OTHER small tips

1. Best season in Japan

Honestly I do not think that there is absolutely one winner here. Every season in Japan has its ups and downs.

While Spring and Autumn are abviously beatiful for its sakura and momiji respectivly, those are the most crowded and pricey seasons in Japan.

Summer may be considered too hot to visit for some people, but it would be a perfect time to visit some of the Northern parts of Japan such as Hokkaido or Tohoku region (which otherwise might be too cold for some people to visit in winter). Summer is also very famous for its abundance of traditional festivals or so-called Matsuri in Japanese. Matsuri are vibrant celebrations deeply rooted in tradition and culture, featuring lively processions, traditional performances, delicious street food, and captivating fireworks.

Last but not least - Winter. Perfect time to visit regions that have a lot of hot springs (onsens) such as Beppu or Hakone to name just a few.

Or if you love skiing/snowboarding and you have never heard of term "Japow", stop right there, google it, and come back 😅

But there is also one more reason for visiting Japan in winter - I think it is the least crowded season in Japan, when you can visit the most popular spots and get this special authentic feeling of Japan's rich and deep culture and history.

2. Try to avoid visiting the most popular tourist spots on weekends.

Domestic tourism in Japan is absolutely enormous and usually all of the main touristy spots are at least 30-50% more packed on weekends.

Instead save weekends for trips to some truly off-beaten path locations and hidden gems (now would be a perfect time to check out my guides).

3. There is literally no bad time or season to visit Japan... Except one week. When this week comes, I buy lots of snacks, food or rent an airbnb in the middle of nowhere and hide until the most touristy storm of Japan calms down 🤣 you might've heard its name "Golden week" - it is a series of national holidays in Japan, packed together in one week, that takes place in late April and early May (different every year).

Tourist spots become absolutely packed for the same reason listed under previous tip and all of the prices soar to the sky (literally) because for some Japanese it will be the only possible time to travel.

4. Buses are always late 🥲

I know it sounds crazy, but in Kyoto 9/10 buses that I ride are late (at least 5 minutes). When I travel to other prefectures buses are also late quite often. I am not sure if I am simply unlucky with this type of transportation, but let it be a friendly reminder to you that there is always a chance you might miss your next transport, if there is a very short transfer time between two different busses or train and a bus (in the suggested route by google maps).

5. You will not find any trash cans on the streets (except those for plastic bottles or cans).

So if you have some trash with you after having a snack on the go, it might be a good idea to always carry a plastic bag to throw your trash in there and carry it until you find a trash can, which can sometimes be found inside the train/subway stations or in some convenience stores. Otherwise you will have to carry it all the way back to your hotel / airbnb.

6. If you will be travelling on a shinkansen (bullet train) between Tokyo and Kyoto, there is a good opportunity to get a good view of Mt.Fuji (though it all depends on the weather).

You simply have to sit (or reserve a seat) on the right side if you will be going from Tokyo to Kyoto or on the left side if you will be going from Kyoto to Tokyo.

Or if you will be buying a ticket from a casher, you can just say "Fujisan gawa onegaishimasu" (meaning "Mt.Fuji side please").

7. If you don't like the idea of carrying an umbrella when there is a very small chance of rain, there is a remedy for you.

Japan has those 100-yen shops (called "hyaku en shop" in japanese), where any item costs (you guessed correctly) 100 yen + 10 yen of tax. So the idea here is to go to one of those shops and get yourseld a plastic raincoat - it is light, small and gets the job done.

If the rain will caught you off guard anyway, you can buy an umbrella in any convenience store.

*Oh and don't forget to check out the rest of one of these 100-yen shop, they have so many fun items.

8. How not to piss off locals, though they will not say anything to you anyway:

🔊 Do not be loud... Anywhere in Japan... At least anywhere with only sober people around (Izakayas and bar streets are ok 😅)

👥 Don't cut in front of anyone waiting in line

🚮 Don't litter