So you’ve planned a trip to Japan. You’ve taken time off work, bought the plane tickets and eagerly waiting for the day to visit Japan. You might have a general idea of what to do in Japan and where to see. You already know some of the foods you want to eat. But, you want to make sure you don’t miss out on anything during your precious time in Japan. So, we’ve come up with a list of things to do in Japan during your stay here. In our list, we will have a general list of things to do, but have links to specific lists of things to do in Tokyo.

WHAT TO DO IN JAPAN: CHECKLIST

1. Visit shrines and temples: Visiting a shrine and a temple are a must during your trip to Japan. Here are some of the best shrines and temples in Tokyo.

2. Stroll around a Japanese garden: Japanese gardens are famous around the world. While Kyoto is famous for gardens, Tokyo still competes for having beautiful gardens.

3. Soak in an onsen: Onsen, or hot springs are famous in Japan due to it’s high volcanic activity. Places like the Oedo Onsen Monogatari is a nice place for foreigners.

4. Party in year round festivals: Depending on the time of year you come. You can participate in festivals and events. Don’t worry we have a list of famous events and festivals for every season!

5. Watch Sumo and Baseball: Sumo tournaments are held only 6 times a year. Three in Tokyo (January, May and September), one in Osaka (March), one in Nagoya (July) and one in Fukuoka (November). Baseball season is from March - October. Here’s our comprehensive Sumo and Baseball Guide.

6. Mt. Fuji: If you have a day to venture out into Mt. Fuji, it’s definitely a trip worth 1-2 days. You can either climb Mt. Fuji for a couple day adventure, or enjoy a nice view of Mt. Fuji accompanied with a scenic view of nature from Hakone. Mt. Fuji/Hakone is roughly 1-4 hours away from Tokyo depending on where and how you get there.

7. Eat sushi and ramen but….: Japan is home to the most Michelin stars in the world. There is more than just sushi and ramen. We have a full list of affordable Michelin recognized restaurants, foods to try and unique to drinks to sip on.

8. Eat and drink at an izakaya: Izakaya’s are drinking establishments in Japan that serve chicken skewers and alcohol. What more do you need?

9. Karaoke: Anyone who has seen the movie Lost in Translation knows that a night out at karaoke is a guaranteed fun night.

10. Art and history: Japan is no stranger to art and history - both contemporary and traditional. Some famous must see museums in Tokyo are teamLAB and Miraikan. See a full list of museums here.

11. Shop: Japan offers some of the most unique stores such as Don Quijote and very traditional stores that have been around for hundreds of years. Find out where to shop at on this full shopping guide list.

If you’re able to hit a good amount of the items on this list, we would hope that we answered your question in what to do in Japan. Of course there are many other activities not on this list that we would also recommend. For a breakdown of districts and stores to visit in districts you can see out tour itineraries page for more.

Photo Credit: Live Japan

Not sure when to visit Japan? Well there here are some of the basics of the best time to visit Japan.

Periods you should be aware of

Japan has three major periods throughout the year where domestic travel rises, resulting in longer queues to going places and sightseeing, crowded trains and overall more expensive.

The first is New Years holiday. New Years holiday lasts from around the last few days of December and typically the first 3 days of January. New Years is considered Japan’s biggest holiday and it is when everyone goes home for New Years to get a fresh start into the new year. Everyone goes home…we mean it. Most shops/restaurants, sight seeing spots and events/activities will be closed making much of Tokyo look like ghost towns. However, if you are here during this time than you can certainly enjoy and partake in this festivity by visiting shrines and temples where New Years celebrations will be made.

The next is golden week. Golden week is typically near the end of April to the beginning of May (depends on the year). This week has consecutive holidays lined up where much of the week is taken off. Due to many people having this week off, it calls for a rise in domestic travel making it crowded everywhere you go.

The last is during Obon. Obon is a holiday typically the week of August 13-15. People go back home to celebrate the lives of deceased family members. Businesses and shops may be closed during this time and there might be crowding but it’s a bit more dispersed than the New Year holidays and Golden Week.

