Japan

Thank you Mary

I am thinking of an Asian cruise for 2025 or 2026. Possibly there will be a Japanese port included.

like yourself I have never been.

Update: I went to ncl.com (Norwegian Cruise Lines) and there are 11 cruises leaving from Tokyo for 2015 should anyone have an interest.

I am flying to Osaka on Saturday! I might report back if it is of interest!

balso, please do report back! Osaka is one of the places I'm considering. Have a great trip!

bostonphil, I've been reading through this blog. They seem to do a lot of cruises with one day excursions into cities. She has many blog entries about cruising in Asia. https://www.themodernpostcard.com/tokyo-day-1-first-impressions-national-museum-ginza-shibuya-crossing/

Thanks, Mary! Very helpful.

I’m taking a land tour through insightful vacations (Australia based) followed by an 11 day Sea of Japan Spring Flowers through Princess in spring 2025 so your info is very useful to me.

We did a wonderful Celebrity cruise from Tokyo Bay to Hong Kong some years ago. Also, we spent about a week in Japan prior to the cruise, going to Nikko a bit north of Tokyo. Also, we did a three day tour by bullet train to Kyoto and Nara.
Do not miss Kyoto, it is amazing.

Hi Mary

Thank you for the link. The author sailed Regent Seven Seas which is a luxury cruise line. it is one of those at the top but it is very expensive and not in my budget.

I am thinking that the excursions offered by her cruise line are superior but also very expensive or maybe included with the price of the cruise.

However, she offers many good tips.

I am glad that you started this thread.

I'm planning a trip to Japan this fall. Plan on going to Tokyo, Osaka, Hiroshima and Okinawa. Will be checking this thread regularly!

GregW, any reason Kyoto isn't on your list?

@ Mary, when I say Osaka, I mean the whole Kansai region. Definitely hope to visit Kyoto as well. Wanted to visit Kyushu as well, but I only have 2 weeks, so too much in that amount of time.

@bostonphil. Remember, there are options out there that may well be less expensive for you than NCL. I know you are their loyal customer and that is your choice. However, don't discount other lines out of hand without actually pricing specific cruises first. There are always bargains to be had if you search long enough.

GregW, are you staying in Osaka and day tripping to Kyoto (or vice versa?). I'm thinking we'll have about 12 days on the ground and likely divide our nights between Tokyo and Kyoto, unless I should spend some nights in Osaka. Not sure yet.

@ Mary I have only started planning, but given my interests, I'd probably stay in Osaka and make a day trip to Kyoto. But that's just me. Some people might well choose the opposite.

As much as I'm a history buff (hence Kyoto) I'm also a foodie, so I'd like to visit Kyoto during the day, and be at Osaka at night along the neon lit Dotonburi with all the food joints.

Bookmarking and I’ll be back when I get t this trip! Planning for 2025, maybe 2026.

I previously visited Japan the summer 1991, so details aren’t great, but I know some of the places and have impressions to share:

I agree Kyoto was amazing.

I think it may have been between Kyoto and Osaka, but I visited the Golden Pavillion and that was extremely memorable.

I enjoyed Osaka too. I recall a great aquarium there.

I went to Tokyo Disney and overall was flat out overwhelmed by Tokyo. Course, at that age I hadn’t been to NYC yet.

I did lots of karaoke in the private rooms which was tons of fun, and totally new to me at that time! I was also shocked by what you could buy from a vending machine and that taxi car doors opened on their own.

I visited Hiroshima just days before the anniversary of the bombing, that was sobering and unbelievably sad.

Though I was in the area, I never actually saw Mt Fuji due to clouds.

I toured a small local paper making business and attended several festivals.

I rode the bullet train too!

The people were so kind and friendly. Very diplomatic and almost excessively polite but very endearing. They walk on the left side of the sidewalk, so that was confusing for a bit. And I stood out and had lots of locals wanting to take their picture with me. And I was introduced to the ofuro tub which, with jet lag gave me the best night of sleep in my life.

I’ll see if I can find the journal so I have some of the details, especially for some of these great places I can’t remember the name or where they were.

I’m very excited to go back and take my husband and kids. We have Tokaido road and on our list!!

If you're a Harry Potter fan, the Wizarding World at Universal Studios is pretty fun. All of the characters speak to you in Japanese! I've heard Tokyo Disney is not great, though.

balso, please do report back! Osaka is one of the places I'm considering. Have a great trip!

Thank you!
I am only using the airport in Osaka, otherwise I am going to Kyoto, Tokyo, Kusatsu Onsen and Hakone. I visited Osaka many years ago and did not fall in love, but August heat did not lend itself to city exploration.

Greg, you will love Okinawa! I lived there for 2 years back in the late 1970's and it was so beautiful!

Mary, thanks for starting this! Japan is definitely on my radar! As I said above, I was there 45 years ago and loved it and have been wanting to go back ever since. I'm thinking maybe 2026 will be a good year for me to go, and I will probably do independent travel (I think, but who knows?). I've been sewing with Japanese patterns for years so it's about time I got back there.

ETA: I forgot I had this--I found this article on transportation in Japan awhile ago and it looks like it's been updated. https://www.lonelyplanet.com/articles/train-travel-trip-japan-planning-guide

Great link, Mardee. For some reason I tend to forget LP has an actual website.

I'm glad this thread may help others to plan. I'm pretty excited, even though I have 3 other trips before this one (to Europe). Asia was something that I planned to get to 5+ years or so from now but about a week ago I felt like I needed to stop putting things off and just go!

