40 Best Tips for Visiting Japan in 2025
How to prepare, what's worth your time, and where to find meals that you'll remember
Dear subscribers,
Today, I want to share my 40 best tips for visiting Japan.
After three trips in the past decade, I’ve fallen in love with Japanese culture, food, and their dedication to quality and craft.
I think every product builder should visit the country at least once. Many people have asked me for recommendations, so let’s dive into how to prepare, what’s worth your time, and where to find meals that you’ll remember forever.
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Preparing for your trip
Japan is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world, so you need to prepare ahead of time to get the most out of your trip.
Pick the right season. Avoid New Year's, Golden Week, and summer when crowds and humidity are unbearable. Instead, visit during Spring (cherry blossoms), Autumn (stunning foliage), or Winter (fewer tourists).
Book everything early. The best hotels, restaurants, and attractions are booked months in advance. So make reservations at least 3 months ahead, especially for popular spots like the Ghibli Museum. See my city guides below for specifics.
Set up a Suica card. If you have an iPhone, add a Suica card to your wallet and load up $50-100 before your trip. Suica lets you use the subway and buy convenience store snacks with just a tap of your phone.
Bring cash and a coin pouch. Bring at least 15,000 yen ($100) in cash and a small coin pouch to carry loose change. Japan still runs on cash in many places.
Leave room in your luggage. Japan's souvenirs and snacks are truly best-in-class. Leave room in your luggage or bring an expandable bag so that you can stock up.
Tips during your trip
Visiting Japan can be stressful, but I’ve found that these small adjustments can make a huge difference:
Pick up pocket WiFi / eSIM at the airport. Reserve a pocket WiFi or eSIM before your trip to pick up at the airport. I prefer pocket WiFi on family trips since it supports multiple devices.
Buy bullet train tickets at the airport. When you land, visit the JR train airport kiosk and buy all your Shinkansen tickets. Keep these paper tickets safe—you'll often need to insert and retrieve multiple tickets at train stations.
Avoid the subway during rush hour. Don’t use the subways between 8-9 am and 5-7 pm, especially if traveling with children or luggage.
Beat the crowds by visiting attractions early. Many popular attractions in Japan become unbearably crowded by midday. Arrive around 9 am to enjoy a more peaceful visit.
Use luggage forwarding. Yamato's service is a game-changer when traveling between cities. Your hotel can send luggage to your next destination overnight or to the airport for just $10-15 per suitcase, freeing you to travel light.
Tokyo
Tokyo stretches endlessly in every direction—even from the highest observation deck, there's no visible end to this mega-city. Here’s what I think is worth visiting:
Worth it
Senso-ji temple. Arrive at Tokyo’s most popular temple by 9 am to experience its magic without the crushing crowds. Then take a walk to…
Tokyo skytree tower and mall. The tallest observation deck in Tokyo sits above an excellent mall. Don't miss the 2nd floor for Japanese snacks, the Ghibli store for souvenirs, and my favorite sushi restaurant (see below).
Ghibli Museum. A bit out of the way, but worth it to see how some of the best animated movies came to life. Book tickets at least 2-3 months ahead.
Japanese parks. Tokyo's parks are beautiful, especially during Cherry blossom season. I particularly love Ueno Park and Shinjuku Gardens.
Harajuku. I like strolling through this area to see all the crazy outfits Japanese youth love wearing.
Shinjuku. Tokyo’s shopping mecca. Check out Tokyo Hands for souvenirs, Uniqlo’s flagship store for clothing, and Thermae-Yu for a great public bath.
Teamlabs Planets. A highly immersive digital art museum that features flowing water and hanging gardens. Book tickets at least a month ahead.
Overrated
Tokyo DisneySea and Disneyland. While DisneySea is unique, I think the lines are far too long to make this worthwhile if you’ve been to Disney before in the US.
Teamlabs Borderless. Although larger than Planets, I found Borderless more like an art museum than an immersive experience.
Best meal
Kaiten Sushi in Skytree mall. I’ve visited Tokyo’s Michelin restaurants, but this Hokkaido chain was the most memorable. It delivers incredibly fresh sushi at an unbeatable price (we had 45 plates for just $125). Show up 30 min before opening.
