Japan Travel Guide

Map of Japan

Basic Facts of Japan

Area: 377,972 square kilometers (145,936 square miles)

Location: East Asia

Population: 125 million

Language: Japanese

Currency: Japanese Yen

Time Zone: UTC+9

Capital: Tokyo

Administrative Division: Tokyo, Hokkaido, Osaka, Kyoto and 43 prefectures

Religions and Beliefs: Buddhism and Shinto

In Japan, the highlights include cherry blossoms, hot springs, snowy mountains, shrines, islands and nerd culture. With the integration of modern and traditional culture, you can enjoy the prosperous metropolis of Tokyo, feast your eyes on the quiet and magnificent Mount Fuji, and taste the classical melodies of Kyoto.

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Japan Weather & Best Time to Visit

Japan is a hot tourist destination through the four seasons, but spring and autumn are the best time to visit. Visitors can appreciate the cherry blossoms from March to May and the red leaves from September to November, in the mildly pleasant weather in most places of Japan.

3-Day Weather Forecast of Major Destinations

Tokyo

Osaka

Kyoto

Japan Photos

Transportation

Tourists can easily get to Japan by flight. The country has a few international airports, respectively in Tokyo, Osaka, and Nagoya. Sapporo, Fukuoka and Okinawa, etc. also have flights from neighboring countries. They can also go there by ferry ship from China and South Korea.

The domestic transportation is very well-developed. Flights, JR lines, bullet trains, trams, subways, highway buses and taxies can take you around the country. Subway is the best choice inside a city because it’s convenient and cheap.

Top Things to Do in Japan

Japan is Asia’s most fashionable and modern country with a wide range of humanistic and natural landscapes, enabling you to experience the unparalleled charm of the East. Apart from the must-visit Mount Fuji, you can add Tokyo area or Osaka and Kyoto to your tour. Hiroshima, Nagoya, Takayama and more places are also adventurous for travelers to take an in-depth tour in Japan.

Enjoy Cherry Blossoms & Plum Blossoms, Kyoto, Japan

Enjoy Cherry Blossoms in Japan

Trip Planning

Travelling to Japan, tourists would not miss Tokyo and Kyoto certainly. One week is the best to glance through all the highlights in the two areas. If you have a few days only, you could visit around a city in depth. Likewise, as you have more days for sightseeing, more attractions in other cities can be included into the travel plan on your own budget and interests.

Visit Kiyomizu-dera Temple in Kimono, Kyoto, Japan

An In-Depth Comparison between China’s Tourism and Japan’s Tourism

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Japanese Food

Japan has a wide variety of food and snacks with fine preparation, nutrition and culinary aesthetics. Japanese cooking is both regional and seasonal, and tasting local flavors becomes an essential part of travel. Famous sushi, sashimi, miso soup, tempura, Japanese noodles like ramen, udon and soba noodles, okonomiyaki, Japanese curry rice, sukiyaki, Kobe beef, takoyaki, dorayaki, etc. are all unmissable.

Fresh Sushi Served at a Local Restaurant, Tokyo

A Sushi Restaurant

Local Snacks - Takoyaki - at Dotonbori, Osaka

Local Snacks in Osaka

Geisha Culture - Special Cultural Gem

Geisha, regardless of the formal geisha (aka geiko) and maiko (geisha trainees), is famous and mysterious in Japan. The unique culture appeal to a large number of visitors, to unveil the mystery of geishas. Especially in Kyoto, it's easy to find geisha at Gion District and watch a show of traditional singing, dancing and arts by geishas at an ochaya or theater. Gion Corner theater is the best-known for regular geisha performances in Kyoto.