Itinerary in Japan

Plan your travel itinerary to Japan

Japan, the country where anything can happen! 

Country of pink flowered cherry trees, Japan is a dream destination to any manga or sushi lover. But don’t worry if you don’t really like any of these, Japan has so much more for you to discover ! 

From the traditional Japanese culture to new discoveries, go explore the many UNESCO-listed buddhist temples. 

On your way, get to meet a true Samurai and learn about the way bonsai trees are grown. 

If we are sure of one thing, it’s that you will get back home relaxed and feeling zen. 

Ready to go ? Come on ! 

Contents: Everything to plan your trip to Japan

1- Useful links
2- What to see in Japan?
3- What to do in Japan?
4- Language
5- Local currency
6- How to travel around during your trip to Japan?
7- What is the budget for such a trip?
8- Useful contact information
9- First bookings to make when planning a trip to Japan
10- Some useful information
11- Useful shopping list before traveling to Japan

Useful links to help you plan your trip to Japan

• To travel safely and without any worry on your mind, we recommend Chapka Insurance!
• For this itinerary, we recommend traveling with the JR PASS (aka Japan Rail Pass) to travel unlimitedly on Japanese national trains (JR). With this pass, you can also access buses, ferries, subways and airport transfers of the network. To book it at the best price, visit Japan Rail Pass’ website.
• WIFI: For your trip to Japan, you may need unlimited wifi access. We recommend you to choose a Pocket Wifi. We recommend you this one which is the most adapted and the cheapest.
• SIM card: To communicate in Japan, and not to explode your phone plan, you will need a local sim card. We recommend you to buy this one again the best value for money in our opinion!
• You want to buy a paper travel guide? We recommend this one! In our opinion, it is the most complete, the most visual and the most up to date !
• Need a road map to prepare your itinerary in Japan? We recommend this one, the most detailed and the most pleasant to read!
• To book your accommodation, we recommend this website. In our opinion, it is the most efficient, reliable, and the one with the best cancellation policies.

What to see in Japan?

What to do in Japan?

Live Japanese experiences

• Explore the many buddhist temples across the country, like the Sensoji Temple. 
• Go discover Mount Fuji.
• Eat some authentic sushi.
• Visit Kasuga Taisha, a sanctuary with hundreds of lanterns.
• Get some thrills at the Osaka Universal Studios.
• Admire the Peace Memorial Museum in Hiroshima.

But wait for it, Japan also knows how to celebrate!

There are many national holidays and festivals all year long:

• Experience New Year’s the Japanese way, and start the year off with good vibes!
• Celebrate the Setsubun Matsuri during the first few days of February by throwing grilled beans to make evil spirits go away.
• Take part in the Yuki Matsuri in February and discover an amazing ice and snow sculpture contest. 
• In April, get to see the cherry trees blossoming, especially in Tokyo and Kyoto.
• During the third weekend of May, go to the most important celebration in Tokyo: Sanja Matsuri.
• Wait until July and its mild weather to go up Mount Fuji in the best conditions. 
• At the end of the month of July, head to the most famous music festival in the country: the Fuji Rock Festival.
• Get your best costume on and head to the World Cosplay Summit in Nagoya.
• On the 6th of August, experience the Peace Memorial Ceremony in Hiroshima.
• Want some authenticity? Attend Kurama-no-hi Matsuri, held on the 2nd of October in Kurama.

Languages in Japan

We speak Japanese! 

Of course the official language is Japanese … I’m guessing you don’t speak Japanese so don’t worry, English is widely spoken across the country. 

Japanese 101: 

• Good morning: Ohayou Gozaimasu
• Good afternoon: Konichiha 
• Goodbye: Sayonara 
• Good evening: Konbanha
• Please: Kudasai 
• Thank you: Arigatou
• Sorry: Sumimasen
• Yes: Hai 
• No: Iie 

Local currency in Japan

Money, money, money

The official currency is the yen (JP¥).  Check the daily conversion rate easily on the website. 