So timely. We are definitely traveling to Japan Spring 2025. I want to start my planning soon (have to finish up Portugal in September first).

We will definitely use a tour company, leaning towards InsideJapan, after recommendations from some posters. We are 4 adults and looking at a private tour, thinking similar to Rick’s my way tours. But, will probably go full tour guide cause the other couple are nervous about being in our own. We will discuss and decide this first then move on from there.

But, will probably go full tour guide cause the other couple are nervous about being in our own

if there is one country where you can relax when out and about, it is Japan. Sure, the language barrier is there, but signage is often bilingual, translation apps have made huge progress since my visits in the 2010s, and locals are very helpful. I recommend you leave some time to explore on your own! In the major tourist regions of Kansai (Osaka-Kyoto-Nara...) and Kanto (Tokyo-Yokohama), you will always end up finding your way.

For some reason I tend to forget LP has an actual website.

Mary, I've also found good info at Rough Guides, whose guidebooks I love. This link has a ton of information on where to go, the outdoors, etiquette, transport, shopping, culture and much more.
https://www.roughguides.com/japan
https://www.roughguides.com/japan/travel-advice/

This clip from the Toilet section made me laugh out loud, though!

Hi-tech toilets, with a control panel to one side, are very common. Finding the flush button can be a challenge – in the process you may hit the temperature control, hot-air dryer or, worst of all, the bidet nozzle, resulting in a long metal arm extending out of the toilet bowl and spraying you with warm water.

balso When we first started planning Japan, I was sure we would do a tour. After further research, and posts like yours, we are now planning for Japan 2025 on our own. Thanks!

We just booked "Best of Japan" (12 nights) on Celebrity Millennium for March 2026. I'll be following along!

Tammy, are you thinking of doing any diving when you go? Because Okinawa is perfect for that--the coral reefs are so unique and beautiful. I've never done any diving, but when I was living there, some of my friends did a lot of it, and raved about how beautiful it was.

worst of all, the bidet nozzle, resulting in a long metal arm extending out of the toilet bowl and spraying you with warm water.

Well, there's something to look forward to.

Hahahahahaha!!

"If you're a Harry Potter fan, the Wizarding World at Universal Studios is pretty fun. All of the characters speak to you in Japanese!"
My nephew is an actor in the Harry Potter Wizarding World and does indeed do the part in English and Japanese. I was in Japan last September for his wedding to a Japanese girl , held in the Itsukushima shrine ( in the Hiroshima area) , an amazing experience ,where stayed for a few nights at the Aki grand hotel on the mainland .We stayed in Universal city for the main part of our trip in the Oriental Hotel universal city which is a 2 minute walk from the entrance to the park. we also has 2 nights in Tokyo.
Japan is a real cultural overload and the whole travel experience was totally different to anything I have experienced before and the first time on my travels that I felt like a real foreigner. you must be prepared to be the foreigner and to adapt to their routines and customs (especially the tipping culture) Food can go from being absolutely fantastic to a real challenge especially when at a wedding where you have 11 courses ( some containing up to 9 different elements) of beautifully presented food from hot deep fried fish to raw sliced molluscs of various descriptions and noodles served on ice, wish I could post photos of the food.
Of the 3 hotel i stayed in the one in Universal studio was the most like western hotels , the other places very Japanese and rooms very small.In all 3 hotels there was no storage space whatsover apart from a few hooks on the wall, we had to live out of our suitcases.
Transportation is superb but there are various companies that run it and they do not have a system where you can use tickets from other companies. We did buy the JR pass that we were able to use for the majority of our journeys and just paid for others as we needed, it was all pretty easy , but we did have our nephew and his wife as a guides for much of the time we were there.
Hope to get back there in a few years time

The toilets — oh my, Mardee, I thought one of the attractions of Japan was safety! LOL. I am thinking about Japan for 2026 too. My father-in-law fought on Okinawa, so at some point we need to go there. We’ve never been to Asia, and I’m thinking this would be our only trip there. I’d like to see at least a little of Japan and maybe Cambodia (Angkor Wat); I really don’t know.

Mardee, alas I will not be doing any diving there.

I spent three weeks in Japan the end of September last year and absolutely fell in LOVE! I visited Kawaguchiko for Mt. Fuji views and I couldn’t have been more lucky with the weather. You can easily take a day trip there and plan it around a good weather day. I also visited Beppu, Hiroshima, Kyoto, Osaka, and Nara. I hope to go back and explore more of the North. Japan is so beautiful and there is so much to do. But it is also SUPER CROWDED, so be prepared for either 6am wake up calls if you want to actually enjoy popular tourist spots. If you make it to Hiroshima, Miyajima island is a must!

But it is also SUPER CROWDED

I need to prepare for this. What we'd typically think of as 'shoulder season' in Europe seems to be peak season in Japan (October/November). Everyone wants to see the foliage.

After reading all this advice, I might go back to the my way type of trip.

We love Japan! The cleanest place with the most well mannered people. No garbage. They take food to go containers home to throw out.
The best food! Yakitori, Tonkatsu, Okonomiyaki,
Tempura. A restaurant will specialize in one of those foods.
We took a fabulous food walking tour in Tokyo with Yukari Sakamoto at FoodSakeTokyo
( also the name of her helpful book.) The best experience!
A surprise, look in hotel room dresser drawers for pajamas!
Favorite place was Takayama in the Japanese Alps. We were there for the changing leaf colors.
Go to Hiroshima, now The City of Peace.
Make sure you download Google Translate for Japanese to your phone before you leave home.
It was indispensable!!

