Europe runs on private aviation the way Manhattan runs on yellow cabs — short hops between cities that would otherwise eat half a travel day. JetLuxe brokers light jets and midsize aircraft across every major European FBO, with empty-leg pricing on routes that move daily.
Get a JetLuxe quoteThe single most consequential pre-trip decision is mobile data. Japan is a country that rewards being online: navigation through complex transit systems, translation on demand, restaurant lookups, train schedules, station maps. A traveller without data spends the first day reading paper signs and asking station staff. A traveller with data flows.
The pre-trip option is an eSIM installed at home before the flight, activated when the plane lands.
Airalo’s Moshi Moshi Japan plan covers seven days from around $5 for 1 GB; longer plans scale predictably. For most travellers, the 10 GB / 30-day plan covers a typical 2–3 week trip with plenty of buffer.
Yesim’s Japan coverage covers similar ground with slightly different pricing. Both deliver QR codes immediately on purchase, scannable before the flight, dormant until first network connection in Japan.
The setup process: install the eSIM profile on the device before flying; do not delete the home eSIM (most modern phones support multiple eSIMs simultaneously); on landing, switch the data line to the Japan eSIM through the device’s cellular settings; verify that data is working before leaving the airport.
For travellers using older phones without eSIM support, physical SIM cards are available at airport kiosks but cost more and require more setup time. Pocket WiFi rental is another option (¥600–¥1,000 per day, picked up at the airport) but adds a device to carry and recharge.
The IC card — Suica, Pasmo, ICOCA, or any of the regional variants — is the universal transit and small-payment card of Japan. The cards are interoperable; the choice of brand is purely cosmetic.
Adding a Suica to Apple Wallet or Google Wallet takes three minutes through the device’s wallet app. The mobile version is the easier option for international visitors — no physical card to carry, top-ups through the wallet app using a credit card, charge display visible at a glance.
The card pays for: trains and subways across all major Japanese cities; buses in most areas; vending machines; convenience stores; many small restaurants and shops; lockers at major stations; some taxi systems. The single card replaces dozens of small payment transactions over a trip.
Loading the card requires a credit card if doing through the app, or Japanese cash if at a station vending machine. The first load should be ¥3,000–¥5,000 for a few days of typical use; subsequent reloads can be smaller increments.
The Japan Rail Pass — the multi-day rail pass historically marketed to foreign tourists — became dramatically more expensive in October 2023, with prices rising roughly 70%. The pass remains a valid option for travellers planning multiple long-distance trips, but the calculation has changed significantly.
Current pricing (subject to revision):
The break-even analysis: a Tokyo-Kyoto round trip on the shinkansen costs around ¥27,000–¥30,000. Adding a side trip to Hiroshima brings the total to around ¥45,000–¥50,000 — roughly the cost of the 7-day pass. The pass is now worth it only for itineraries that significantly exceed this baseline (multi-region trips, Tokyo to Kyushu and back, etc.).
For most typical Golden Route itineraries (Tokyo + Kyoto + maybe Osaka), individual point-to-point tickets are cheaper than the pass. Buy tickets at the station, through the JR East website, or through the SmartEX app. The price difference can be ¥20,000–¥40,000 over a 10-day trip.
Regional rail passes (JR East Pass, JR West Pass, etc.) often offer better value than the national pass for trips focused on specific regions. These cover specific JR operating zones at significantly lower prices.
Japan is a hybrid cash/contactless economy. Larger shops, hotels, and chain restaurants accept international credit cards reliably. Smaller restaurants, family-run shops, ryokan in some areas, and most taxis in smaller cities remain cash-only.
The practical approach: arrive with $200–$300 worth of yen exchanged at home or at the airport, plus a credit card for larger purchases. Withdraw additional cash at 7-Eleven ATMs as needed — these are the most reliable for foreign cards. Don’t use airport currency exchanges; the rates are noticeably worse than ATM withdrawal rates.
Specific cash recommendations:
For credit cards: Visa and Mastercard are widely accepted. American Express has good coverage in major cities but spotty elsewhere. Foreign-issued cards work at most ATMs (7-Eleven, Japan Post, Lawson) but not all (some Japanese-only ATMs reject foreign cards).
