https://japan-trip-note.pages.dev/ eSIMs, IC cards, rail passes and where to base yourself — the questions visiting friends keep asking me. I live in Tokyo, so I test this stuff, and every price is dated and taken from the operator itself. https://japan-trip-note.pages.dev/posts/teamlab-tokyo-ticket-planning/ https://japan-trip-note.pages.dev/posts/teamlab-tokyo-ticket-planning/ Compare teamLab Borderless and Planets by experience, location and visitor rules, then choose a timed ticket that fits your Tokyo route. https://japan-trip-note.pages.dev/posts/kamakura-day-trip-from-tokyo/ https://japan-trip-note.pages.dev/posts/kamakura-day-trip-from-tokyo/ A practical Kamakura day trip from Tokyo: the direct trains, a route that avoids backtracking, when the Enoden pass pays off, and whether a guided tour adds enough value. https://japan-trip-note.pages.dev/posts/shinkansen-luggage-rules/ https://japan-trip-note.pages.dev/posts/shinkansen-luggage-rules/ Measure your suitcase, identify the Shinkansen operator, and reserve the right luggage space without treating one corridor's rules as nationwide. https://japan-trip-note.pages.dev/posts/kyoto-day-trip-from-osaka/ https://japan-trip-note.pages.dev/posts/kyoto-day-trip-from-osaka/ A focused Kyoto day trip from Osaka: which railway to take, what fits in one day, what to skip, and when a guided tour is worth booking. https://japan-trip-note.pages.dev/posts/hiroshima-miyajima-one-day/ https://japan-trip-note.pages.dev/posts/hiroshima-miyajima-one-day/ A realistic one-day route for Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park and Miyajima, with transport choices, museum timing and when a guided tour helps. https://japan-trip-note.pages.dev/posts/golden-week-obon-crowds/ https://japan-trip-note.pages.dev/posts/golden-week-obon-crowds/ Plan around Golden Week, Obon and New Year with official holiday dates, likely travel pressure and flexible booking tactics for a calmer Japan trip. https://japan-trip-note.pages.dev/posts/onsen-etiquette-tattoo-rules/ https://japan-trip-note.pages.dev/posts/onsen-etiquette-tattoo-rules/ Wash before you enter, keep towels out of the bath and check tattoo policy with each facility. A practical first-time guide to Japanese onsen. https://japan-trip-note.pages.dev/posts/nara-day-trip-from-kyoto-or-osaka/ https://japan-trip-note.pages.dev/posts/nara-day-trip-from-kyoto-or-osaka/ Nara is an easy day trip from either Kyoto or Osaka. Here is which station to use, what fits into one day, and when a guided tour is worth paying for. https://japan-trip-note.pages.dev/posts/japan-itinerary-7-days-first-time/ https://japan-trip-note.pages.dev/posts/japan-itinerary-7-days-first-time/ A Tokyo resident's honest seven-day plan for a first trip to Japan: which cities to pick, what to book early, and the days people quietly lose. https://japan-trip-note.pages.dev/posts/coin-lockers-luggage-storage-japan/ https://japan-trip-note.pages.dev/posts/coin-lockers-luggage-storage-japan/ How to use station coin lockers in Japan, find your bag again, handle full lockers, and choose staffed storage or luggage forwarding instead. https://japan-trip-note.pages.dev/posts/mount-fuji-day-trip-from-tokyo/ https://japan-trip-note.pages.dev/posts/mount-fuji-day-trip-from-tokyo/ A Tokyo resident on day trips to Mount Fuji — which viewpoint area to pick, train versus bus versus coach tour, and the season and weather that decide whether you see it at all. https://japan-trip-note.pages.dev/posts/getting-yen-best-rate/ https://japan-trip-note.pages.dev/posts/getting-yen-best-rate/ Compare cash exchange, Japanese ATMs, card spending and travel-money accounts by the rate, visible fees and less obvious charges that shape the final cost. https://japan-trip-note.pages.dev/posts/usj-express-pass-worth-it/ https://japan-trip-note.pages.dev/posts/usj-express-pass-worth-it/ Studio Pass admission and Express Pass access are separate purchases. Decide whether the add-on suits your crowds, party and single park day. https://japan-trip-note.pages.dev/posts/osaka-amazing-pass-worth-it/ https://japan-trip-note.pages.dev/posts/osaka-amazing-pass-worth-it/ The Osaka Amazing Pass costs ¥3,500 for one day and ¥5,000 for two. Here is what it covers, the admissions that make it pay off, and the rules that catch people out. https://japan-trip-note.pages.dev/posts/takayama-shirakawago-day-trip/ https://japan-trip-note.pages.dev/posts/takayama-shirakawago-day-trip/ A practical guide to combining Takayama and Shirakawa-go, with bus reservations, origin choices, realistic trade-offs and reasons to book a tour. https://japan-trip-note.pages.dev/posts/renting-a-car-in-japan/ https://japan-trip-note.pages.dev/posts/renting-a-car-in-japan/ What a visitor needs to legally drive in Japan, what the tolls and regional expressway passes cost, and the trips where a car beats the train — and the ones where it does not. https://japan-trip-note.pages.dev/posts/tokyo-subway-pass-worth-it/ https://japan-trip-note.pages.dev/posts/tokyo-subway-pass-worth-it/ The Tokyo Subway Ticket costs ¥1,000 for 24 hours, ¥1,500 for 48 and ¥2,000 for 72. Here is the break-even maths, what it does not cover, and who should skip it. https://japan-trip-note.pages.dev/posts/nikko-day-trip-from-tokyo/ https://japan-trip-note.pages.dev/posts/nikko-day-trip-from-tokyo/ Plan a realistic Nikko day trip from Tokyo, with the right rail route, a focused World Heritage walk, pass maths and clear reasons to book a tour. https://japan-trip-note.pages.dev/posts/where-to-stay-kyoto-first-time/ https://japan-trip-note.pages.dev/posts/where-to-stay-kyoto-first-time/ Kyoto runs on buses, not trains, so hotel location bites harder than in Tokyo. A Japan resident on Kyoto Station, downtown, Gion and Arashiyama compared. https://japan-trip-note.pages.dev/posts/kansai-airport-to-kyoto-osaka/ https://japan-trip-note.pages.dev/posts/kansai-airport-to-kyoto-osaka/ How to get from Kansai Airport into Kyoto or Osaka: the Haruka, Nankai's Rapi:t and Airport Express, and the limousine bus, compared on fare, time and hassle.