Thanks, Suki. I'm looking forward to the food so much. Takoyaki in Osaka 🤤

We've been to Japan about half a dozen times (lost count). Our next trip is to Kyushu (the large southern island) in May (I'm trying to wrap up planning now). A wonderful destination, super-easy to do on your own (we've always gone independently and have never felt any need for a guided tour). Really a fun place to go, can't wait: 77 days to departure!

✌️⛩🍣🎏🇯🇵👍

Hi All,

Also planning a Japan tour in 2025. Has anyone heard of "Japan and More"?
https://japanandmore.com

Or any other 8-day ish tours?

Thank you!

We visited Japan last summer with our sons (19 & 23) and had a wonderful time. We spent half the time in Tokyo and half the time in Kyoto. LOVED BOTH. We are actually going for spring break (both in college) this year as they finally have break together and this is where they chose. I'm so excited to explore more! So much to see. I did a blog post on our trip. It's nothing fancy, but we travel a lot and people are always asking where we stayed and what we did. I'm happy to answer any questions if I can help. Here is my website: nunezfamilytravels.com
I hope it helps! :)
Janis

I’ve been to Japan twice (last time in 2008 if memory serves, where does the time go?) and would go again in a heartbeat. Loved, loved, loved the place!

Although: “Though I was in the area, I never actually saw Mt Fuji due to clouds.”

Me neither, and I was stood on top of the thing. I only know Mount Fuji has a huge impressive crater because I’ve seen it on a postcard! It was raining really hard (the type of rain Japanese refer to as ‘gorilla rain’ I was reliably informed!) and you could see maybe five to ten yards at best. It was still a fantastic experience and I have zero regrets about doing it, except maybe not getting to see the sunrise from the top.

Our first trip was to walk parts of the Nakasendo Trail and our second was to climb Fuji-San plus some preparatory training in the Japanese Alps which included some live volcanoes! Plus we did all the tourist stuff, ryokans, onsens, temples, etc., etc., because it seemed compulsory and a shame not to do it!

Thoroughly recommended!

Ian

Also planning a Japan tour in 2025. Has anyone heard of "Japan and More"?

I did not find any reviews here about this company, but you might want to check Trip Advisor, as they have more information about the company. https://www.tripadvisor.ca/Attraction_Review-g1066456-d17759036-Reviews-Japan_and_More-Shibuya_Tokyo_Tokyo_Prefecture_Kanto.html

Marie, two other companies that I know of are Gate 1 travel and Insightful vacations.

We were very pleased with our trip to Japan using Odysseys Unlimited. We also added extra personal days ahead,2-3 in Tokyo and Kyoto after(4 days). A huge highlight in Japan for us was the food. The tour ended in Hiroshima and we took a train to Kyoto and later a train from Kyoto to Narita airport. Very easy.

We are going to Japan soon via Oceania Cruises. I want to know if we can use our credit card and ATMs in most places. I know we have to bring some Yen, but have no idea how much to bring for a 2 week trip (I like to buy souvenirs). Has anyone traveled to Japan fairly recently and can shed some light on this?

Multiple trips in 2023, most recent December. Another scheduled in 2 months.

CCs are widely accepted at hotels, restaurants, stores, taxis, tourist venues . Smaller places may want cash, if you don’t have backup cask ask a taxi driver if accepted before starting out. Train ticket vendors may not take CCs at all windows or all machines. ATMs are tricky. Usually 7/11’s and other convenience stores have machines that take US cards. Elsewhere, less likely. Not all airport ATMs are welcoming of US cards.

Every since this post, I can not stop thinking about Japan and other countries in Asia. I have started doing some research

I think that I am going to have to plan a trip to Japan and or Asia, maybe a cruise in 2025.

Probably I will stick with Norwegian for better or worse but might look at some third party cruiser sites.

Anyone on this forum take NCL to Japan or Asia?

Our trip to Kyushu begins in 61 days.

The trip is 21 days long (including flights), and we will have 18 full, usable days on the ground. We've been to Japan before several times, always traveling independently. We have found that to be easy and fits our preferred style. This will be our first time visiting Kyushu, the large southern island. It's a lot of ground to cover in 18 days but I think we have a solid plan (we will be renting a car, no Shinkansen bullet-trains for us this time).

I've been deep in planning, heads-down for days in the details. I've just finished plotting about 100 POI ("points of interest") that we would like to get to, but realistically we will need to pick and choose which items to prioritize each day (this is how I plan our trips where there is no guidebook - I make my own, based on extensive research - each day we have a "menu" of sights to see, places to go, things to do, and we make game-day choices about how to spend the day).

Here's the draft map with our (currently ~ 90) POI menu items. Each numbered dot refers to a single POI item that me or my spouse wanted to include on the menu. Each item is listed in our homemade "guide book" with a rating (I use Rick's standard ▲, ▲▲, or ▲▲▲ system), a brief description of the POI, a map locator (A3, G7, etc.) and a "PlusCode" (shorthand for lat/long location, these can be used in Google Maps for precise location and driving directions). Here's an example page: POIs page 2 of 3

It's a bit of work, but I enjoy it, it typically is well worth it, and we both enjoy having all our trip details in one, easy-to-use location.

