Japan trip notes
The 2027 cherry blossom forecast, plus cities, trains, photographs, food, and the manners that make a visit easier.
Planning
Japan in December 2026: Weather, Events and What to Book
Japan in December 2026: cold, clear city days, illuminations, the last autumn leaves and New Year closures. Weather by city, events and what to book.
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Cherry blossom
Hokkaido and Tohoku Cherry Blossoms 2027: Hirosaki, Sendai and Sapporo
The north blooms after Tokyo: Sendai in mid-April, Hirosaki in late April, Sapporo in early May. Typical dates, and how to chase a late spring.
Cherry blossom
Osaka Cherry Blossoms 2027: Where and When to Go
Osaka typically opens on 27 March and peaks on 4 April. The castle park, the riverside and the Mint, plus how to share the week with Kyoto.
Planning
Sapporo Snow Festival 2027: Dates, Venues and How to Plan
The 77th Sapporo Snow Festival runs 4 to 11 February 2027 at Odori, Susukino and Tsudome. Venue hours, the lights, getting there and what to book.
Planning
Haneda or Narita: which Tokyo airport to fly into
Haneda is under 30 minutes from central Tokyo. Narita is about 60 km out, an hour by Narita Express. How the airport shapes your first day.
Planning
Use the right exit at a big station
Name the exit, not only the station. Tokyo, Shinjuku, and Kyoto are too large to wander.
Planning
Christmas in Japan 2026: Illuminations, Christmas Cake and Where to Stay
Christmas in Japan is lights, strawberry cake and a date night, not a day off. Illuminations to see in 2026, how to order cake, and where to stay.
Planning
Japan in Winter 2026–27: Where to Go, Weather and What to Book
Japan in winter: cold, clear Tokyo and Kyoto, snowy Hokkaido and the Alps, the 2027 Sapporo Snow Festival, and what to book before it sells out.
Planning
Tax-free shopping before and after 1 November
Through 31 October the shop takes the tax off. From 1 November you pay, then claim it as you leave.
Cherry blossom
Tokyo Cherry Blossoms 2027: Best Spots and Typical Bloom Dates
Tokyo’s cherry trees typically open on 24 March and peak on 31 March. The best parks and river walks, and how to pick 2027 nights before the forecast.
Culture
A night in Koyasan, after the cable car
A Koyasan itinerary: about two hours from Osaka Namba, then a temple dinner and Okunoin after dark.
Cities
An Osaka itinerary for two days: the castle, Kita, Minami and Shinsekai
Two days in Osaka: the castle and Kita on day one, then Kuromon, Minami and Shinsekai on day two, with room left to eat.
Cities
Where to see Mt Fuji, and when it actually shows
The best Mt Fuji views: Lake Kawaguchiko and the Chureito Pagoda, early on a cold, clear morning. Seat E on the shinkansen works too.
Planning
New Year in Japan 2027: Hatsumode, Closures and How to Plan Around Them
New Year is Japan’s biggest holiday. What closes from 29 December to 4 January, where to go for hatsumode, and how to plan trains and meals around it.
Planning
Station coin lockers, and the bag that will not fit
Small lockers go first. If the suitcase is larger than the door, send it ahead instead.
Planning
What to Pack for Japan in December to February
A winter packing list for Japan: layers for cold, clear Tokyo and Kyoto, proper boots for Hokkaido and the Alps, and the small things that help.
Culture
Japanese phrases for travellers: the short list that does the work
Sumimasen, onegaishimasu, ikura desu ka: the short Japanese phrases for shops, trains and restaurants, and what to do when words run out.
Food
How to order in an izakaya
The otoshi is a small dish that often arrives on its own, and then shows up on the bill.
Planning
JR Pass or single tickets? A 2026 price check
The 7-day JR Pass is 50,000 yen. Tokyo to Kyoto is about 14,000 yen one way. Add up your own route before you buy a pass.
Planning
Cash or card in Japan? What to carry in 2026
Cards work in hotels, chains and stations, but small sights, buses and lockers still like cash. What to carry, and which ATMs take foreign cards.
Cities
A Nikko itinerary: the shrines, or the lake
A Nikko day trip itinerary from Tokyo. Tobu from Asakusa takes about two hours. Choose the shrines or Lake Chuzenji.