Best time to visit Japan

It’s hard to choose the best time to visit Japan - each season has something to offer. The winter (December-February) time can be quite romantic with lots of illumination throughout the city with possible snowfall. The fall (September - November) offers mild temperatures and beautiful autumn leaves. But, there could be some typhoon scares to be aware of. The summer (June-August), although is hot and sticky, is the season for festivities, activities and beach parties. Then there’s the spring (March-May) when the weather if perfect and if you’re lucky, the cherry blossoms are blooming. You can also check out our festivals/events guide page to know what annual festivals and events occur during each season.

However, overall if you’re looking for ideal conditions, there’s a few ways to approach this decision. The spring time is considered one of the best times to visit Japan. The weather is beautiful and the cherry blossoms come out where everyone celebrates by outdoor picnics and events. But, due to the popularity in cherry blossoms, it could get quite busy. The fall time is another option, especially during the months of October - November. With ideal weather conditions and nice autumn leaves it’s also a relatively quiet period for domestic and international travel. Check out the graph at the bottom of the page to understand the busy periods of Japan

Overall it really depends on you!

It really depends of when you can come to Japan and what you would like to see as well. Just remember depending on when you come to Japan, the scenery could be completely different! No mater what time of year you come, it’s guaranteed that you’ll enjoy it or find something interesting. Figure out what’s best for you.

Photo Credit: Live Japan

The JR lines or the Japan Railways offers a Japan Rail Pass that foreigners can claim to ease travel throughout Japan. It can be used on any JR Lines (The pass can only be used on JR Lines only. This includes bullet trains. Cannot be used for Tokyo Metro and other private lines such as Tokyu) throughout the country making it a very popular pass to get for foreigners. They offer two passes: one is a green car pass and the other is a standard pass. The green car pass gives you access to all JR Line AND to the green cars on JR Lines which are comfier and more spacious cars. The standard pass does not include the green cars. The passes have three different options of purchase - 7 days, 14 days or 21 days.

Who’s eligible for the Japan Rail Pass?

The pass is only available to foreigners who are visiting Japan (special exceptions for Japanese nationals who reside abroad). The foreigner must be a visiting tourist from abroad for sight-seeing under the entry status of “temporary visitor”. The Japanese immigration law states that visitors can stay in Japan for 15 or up to 90 days for sight-seeing. Upon entry into Japan, you MUST get this stamped on your passport to be eligible for the pass. *If you go through customs through the automated machine, you will not get a stamp. Please go through a manned station or ask where you receive the stamp.

Ways to purchase

• Purchase pass on reservation website. Pick up the pass at a JR office found at the airport or at major JR stations.

• Purchase an exchange order at a JR-designated sales office or agent overseas. Pick up at designated offices after arriving in Japan

• Purchase at a ticket office in Japan. Check offices available here

  *Note: Bring your passport when purchasing and picking up your pass. You need to show your visitor stamp that you received at customs.

Pricing and options

IF PURCHASED AT A TICKET OFFICE OR ONLINE

7 day Green Car JR Pass: 44,810 YEN for adult, 22,400 YEN for children

14 day Green Car JR Pass: 72,310 YEN for adult, 36,150 YEN for children

21 day Green Car JR Pass: 91,670 YEN for adult, 45,830 YEN for children

7 day ordinary JR pass: 33,610 YEN for adult, 16,800 YEN for children

14 day ordinary JR pass: 52,960 YEN for adult, 26,480 YEN for children

21 day ordinary JR pass: 66,200 YEN for adult, 33,100 YEN for children

IF PURCHASED AN EXCHANGE ORDER AT DESIGNATED OFFICES OR OVERSEAS TRAVEL AGENT

7 day Green Car JR Pass: 39,600 YEN for adult, 19,800 YEN for children

14 day Green Car JR Pass: 64,120 YEN for adult, 32,060 YEN for children

21 day Green Car JR Pass: 83,390 YEN for adult, 41,690 YEN for children

7 day ordinary JR pass: 29,650 YEN for adult, 14,820 YEN for children

14 day ordinary JR pass: 47,250 YEN for adult, 23,620 YEN for children

21 day ordinary JR pass: 60,450 YEN for adult, 30,220 YEN for children

The Japan Rail Pass is worth it if:

• You are on a short trip (7-10 days) and moving quickly through cities

• You are visiting many places and travelling long distances. For example if you are moving through major cities such as Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka and Hiroshima with round trip, you would be getting your moneys worth.

