From Dream to Reality
Japan. A country of dreams, intrigue and fascination. After months of preparation, I finally took the plunge for my first major solo trip. Organising such a trip can seem daunting: where to start? What to book? What budget?
In this article, I’m going to share with you, step by step, my preparation method, my advice and my tips. I’m warning you: this article is going to be long because there’s a lot to say. Get your notebook ready; we’re off to Japan!
Stage 1: The foundations
This first phase consists of outlining your trip: dates, duration, itinerary, budget, etc… It is generally planned 6 to 12 months before the planned departure.
1. The Seasons :
Speaking of departure, let’s take a look at when to go to Japan depending on the season:
- Spring: It’s THE season the general public loves. And the reason? The cherry blossoms, aka
Sakura(桜). The weather is mild and the temperatures are mild. Beware though, most tourist spots are packed with people and prices are blooming as much as the cherry blossoms… So be sure to break your piggy bank. - Summer: The main attraction of summer in Japan is the impressive array of festivals, aka Matsuri (祭り), with their many food stalls and various activities, not to mention the exceptional fireworks displays. As for the weather… it’s hot (very hot, in fact) and above all very humid, which can bother a lot of people. What’s more, it’s just in time for typhoons and other storms…
- Autumn: Autumn often rhymes with Momiji (もみじ), which refers to the red-tinged maple leaves emblematic of this season in Japan. Not to be confused with Kōyō (紅葉), which refers to the natural process of leaves changing colour. Like spring, autumn is a very mild season from a weather point of view, but tourist-wise… you’re likely to get crowded, and prices will be high too.
- Winter: In winter, especially around the festive season, you’ll find lots of illuminations of all kinds, as well as small Christmas markets. In the north, on the island of Hokkaidō, you’re likely to get cold (from -5°C to -20°C) and encounter quite a lot of snow, even walls of snow. However, it’s ideal for the Yuki Matsuri (雪祭り), the “snow festivals”, the most famous of which is in Sapporo. In the centre of Japan, in Tokyo, temperatures are low but nothing to worry about, so expect an average of between 5°C and 10°C. As for the south of Japan, in Okinawa for example, you can expect a good 15°C. Apart from the New Year holidays (29 December to 3 January), it shouldn’t be too crowded. As for prices, if you book early enough, you should be able to keep them under control.
My Personal Choice :
I chose winter, and in particular the period from late December to early January, right during the festive season. I wanted to experience all the hustle and bustle of winter, and taste some good, warm, comforting food. But also, in winter, there are far fewer foreign tourists (in principle, I’ll confirm that), so normally fewer people at the attractions. Of course, there are a few drawbacks: the cold, the end-of-year holidays (booking is compulsory for most activities), and the gardens and parks are not as full of flowers as in other seasons.
2. Duration and itineraries :
In Japan, there’s a lot to see and do. I recommend a trip of at least 2 weeks to get the most out of it. That’s the choice I made for my trip, 17 days to be exact.
When it comes to itineraries, the choice is yours: temples and sanctuaries, parks and gardens, amusement parks, shopping, etc… For my part, I chose a mix of all these. Between Tokyo Disneysee, the exploration of Tokyo, its eccentricities and secrets; the excursions to Nikko and Hakone, the return trip to Osaka for its castle, its street food and the Universal Studio. I don’t think I’ll be bored with all that.
3. Budget :
Travelling, no matter where, costs money. So it’s always a good idea to plan ahead to ensure you save as much as possible. Personally, I have identified 5 main areas of expenditure: the plane, accommodation, transport, food and souvenirs/small pleasures. I’ll go into all that in more detail in the next chapter. I’ll be doing a dedicated video review on the subject when I get back (don’t hesitate to subscribe to my networks!).
Stage 2: Key Reservations
Ah, reservations… it’s time to heat up the credit card! On a more serious note, this is an essential part of any trip, and even more so in Japan. Let me explain.
1. Airline tickets: the hunt is on
The first piece of advice is to be flexible about your dates, as this is one of the keys to finding the best fares. Another key is the use of comparators, so don’t hesitate to use a number of them, such as Google Flights, Skyscanner, Edreams or the flight+hotel section of Booking.