So with 60 days to go, next planning tasks are renting the car, setting up the toll road "express pass", then listing the restaurants my wife has been collecting (I'll add a page for those similar to the Points of Interest pages). Yesterday she told me: "I need to warn you: We are going to be eating a lot of sushi and super-premium beef on this trip..." Sounds good to me (Japan has many varieties of hyper-local, super-premium beef; and of course, great sushi). Yum.

In reply to the question above about ATMs, credit cards, etc. Like traveling in Europe, have at least a little cash handy for small purchases at mom & pop establishments, but do NOT carry around lots of cash; credit cards are widely accepted. Use your ATM card from home to pull the (limited) cash you'll need. Not all ATMs will work with your foreign ATM card, but plenty do (an odd one to try: many Japanese post offices have ATMs and IME they tend to accept US ATM cards, so don't overlook a local post office as a potential place to get cash).

Travel in Japan is easy and fun (more so than you might expect). Don't let fear of the unknown or worries about it being so "alien" keep you away. If you can manage in France or Italy, Japan really should be no more challenging.

Nice work David. Interesting that you use Lightroom for the creation.

@Tammy: In this case, I'm really only using Lightroom for the cloud hosting and image sharing (if you've got image-based content, sharing individual files is pretty quick and easy from Lightroom, and all my trip photos are in that system already). I do use Lightroom all the time for tweaking images (it's a great tool for getting the best from your images) and for cloud storage/backup.

The map was assembled in Photoshop (a huge "mosaic" file) put together from many dozens of screen captures taken from Google Maps. It's tricky getting (and consistently controlling) the desired degree of detail in the map. The resulting map here is huge (about 10 feet by 12 feet, almost 3 gigabytes when uncompressed) but has great detail and is high-enough resolution that it still looks great even when zoomed waaaaay in, and should even work well as a printed roadmap (I may take it down to FedEx and have them print it in large format if it doesn't cost a fortune). While we are traveling I'll slice it into 6 sections, for use on our phones and iPads (less scrolling and zooming). It's really mostly used as a planning tool initially, and then as a reference when driving.

The bulk of the trip documentation (and every detail) is put into an InDesign document (for those unfamiliar, InDesign is a page layout tool). The sample page with the Points of Interest is just a small section of the book. For this trip, our custom "Guide Booklet" is currently around 40 pages, and will probably end up around 50. (I've found no decent guidebook for Kyushu, not even a bad one - the best coverage in any "Guidebook" I've found was 2 or 3 pages in a book that purports to cover all of Japan, and was completely useless). I'm a big guidebook fan, and the Rick Steves books are the best (I also like the Bradt Guides a lot); I'll happily buy a good guidebook or two for any trip where such things exist, but where they don't, I figure I have to make my own. Researching and putting this together certainly helps educate me about a destination in advance. We bring two printed copies of the custom Guide Booklet, plus PDF versions on our phones and iPads.

After we get back, if anyone is interested in traveling to this part of Japan and/or wants to check out the booklet and/or map, I'll be happy to share the completed booklet then (after I redact credit card numbers and any other PII details that shouldn't be shared); shoot me a PM if interested.

Japan: What's Not To Like?

We spent spring break in Osaka in 2019. I did not expect to like it as much as I did, and definitely plan to go back some day. We did a day trip to Kyoto, which was not enough. I found Osaka a lot cheaper than I had expected...till I started shopping. Their attention to detail is amazing and I wanted to buy everything!! Foodwise it was paradise to me, and the big surprise were the bakeries. I still dream of the Cascade bakery at the Umeda station.

I am flying to Osaka on Saturday! I might report back if it is of interest!

And... I'm back. What a blast. Kyoto-Kusatsu Onsen-Tokyo-Hakone-Tokyo was the route.

Zipair is a budget airline operated by Japan Air and has started flights from Vancouver to Narita. My wife have booked a trip with our two adult sons and a girlfriend in October, 2024 for 15 nights.

We have not scheduled our itinerary but are thinking six nights in Tokyo, four nights in Kyoto in five nights in Osaka. We will have to take either a fast train or flight from Osaka back to Narita to fly home in a mid-afternoon flight.

We would appreciate any suggestions regarding the tentative itinerary including changing the number of days in each city or inserting additional cities to the 15 night itinerary. I would like to visit interesting cities not too far from or on the way between the three that we plan to visit. For example, I am thinking that Hiroshima is probably too out of the way during this trip.

At this point, we would like to figure out the big picture and cities first. Then we will start reserving accommodations. We will fill in the sites and attractions for each city later. Finding interesting things to do and places to eat is never a problem. There are always so many things to see and do and never enough time to see them. We are still 7 months out.

PS Any recommendation for an eSIM for Japan?

Arigato.

I have been planning a trip to Japan starting May 14th, so haven't been on this forum as much and I missed this thread.

@Balso- I would love to read a trip report if you are up to posting one.
@Dave-We will be in Japan at the same time. I think I have been reading your advice over on the Japan Tripadvisor forum?
@Tammy-Thanks again for hooking me up with Karin (Inside Japan). She is very good at dealing with my micromanaging details.

I am having the best time preparing for this trip. I am learning Japanese. I am still a beginner, but I think I will be able to read or at least get the gist of a lot of signs/menus. I have both hiragana and katakana "alphabets" down and around 150 kanji.

In addition to the usual sight seeing we have some experiences booked: Sumo in Tokyo, Bonsai class, Kenbu class and demonstration, in-home private cooking class and a baseball game in Osaka. We have 6-8 hour private guides for Tokyo, Kanazawa, Kyoto, and Hiroshima. Also a night time Dotonbori food tour. We are staying 2 nights on Miyajima Island in a ryokan that was established in 1854. This will be our vacation from our vacation; I borrowed that from Rick.