• You are not on a backpackers budget. There are overnight buses that are much cheaper, but take MUCH longer for backpackers.

  These cases would be easier to have the pass. Make sure to purchase the pass AHEAD OF TIME. More info about the passes here.

  The Japan Rail Pass might NOT be worth it if:

• You are backpacking or have a lot of time in Japan. The JR pass must be used consecutive days from when you pick up the pass.

• Your only destinations is one region of Japan. For example only the Kanto area (Tokyo, Fuji, Yokohama) or the Kansai area (Kyoto, Osaka, Hiroshima, Nara). Regional passes like the Mt. Fuji pass, Kansai thru pass or Hakone pass are cheaper and give transit access.

  We find that if you are exploring Japan more thoroughly and with time, it’s easier and cheaper to alternate between buses, train tickets and using regional passes.

  Overall

  If your circumstances are unique you can always use the JR pass calculator to see if your trip is worth more or less than the pass here. Depending on your trip, it could be well worth purchasing the JR purchase. Make sure to check out the https://japanrailpass.net/en/ website for full information on purchasing your JR pass.

Photo Credit: JR rail pass website

Sumimasen means excuse me or sorry. If you need to ask a question, walk past people in crowded places, or about to order then sumimasen is the word to use. At restaurants, you can use the word sumimasen to summon the waiter/waitress as well. In Japan, waiters and waitresses won’t come to your table unless you call them. It is polite for the waiter/waitress to come to your table only if you are called as they don’t want to bother you during your meal.

Photo Credit: Voyapon

A simple way to say thank you. Arigato means thank you and the gozaimasu at the end is to make it the word polite. Often times, you might hear the word otsukaresamadesu almost as a replacement. Literally translated it basically means you are so tired, thank you. It’s a common greeting usually at the end of work, class, phone call or when you are eating with your colleagues at the end of a hard days work.

Photo Credit: Voyapon

 After finishing a meal in Japan, it is polite to say gochisousama (Goh-chee-sou-sama). This is an expression after the meal to express gratitude to the meal (and to someone who may be treating you). The translation can roughly be seen as “Thank you for the meal”. Now don’t get gochisousama mixed with arigatou! While both may have thank you in them, arigatou should be used when thanking someone, while gochisousama is strictly used after a meal. 

Photo Credit: Voyapon

Before eating a meal in Japan, it is always common to put your hands together (or not) and say Itadakimasu (EE-ta-da-kee-masu). It is an expression of gratitude, but its literal meaning means to receive or to accept. A more common term that is a bit similar to itadakimasu is “bon apetit”. Make sure to say it before eating!

Photo Credit: Voyapon

Often times, most restaurants in Japan will give you an oshibori as soon as you sit down. An oshibori is a hot or cold small towel (nowadays restaurants might just use one-time wipes) used to clean your hands before you eat. It is a common hospitality practice in Japan. So, if you receive a small towel at a restaurant and don’t know what to do with it, simply clean your hands with them, and then neatly fold them next to you to use throughout your meal if your hands get dirty again!

Towel form of oshibori

Wrapped one time use oshibori

On our Tokyo tours you can learn etiquette’s at a shrine. Before entering the shrine, bow once in front of the torii. When leaving the torii bow one more time. 

How to pray at Shrines:

1. Throw in desired amount of coin (10 yen is considered bad luck, 5 yen is good luck)

2. Bow twice

3. Clap hands twice

4. While keeping hands together after the clap, silently pray for desired length

5. Bow once more

*Easy to remember by following the 2-2-1 (2 bows, 2 claps, 1 bow)

Water Basin at the entrance of a Shinto Shrine on our Tokyo tours

At a shrine or temple, there will be a basin of water where you can “purify yourself”. Before going into the main grounds of a shrine or temple, people will usually wash their hands here. This is to ensure that you have cleansed yourself physically and spiritually before greeting the deity.

How to purify your body and mind:

1. Grab the water scoop with the right hand and scoop water. 

2. Wash the left hand with half the water

3. Then wash the right hand

4. Scoop water again and pour some into left hand to wash your mouth

5. Scoop water again and tilt the scoop towards you to let the water rinse the handle.

Water Basin at the entrance of a Shinto Shrine on our Tokyo tours