Then select several flights and check the fares directly on the airline websites, which can sometimes be cheaper. Some direct flights may also be cheaper than flights with one or more stopovers. It’s rare, but it happens. Also, weigh up the pros and cons of stopovers: assess whether the savings justify the longer journey time. And don’t overlook the fatigue that a flight with stopover(s) can cause you.
A flight from France to Japan is a long one, with a minimum of 13 hours 15 minutes. Not to mention any inconvenience. In fact, some flights with stopovers are known as “autonomous connections ” when they are operated by different airlines. This means that you have to collect your luggage when you arrive at the stopover airport, and then check it in again for the next flight. Make sure you have enough time for a connecting flight if this is the case! Sometimes, the booking site may offer an option to track your bags automatically, but this is often quite expensive.
Speaking of suitcases, most comparators offer an option to indicate how many suitcases you want to check in the hold, as this will clearly have an impact on the price! Not to mention classes, of course.
Let’s play the research game
Here’s a small example of what I wouldn’t advise you to do. I choose to look for a Paris/Tokyo return ticket. Budget: limited, so I choose to take the cheapest one, never mind the connections etc… Let’s see what the comparators give me: cheapest flight €459/person, great opportunity! BUT, there are several snags! Firstly, it’s a price without cabin bags or hold luggage (not practical for travelling), then there are 2 stopovers, one of which is an‘independent connection‘, not too serious you might say, but let’s look at it in detail.
Let’s start with the suitcases. I’m travelling alone, but I’d still like one suitcase in the hold and one in the cabin (for electronic items such as laptops, etc.).
– 8kg cabin baggage – €72/journey (so x2, it stings)
– 23kg hold baggage – €75.99/journey (so x2 here too)
In total, your plane ticket costs €754.77!
Next, let’s talk about the flights:
– First flight: 1h30 with EasyJet for the first stopover in Milan, duration of the stopover: 13h20! that’s a long time!!! Perhaps we could take advantage of this to visit Milan a little?
– Second flight of 10h30, this time with China Eastern, to Xi’an Xianyang, stopover time: 2h50 (which is very reasonable).
– Finally, a third flight to Tokyo, again with China Eastern, lasting 4.15 hours.
Here we are, but how long will it have taken? Answer: 32 hours and 25 minutes… And I’m only talking about the outward journey here, but it’s the same on the return…
So if that doesn’t scare you, why not?
But read on: on the same dates, with 1 stopover of 2 hours on the outward journey and 8 hours on the return, the flights are fully operated by China Eastern (so there’s no need to lug your hold luggage around during connections, great!), with one cabin baggage item + 2 hold baggage items weighing 23kg, for a flight time of 16.15 hours on the outward journey and 25 hours on the return. You’ll pay‘only‘ €660! Clearly a much better deal than the previous choice.
My choice
In view of my travel dates at the end of the year, I opted for a round trip with Turkish Airlines from start to finish, for a total of €700.
In detail: insurance included, a single stopover per journey (connection with baggage tracking, no need to lug it around) in Istanbul, 2 hours 30 minutes on the outward journey and 2 hours 50 minutes on the return. Add to that an 8kg cabin bag and 2 hold baggage items weighing 23kg, economy class (I don’t mind).
Very good value for money in my opinion. The stopovers are short, but enough to stretch your legs and enjoy a Turkish speciality, for example. The fact that you have 2 pieces of luggage in the hold is great, who doesn’t dream of bringing back lots of souvenirs without being (too) limited by the weight of their suitcase? I’ll be talking more about this in my video review of my trip, so don’t forget to subscribe to my networks (at the bottom of the page).
Of course, this is all my opinion, so you’re free to do as you please!
2. Accommodation: or the art of being well placed
Accommodation is another very important subject when travelling. Unless you’re staying with family or friends, you’ll probably need somewhere to stay. In Japan, you’ll find different types of accommodation, ranging from the more traditional, such as Western-style hotels, to the more… zany, such as capsule hotels. Once again, as with flying, don’t hesitate to compare different platforms: Klook, Booking, Hotels.com, Expedia and so on!
