Neon lights and all-night karaoke. Tranquil temples and bowing geisha. Steaming hot springs and soaring Mount Fuji. Japan is brimming with evocative moments, and delicious contrasts. Where else can you spend the morning shopping in a skyscraper and the afternoon chilling in the forest with snow monkeys?
The question, for most visitors, isn’t why go – but how to put it all together. The good news is that it’s easier than you may think. From excellent transport links (the bullet train is world famous) to cheap dining and plenty of English-language signage, Japan is very user friendly. It’s clean, safe and suitable for everyone from solo travellers to young families. And, despite a pricey reputation, it’s doable on a budget.
Travel restrictions and entry requirements
In the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, Japan has been slow to open its borders. While tourists may now enter the country, changes to entry requirements are still ongoing depending on your reason for visiting, vaccination status and recent travel history. Before booking a trip check gov.uk for the latest details.
While most Covid-related restrictions have been eased within Japan, in practice social distancing and mask-wearing is still commonplace. Visitors should take their steer from locals. If you have even the slightest sniffle – whether it’s a cold or hay fever – it is considered polite to mask up.
Best time to go
Japan is a proper all-seasons destination. Traversing 25 degrees of latitude – from northerly Hokkaido to subtropical Okinawa – it has diverse climates and landscapes, so the best time to visit depends on what you plan to do.
Generally speaking, summers are warm and humid (with typhoons in August and September), and winters mild. Some areas, including the Alps, see substantial amounts of winter snow. Spring is famous for its country-wide explosion of cherry blossom, but prices can be high and bloom dates variable. October and November’s autumn leaf colour is equally dazzling, longer and a bit quieter. If you’re strapped for cash, the cheapest time to visit much of the country is mid-January to early March.
Top regions and cities
Most visits begin in Japan’s capital city, Tokyo, and so they should – this neon-drenched, swallow-you-whole metropolis contains all the frenetic energy you’re expecting from urban Japan. Hop from 24/7…
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