Japan – 日本 or Nihon, with the first kanji literally meaning ‘sun’ and the second ‘origin’, which translates to the ‘Land of the rising sun’ as can be found in the English language – is a country in East Asia, made up of 6.852 islands – the main 4 being Hokkaido, Honshu, Kyushu and Shikoku.
Japan is known for many traditions and craftsmenships such as their Buddhist and Shinto rituals, tea ceremonies, hot springs, ryokan, pottery, taiko performances … too many to name in this small introduction!
I (Florence) spent 2 weeks in Japan in 2017 with my family. But I am eager to return and explore more of this country. Here you will find some guides to places I have visited during my trip.
GENERAL INFORMATION:
Most people speak Japanese as their first language. However, there are still some little-known languages spoken throughout the country, one of these is for instance the language spoken by the Ainu in Hokkaido. In most big cities you will get by easily on English. However in more rural places you might need to communicate using your hands and feet if you don’t know any Japanese.
The currency used in Japan is the Yen (¥).
The power plug sockets used are Type A and B. Typically the voltage is 100 V.
There is no best time to visit Japan, since the countrie’s climate is so diverse. It all depends on where you go and what you prefer. For instance Hokkaido is great to visit in the summer months, however the rest of the country tends to get very hot and humid. End of March- early April is great for sakura season. End of October – November for Momiji (Fall leaves). During the summer months there are festivals throughout Japan and you can climb Mount Fuji. So pick the season that best suits your itinerary. Just maybe try to avoid Golden week (typically end of April-beginning of May) and Obon week (Mid-August), since most Japanese people travel during these holidays and everything will be booked out. Also during New Year, a lot will be closed.
Travel-Planning
Do you want to know the best way to get around Japan? Or are you looking for inspiration for your own Japan itinerary? Find answers to all your questions in our Japan travel-planning guides!
Planning your first trip to Japan can be quite overwhelming, because there is so much to see and do and only such limited time. I know, I definitely struggled when building...
Categories
Browse our Japan Guides by category!
Are you looking for city and sightseeing guides? Are you interested in finding hikes in Japan? Or are you just looking for some travel inspiration in general? Browse our categories down below to find all our guides to Japan!
Sightseeing Guides
In this section you will find all our sightseeing guides to various destinations in Japan. Find out everything there is to see and do in this magical country!
In this Japan guide we give you all the information you need to spend one day in Kamakura as a daytrip from Tokyo!
Shirakawa-go is a historic mountain village in Gifu Prefecture in the middle of the Japanese Alps and part of Japan´s UNESCO World Heritage Sites...
Theme Park Guides
Japan is home to some amazing theme parks. In these guides we share everything you need to know to have an amazing time visiting!
In this guide we tell you how to prepare for your upcoming Tokyo Disney Sea trip, what to watch out for and how to navigate the masses.