Cities
Kyoto autumn leaves in 2026: where to go, and which week
Kyoto autumn leaves 2026: the Tofukuji, Eikando and Kiyomizu-dera viewing dates, the night light-ups, and how to miss the worst crowds.
Planning
Staying online in Japan without a roaming bill
Install an eSIM before the flight, or share a pocket wifi, and switch off data roaming on the home line.
Cities
A Kamakura day trip itinerary from Tokyo
About an hour from Tokyo to the Great Buddha at Kotoku-in, if you leave Enoshima for another day.
Planning
What to pack for October and November in Japan
In Tokyo the October high averages 22°C, and November 16.7°C. Sapporo is already cold.
Planning
When Japan’s Autumn Leaves Turn in 2026
Peak autumn colour in 2026: the mountains in late October, Tokyo and Kyoto from mid-November into early December. Latest forecast dates by city and spot.
Cherry blossom
Japan Cherry Blossom Forecast 2027: Dates by City
When will Japan's cherry blossoms bloom in 2027? Typical full bloom: Tokyo 31 March, Kyoto 4 April, Sapporo 6 May. Updated when official forecasts are out.
The app
Plan Sakura, a Japan itinerary planner built from your bookings
A free Japan trip planner for bookings you already made. Upload the flight, hotel, and train, and those times become each day. Upgrade once for US$9.99.
Food
Eating well between the restaurant bookings
Onigiri, ramen counters, and the long gap when small restaurants close for the afternoon.
Culture
Manners worth learning before you land in Japan
Trains, shoes, shrines, and the small habits that make a trip easier on everyone.
Planning
How to structure a Japan itinerary around the flights and hotels
How to structure a Japan trip: fix the flight and hotels first, then fit trains, temples, and meals around those times.
Planning
Can You Use Suica on the Shinkansen? IC Cards and Tickets Explained
Yes, with one setup step. Touch de Go!, JR East e-tickets and smartEX let a Suica or ICOCA be your bullet-train ticket. Which line takes what.
Cities
Hakone when you want a lake, a bath, and maybe Fuji
A Hakone itinerary: Lake Ashi, a ropeway, an onsen night, and Fuji only if the cloud decides to move.
Cities
Kyoto works better when you stop sprinting
A Kyoto itinerary without the sprint: Fushimi at opening, one hillside, and why the buses are a poor way to see everything.
Cities
A Hiroshima and Miyajima itinerary for one careful day
The Peace Memorial Museum needs time. Miyajima needs the ferry, and a look at the tide.
Photography
Night photographs in Tokyo and Osaka
Blue hour in Shibuya, signs over the canal in Osaka, and a last train you should check first.
Food
Osaka after six, when the city gets hungry
Dotonbori, Kuromon, okonomiyaki, and an evening that leaves room to eat.
Cities
Kanazawa, when you want gardens more than crossings
Kenrokuen, a teahouse district, and a night on the Japan Sea side of Honshu.
Cities
A first week Tokyo itinerary, neighborhood by neighborhood
A Tokyo itinerary by area: Asakusa, Shibuya, Shinjuku, and the mistake of crossing the city twice before lunch.
Planning
Rainy days in Japan can still be good days
Arcades, museums, food basements, and temples in the wet. Rain need not wipe the day.
Cities
Nara, the deer, and a slower afternoon
Todai-ji, the deer crackers, and a walk in the park that is not a sprint back to Kyoto.
Cherry blossom
How to picnic under the blossoms without annoying everyone
Sheets, trash, noise, and the park rules that change from Ueno to Maruyama.
Culture
Your first onsen, from the locker to the bath
Wash first, keep the towel out of the water, and check the tattoo rule before you go.
Cherry blossom
What the 2026 cherry blossom season actually did
Tokyo peaked in late March 2026. Kyoto and Osaka followed. How to aim the next spring.
Planning
Send the suitcase ahead and keep a small bag
Hand the big bag to the hotel desk, ride with a daypack, and keep what you need that night.
Photography
Photographing Japan when you are not a professional
Shrines, crossings, and food, photographed without blocking the path or using flash.