πŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ Japan Travel Guide

Last Updated: 2024

I first visited Japan in 2015, and I’ve been back four times since. It's my absolute favorite place to visit and keeps bringing me back for its incredible food, world-class design, and shopping/products you can't find anywhere else. Here are a few of my favorite spots!

🌍 Prioritizing Cities

For your first visit and anything less than ten days, I'd spend something like 60% of your time in Tokyo (biggest city in Japan) and 40% in Kyoto (traditional, historical experience).

If you've visited Japan and are looking for something off the beaten path, I really enjoyed visiting Hakodate, Sapporo, and Otaru in the North (Hokkaido). I took an eight hour train ride which was half bullet train and half scenic local train-- would absolutely recommend if you have the time, but if not there are frequent, inexpensive flights from Tokyo.

Okinawa, Hiroshima, and Kamakura are all on my bucket list for future trips.

🍲 Eat

🍽️ Ideas for a fancy meal

πŸ› Casual suggestions

🍸 Drink

🏨 Stay

Japan has excellent hotels for every budget, from affordable yet comfortable options to luxurious stays that feel like a splurge. While you can have an awesome experience at a luxury $400+ hotel, you can often find hotels that are clean and well-located for under $100 a night.

🏠 Tokyo

🏑 Kyoto

πŸ›· Sapporo

🏑 Otaru

🏟️ Do

While most of the joy I get from traveling revolves around food and drink, Japan has so much more to offer.

πŸ›’ Shopping

🎨 Experiences

πŸ“š Further Reading