Miyajima might only be a small island, but there’s a lot to cram into a visit. Here are the 10 things we don’t think you should miss. 1. See the Floating Torii Gate It’s probably Miyajima’s most famous sight, and it might be the main reason you’re making your own visit to the island. It’s ... Read more The post The Top 10 Things to Do on Miyajima appeared first on Japlanease.| Japlanease
Watch out on your Japan trip. A few things we might not think twice about doing at home, or even in another holiday destination, are just not done in Japan, and we’re (often inadvertently) upsetting the local people by doing them. Here’s what to be aware of so you don’t make the same mistake. 1. ... Read more The post 8 Ways Tourists Are Annoying People in Japan appeared first on Japlanease.| Japlanease
Most people who visit Miyajima Island near Hiroshima visit for the day, but is it worth staying overnight on the island? Here’s our opinion and how to decide if it’s the best option for you. At 6 AM on Miyajima Island, my only companion was a deer stretching awake in the morning sun. Twelve hours ... Read more The post Should You Stay Overnight on Miyajima? appeared first on Japlanease.| Japlanease
Saijo is a small town just a 36-minute easy train ride from Hiroshima, but despite its size, Saijo punches above its weight when it comes to making sake. Seven sake breweries can be found in| Japlanease
Organizing a trip to Japan can be a bit overwhelming, but after eight trips to Japan (so far), we have got pretty good at Ja-planning at Japlanease. So, let us share our secrets and cut| Japlanease
These two cities are just a short bus ride away from each other, and have a lot in common with their small streets lined with creaky old wooden buildings that demand to be photographed! But if you don’t have time to visit both on our trip, which one is the right choice for you? Here’s ... Read more The post Takayama or Kanazawa – Which Should You Visit? appeared first on Japlanease.| Japlanease
Looking for recommendations for restaurants in Hiroshima? Here are all the places I ate on my recent trip, plus a couple of other highly recommended suggestions. As ever, when I write a food piece, I need to prefix this with a caveat. I am not a huge foodie when I go to Japan. Don’t get ... Read more The post Where to Eat in Hiroshima appeared first on Japlanease.| Japlanease
Want to start your day with a familiar meal during your trip to Japan? Here are 10 suggestions of places that might help. They’re where to go if you want to breakfast on pastries, sandwiches or a full-on bacon and egg extravaganza. What Is a Traditional Japanese Breakfast? While some breakfasts in Japan might look ... Read more The post Where to Get Western Breakfasts in Japan appeared first on Japlanease.| Japlanease
Hotels in Japan are generally quite small, as are the beds. This means that if you’re travelling as a larger family, you might find it harder to find rooms that can fit you all in – but here are 16 suggestions in Tokyo to try. The Mimaru Chain Mimaru are THE chain to start your ... Read more The post 16 Hotels in Tokyo That Sleep 4 – or More appeared first on Japlanease.| Japlanease
Japan is an incredible destination for families, but eating out as a family can sometimes be daunting, especially if you’re eating with kids who might like their food to be a bit more like home.| Japlanease
Tokyo Metro has just announced a significant change to its ticket payment system, and it’s not alone – here’s what you need to know if you’re planning on traveling to Tokyo soon. On July 24th 2025, the Tokyo Metro announced that as of Spring 2026, you’ll be able to tap on and off all of ... Read more The post Big Changes Are Coming For Getting Around Tokyo appeared first on Japlanease.| Japlanease
If you're interested in the history of the atomic bomb that hit Hiroshima in August 1945, you probably have the Atomic Bomb Dome and the Peace Museum on your list of Must-See Sights. But the| Japlanease
It doesn't matter how tall you are, if you stand in front of the giant lion's head at Osaka's Namba Yasaka shrine, you'll feel tiny - here's why it should be on your Osaka itinerary,| Japlanease
Hakone is close enough to Tokyo to visit for the day, but is that long enough? Here's how long we think you need to spend in Hakone. Many people who visit Hakone arrive in the| Japlanease
Japan has 16 national holidays a year. Some of them you'll hardly notice, while others can completely throw off your plans by filling the Shinkansen, causing things to close on random days, or turning the| Japlanease
They have three of the best views in Tokyo, but which one should you add to your itinerary? Having finally got up Tokyo Tower and Skytree on our latest trip, we realized they all have| Japlanease
When you think of temples in Japan, you probably think of Kyoto - after all, it does have some jaw-dropping gold ones, 'silver' ones, and even one with hundreds of bright red torii gates -| Japlanease
Everywhere you look in Tokyo, you'll see them. A row of plastic machines with big pictures on the front, a coin slot, and a turning handle. Inside, there are capsules filled with toys. This, my| Japlanease
Most hotels in Japan have very strict check-in and check-out times, so what do you do with your bags if you're flight arrives early or leaves late? Or, if you're staying in an Airbnb where| Japlanease
There are now three main ferries that will take you to the pretty island of Miyajima, but which one is right for you? Check out our guide to the Miyajima ferries to find out. Table| Japlanease
The floating torii gate at Itsukushima Shrine on the island of Miyajima, near Hiroshima is one of Japan's most beautiful sights - but, if you time your visit wrong, it might not look like you're| Japlanease