English is increasingly available in tourist contexts but remains limited in regional Japan and at smaller restaurants. The practical tool kit:
Google Translate. Install before the trip with the Japanese language pack downloaded for offline use. The camera mode — point the camera at Japanese text and the translation appears overlaid — is the single most useful translation feature for menus, signs, and labels.
DeepL. More accurate than Google Translate for longer text passages. Useful for understanding written communications, restaurant descriptions, and translation of Japanese restaurant menus.
Basic Japanese phrases. Learning 10–15 phrases significantly smooths interactions. Essential phrases: “Sumimasen” (excuse me / sorry); “Arigatō gozaimasu” (thank you very much); “Eigo daijōbu desu ka?” (is English okay?); “Kore kudasai” (this please); “Ikura desu ka?” (how much?); “Toire wa doko desu ka?” (where is the toilet?).
The practical advice: don’t try to speak fluent Japanese, but don’t avoid using basic phrases either. Japanese hosts and shopkeepers will work patiently with limited Japanese and appreciate the effort. The combination of basic phrases + Google Translate camera covers virtually every interaction a tourist will need.
The free pocket WiFi service at major airports (Haneda, Narita, Kansai) provides decent coverage in the airport itself but doesn’t extend to the surrounding city. For genuine day-one connectivity, the eSIM is the better option than relying on airport WiFi.
Japanese accommodation falls into several distinct categories, each with its own pricing and character:
Business hotels (¥6,000–¥12,000/night). The backbone of Japanese mid-market accommodation. APA, Toyoko Inn, Comfort Hotel, Daiwa Roynet. Small clean rooms (typically 14–16 sq m), unit-bath bathrooms, reliable WiFi, breakfast often included. Located near major train stations.
Mid-market international and Japanese chains (¥12,000–¥25,000/night). Daiwa Royal, Hotel Niwa Tokyo, Mitsui Garden, ANA Crowne Plaza chains. Slightly larger rooms, more amenities, often better breakfast.
Boutique and luxury hotels (¥30,000–¥150,000/night). Aman Tokyo, Park Hyatt, Mandarin Oriental, Trunk Hotel, The Capitol. Substantially better service, sometimes spectacular views, often with notable restaurants on-site.
Ryokan (¥15,000–¥80,000+ per person per night). Traditional inns with kaiseki dinners. Discussed extensively in our onsen country dispatches.
Apartments and house rentals. Useful for longer stays, larger groups, or families. Plum Guide curates the upper end of this category in major Japanese cities and key onsen regions. The advantages over hotels: more space, kitchen access for breakfast, in some cases substantially better value at the 4+ night mark.
Capsule hotels and hostels. Budget options at ¥3,000–¥6,000 per night. Functional for solo travellers comfortable with shared bathing facilities.
Japan’s major airports are well-connected by public transit, but some travel situations benefit from private ground transport.
From Narita: Narita Express (N’EX) to Tokyo Station in 55 minutes; Keisei Skyliner to Ueno in 40 minutes. Pre-booked private car ($80–$140) via Welcome Pickups or GetTransfer for groups and tired arrivals.
From Haneda: Tokyo Monorail or Keikyu Line, both 30 minutes or less to central Tokyo. Private car options similar to Narita but cheaper given shorter distance.
From Kansai International (Osaka/Kyoto): JR Haruka Express to Shin-Osaka and Kyoto, 75 minutes. Limousine bus options also available.
Within cities: trains and subways for most travel. Taxis for short trips with luggage or in poor weather. Private cars (GetTransfer) for groups or long cross-city moves. Rental cars (GetRentACar) for regional trips outside the main cities, with International Driving Permit required.
Between cities: shinkansen for most long-distance routes. Domestic flights for Tokyo-Sapporo (Hokkaido), Tokyo-Fukuoka (Kyushu), and other long routes where the flight is meaningfully faster.