Anyways, I am beyond excited.

Funpig - do a quick bit of research on specific sites of interest in Osaka and Kyoto. The two are commuting distance. You may find that you need fewer total nights in the two (opening Hiroshima as an overnight possibility) or you may want to change the number of nights in one or both. Check day trips such as Nara and Himeji and your preference for Osaka or Kyoto as departure points if interested in those. Some also do Hiroshima as a day trip - the bullet trains do offer possibilities.

ORDtraveler, thanks for your suggestion.

Interestingly, a friend who travels extensively in Japan suggests reducing the number of days in Tokyo (i.e. too big, busy, modern and main attraction is the shopping).

My friend has provided me with an overwhelming amount of info, brochures and maps for both Kyoto and Osaka. More than enough to keep us busy; we can't see everything. My philosophy is to slow down, do less and enjoy more.

He also recommends staying at an onsen. My wife is opposed to the nude bathing. My son and his girlfriend may book an onsen stay for a night or two.

@funpig, if the nude bathing worries your wife, is she aware that the public baths are gender-segregated?
Also, many inns in onsen resorts have private baths.

I have never in my multiple trips to Japan bathed in a public onsen. I would not be comfortable. I have been advised that it is not an uncomfortable experience, but I know myself. There are often private options if this is an important experience.

Funpig - I think you might consider your friend’s advice. Again, take a look depending on your interests, but the 6 nights you propose could be reduced (in my opinion) if not into shopping and “city modern”. Consider also day trips to Kamakura, hakone, and Nikko if you want a longer stay in Tokyo.

I loved going to the public baths when I was living in Japan, and yes, as balso mentioned, they are segregated. I'm not overly modest so I had no problem sitting with other women.

the baths are very good ,but if like me you have several tattoos some places won't allow you in, our hotel near Hoiroshima did not allow people with tattoos but the one in Tokyo did.

I understand the onsen etiquette. Wife is not interested in any nude bathing at all. I would be willing to do it as a bucket list item even though I am not even a regular hot tub guy.

FYI

Kyoto Tourist Ban in Geisha District

So great to see this thread! My husband and I are going late Oct/Nov, 2024 on a 12 day (really 10) Japan tour with Intrepid. I know a few people who have used this company, out of Australia, with offices in the US and Canada, and they have been happy with them. https://www.intrepidtravel.com/us/japan/premium-japan-143007. Friends from Japan also recommended https://www.japan-guide.com/ in planning for our days when we’re not on tour. Post tour we will overnight in Osaka and do a Tours with Locals there. Then bullet train to Tokyo to fly home to Vancouver direct from Narita.
Can anyone recommend a mid range hotel in Osaka near train stations but not crazy busy?! Thanks for starting this thread Mary and for all the following info.

@Vandrabrud-I am so happy Karin is working out for you and I too am excited for your trip and really hoping you find the time to do a trip report upon your return. Sumo? I have been debating on whether to see a practice session and hope you report on it.

We are going to Japan ( and South Korea and China ) fall of 2025. It will be our first longer trip after retirement! Can’t wait!🇯🇵🇯🇵🇰🇷🇨🇳

I just came across this site which is great, of specific interest is the Unesco list for Japan

I was given this link on another site. It is fabulous! It contains over 366 travel brochures you can read electronically.
https://www.japan.travel/brochures/eng/index.php?fbclid

melT and Carol, thank you both for these! I have already bookmarked them and can't wait to spend more time in depth. Carol, those brochures are fabulous! I am getting very excited about a trip that I hadn't even planned on taking 3 months ago, lol!

Hello Mary: thank you for the resources.

The yen is very low now, but the Bank of Japan will very likely increase interest rates. This means that the yen will likely rise against the US Dollar. If any of you are considering visiting Japan, don't wait!

Rosie

We are also going to Japan in October.

FWIW, I just finished reserving 3 hotel rooms for 5 nights near the Osaka Station:

Ana Hotel & Resorts Osaka Umeda-Iki Tower
https://www3.apahotel.com/hotel/

Obviously, I have never been, but the reviews are decent. The hotel has its own Japanese bathes, if you are up for nude bathing.

It is easiest to book using Expedia or Booking.com. However, I found that I saved 10-15% by booking direct. The English version of the APA site is glitchy and I had to struggle to complete the booking. I couldn't explain it if I tried, mostly trial and error.

Barkinpark raises a good point about the currency. My Japan expert friend advised me to buy ¥ now. VBCE is the best exchange in Vancouver. I am also considered whether to pay for the hotels as opposed to six months from now. Most Japanese hotels will give a reservation without a credit card. I figure I'll just earn the interest and wait and see.

I'm so glad everyone is finding this consolidated thread helpful! It's a bit bittersweet for me now as I don't think I will be going to Japan next year after all. Definitely within the next few years, but it won't be next year. 😒 Knowing me, this won't ease up on my reading and planning though.

@Mary, thank you for starting this thread, sorry to hear that you won't be traveling as planned.

@Rosie, I am staying at the Cross Hotel in Osaka. I can't vouch for it yet, but it looks nice.

I just paid my final balance on my trip yesterday. 8 weeks to go!
I will definitely do a trip report.

Looking forward to reading it, vandrabrud.

So I've booked my flight for my trip in September! Now just to fine tune the itinerary.

