Japan travel guides, written from Japan

Getting around is where most travel budgets leak. We run the math on the nationwide JR Pass, the regional passes that often beat it, IC cards, and the trips where a plain ticket wins outright.

Shopping in Japan is worth doing properly. Some things really are better or cheaper here, from kitchen knives to tea, and much of the standard souvenir list is not. We say which is which, with prices in yen and dollars.

Where to stay comes down to real rates and real trade-offs. Hotel and ryokan reviews without the sponsored gloss.