The Japanese baggage-forwarding system — called takyubin, operated primarily by Yamato Transport — is one of the more transformative pieces of practical infrastructure for multi-city Japanese trips.
How it works: drop a suitcase at any major convenience store (the FamilyMart, Lawson, and 7-Eleven counters all accept takyubin) or at hotel reception. Fill out a simple form with the destination address. Pay roughly ¥2,000–¥3,000 per bag. The bag arrives at the destination address (usually a hotel or ryokan) the next day, sometimes the same day for in-city moves.
Practical use cases:
The takyubin system removes a significant amount of physical friction from Japanese travel. Most travellers who discover it use it on every subsequent Japan trip.
Japanese etiquette has many small rules, but most foreign visitors will be forgiven for not knowing most of them. A small set of essentials is worth learning:
The general principle: quieter and more deferential is better than louder and more assertive. Mistakes are forgiven; the effort to be respectful is appreciated.
For trips of two weeks or more, or for trips involving any winter sports, road trip driving, or hiking, travel insurance becomes worth the small premium.
Japan has excellent medical care but it’s expensive for foreign visitors without insurance. A hospital stay for even minor injuries can run thousands of dollars in out-of-pocket costs. Trip cancellation, lost luggage, and flight delay coverage add additional value for multi-segment trips.
SafetyWing offers flexible monthly travel insurance suitable for typical Japan trips — covers medical emergencies, evacuation, trip interruption, and (with the higher-tier plan) some winter sports. Pricing is monthly subscription rather than per-trip, useful for travellers planning multiple trips or extended stays.
For credit-card-included travel insurance — many premium travel cards include some coverage — review the specific terms carefully before relying on it. Some include medical coverage; others only cover trip cancellation. Read the fine print rather than assuming the coverage is comprehensive.
For travellers with significant existing chronic conditions, additional medical-specific travel insurance may be worth obtaining beyond standard tourist policies. The standard policies typically have exclusions for pre-existing conditions.
Japanese carriers (ANA, JAL, Skymark, Solaseed Air) have excellent on-time performance. Flight cancellations and significant delays are uncommon. However, weather can cause delays — typhoons in late summer/early autumn, occasional winter snow disruption, especially at Hokkaido airports.
For flights between Japan and the EU/UK or US, EU261 compensation rules may apply on the European leg of the trip if the operator is an EU-based carrier or if the flight departs from an EU airport. Our EU261 explainer covers the details.
For flights subject to EU261 that have been delayed 3+ hours or cancelled, services like AirHelp handle the compensation claim on behalf of the passenger in exchange for a percentage of the settlement (typically 25–35%). For passengers comfortable filing claims themselves, going direct to the airline is cheaper but more administratively complex.
For internal Japanese flights, compensation rules differ. Japanese carriers typically offer rebooking or refund rather than cash compensation for cancellations. Coverage for downstream costs (missed shinkansen connections, hotel costs from delays) depends on the specific carrier and circumstance.
For first-time visitors, the practical recommendations:
For travellers wanting structured experiences across multiple categories — food tours, temple visits, day trips, cultural experiences — GetYourGuide covers most major Japanese destinations with English-language tours at varying price points. Adding 2–4 organised experiences across a typical 14-day trip provides context and access that solo exploration doesn’t.
The final advice: don’t overschedule. Japan rewards slow attention. A day with three or four moderate activities will produce better memories than a day with seven rushed visits. Building in unstructured time — for walking, for sitting in cafés, for discovering things by accident — is one of the better things to do with a Japan trip.
Japan is one of the more rewarding countries to travel in, partly because it rewards preparation. The same trip done with the right toolkit and the same trip done without it produce meaningfully different experiences. The eSIM working from the moment of landing, the IC card loaded in the wallet, the basic phrases learned, the takyubin used for between-city moves, the right hotel categories chosen for the right purposes — these are small things individually that compound across a two- or three-week trip.
The country itself does the rest. Trains run, food works, the people are helpful in the quiet ways that matter, the cities and the rural areas both have their distinctive offerings. The preparation is what allows the traveller to receive what Japan is offering without having to fight friction at every turn.
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