01Tokyo
Old streets, new obsessions
Pair Asakusa craft shops with Kappabashi kitchenware and the neon backstreets of Shibuya.
✈
FROM THE AIRPORTHND 35 min · NRT 60 min
↗Curated in Japan · Travel deeper
Find the Japan
you’ll bring home.
A smarter guide to the places, makers, flavors, and finds that turn a trip into your story.
47prefectures,
one clear guide
one clear guide
LOCALmaker stories &
honest recommendations
honest recommendations
DATEDreview dates &
official source links
official source links
START HERE•LIVE EVENTS•47 PREFECTURES•TAX-FREE SHOPPING•SMARTER ROUTES
FIRST TIME IN JAPAN?Start with the decisions that shape everything else.
01Choose whenWeather, clothes and crowds
↗02Plan arrivalAirport routes and late flights
↗03Shape the routeRealistic 7–14 day ideas
↗Open the first-trip guide →01 · DISCOVER
Go beyond
the obvious.
Start with a place. We’ll connect the signature sights with the neighborhoods, crafts, food, and practical routes that make it yours.
01
02Kyoto
Craft, calm, and living history
Walk temple lanes at first light, then meet the makers behind tea, incense, lacquerware, and textiles.
✈
FROM THE AIRPORTKIX 100 min · ITM 55 min
↗
03Hokkaido
Big landscapes, small producers
Build a route around national parks, dairy farms, seafood markets, and Sapporo’s independent shops.
✈
FROM THE AIRPORTCTS 37 min to Sapporo
↗
04Fukuoka
A delicious first step into Kyushu
Explore design stores by day and settle into a riverside yatai for a bowl of late-night ramen.
✈
FROM THE AIRPORTFUK 11 min to Hakata
↗02 · THE SHOPPING EDIT
Buy less.
Choose better.
From a ¥300 convenience-store discovery to a forever watch, we explain what is special, where to find it, and how to bring it home.
Open the complete buying guide →01
Objects with a maker’s story↗02
Limited editions worth the hunt↗03
What travels well—and what doesn’t↗04
Tax-free tips and authenticity checks↗
Made in Japan
Ceramics, knives, woodwork, textiles
Pop culture
Character goods, manga, games, toys
Taste of Japan
Tea, sake, snacks, regional foods
Icons & investment
Watches, bags, cameras, vintage
03 · HAPPENING NOW
Right place.
Right season.
UPDATED AUG 1, 2026
Dates can change. Always check the official event page before travel.
AUG 1–7, 2026AOMORI
Aomori Nebuta Festival
Huge illuminated floats, dancers and festival music move through central Aomori, ending with a daytime parade and evening marine procession.
Official details ↗
AUG 3–6, 2026AKITA
Akita Kanto Festival
Performers balance towering lantern poles shaped like glowing ears of rice along Kanto Odori in central Akita.
Official details ↗
AUG 6–8, 2026SENDAI
Sendai Tanabata Festival
Several-meter-long handmade streamers transform Sendai’s covered shopping arcades into one of Japan’s largest Tanabata celebrations.
Official details ↗
04 · PLAN WITH CONFIDENCE
Land. Connect.
Explore.
Every prefecture guide pairs a visual map with the practical detail travelers actually need.
- 01 Airport-to-city routes and realistic journey times
- 02 Rail passes, IC cards, buses, ferries and car rental
- 03 Saveable routes for 24 hours, 3 days or a full week
THE 47 PREFECTURES
HOKKAIDOTOHOKUTOKYOKANSAIKYUSHU
05 · TRAVEL TOOLKIT
Plan the parts
that matter.
From your first connection to the final tax-free check, these practical guides turn research into clear decisions.
01
First-trip start
↗5Entry checks, route shape, arrival sequence, quick answers and emergency tools.
Language help
↗⌕Core planning guidance in English, Japanese, Chinese and Korean.
Search every guide
↗47Find a prefecture, city, interest, practical need or product comparison.
Prefecture guides
↗6Gateways, signature places, starter routes and local finds.
Model itineraries
↗NEWRealistic 7–14 day routes for first trips, food, craft, art and nature.
Pre-trip planner
↗7Booking order, budgets, room types, entry, medication, families and access.
Essential travel guides
↗7eSIM, transport, luggage, tax-free, dietary needs, etiquette and safety.
Current event desk
↗8Verified dates, access, tickets and crowd-planning notes for major festivals.
Shopping comparisons
↗7Price bands, where to buy and the checks to make before paying.
Airport arrival guides
↗12City routes, terminal steps, luggage choices and late-flight fallbacks.
Weather & crowd calendar
↗12Climate normals, clothing and the 2026 dates that affect bookings.
Access & family directory
↗Real facilities, official services and the questions to verify first.