First, let’s take a look at what Japan has to offer in the way of accommodation :
- Classic hotels: by this I mean hotels with Western-style beds. In terms of price, these are often quite expensive, even for hotels in poor locations. Foreign tourists often prefer Western-style beds and the privacy of hotel rooms.
- Japanese-style hotels: often traditional rooms with tatami mats and futons. Prices vary widely, depending on facilities and location.
- Youth hostels/guest houses: often dormitories or shared rooms, but relatively affordable.
- Guesthouses: these are shared houses; most of the time you will have a private room, and the rest of the house is shared by all the guests. More expensive than youth hostels or guest houses, but often nicer and more intimate (private room usually, but not always!). Check carefully before booking)
- Capsule hotels: you either like them or you don’t… There is a very, very wide range of offers, from small capsules that look like coffins to capsules with a bed, TV, etc., but always in a small space. These hotels are often very affordable (though), but not very practical for long journeys (to store your suitcase, etc.). Add to this the fact that they are mainly huge dormitories, with communal showers, etc. Some capsule hotels offer hourly rates if you want to rest in the middle of the day, take a shower, etc.
- Love hotels: Well, it’s all in the name, isn’t it? The rooms are often themed, and you have access to room service to order food, drinks, etc… These ‘hotels’ are practical for one night, but not so much for longer trips, as the rooms are rented by the hour or by the night, but you have to leave them in the morning. In any case, it can be a great experience, even just to rest for an hour or two.
- Manga cafés: It’s quite original, but in a manga café you’ll have access to a small cubicle, usually with a sort of mattress on the floor and often a computer for watching anime/films. Rates are often by the hour, but relatively affordable. You’ll also have access to drinks (often free, but not all of them and not everywhere either) and food. Most of these manga cafés also have showers that you can hire. Once again, it’s handy for a quick fix or a one-off experience, but I wouldn’t recommend it for longer stays.
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Ryokans(旅館): Now this is a must! Ryokans are traditional Japanese inns, offering rooms in tatami mats, futon bedding, one or more Onsen, traditional Japanese breakfast… Yukatas or kimonos can often be provided. In short, it’s an experience to be savoured. On the other hand, prices can be very, very high. It all depends on the location, the services on offer and the time of year. But in any case, expect a fairly high price per night.
Another important aspect of accommodation is its location. We often tend to look at the price, which is of course important, but the location of the accommodation is just as important, if not more so. Don’t forget that Tokyo is almost 21 times the size of Paris… Let’s say you take a hotel in Tokyo that’s not too expensive, but it’s a long way from the city centre and means you have to take the metro/train for 1 hour each morning and evening to do your sightseeing. And that’s without counting the cost of transport to get into the city centre.
But let’s say you have to go through the city centre to then go on an excursion to the town of Nikko, from the city centre it’s already almost 2? hours by train, and you’ll have to add to that the 1 hour from your hotel. All this is, of course, a matter of taste, but bear it in mind when choosing your accommodation.
For my part, I managed to find an excellent deal (if I booked early enough). I found a ‘Japanese-style’ hotel, with a tatami room, futon bedding, Yukata and towels provided, all less than 10 minutes’ walk from a station with several train and underground lines and 20 minutes from Tokyo Central Station. But I’ll go into more detail in my review video.
3. The Japan Rail Pass (JR Pass): Essential or not?
The Japan Rail Pass (national), or JR Pass to those in the know, is an extremely practical pass reserved for foreign tourists, allowing unlimited travel on virtually all JR lines (trains, buses and metros), as well as Shinkansen (the equivalent of the French TGV). Very practical, you might say. Yes, it was. Unfortunately, in October 2023, fares rose by more than 65%, putting the brakes on its adoption. Where before the JR Pass for 7 days was priced at ~€170, it is now €300… and the 21-day version at ~€300 has risen to €600… Yes, you could say that it stings.