Think you know Japan? Think again! Imagine landing in Tokyo with a suitcase full of assumptions, only to discover that half of them don't hold true. Here are nine common myths to let go of| Japlanease
Officially called the Ebisu Tower Ferris Wheel, everything about this says fun - it's bright yellow, U-shaped, perched on top of the Don Quijote store in Dotonbori, Osaka's neon-lit playground and covered with pictures of| Japlanease
About 90 minutes outside of Tokyo, Sendai is a buzzing but less touristy city in Japan. It's the jumping-off point for tours of the Fukushima area, close to Matsushima, one of Japan's most beautiful views| Japlanease
The new summer ‘Cool Off’ season starts at Tokyo Disney on July 2nd and runs through the summer until September 15th - and a lot is happening. Here’s what to expect… The point of Summer| Japlanease
Going to Universal Studios Japan will never be a really cheap day out, but how much should you budget for? Here’s an idea of how much things cost in the park - and how much| Japlanease
We think four full days is the minimum time you need to see all of Kyoto's best sights without rushing around too much - so how should you break that down? Our four-day Kyoto itinerary| Japlanease
Japan is a land where almost everything can be made cuter, brighter, and frankly, a bit more fun than it is elsewhere. And the humble KitKat bar is no exception - here's why you might| Japlanease
The last time I went to Tokyo Disney Resort, I just kind of rocked up at the entrance, bought a ticket, and went in. As I plan my next visit, a lot has changed about| Japlanease
If you’d asked me this before my last trip to Tokyo I would have said no… but, after this trip, I changed my mind. Here's why and what you might want to consider if you're| Japlanease
Narita Airport is actually nearer to Tokyo Disney Resort than it is to Tokyo itself - but that doesn't necessarily mean it's easy to decide how to get from the airport to TDR, especially if| Japlanease
Being able to sleep on the plane can make a big difference to your Japan trip. If you arrive feeling refreshed you’re more able to get off the ground running as soon as you land| Japlanease
Fantasy Springs is Tokyo DisneySea's newest area. It opened on June 6th, 2024, and it's a bit different to get into than the rest of the parks. Here's how to do it. Fantasy Springs is| Japlanease
Booking a visit to the Tokyo Disney Resort can be a logistical challenge. Many steps and dates are involved, so I decided it might be helpful to put everything down in one handy guide so| Japlanease
There's a lot of good food in Japan, but here are the dishes thatstuck in my memory long after I returned home.| Japlanease
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Japlanease is a travel blog about Japan by journalist Helen Foster. It's full of travel tips and advice to make traveling to Japan easier.| Japlanease
The Airport Limousine Bus can be a very simple way to get from the airport in Tokyo to your hotel. Here's what you need to know to use it.| Japlanease
Tokyo Disney Resort doesn't work exactly like the other Disney parks. Here's what you need to know before you visit. If it's your first visit to the Tokyo Disney resort, there are a couple of| Japlanease
When many of us think about Japanese food we tend to think about the fish dishes - sushi and sashimi - which leads a lot of people to wonder what on earth they are going| Japlanease
The Sagano Romantic Train is a scenic sightseeing train that travels along the top of the Hozugawa River and the Hozu Gorge in Kyoto between Arashiyama and Kameoka. But, is it worth taking the time| Japlanease
There are a lot of mistakes you can make on a trip to Japan - and a lot of posts covering them. Normally these lists are all about etiquette - don't blow your nose in| Japlanease
Kyoto is busy - sometimes it can feel busier than Tokyo as in Tokyo, people are heading in all different directions, whereas in Kyoto, people are all in the same places at the same time.| Japlanease
Tokyo is primarily a modern city, but, you'll find pockets of tradition dotted among the neon - and one of these in Asakusa. Home to one of Tokyo's most important shrines, Senso-ji - and, winding| Japlanease
If you plan to visit Tokyo Disneyland or DisneySea on your trip, then it’s a good idea to time your visit for less busy days and avoid those when the crowds are heaviest– but when| Japlanease
If you’re staying in Kyoto, it’s very easy to take a trip to the nearby city of Osaka to eat some great food, see the famous lights or the castle, or visit Universal Studios Japan,| Japlanease
Goshuin are hand-drawn designs that you can collect from shrines and temples around Japan - and they make a beautiful souvenir of your trip. But, as with everything in Japan, there's a little bit of| Japlanease
One of the first things you need to decide when planning your trip to Tokyo is where, in this enormous city, you want to stay. There are thousands of hotels to pick from and a| Japlanease
Three days is the perfect amount of time to see all the big sights in Osaka - plus a few surprises I've found on my three trips there. Our three-day Osaka itinerary shows you how| Japlanease
A great stop between Tokyo and Osaka, Nagoya tends to get ignored on most first-time traveler's itineraries. It even took me until trip six to get there - and that was by accident! That meant| Japlanease
Planning a trip to Tokyo can take a little more forward planning than your normal itinerary. Not only do you have to consider how to get there, where to stay, and what to do once| Japlanease
Traveling on the bullet train soon. We explain how to buy shinkansen tickets online before your trip - or, in person in Japan| Japlanease
There are a few different ways you can travel from Haneda Airport to Tokyo Disneyland, DisneySea or Disney Resort - so which is best for you?| Japlanease