So I'm flying in and out of Haneda, and bookending my trip with stays in Tokyo. The plan now is for four days in the Kansai region, two days in Hiroshima, 3 days in Hakone/Izu peninsula area, and the rest in Tokyo.

I had initially wanted to go to Okinawa, but just seems too rushed and will save it for hopefully another time. Does this seem like a reasonable itinerary? Any suggestions are welcome.

Also, any recommendations for ryokans I Hakone would be welcome

Happy for you, GregW! I'm tentatively hoping for fall 2026 now. (fingers crossed)

@funpig - for women I believe the convention is to wear a towel wrapped around - personally I find that annoying - a wet towel is more of a nuisance than just going nude. But your wife may be happier with that.

I've found this calculator very useful https://www.japan-guide.com/railpass/ - it covers not just the JP passes but various regional ones - it gives you options - particularly if you are moving fast. One option which I think is underrated that internal flights are reasonable ie cheaper than the bullet trains. If you do want to fly domestically Haneda has far more flights than Narita (and is also much closer to Tokyo). Nagoya has lots of flights too. We are looking at going Oct/Nov for about 6 weeks and are considering flying to Okinawa and then working our way back e.g. Naha-Fukuoka flights are only around US$40 for a 1 hr flight.

@David - are you driving kyushu or taking the trains. I'm planning on around 2 weeks around northern Kyushu and it seems costs are on par - though I can't figure out what the tolls are likely to be (I know they are significant). I'm very happy to drive (bonus score - they drive on the correct side of the road!) - but I'm concerned about parking mainly and traffic - I have no patience for sitting in traffic.

From what I've read it seems worthwhile to get a pasmo/suica/whatever card for local buses/trains/trams. If you have an iPhone you can use the digital version and top it up with your apple wallet - while if you get the physical card you have to top up with cash.

@LIssie

At first we were going to do a mix of rental car and trains (they have some really cool old heritage trains, see: JR Kyushu Railway Co - Special Trains) but the trains don't go everywhere, and eventually we decided the trains would just introduce too much back-tracking and repeating places, so we decided to stick to the car for this trip to reduce the itinerary complexity (it'll be plenty complex enough without any looping back!). We will add some of the special trains to our next Japan visit.

There's an extensive system of toll highways around Kyushu - fast and very time-efficient, but the tolls can get expensive. Fortunately, you can buy a Kyushu Expressway Pass ("KEP" - info here), an all-you-can-eat plan for 1- to 10-days. Like the JR Rail passes, only available to foreigners and must be arranged in advance with your car rental agency (not all agencies offer it, and some are easier to work with than others). We decided to actually get TWO separate KEP passes: one for our first 4 days, then a second pass for another 6 days (because the KEP runs for consecutive days, we needed two: in between, we will be in the central region of the island, where there are no expressways, so no need to pay for a pass we won't use for several days when we are up in the mountainous interior).

I expect that parking and traffic will only be issues in the biggest cities; most of Kyushu is quite rural (still, they do drive on the wrong side, a minor annoyance - I'll manage, I have before).

39 Days until we depart...and now I'm splitting my travel planning time between the Kyushu trip (in May, 90% done), Corsica (in September, 75% done) and I've just been tasked with planning a Spring Break 2025 trip to Yucatan for our visiting niece/nephews/sister-in-law (April 2025, about 10% done) - for better or for worse, my family has figured out they have a free (and obsessive) travel agent available 24/7...I'm gonna have to set some limits or start charging them a fee.

Gotta admit, though, it is fun. :)

@David-I don’t think you you usually do trip reports, but all of us Japan hopefuls would sure love to hear a bit about your trip upon your return.

Yes I like trains and the ones on Kiyushu are certainly different - its definitely a dilemma. I will focus on the itinerary first and then decide which one makes more sense I think

@Llssie, Some non-traditional spas may tolerate bathing suits or towels. My Japan expert friend tells me that the proper bathing etiquette at traditional onsens require full nudity. It is even against the rules to dip your small towel into the onsen bath water. You have to place your towel off to the side or put it on top of your head.

My wife is not much of a pool or hot tub person even with her swimsuit on. She is adamant that she will not bathe in an onsen.

Our October trip is really coming together. We have booked 6 nights at the Hotel Sunroute Plaza in Shinjuku, Tokyo. In Kyoto, we have 3 nights in a Sotetsu Fresa Inn near Shijo Station and one night in the Onyado Nono Hot Springs Hotel (which has nice Japanese baths, but is not a true onsen). Finally, we have 5 nights in Osaka at the APA Hotel Umeda-Eki which also has Japanese bath facilities. So I will have a few opportunities to frolic with naked Japanese guys in a bath and cross it off my bucket list, even though I am not staying at a true onsen.

My oldest son and his girlfriend have booked one night with breakfast and a kaiseki dinner at the Morizuya ryokan in Kinosaki Onsen. It looks very nice, but I did not want to go for just one night when it takes about 2.5 hours each way by train from Kyoto and to Osaka. The other 3 of us may do a day trip to Arima if time is available.

My wife, youngest son and I did not booked any stay in a ryokan. I did look at some Airbnbs in very traditional looking Japanese home. The problem is that we need three bedrooms for the five of us, and most still only have one bathroom or are very expensive. My neck and back also got sore just from looking at those thin futons. Plus, the nicer Airbnbs are located in more residential areas which require a bit of walking or commuting to get to attractions. We all decided that we wanted to be right in the city center and walk out the door where most of the the action is.

