Japan

A moderation update states that a magnitude 7.5 earthquake has struck off the coast of northeastern Japan on April 20, 2026. For people currently in Japan, several official resources are shared for safety and transportation updates, including earthquake information, Shinkansen...

I recently returned from a trip to Japan and didn’t expect this, but Kyoto ended up being my favorite part of the entire journey. While Tokyo was impressive with its modern energy, shopping, and food scene, Kyoto felt completely different and more immersive. The experience there...

I’ve been in Japan for the past three weeks during cherry blossom season, and I expected heavy crowds. However, I’ve noticed that many places feel less crowded than anticipated. Even well-known tourist spots in Kyoto seemed relatively manageable. For example, in Kurashiki (often...

hi everyone, i’m dealing with a stressful situation regarding an upcoming japan trip planned from april 11 to april 25, 2026. my friend and i booked flights, airbnbs, and planned the itinerary in advance. i already received my visa about two weeks ago, but my friend’s visa...

I recently visited Japan about a month ago and had a question about buffet etiquette, specifically from my experience at a hotel breakfast buffet. I don’t usually eat breakfast, but I decided to try the hotel buffet on my last day since it was available for a small fee. At the...

Got stuck in Hakone needing a 6am ride to Odawara and it turned into way more of a problem than expected. Ryokan couldn’t arrange a taxi, apps like GO and Uber weren’t reliable for reservations, and public transport didn’t run early enough. In the end, we just gave up and went...

This started as a nightmare and somehow turned into one of those stories that restores your faith in humanity. Someone left a bag in a Tokyo taxi with multiple passports and over $1000 inside. No receipt, just a vague credit card charge to go off. They started calling around and...

This is one of those things that gets hyped a lot, so this was interesting to read. First leg was fine (Osaka to Kyoto), but even then a suitcase came back damaged. Then on the return, bags just… didn’t show up when promised, and tracking said “under investigation” with no real...

Saw this and honestly it was refreshing. There’s always those posts saying East Asia can be rough if you’re South Asian, so it was nice reading the complete opposite for once. Just small things like the takoyaki guy asking about pork or the staff helping out with a basket… that...

That would be pretty disappointing… you expect someone explaining the history and helping plan things, and instead it’s basically just transport between spots. The part about being dropped far from Kiyomizu-dera with an older parent too… that’s where a good guide should really...

Coming back to the US soon after a trip to Japan and I bought a few luxury items that will put me over the $800 duty-free allowance. Curious what people’s recent experiences have been when declaring this. Do they usually just calculate the duty and send you on your way, or do...

Arriving March 5 around 5am after basically 23 hours of travel with 2 stops. East coast to west coast to Japan. I’ll be fried. My loose plan was to hit First Cabin to freshen up, then head to my capsule hotel and drop bags before 10am check in. I know most things won’t be open...

Just got back from 10 days in Kyushu (8 full days there, 2 in Tokyo for flights). Mid 30s female, third time in Japan. Went north to south: Fukuoka → Nagasaki → Kumamoto → Kagoshima. Overall, way less stressful than Tokyo/Kyoto/Osaka. Fewer foreign tourists and I went off peak....

I booked a roundtrip from Denver to Japan on Hawaiian Airlines and was offered an Extra Comfort upgrade for $300 each way. I’m 24 and generally handle long flights pretty well, but I’ve never flown Hawaiian or done this route before. For those who’ve flown Hawaiian’s 787-9, is...

I was looking at Tokyo to Fukuoka and Haneda to Sapporo schedules and honestly couldn’t believe it. Widebodies stacked one after another. Feels like departures every 10 to 15 minutes. I always thought routes like LHR to CDG or LAX to JFK were peak high frequency corridors. But...

Wanted to share a small Japan win. I lost my Apple Watch at Haneda over Christmas. Put it back on after security but didn’t secure it properly and it must’ve slipped off without me noticing. We still had about an hour before boarding so my husband and I retraced our steps,...

Just got home after a few months solo in Asia and my brain still hasn’t caught up. I’m 23 and this was my first big solo trip that far from home, so everything hit harder. Japan honestly ruined me in the best way. Tokyo and Kyoto just worked. Trains on time, people polite...

Our place in Shinjuku canceled on us out of nowhere, like 19 days before arrival. We booked five months ago and now everything similar is way more expensive. Booking only offered a refund plus about 400 AUD, but 4 bed spots in the area are going for 5k to 6k now. They won’t book...

Been hunting for award space to Japan for months and finally scored it. I had about 260k MR points and did a speculative transfer to Hawaiian then Alaska back when that was still possible. Figured worst case I’d use the Alaska miles for something else. I’ve been checking...

Just snagged a roundtrip SEA–HND in ANA business for 110k points and I’m still in shock. Booked both legs through Aeroplan at the 355-day mark. Trip is Oct–Nov 2026, so now I get to start planning everything else. I know there are other sweet spots out there, but for someone who...