However, the JR Pass may still be an option, depending on your situation. As with planes and hotels, good preparation will help you decide whether or not you should take it. To reach this conclusion, here are a few points to check.
If you’re planning to stay in Tokyo or the city where you’re staying, then forget about the JR Pass – it won’t be of any use to you. On the other hand, if you’re planning to take the train, such as the Shinkansen, or to make long journeys, then it’s possible that the JR Pass could be useful to you, especially as the Shinkansen, although fast and extremely reliable, can be expensive on several journeys.
To really know whether you should invest in the JR Pass, I recommend you use the JR Pass Calculator. Try to be as precise as possible and indicate the dates so that the system can take them into account for the different versions of the JR Pass (7d, 14d, 21d durations).
Alongside the JR Pass, we’re seeing the rise of regional passes, which are very practical if you’re planning to travel to just one region of Japan. Take a look here: https: //www.japan.travel/fr/plan/jr-rail-passes/
4. Activities to be booked inadvance (VERY IMPORTANT! between 3 months and 15 days in advance)
In Japan, a lot of activities have to be booked in advance, such as Shibuya Sky, Disney parks, Universal Studios or the Harry Potter Tour, certain museums, etc. In short, a wide variety of activities need to be booked to be able to enjoy them. So make sure you also check availability. If you know your travel dates, book your activities as soon as possible.
For example, for the Disney parks, bookings are open for the next 3 months, and for the Universal Studios park in Osaka for around 2 months. Some Ryokans are even completely booked out a year in advance, just to give you an idea!
Stage 3: Final preparations
Now we come to the last four small details, which are clearly important.
1. Administrative formalities
If you have a French passport, you won’t need to apply for a visa (but make sure you get all the information you need beforehand), but I’d advise you to consult this website: https://www.traveldoc.aero/, where you can enter your departure and arrival cities, any stopovers, and also the various travel documents (passport, national identity card, etc.) and the countries that issue them. You’ll be able to see all the administrative formalities you’ll need, as well as health formalities and any customs restrictions. Bookmark it, you’ll probably need it for other trips, and not just to Japan.
That said, for Japan, apart from TravelDoc, I recommend that you complete the formalities on the “Visit Japan Web” site. This is the Japanese equivalent of the American or British ESTA. You can apply directly online via the official Japanese government website(https://services.digital.go.jp/en/visit-japan-web/). It’s free, quick and very easy to complete.
2. Money: the Yen, Cards and how to pay
First, let’s talk about the Yen. Often displayed as ¥ or 円, and pronounced sometimes Yen and sometimes En, the Yen is Japan’s national currency. 1 ¥ is worth 0.00552 € at the current rate (and €0.00579 at the time of writing), which isn’t very meaningful for you, so €1 is worth 181.06 ¥ again at the current rate (and ¥172.96 at the time of writing). You might as well say that you have a hell of an advantage over the cost of living in Japan with this exchange rate.
Japan is still very much a cash country, although this is changing.
My first piece of advice would be to always carry cash with you, especially when paying in small restaurants or topping up your Suica (or other) card. You can withdraw cash almost anywhere in Japan, for example in 7-Eleven stores, where there are ATMs almost all the time.
As far as credit/debit cards are concerned, I strongly advise you to use online banks such as Revolut, N26, an aggregator like Curve or others; this will avoid bank charges abroad on your payments and withdrawals! You’ll be able to pay at Konbini’s major chains and many other stores using your cards. And with Revolut, you can even exchange Euros into Yen before you leave, and at the best rate with a system that alerts you when you’ve reached the minimum rate, etc… This enabled me to exchange €130 for ¥23,140 instead of 23 537.44 ¥ at the current rate. Well, maybe today’s rates are better than when I wrote this article, but I think I got a very good deal. Personally, I use Revolut and Curve on a daily basis.
Some people will advise you to change Euros into Yen before you leave via services such as Or&Change, but the rates, although better than in Japan, are not as good as with online banks such as Revolut. That said, if it makes you feel better, buy some before you leave to make sure you have enough cash when you arrive, and withdraw the rest on the spot with your online banking card, although beware of potential withdrawal limits.