A few tips about Japanese accommodations. Most hotels will permit reservation without prepayment or even a credit card; you can just pay at the desk upon arrival. Some Japanese hotels will not make their rooms available until 3 or 6 months. I have made my reservations for now, but I will check again 3 to 6 months before the trip to see if something better or cheaper becomes available.

It is worth comparing prices at the official hotel websites (often only in Japanese with Google Translate), Booking.com and Expedia.ca. There can be differences as much as 10-15% for the same room type. And we have noticed some price increases and certain room types are no longer available as time goes by even 7 months out. In conclusion, it is better to reserve a hotel as soon as possible, with the option to cancel later.

We are currently in the process of compiling a list of attractions and day trips for each city and will start to fill in our days. For me, planning a trip is as much fun as the trip itself.

Countdown: 48 days

I am living, breathing all things Japanese. I have my Sakura Co box of goodies near by, I have been watching Kurosawa movies, reading my Fodor's guide book, watching Netflix and Amazon shows with subtitles and watching You Tube videos. My husband says he has 5 hours worth of 47 Ronin movies lined up for me.

My husband says he has 5 hours worth of 47 Ronin movies lined up for me.

if that topic is of interest to you, put Sengaku-ji (temple in Tokyo) in your itinerary. This is where the 47 Ronin have their graves.

Vandrabrud^^❤️^^Love this!

We were really lucky. Apparently, Fuji San shows her face only a few days per year. We didn't even know we had a view of her from our hotel window until the last morning. (That was the same morning we experienced an earthquake in the wee hours, so we had the full Tokyo experience.)

As for the toilets, I'm obsessed with them. We had them in Taipei and Hanoi, also. I was obsessed with my bathroom in Tokyo in general. Besides the Washlet toilet, we had a wet room. It was all tiled, except for the entrance, which was glass. The shower was outside the soaker tub (because, in Japan, one does not soak in one's own dirt). The soaker tub had a big ledge around three sides of it. It was chilly when we were there (late January), and it was so lovely to have a shower while the tub was filling, and the room got all steamy, and then have a long soak with a good book.

The Japanese do bathrooms oh so well.

Be aware, though, that some public toilet stalls still have the squat toilets: a hole with places to put your feet on each side. If you encounter one of those, and you don't want to use it, check the other stalls. One of them might have a sit toilet.

BB, thanks for the comment about Mt Fuji. As much as I would love to take a hero shot of the mountain, a night stay or day trip to Hakone or Lake Kawaguchi has a substantial risk that the view will be blocked by weather. I would rather spend the saved time and money in Tokyo.

I can console myself that during my youth I had a fantastic view of Mount Baker across Boundary Bay from my bedroom window.

On the other hand, I visited Hakone twice in 2023, two nights each time, spring and fall. Saw Fujisan every day I was in the area.

I was especially blessed on the second visit with an entire day of no clouds, no rain, no haze. I spent a good part of that day hiking on and near Lake Ashi and on the Ropeway. Fuji was at my back or in front of me most of that day. Incredible - serendipity does happen!

That said, I'm traveling to Japan again early this summer with a first-timer travel companion. I have indicated that any attempts to see Mt. Fuji will depend on weather - it will be a last minute one day from Tokyo decision based on the forecast and current conditions. I don't disagree with your decision, funpig, to forgo any attempts - it is a risk with weather even when checked on before departing.

There are spots from Tokyo where you can see Fuji - I stay at the Tokyo Hilton with good views from the Exec Lounge and upper floors. Also, the free government buildings offer views of clear days - or clear moments of given days, more accurately!

I would say that the appeal of Hakone is much broader than the Fuji views, which are still relatively distant. The fumaroles, the museums, the hot springs are all worth the side trip even without the views.
The same cannot be said for lake Kawaguchi, which has very close-up views of Mt Fuji when the weather cooperates, but much less to do when it does not.

And there are plenty of random places from where Mt Fuji is visible from Tokyo on clear days. I was blessed with several clear days in a row in my Feb 2024 trip and saw Fuji very well (distantly) from the top of PARCO Mall in Shibuya (it's not even that high, just happens to be unobstructed), and ... from the fire exit of my friends' residence in Tomigaya. It is also visible from several free observatories like the aforementioned Tokyo Metropolitan Building, Carrot Tower in Sangenjaya, Bunkyo Civic Center near Tokyo Dome, and possibly other places. Nowhere at street level nowadays, though.

I have also seen Mt Fuji from the airport limo bus driving into central Tokyo from Narita. What a greeting!

Thanks for tips on Mt Fuji. Judging from Tokyo photos, I'll probably have difficulties seeing my wife at street level.

Countdown: 46 days

@Tammy, thanks! I hold you partly responsible for my trip!
@Balso, absolutely, Sengaku-Ji is tagged in Google Maps and on the list for a visit!

I listened to 110 Japanese verbs in the car on the way to work today. I have at least 30 down pat.
Every night before sleep I spend at least 15 minutes on Duo-Lingo, off to do that now.

We went to Japan on a two week tour but arrived several days before and stayed four extra days at the end. The days before and after the tour we were on our own and had no problems at all exploring, using public transit, dining in a variety of places. We loved Japan! I already loved Asia before the trip to Japan but now love Asia even more!

