Japan, before you go
Country basics, rail journeys, entry checks and a smaller first day.
Read the guide →PRACTICAL GUIDES
Japan practical guides
The background and preparation that make a route usable. Start with the question you need to answer next.
A useful packing list
Walking shoes, chargers, bags and the journeys between your bases.
Read the guide →Travel with consideration
Specific actions for trains, meals, photographs and religious places.
Read the guide →Airport to your base
An arrival station that suits you, not just an impressive headline time.
Read the guide →A closer look at six places
Tokyo / Temple and neighborhood
Asakusa and Sensoji: a first Tokyo walk
Follow one clear line from Kaminarimon to Sensoji, then choose between neighborhood streets and the Sumida River instead of rushing across the city.
Tokyo / Park and museums
Ueno Park: choose one museum, leave room outside
Build a flexible Tokyo day around one collection, with park paths and Shinobazu Pond as optional breathing space rather than extra obligations to complete.
Kyoto / Shrine and mountain paths
Fushimi Inari: a shrine visit or a mountain walk?
Make one decision before entering the torii paths: whether this is a short shrine visit or a longer walk on the sacred mountain beyond.
Kyoto / Historic streets and temples
Higashiyama: one hillside, not every temple
Link Kiyomizu-dera with the historic slopes below it, allowing for walking, resident access and the difference between a quiet morning and a shopping visit.
Osaka / Food and entertainment district
Dotonbori: choose dinner before chasing every sign
Use Osaka's canal and illuminated signs as the setting for one enjoyable meal, not a promise to finish every famous queue in one evening.
Osaka / Park and castle museum
Osaka Castle Park: separate the grounds from the museum
Choose between a walk around walls and moats, the castle museum, and a separate garden visit before making the park part of your Osaka day.