Another way of paying, as I mentioned earlier, is by IC card. The best known are Suica, Pasmo and Icoca. These were originally cards used to pay for journeys on transport networks such as the metro. But over time, they have become much more widespread. You can now also pay for your drinks in virtually all vending machines, as well as in konbini, and so on. It’s really very practical, one card for everything. The only drawback is that you have to top it up when the balance runs out, and often you have to do this with cash… Can you see the vicious circle here? Yes, I do! On my previous trip to Japan, some 7-Eleven ATMs allowed you to top up directly with your CB! Otherwise, all you have to do is withdraw the cash, then top up your card… Not so complicated.
I’ll be doing an article and a dedicated video on the subject of IC Cards and local payments. So subscribe now!
3. Staying Connected: Pocket Wifi or SIM Card?
Internet when travelling is an important subject. Without it, goodbye Maps and other applications requiring Internet. Fortunately, in Japan, there are various solutions available:
- Free WiFi: In big cities, many konbini, railway stations and shopping centres offer free WiFi. It’s handy, but… If you go outside their area of effect, you’re screwed.
- Pocket WiFi: This is a small box with an integrated SIM card, linked to a package that is usually unlimited. It’s very practical for multiple users, as it can accept several simultaneous connections. One downside is that the battery often runs down quite quickly (~6h to 8h), not to mention the fact that some of these pocket WiFi devices don’t accept external batteries, so they’re not very practical. Another is that when you get separated from the group… well, no more connection… To make matters worse, you often have to collect your Pocket Wifi from the airport on arrival (other options exist), then drop it off at a collection point at the end of your journey.
- E-SIM: This is THE solution I recommend. The e-SIM is a virtual SIM card installed directly in your smartphone, provided it is compatible. But these days, in principle, it is (but check with your e-SIM provider). And there are plenty of providers, such as Holafly, Ubigi, Saily and others, each with their own advantages and disadvantages. Many offer attractive packages in terms of price but with a certain number of GB, or say unlimited (but with a reduced speed after X GB), read the fine print carefully.
Personally, I chose Holafly. Although their prices may be a little higher than others, they still offer ‘real’ unlimited data packages, with no throttling, although the local operator in the destination country may reduce your speed if you use a lot of data, but this is reset every 24 hours. I’ve never had to deal with this, and yet I use a LOT of data. With my link: http://rwrd.io/zrj2p4h, you’ll get 5% off your order, and I’ll earn HolaCoins so I can buy my e-Sim at a lower price, so everyone’s happy!
4. Les Valises: The Art of Efficiency
Well, that’s very suggestive, but here are some very basic tips:
- Take your best walking shoes. You’re probably going to be doing a lot of walking, so you might as well not get your feet bloody.
- In the same vein, pack a good rucksack, and avoid shoulder bags – you’ll suffer otherwise.
- Take a small towel with you to dry your hands, as hand dryers are not always available.
- Remember to take a small plastic bag for your rubbish, as there aren’t many outside bins in Japan.
- Don’t forget to take an external battery, as you’ll probably be using your phone a lot. However, ⚠️Attention has restrictions for air travel. Generally speaking, batteries must not exceed 25,000 mAh capacity and must be carried in the cabin and kept in sight.
- Mains adaptor, otherwise bye bye electricity. In Japan, plugs are ‘type A’, as in the United States. They’re easy to find on Amazon, or even directly at the airport (but beware: you may pay a high price for them).
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You’re used to it by now, but I’ll of course be doing a video and article covering the subject in more detail. To subscribe it’s at the bottom of the page 👇.
Conclusion: Are you ready for take-off?
Preparing a trip to Japan is already part of the adventure. It’s an exciting process which, if done properly, will guarantee you a much more serene and successful stay. I hope that my experience and advice will help you organise the trip of your dreams.
Don’t forget that the most important thing is to remain curious and open to discovery. Japan is a country that will reward you beyond all your expectations, I’m sure of it!
And to see all this in pictures, don’t hesitate to follow my adventure on my YouTube channel and my other networks!