one of the Five Routes administered by the Tokugawa shogunate. The stretch between the villages of Magome and Tsumago is the best loved walk. Read the full guide: Walking the Nakasendo: Magome to Tsumago Through Edo-Period Post Towns

How old is Dogo Onsen?

Dogo Onsen in Matsuyama, on the island of Shikoku, is said to have a history of about 3,000 years, and its official site calls it the oldest onsen in Japan. The springs appear in the Man'yoshu, Japan's oldest poetry anthology, put together in the eighth century. The three-story wooden bathhouse Dogo Onsen Honkan is an Important Cultural Property. Read the full guide: Dogo Onsen and Matsuyama: Soaking in One of Japan's Oldest Hot Springs