A little more prepared for Japan.
Explore Japan through Tokyo’s neighbourhoods, Kyoto’s temple lanes, Osaka’s food streets and Hiroshima’s memorials and gardens. Choose a city for twelve monthly packing guides, researched local outings and practical transport information.
Explore JapanExplore Japan by city
Hiroshima
Hiroshima has cool winters and hot, humid summers. June and July are especially wet in the long-term city record. Spring and autumn offer milder conditions for walking, with rain protection useful throughout the year.
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Kyoto
Kyoto has cold winter mornings, mild spring and autumn days, and hot, humid summers. June and July are especially wet in the long-term record; rain protection is useful throughout the year.
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Nara
Nara’s inland basin has cold winter mornings and hot, humid summers. June brings substantial rain, while April–May and October–November offer milder walking conditions. Carry rain protection in every season.
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Osaka
Osaka has cool winters, mild spring and autumn weather, and hot, humid summers. June and July bring substantial rainfall in the long-term record; carry rain protection and check heat and storm warnings before outdoor plans.
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Tokyo
Tokyo has cool winters, warm spring and autumn weather, and hot, humid summers. Rain protection is useful year-round; summer needs lighter clothing than a spring visit.
Open city guideBefore you zip the bag
Keep the daily load manageable
- Use a small day bag with room for the layer you take off.
- Choose shoes you can walk in comfortably and remove easily when needed.
Check the charging setup
- Japan’s 100 V supply makes checking your device input label useful.
- Bring rain protection that you can carry comfortably during a long city day.
- Currency
- Japanese yen (JPY)
- Plug types
- A / B · 100 VCheck your adapter →
- Emergency number
- 110 (police); 119 (fire / ambulance)
Plug types and voltage by country · Japan visitor information
Stay connected
Mobile data for your trip. Check what your current plan includes for roaming. If you need another option for maps, messages and booking details, compare NXTL eSIM coverage and rates. Check that your phone supports eSIM and is unlocked, and check coverage for every stop. Download important maps and confirmations for offline use too.
Useful reads for Japan
Hiroshima Castle: grounds, Ninomaru and the closed keep
Explore Hiroshima Castle’s moat and Ninomaru while understanding the closed keep, current alternatives and the future Sannomaru museum announcement.
A first weekend in Hiroshima: peace park, castle and garden
Plan two days in Hiroshima with Peace Memorial Park, an unhurried museum visit, castle exterior views, Shukkeien and a named okonomiyaki stop.
Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum: planning a thoughtful visit
Plan Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum admission, time for the exhibits, a park-side break and verified closure alternatives without rushing the visit.
Peace Memorial Park: monuments and a riverside walk
Follow a focused Hiroshima walk from the Atomic Bomb Dome to the Children’s Peace Monument and cenotaph, with museum and guided-tour options kept clear.
Shukkeien: pond paths, small landscapes and a tea stop
Walk Shukkeien’s pond circuit with bridges, islands, a Sensuitei break and clear distinctions between garden admission, tea events and museum visits.
Arashiyama: Togetsukyo Bridge, Tenryu-ji and bamboo paths
Combine Arashiyama’s river, Tenryu-ji garden and public bamboo paths with a soba lunch, sensible station choice and current interior closure distinctions.
A first weekend in Kyoto: Higashiyama and Arashiyama
Spend two days exploring Kyoto’s eastern temple lanes and western river scenery, with concrete meal stops, separate admissions and weather alternatives.
Fushimi Inari: torii gates, shrine grounds and a manageable hill walk
Explore Fushimi Inari’s shrine grounds and torii paths, choose a sensible turnaround point and plan rail access without committing to the full mountain circuit.
Gion on foot: Yasaka Shrine, Shirakawa and a respectful evening
Walk Gion’s public streets from Yasaka Shrine towards Shirakawa, with a herring-soba stop, photography guidance and an optional guided evening walk.
Kiyomizu-dera and Higashiyama: terraces, pagodas and stepped lanes
Plan a focused Kiyomizu-dera visit, then descend through Sannenzaka and Ninenzaka with clear temple access, closure advice and a Gion lunch option.
A first weekend in Nara: temples, lanterns and tea
Spend two days in Nara with Todaiji and Nigatsudo, Kasuga Taisha’s lanterns, a kamameshi lunch and a Naramachi tea stop.
Kasuga Taisha: lantern paths, cloisters and deer
Walk Kasuga Taisha’s wooded lantern approach, distinguish special cloister access from general worship and plan deer encounters with care.
Todaiji and Nigatsudo: the Great Buddha and a hillside walk
Plan Todaiji’s Great Buddha Hall, Nandaimon guardians and optional Nigatsudo climb with separate admissions, a meal stop and a shorter route.
Dotonbori, Hozenji and an okonomiyaki stop
Walk from Dotonbori’s canal and giant signs to Hozenji’s stone lanes, with a specific okonomiyaki stop and a shorter wet-weather version.
A first weekend in Osaka: castle, canal and Shinsekai
Plan two days around Osaka Castle Park, Dotonbori and Shinsekai, with named meal stops, separate admissions and shorter alternatives.
Osaka Castle Park and museum: what to visit
Separate Osaka Castle’s park, museum tower and observation floor, with clear route anchors, annual closure advice and a manageable onward plan.
Shinsekai: Tsutenkaku, food streets and kushikatsu
Explore Shinsekai beneath Tsutenkaku, choose tower admission separately and plan either a Daruma meal or a guided food outing.
Umeda Sky Building: choosing your observatory visit
Plan Umeda Sky Building’s approach, indoor and rooftop views, café break and pass restrictions without relying on clear weather or sunset.
Asakusa on foot: Senso-ji, Nakamise and the Sumida River
Walk from Kaminarimon through Senso-ji, stop for soba and finish beside the Sumida River, with temple etiquette and a verified guided alternative.
A first weekend in Tokyo: Asakusa, Ueno and Shibuya
Spend two days in Tokyo with an eastern temple-and-museum day, then Meiji Jingu and Shibuya, with named meal stops and shorter alternatives.
Shinjuku Gyoen: a garden walk with ponds, lawns and a tea break
Plan a focused Shinjuku Gyoen visit with an entrance that suits your route, contrasting garden areas, a tea break and practical seasonal access advice.
A Ueno day: Shinobazu Pond, Japanese art and a park lunch
Combine Shinobazu Pond and Ueno Park with a focused Tokyo National Museum visit, a reserved lunch option and clear exhibition-ticket distinctions.