Japan Travel Guide
Close by, yet each city has a distinct character. Big cities like Osaka and Tokyo, the old capital of Kyoto, snowbound Sapporo, the beaches of Okinawa — very different trips within one country.
- Currency
- JPY
- Language
- Japanese
- Visa
- Visa-free for 90 days (Korean passport)
- Power & plug
- 100V · Type A
Best time to visit · Mar–May, Oct–Nov
Visa and entry rules change often. Check your government's travel advisory or the local embassy before you go.
Choose a city
Osaka
The hub for the Kansai region. Hotels cluster around Namba, Dotonbori and Umeda, and Kyoto and Nara are easy day trips.
40 sights 6 guides Kansai International Airport (KIX)
Tokyo
Each district feels like a different city. Where you stay shapes the trip more than in most places, and the rail network reaches almost everything.
40 sights 6 guides Narita (NRT) & Haneda (HND)
Fukuoka
The closest Japanese city to Korea, compact enough to cover on foot around Hakata and Tenjin.
40 sights 6 guides Fukuoka Airport (FUK)
Kyoto
Temples and shrines are spread across the city, so pick a base near the line you will use most.
40 sights 6 guides Kansai International Airport (KIX)
Sapporo
Snow in winter, cool air in summer. The city centre is walkable and the airport train is straightforward.
38 sights 6 guides New Chitose Airport (CTS)
Okinawa
An island trip more than a city one. Distances are long, so a rental car and the right base matter.
39 sights 6 guides Naha Airport (OKA)
Top sights in Japan
Views & landmarks
Mode Gakuen Cocoon Tower
Mode Gakuen Cocoon Tower is a 204-metre-tall (669-foot), 50-story educational facility located in the Nishi-Shinjuku district in Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan.
Temples & religious sites
Kiyomizu-dera Temple
Kiyomizu-dera is a Buddhist temple located in eastern Kyoto, Japan. It belongs to the Kita-Hosso sect of Japanese Buddhism and its honzon is a hibutsu statue of Jūichimen Kannon. The temple's full name is Otowa-san Kiyomizu-dera. The temple is the 16th stop on the Saigoku Kannon Pilgrimage route. Along with Kōryū-ji and Kurama-dera, it is one of the few temples in Kyoto that predates the foundation of the capital to Heian-kyō. It is also one of Japan's leading temples dedicated to the worship of Kannon, along with Ishiyama-dera and Hase-dera. It is a famous tourist destination in Kyoto City,...
Nature
Ryukyu Islands
The Ryukyu Islands , also known as the Nansei Islands or the Ryukyu Arc , are a chain of Japanese islands that stretch southwest from Kyushu to Taiwan. Administratively, they are divided between Kagoshima Prefecture and Okinawa Prefecture. The larger ones are mostly volcanic islands and the smaller mostly coral. The largest is Okinawa Island.
Views & landmarks
Tokyo Tower
Tokyo Tower , also known by its official name Japan Radio Tower is a communications and observation tower in the district of Shiba-koen in Minato, Tokyo, Japan, completed in 1958. At 332.9 meters, it was the tallest tower in Japan until the construction of Tokyo Skytree in 2012. It is a lattice tower inspired by the Eiffel Tower, and is painted white and international orange to comply with air safety regulations.
Views & landmarks
Abeno Harukas
Abeno Harukas (あべのハルカス) is a multi-purpose commercial facility in Abenosuji Itchome, Abeno-ku, Osaka, Japan. It consists of the New Annex, Eastern Annex and a supertall skyscraper, Abeno Harukas. The building is 300 m (984 ft) tall and has 62 floors; it was the tallest building in Japan from 2014 to 2023, until Azabudai Hills Mori JP Tower seized the title.
Shopping & districts
Akihabara
Akihabara is a neighborhood in the Chiyoda ward of Tokyo, Japan, generally considered to be the area surrounding Akihabara Station. This area is part of the Sotokanda (外神田) and Kanda-Sakumachō districts of Chiyoda. There is an administrative district called Akihabara, located north of Akihabara Electric Town surrounding Akihabara Neribei Park.
Temples & religious sites
Kinkaku-ji Temple
Kinkaku-ji , officially named Rokuon-ji , is a Zen Buddhist temple in Kyoto, Japan and a tourist attraction. It is designated as a World Heritage Site, a National Special Historic Site, a National Special Landscape, and one of the 17 Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto. The temple is nicknamed after its reliquary (shariden), the Golden Pavilion , whose top two floors are coated in 0.5 μm gold leaf. The current pavilion was rebuilt in 1955 after being destroyed in an arson attack.
Museums & galleries
Tokyo National Museum
The Tokyo National Museum or TNM is an art museum in Ueno Park in the Taitō ward of Tokyo, Japan. It is considered the oldest national museum and the largest art museum in Japan. The museum collects, preserves, and displays a comprehensive collection of artwork and cultural objects from Asia, with a focus on ancient and medieval Japanese art and Asian art along the Silk Road. There is also a large collection of Greco-Buddhist art. As of April 2023, the museum held approximately 120,000 Cultural Properties, including 89 National Treasures, 319 Horyuji Treasures, and 649 Important Cultural Prop...
Local data
Get an eSIM for Japan before you go
Activate mobile data with a QR code instead of swapping SIM cards. Buy it before departure and switch it on the moment you land.
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