Kyoto for two — 4 unhurried days

Before you book

• Check your passport and entry rules first.

  Before booking anything, check your passport's validity and the entry rules for your nationality — visa or visa-waiver, allowed stay, and any pre-registration your destination asks for. Rules differ by passport, not by airline.

• Sort travel insurance while flights are refundable.

  Medical care abroad is paid care — a short hospital visit can cost more than the trip. Buy a policy that covers medical treatment and trip interruption when you book, not the week you fly.

• Do the JR Pass math — it rarely wins anymore.

  Since the 2023 price rise, the classic Tokyo–Kyoto–Osaka route is usually cheaper with individual Shinkansen tickets than a 7-day JR Pass. Add up your actual long-distance legs before buying a pass; a simple round trip almost never justifies it.

• Avoid — or plan hard around — Golden Week and Obon.

  Golden Week (April 29–May 5), Obon (mid-August) and New Year are Japan's national travel peaks: trains and hotels sell out, prices spike, and early-bird train discounts are suspended. If your dates are flexible, shift a week; if not, book everything early.

• Check your medicines are legal in Japan.

  Japan bans some medicines that are ordinary elsewhere — anything with pseudoephedrine (many decongestants, Vicks inhalers) and ADHD stimulants like Adderall. Bring prescriptions for what you carry, and if you need more than a month's supply of prescription medicine, apply for a "yakkan shoumei" import certificate before flying.

2–4 weeks before

• Set up an eSIM before you land.

  Install a travel eSIM at home over Wi-Fi and it activates when you land — no airport SIM counters, no roaming surprises. Keep your home SIM active for bank SMS codes.

• Book Shinkansen seats about 3 weeks out.

  Seat reservations for the Tokyo–Kyoto–Osaka line open up to a year ahead on the official Smart-EX app, and early-bird fares (EX Early Bird 21) close 21 days before travel — set a reminder around three weeks out. Reserved cars fill first on Fridays, Sundays and holidays; oversized luggage needs the special seat.

• USJ: buy Express Passes the day they release.

  Universal Studios Japan releases each date's tickets and Express Passes 60 days ahead, and Express Passes for Super Nintendo World sell out weeks early on busy dates. There are no gate sales for most tickets anymore — buy online, and treat the Express Pass as essential with kids.

• Tokyo Disney: tickets open 2 months out; Premier Access is in-app.

  Tokyo Disneyland and DisneySea park tickets go on sale exactly two months ahead at 14:00 Japan time — dated tickets, no gate sales. Paid Premier Access (the fast pass) is bought in the official app only after you're inside, so arrive 30–60 minutes before opening on busy days.

• Some places sell out a month before — Ghibli first.

  Ghibli Museum tickets go on sale on the 10th of each month at 10:00 Japan time for the following month, and sell out in minutes — plan 4–7 weeks ahead. teamLab, Shibuya Sky sunset slots and character cafés also want dated online bookings weeks out.

A few days before

• Download offline maps and the language pack.

  Before you fly, download your destination's offline map area and the offline language pack in Google Translate or Apple Translate. The camera/Lens mode reads menus and signs instantly — it works best with the pack already on your phone.

• Prep your cards, skip the worst exchange rates.

  Tell your bank you're traveling, carry a second card in a different bag, and when a terminal offers to charge you in your home currency, always choose the local currency — "dynamic currency conversion" is a built-in bad rate.

• Fill in Visit Japan Web before your flight.

  Register your passport, flight and customs declaration on the free Visit Japan Web site before departure and you'll clear immigration and customs with QR codes instead of paper forms. Do it at home — airport Wi-Fi queues are the slow way.

• Get your transit IC card on your phone.

  On iPhone, the free Welcome Suica Mobile app issues a Suica straight into Apple Wallet (valid 180 days) — top up by card, tap through every train, subway, bus and konbini. Most non-Japanese Android phones can't hold a Suica, so grab a physical Welcome Suica at the airport instead.

• Japan uses type-A plugs at 100V.

  Outlets take two flat pins (US-style, type A); UK and EU plugs need an adapter. Voltage is 100V — modern phone and laptop chargers handle it fine, but check hair tools rated only for 220–240V.

On arrival

• Ship your suitcases ahead — ride trains hands-free.

  Any hotel desk can send your luggage to your next hotel with takkyubin (Yamato) for about ¥2,000–2,600 per bag, arriving the next day. Hand it over at checkout by late morning, keep a day bag, and board the Shinkansen with your hands free — the single best trick for families.

• Always carry cash.

  Japan is far more cash-driven than you expect: small restaurants, shrines, markets and some ticket machines are cash-only. Withdraw yen from 7-Eleven or Japan Post ATMs — they reliably accept foreign cards — and keep coins for lockers and vending machines. And don't tip: it isn't done anywhere, and staff will chase you down to return it.

• Taxis are easy — get the GO app.

  GO is Japan's dominant taxi app (about 80% of the market): English interface, foreign credit cards, coverage in all 47 prefectures. Uber and DiDi also work in the big cities — they mostly dispatch the same licensed taxis. Rear doors open automatically; don't touch them.

Daily on the ground

• Carry a small trash bag — public bins are rare.

  Street bins mostly disappeared from Japanese cities; locals carry their trash home. Keep a small bag in your daypack, and empty it at convenience-store bins when you buy something there.

• Follow the quiet local rules — they're real.

  Keep phones on silent and don't take calls on trains, queue exactly where marked, stand on one side of the escalator, and skip eating while walking on ordinary streets. If you have tattoos and plan an onsen, check its policy or book a private bath.

• Read Tabelog alongside Google reviews.

  Japan's own restaurant site scores much harder than Google: on Tabelog, 3.4 is genuinely good and 3.7+ is exceptional. If a place holds high marks on both, book it — and note popular dinner spots want reservations days ahead.

• With a stroller, route like a wheelchair.

  In Google Maps, switch transit directions to "wheelchair accessible" — it routes you via station elevators instead of stair-only exits, which matters in big interchange stations. Station staff will also open the wide gate for you at the ticket barrier.

• Five phrases carry you a long way.

  "Sumimasen" (excuse me / sorry — the universal opener), "arigatou gozaimasu" (thank you), "kore kudasai" (this one, please — point and smile), "oishii" (delicious), "toire wa doko desu ka?" (where's the toilet?). Staff light up when you try — and "daijoubu desu" politely declines a bag or receipt.

• Tax-free shopping is now refund-at-the-airport.

  From November 1, 2026, Japan's tax-free system changes: you pay the full price (with 10% tax) in the shop, scan your passport at the register, then claim the refund at airport kiosks before departure — within 90 days of purchase. The old sealed-bag rule disappears with it.

• Convenience stores are your base camp.

  7-Eleven, Lawson and FamilyMart are open 24/7 and genuinely good: reliable ATMs, cheap quality food (onigiri, egg sandwiches, hot coffee), clean toilets in many branches, event-ticket machines, and takkyubin luggage counters. Locals eat there without irony — so should you.

Japan travel checklist