Kyoto
Kyoto has Japan's most spectacular temples, but is also overwhelmed with tourists. Follow the tips below to avoid the crowds.
Worth it
Kiyomizu. Book a kimono/yukata experience through Klook, then walk to Kiyomizu temple at sunset while taking plenty of pictures.
Fushimi Inari. This famous temple has 1000s of torii gates. It's open 24/7, so go early in the morning to take great photos and avoid crowds.
Ryoan-ji and Kodaiji. Ryoan-ji has an awesome zen garden, and Kodaiji's small admission fee ensures smaller crowds. Both offer spiritual experiences.
Arashiyama Monkey Park. A short uphill trek rewards you with a view and delightful interactions with monkeys (my kids loved this). Buy some Kyoto tea leaf cookies near the bus stop on your way back.
Philosopher's path. This stone walkway alongside a peaceful canal offers a great stroll away from the crowded temples, especially during cherry blossom season.
Overrated
Kinkaku-ji. Although beautiful at sunset, the crowds are so insane at this temple that you’ll feel like you're waiting in line at Disneyland.
Best meal
Kani Dōraku. This crab restaurant near Yasaka temple isn’t cheap, but I loved how thoughtful and delicious the dishes were. Book ahead of time.
Osaka
Osaka is a great place to enjoy delicious street food and shop till you drop.
Worth it
Osaka Castle. I loved the museum inside this castle and the beautiful grounds around it. It references a famous battle that’s also alluded to in Shogun.
Kuromon Ichiba Market. Known as "Osaka's Kitchen," this market is perfect for sampling local specialties like takoyaki, okonomiyaki, and fresh seafood.
Osaka Aquarium. One of the best aquariums in the world features whale sharks, dolphins, and cute seals. Highly recommended if you’re traveling with kids.
Namba side streets. Tiny bars and restaurants create a great space to interact with locals and tourists.
Umeda shopping. Umeda is where Osaka locals go to shop and eat. I particularly loved the new Umeda Green Place.
Overrated
Dotonbori. This is like Times Square in Japan — worth a single walk-through but otherwise way too crowded with too many tourist trap restaurants.
Best meal
Yakiniku Ushigoro. The best beef you'll have in your life at a reasonable price too. Make a reservation early. You can also find this chain in Tokyo.
Other cities and places worth visiting
As I've gotten older, I've come to prefer Japan's smaller towns over the frenetic energy of its megacities. Below are some of my favorite places:
Nara. Home to Tōdai-ji temple and thousands of deer that’ll bow to you for biscuits. Nara is a unique town just a short train ride from Osaka or Kyoto.
Himeji. Japan’s most spectacular “white heron” castle is particularly stunning during cherry blossom season. Worth an hour's train ride from Osaka or Kyoto.
Hiroshima and Miyajima. Hiroshima's peace museum is a sobering experience, while nearby Miyajima features a "floating" torii gate and deer. Stay overnight.
Kanazawa. This seaside gem boasts Kenroku-en, one of Japan’s best gardens. I also loved the geish district and the incredibly fresh seafood in Omicho market.
Nagoya. Home to the newer Ghibli Park and Nabana no Sato's spectacular winter illuminations. Make sure you reserve both months ahead of time.
Hakone. A few hours from Tokyo, Hakone offers a great sightseeing loop and great natural onsens (I loved Tenzen). Book a ryokan to stay overnight.
Final Thoughts
After three trips to Japan, I still feel like I've barely scratched the surface.
It’s the complete package of great attractions, delicious food, and polite people. Most importantly, Japan’s obsession with craft touches everything from snacks to clean streets to cute mascots.
I hope these tips help you experience Japan's magic for yourself. For more about Japan, check out my very 1st post in this newsletter. Let me know if you have any great tips to share in the comments!
I recommend Kurashiki and when in Nagoya, eat Hitsumabushi (eel).
I like Yokohoma too. Easy to commute from Tokyo, and I believe it is worth a visit.