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Ancient temples, neon cities, bullet trains, world-class food, and a culture of extraordinary precision and beauty.
Japan is more affordable than its reputation. £50/day is genuinely doable if you eat at convenience stores, use hostels and get a JR Pass. The culture shock is real and entirely positive — possibly the most fascinating country on earth.
Each region has a completely different character. Here's what to expect from each area.
3–4 days. Stay in a capsule hotel for one night (the experience is excellent and costs £30–45). Eat ramen from a vending machine ticket restaurant in Shinjuku. Take the Yamanote Line loop around the city to understand the geography. Walk Yanaka neighbourhood for old Tokyo. Go to Shibuya Crossing at rush hour, then immediately walk 10 minutes to find somewhere completely quiet.
3–4 days. The Arashiyama bamboo grove at 6am is empty and extraordinary. Fushimi Inari (the thousand torii gates) at dusk is when the light is best. The Philosopher's Path (cherry blossom season, late March) is as beautiful as claimed. Stay in a guesthouse near Nishiki Market and eat your way through it.
2 nights. Osaka is louder, cheaper and more food-obsessed than Kyoto. Dotonbori at night is sensory overload in the best way. Takoyaki (octopus balls) from the original stall in Namba. Osaka Castle is mediocre inside but the grounds are beautiful. Day trip to Nara (deer park, great Buddha) takes 45 minutes.
1–2 nights. The Peace Memorial Museum is the most important and hardest museum you'll visit in Japan. Give it a full morning. Miyajima Island (30 minutes by ferry) has the famous floating torii gate, wild deer, and a ropeway to the top of Mount Misen. Stay overnight to see the island without day-trippers.
2 nights. The Hakone Open Air Museum is worth a full day. The Hakone Ropeway over volcanic steam vents is spectacular. Mount Fuji (July–mid-September only for the summit) requires one overnight at the 5th Station hut — start the summit hike at midnight to reach the top at dawn.
Tokyo (3 nights) → Shinkansen to Kyoto (3 nights) → Osaka (2 nights, day trip to Nara) → Train to Hiroshima (1 night) → ferry to Miyajima (1 night) → Shinkansen back to Tokyo via Hakone. 14–16 days. Buy a 14-day JR Pass before leaving home.
£60–90/day (Japan is not as expensive as its reputation once you understand the system).
7-Eleven and FamilyMart convenience store meals: £2–5 and genuinely excellent.
Ramen: £8–12.
Hostel dorm: £25–35.
Budget private: £45–70.
Japan's public transport is the best in the world — use it. The JR Pass makes the shinkansen more affordable than flights between cities. Mt. Fuji suffers from over-tourism; hike on weekdays and carry out all litter. The Arashiyama bamboo grove is best visited weekday mornings to reduce your own impact on the congestion.
Tell us where you want to go and your budget — we'll build a personalised quote with routes, hostels, and transport sorted.
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