秋の日本
A few tips I have before the start of the trip are:
Flights (arrival time, airport location)
QR code for immigration and customs
Hotels
JR Pass, Suica, Tokyo Subway ticket
Itinerary overview
Travel Tips for Japan
I recommend booking flights that arrive after 2:00 PM Japan time (JPT). The airport you choose will affect the length and ease of your commute. Haneda Airport, located in Tokyo, usually offers a shorter commute—generally about 25–35 minutes depending on where you’re staying. In contrast, Narita Airport is just outside of Tokyo and typically about one hour from central Tokyo. Flights to Narita are often cheaper, but you’ll need to consider the added travel time.
After being on a long flight, I’ve found that now that I’m older, I prefer to just book a taxi. It’s more comfortable, and the driver will drop you off directly at your hotel, which is far easier than navigating public transportation with luggage. It’s a personal preference and something I’ve decided is worth splurging on.
Before Arrival
Before arriving in Japan, I highly recommend filling out the immigration and customs forms online. You’ll need to create an account and enter the required information. Once completed, save the QR code by taking a screenshot. Airport Wi-Fi can be slow since many people are trying to access it at once, so doing this ahead of time saves you from having to rely on the spotty internet or filling out paper forms.
The website is: https://www.vjw.digital.go.jp/
Hotels and Location Tips
I recommend staying in Minato City—it’s close to Tokyo Tower, Tsukiji Market, and centrally located for easy access to many popular destinations via public transportation. I’ve stayed farther out to save around $100, but in hindsight, it wasn’t worth it. Being 40 minutes away from central Tokyo meant we often had to cut our outings short to catch the last trains (which usually stop running at midnight).
When researching hotels, check how far they are from the nearest train station. If it's about a 5-minute walk, that’s ideal. After a full day of exploring, being close to your accommodation makes a big difference. A longer walk—say 20 minutes—on top of a train ride can really wear you down.
Transportation
You’ll find many transportation options in Japan. In Tokyo, the main systems are the Tokyo Metro and the JR (Japan Rail) lines. JR lines are privately owned and include the Shinkansen (bullet train). A quick way to distinguish them: JR lines use squares with numbers/names, while Tokyo Metro lines use circles.
Don’t be intimidated by the transit system. If it’s your first time, you might get a little lost (lol), but train station staff are usually very helpful.
For getting around, you can purchase either a Suica card or a Welcome Suica card.
Suica cards are valid for up to 10 years.
Welcome Suica cards are for short-term visitors (valid for about a month).
Both can be purchased at airports or at most train stations using machines with English-language options. Suica cards can also be used at vending machines and convenience stores like 7-Eleven, Lawson, Mini Stop, and Family Mart. You can even reload your Suica at a 7-Eleven ATM, which can be more convenient than doing it at a crowded train station.
There’s also a Suica app (available on iPhone) if you prefer using your phone.
If you're mostly staying in Tokyo, consider buying a 24-, 48-, or 72-hour Tokyo Metro pass, which is activated when you use it for the first time. These only work on Tokyo Metro and Toei lines, not JR lines—so for those, you'll still need a Suica.
If it’s someone’s first trip to Japan, I usually suggest just staying in Tokyo. There's so much to see, and it’s better to take your time exploring than rushing to Osaka or Kyoto. Save those for a future trip. If you do plan to travel south, use a JR Pass calculator to see if the JR Pass is worth it. Prices go up every year, so it may not always make sense financially. For me, it has paid off, especially since I plan itineraries that maximize use of JR lines (including the Shinkansen and JR ferry).
Itinerary Overview
Weather and Clothing
Fall weather in Japan can be a bit chilly. I recommend bringing a light jacket or sweater. During the day, it's usually mild, but once the sun sets, it gets noticeably cooler. As you get closer to December, temperatures drop further, and I found myself wearing a scarf as well.
Exploring & Local Tips
Many travelers get up early to maximize their day. For example, Sensoji Temple is always open, but shops selling omamori (Japanese talismans for good luck, health, success, etc.) may not open until later. Most shops in Tokyo start opening around 10:00 AM or later.
For breakfast, many visitors grab food from convenience stores (open 24/7), or visit Tsukiji Market, which opens early and is great for quick bites while exploring.
A two-week adventure through Japan in November — take a peak of the photo diary.
We flew out on a Saturday and landed the next day in Japan, on a Sunday. (When booking hotels, just keep in mind the time difference and double-check that you’re booking the correct number of nights.) We landed at Narita Airport, and through Booking.com, I arranged a taxi that picked us up and took us straight to our hotel. I booked it about a month in advance, and it cost around $125 for five people.
After being dropped off at the hotel, we went out for dinner. Since we were staying in Minato, we decided to walk to Tokyo Tower to see it in person. Afterward, we headed back to the hotel. I recommend going to bed early that first night—by around 10:30 PM—because your body will naturally wake up earlier due to jet lag.
The following morning, since we were up early, we headed to Tsukiji Market, where everyone in the group tried different foods they were excited about. Some of our group hadn’t been to Tokyo before, so we made our way to Shibuya, spent time shopping, and then walked over to Meiji Shrine to explore the area.
We only stayed two nights in Tokyo at the beginning of our trip, since part of our group was heading home earlier. On our third day, we took the Shinkansen to Okayama. In hindsight, I’d suggest staying more in Osaka, as Okayama is a bit further south and less central. Since we had set up the itinerary, we acted more like tour guides—helping our friends get on trains and showing them around the towns we visited.
To keep everything organized, I created a Google Sheet with an overview of our itinerary. It helped others in the group know where we were headed next. That said, even with careful planning, there will always be unexpected changes. For example, on our Uji day, we left on time, but the Shinkansen experienced delays. What should’ve been a 45-minute ride turned into a 1.5-hour trip, not including the local train we still needed to take. It’s important to stay flexible and be ready to pivot when needed.
I usually include extra options in our itinerary in case we have more time than expected. Sometimes, an activity you assume will take an hour ends up taking just 20 minutes. That was our experience at the Ginza Aquarium, so I had already looked up other nearby things to do—this helped us avoid standing around asking, “What should we do now?”
After Okayama, we returned to Tokyo to finish out the trip with the rest of the group. One of our last outings together was to Kamakura, a beach town just over an hour outside Tokyo. We took the scenic Enoden train on the way to Enoshima Island, which runs along the coast. We wrapped up the day with dinner at a local pizza shop before the guys got ready to fly back home. After they left, we visited Tokyo Disneyland for half a day—it was surprisingly cheaper than back home. We also spent a full day at Tokyo DisneySea the day before heading back to the U.S.
Hope this helps spark a few ideas or give you some useful options as you plan your own trip!