We just returned from two weeks of independent travel in Japan and South Korea. We did four days in Tokyo, three each in Kyoto (our favorite) and Osaka, and a full day in Hiroshima/Miyajima Island. Japan is definitely do-able on your own. Don't let the language barrier hold you back. Train stations, while huge, have lots of signage in English and lots of friendly people to help. We used a lot of Rick's Europe tips along the way, and they work just as well there! Seoul is also a beautiful city. We did three days as a layover when returning to the US, but wish we could have stayed longer.

@Anne: glad you had a good trip. Japan is one of the countries that I keep returning to.
I am already planning my next visit, perhaps some time next year, for World Expo 2025.

I have just found this forum. I consider myself an experienced European traveler, but I have never been to Asia. I have a friend who now lives in Japan and the Spring of 2025 would be a perfect time to go (while she is still there). I live in the Midwest (St. Louis area) and am wondering about the best airline and route. The long flight makes me a little nervous. Any good tips on the best airline and route would be helpful to get me started on a plan.

@mpaulynsettle - Flight choices will depend a lot on your priorities and budget. If you can manage to fly on a Japanese airline (JAL - Japan Airlines, or ANA - All Nippon Airways) it will be a real treat - you will get to start experiencing the Japanese culture (and high quality service) as soon as you board (maybe even the Japanese bathroom experience...). Both JAL and ANA are excellent if you can make it work.

Tokyo has two major international airports, Narita and Haneda. Narita is bigger and has more long-haul flights, but Haneda is closer to the city so a bit more convenient.

I don't believe there are any nonstops from St Louis, you will need to first fly to a west coast or midwest hub served by JAL, ANA or one of the US airlines. It's a long flight, but honestly...not that much longer than going to Europe. In fact, for those of us who live on the US west coast, Tokyo is actually closer than a lot of Europe, so don't worry that much about how far it is.

Of course, "Spring" can be a lovely time to visit Japan, but be aware that locals and visitors alike go completely crazy over Cherry Blossom ("sakura") season, places get busy, demand goes way up, and prices may, too. So plan accordingly (peak spring season will be roughly April). Peak blooms are at different times in different locations and elevations, now would be a good time to start thinking about your overall plans.

Japan is not difficult to do. If you can manage Europe on your own, you can probably manage Japan on your own, too. You'll love it.

Japan is definitely do-able on your own. Don't let the language barrier hold you back. Train stations, while huge, have lots of signage in English and lots of friendly people to help. We used a lot of Rick's Europe tips along the way, and they work just as well there!

Anne, thank you for this.

mpaulynsettle, if you fly from Chicago, you can choose between ANA and JAL, non-stops. The first into Narita, second to Haneda. Dailies, I’m reasonably certain.

I am an ANA traveler, PE or Business. PE is very comfortable, even long haul. When I realized I would have a series of Japan trips, I did some asking around and comparing of airlines. I liked ANA’s flight times slightly better. People I checked with liked both airlines, ANA and JAL. I had previously found better experiences flying Asian owned airlines to that continent rather than domestics like United - more comfortable seating, better service. So, I never did explore US carriers as an option to Japan.

I realize I’m lucky to have multiple non-stop options from “home”. Not sure how St Louis might be set up for connections.

Of course, "Spring" can be a lovely time to visit Japan, but be aware that locals and visitors alike go completely crazy over Cherry Blossom ("sakura") season, places get busy, demand goes way up, and prices may, too. So plan accordingly (peak spring season will be roughly April). Peak blooms are at different times in different locations and elevations, now would be a good time to start thinking about your overall plans.

Another part of spring to be wary of is Golden Week, roughly between 29 Apr - 5 May. There are lots of public holidays that week and domestic travel peaks. That time of the year is best avoided!

I concur that both Japanese airlines are awesome. I flew Japan Airlines last year, both in Business and Econ. Surgically clean cabins and wonderful food/service. I heard that All Nippon (ANA) is just as good. In addition, if you fly Premium Econ with ANA on long haul flights, you have lounge access.

JAL flies to Dallas and you may find connecting there more convenient. ANA may fly to Houston, but I am not sure.

Countdown 20 days.

I thought I would revive this thread by asking what type of "experiences" would you be interested in arranging for your future Japan trip or what experiences did you participate in past trips and how did they go?

Here is a list of some of the things I am looking forward to:
Private guides in Tokyo, Kanazawa, Kyoto and Hiroshima. 9 am to 5 pm, guides are native Japanese women.
Bonsai class and museum tour.
Sumo tickets in Tokyo for one day (will go in the afternoon when the higher rated wrestlers compete)
Home cooking class in Kyoto
Kenbu class and demonstration in Kyoto
Baseball game in Osaka
Food Tour in Osaka

I'm now planning fall 2026 for Japan, which seems so far away, but I'm determined not to push it back again.

Mary

Time flies as the saying goes especially when you will be planning a trip to Japan. 2024 is almost half done.

But I assume that you have another trip planned before Japan 2026.

Your post has caused me to seriously consider Japan after my upcoming October cruise from Barcelona. I already did some Japan research on the Norwewgian site.

But I assume that you have another trip planned before Japan 2026.

Technically I have about 5 trips planed before Japan '26, so I really don't need to be complaining. :-)

A Japan cruise sounds like a good idea for you, phil.

I'm so happy to find this thread. We are going to Norway in June and I am trying to talk my husband into a October/November trip to Japan. We just received a $710 e credit from Delta, so even more reason to go this year!

Mary, we will spend a month in Japan in fall of 2025. Half on a 2 week Viking cruise and the other half by traveling independently. I would like to experience a tea ceremony. I’m still deciding on a sumo practice.