Credit and debit cards are rarely used in Japan, people prefer using cash. You will basically only need your credit/debit card to withdraw money. And don’t worry, you will find ATMs very easily.
Just be sure to warn your bank that you are traveling so that they won’t block your card for suspect abroad transactions.

Traveling around in Japan

Is the steering wheel on the left or right?

Traveling in Japan is best by plane or train, you’ll get from one place to the other very quickly. Yes, even by train! Japan has some of the fastest trains in the world (the Bullet train or Shinkansen in Japanese). But a car could be useful in some parts of the country, however, every time you enter a city, expect lots of traffic. 

And about the steering wheel, well it’s on the right side of the car so depending on where you’re from, you might need a little period of adjustment. 

Overall budget for a trip to Japan

Thanks for all the information but how much will this actually cost?

Transportation 

• Flights: Nippon Airways and Japan Airlines both have domestic flights but to get affordable tickets you should probably go with low-cost airlines like Air Do or Jetstar. 
• Trains: getting a Japan Rail Pass (JR Pass, 7, 14 or 21 days) will make you save a lot of money.
• Busses: if you are traveling on a tight budget, travel on night busses. They are cheap and very confortable.
• Car rentals: they start around 5550 JP¥ a day. And gas is about 130 JP¥ a liter. 

Accommodation 

• If you are the backpacker type, youth hostels are a good option. They will be around 4590 JP¥ / person / night.
• For a night in a hotel in a big city, expect at least 9830 JP¥ / person / night. 
• You could also check Airbnb for great deals on houses and apartments. 
• For a unique night in a buddhist temple, expect around 9830 JP¥. 

Eating

• You can get your 3 daily meals for about 2620 JP¥ / day. 

Useful contact information in Japan

If you need to join / go to your embassy while in Japan, go to this website for the address, phone number, email address  and website.

In case of emergency, call 119.

Book your trip to Japan

Here are different websites you can use to make your first bookings for your itinerary in Japan:

Flights

• Ana
• Japan Airlines
• Airdo
• Jetstar Airways

Trains

• • Japan experience

Busses

• • Japan rail pass

Practical information in Japan

Tips for our fellow travelers:

• No tips in Japan, it is always included in the price.
• Do not stick your chopsticks in your bowl of rice, it’s inappropriate.
• Even if the young part of the population speaks good English, it might be harder to speak English with an elder
• Japanese are a very calm, reserved and respectful population, it is behave to behave the same while walking in the streets or visiting places

Useful shopping list before traveling to Japan:

• WIFI: For your trip to Japan, you may need unlimited wifi access. We recommend you to choose a Pocket Wifi. We recommend you this one which is the most adapted and the cheapest.
• SIM card: To communicate in Japan, and not to explode your phone plan, you will need a local sim card. We recommend you to buy this one again the best value for money in our opinion!
• As for us, we always leave for a trip with a first aid kit, which can be more than useful. Add to this “ready-made” kit paracetamol and stomach-pain medicine… You never know!
• Travelling inevitably damages passports… To avoid changing your passport every 3 trips, we advise you to opt for a passport holder!
• Do you want to make your suitcase as secure as possible? Opt for a suitcase padlock. Don’t forget that between a protected suitcase and an unprotected one, people with bad intentions will prefer to attack the unprotected one.
• Depending on the country, you may need a universal adapter for your electrical devices. In Japan, the plugs and voltage might not be the same as in your country, so a universal adapter is definitely useful.
• You take pictures with your smartphone, you use it for GPS, to look at the time, etc. You will probably need an external battery to recharge your phone during the day!
• For the choice of your cabin luggage, special mention for this solid and practical suitcase, especially for “digital nomads” (like us!) who need to carry their computer around the world!
• Staying hydrated is essential when travelling! We recommend this isothermal stainless steel water bottle to quench your thirst!

And to plan your future trips, check out all our destinations.