There's not many countries that I've visited in the last few years that I'm in a rush to go back to, but I'd love to see Japan again (mostly for the food). We spent just over a week travelling between Tokyo and Kyoto and I think we managed to see all the cities have to offer. On my next trip I'd love to also visit Osaka and try all of their famous street food. If any of these cities are on your bucket list, keep reading to find out 5 tips for travelling to Japan in 2024.
1. Research the best time to go for what you want to see.
We visited in February because it's when we kicked off our Asia trip, and it was definitely cold! We did manage to see Mount Fuji which as told by our guide, is very dependent on what the weather is like that day. You can take a day trip to Mount Fuji from Tokyo. We paid £45 which included pick up from Ueno station and drop-off (1.5 hour journey), and we visited 3 locations. We couldn't actually go to the 5th Station (entrance to the mountain) as it had been snowing and so the roads were too slippery, but we did get great views of Fuji from Kawaguchiko lake and Oshino Hakkai. To increase your chances, the best time to visit Mt Fuji is between November and February.
If you're more interested in cherry blossom season, then the best time to visit is in the spring (late March/early April). There's no shortage of cherry blossoms in Tokyo, one of the more popular places to see them is at Ueno Park. If you want to find somewhere a little less crowded, head to the English Garden in Shinjuku Gyoen. If you're in Kyoto, you'll want to see the 'weeping cherry tree' at Marayama Park.
2. Purchase a SIM or eSIM for Japan.
3. Get an IC card at the train station.
To avoid this I suggest you firstly get an IC card from the ticket machine, which is essentially like an Oyster card. You can tap this at any of the stations and means you don't have to keep buying single journey tickets. Secondly, use Google Maps! This will make getting to your destination 100 times easier as it will give you the correct platform and everything too.
4. Stay in a traditional ryokan
You could choose to stay in a chain hotel that you're familiar and comfortable with, or you could properly immerse yourself in the Japanese culture and stay in a ryokan. A ryokan differs from a hotel in that you'll usually sleep on a futon bed and the rooms will be quite minimal and the floors are usually made of 'tatami' matting. Not exclusive to ryokans as you'll see these everywhere, that Japanese toilets have a lot more functions than your regular toilets back home!
5. Be mindful of cultural differences
I hope you've found this post useful. If you have any other questions about Japan, feel free to message me on my socials or check out my travel guides below!
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