Things to do in Japan

Japan is a chain of islands three thousand kilometres long. Nearly every trip lands in Tokyo or Osaka. The first decision is how far you go from there.

How the country divides

Honshu, the main island, carries most of what visitors come for. One rail spine links its cities.

• Kanto. Tokyo and Yokohama on the eastern plain, with Hakone and the Fuji lakes behind.
• Kansai. Kyoto for temples, Osaka for food and nerve, Nara for the older capital and its deer.
• The west. Hiroshima and the shrine at Miyajima, four hours from Tokyo by train.
• The Alps. Takayama, Kanazawa and the thatched farmhouses of Shirakawa-go, between the coasts.
• Hokkaido. The northern island: deep snow, hot springs and a February festival carved from ice.
• Okinawa. Subtropical islands closer to Taiwan than to Tokyo, with their own history.

What the country is bought for

Guided walking is the backbone of the offer. It earns its keep. Temples and castles say little without someone to unpack them.

• Kyoto on foot. Full days through the old town and the eastern temples, ending at Kiyomizu-dera.
• Osaka. The castle by day and Dotonbori after dark, plus food hunts run off your own phone.
• Cooking. Short classes in gyoza and home dishes, often an hour and cheaper than eating out.
• Cars. The tuning scene meets at night in motorway car parks, and there are runs out to watch it.

Trains, and what they now cost

The shinkansen runs Tokyo to Kyoto in about two and a quarter hours. Osaka is half an hour on. Hiroshima is four.

The nationwide rail pass has stopped being the automatic answer. Its price rose by roughly seventy per cent in October 2023, to fifty thousand yen for seven days. Point-to-point tickets often beat it.

Practical

• Blossom and leaves. Cherry peaks from late March into early April, moving north for weeks. Maples turn through November, and Kyoto fills again.
• Rain and wind. The rainy season runs June to mid-July on Honshu. Typhoons follow in late summer and stop trains for a day.
• Holidays to dodge. Golden Week at the turn of April and May, Obon in mid-August, New Year. Book trains and hotels months ahead.
• Tipping. Not done. Money left behind causes confusion, not pleasure.
• Shoes. Off at temple halls, inns and many restaurants. Slip-ons save time.
• Tattoos. Barred from many public baths. Ask first, or find one lending cover patches.
• Luggage. Courier services shift suitcases between hotels overnight for a few thousand yen.
• Money. Cards are normal in cities; cash for small shrines and rural buses.