Preparing for Your Trip

Most of the stress around a Japan trip happens before you ever board the plane. Get the paperwork, money, and connectivity sorted in advance and the actual travel part is easy.

Documents and Entry Requirements

Check your passport's expiry date first — many countries recommend at least six months of validity remaining from your date of entry, and airlines will refuse boarding if yours falls short. Travellers from a long list of countries, including the US, UK, Australia, Canada, and most of the EU, can enter Japan visa-free for short tourist stays, but the allowed length varies by nationality, so confirm your specific entry rules on your home country's foreign affairs site or the Japanese embassy page rather than assuming. Before you fly, register your passport and customs declaration on Visit Japan Web — it generates a QR code that speeds up both immigration and customs on arrival, and it can be done from your phone in about fifteen minutes.

Money and Payment Prep

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Tell your bank and card providers you're travelling so international transactions aren't flagged and blocked. Japan has moved a long way toward card and contactless payment in cities, but it remains a more cash-reliant society than most first-time visitors expect — small restaurants, local shops, temples, and rural areas often still take cash only. Arrive with a little yen already in hand or plan to withdraw from a 7-Eleven or post office ATM soon after landing, since these reliably accept foreign cards even when other ATMs don't.

Connectivity Before You Fly

Decide on your connectivity plan before departure rather than scrambling at the airport. An eSIM installed ahead of time means you land already connected; a physical SIM or pocket wifi rental can usually be pre-booked for airport pickup. Whichever you choose, download offline maps, a translation app, and the transit app you'll rely on daily before you leave home, since setting these up on unfamiliar airport wifi is a poor first impression of the trip.

What to Pack

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Pack for layers rather than a fixed climate — Japan's weather shifts noticeably by season and region, and indoor heating or air conditioning is often stronger than you'd expect. Comfortable, easily removable shoes matter more here than almost anywhere else, since you'll walk far more than usual and will slip shoes on and off at temples, traditional restaurants, and some accommodation. A portable charger, a compact umbrella, and any prescription medication in its original packaging (with a doctor's note for anything unusual, since Japan restricts some common medications) round out the essentials.

Booking Priorities

Not everything needs to be booked months out, but a few things do. Accommodation in Tokyo and Kyoto during peak seasons — cherry blossom season, autumn foliage, and Japanese public holidays like Golden Week — fills up early and prices climb fast, so lock those in first. If your itinerary includes long-distance shinkansen travel during a busy period, reserving seats ahead of time avoids standing in a packed non-reserved car. Popular restaurants and any specific cultural experience you have your heart set on, from a tea ceremony to a themed dining spot, are worth reserving as soon as your dates are fixed.

Final Week Checklist

In the last week before departure, confirm travel insurance is active for your full trip dates, save digital copies of your passport and bookings somewhere accessible offline, and do a final currency check so you're not relying on unfamiliar exchange counters on day one. That's the whole idea behind Before You Go To Japan: handle the unglamorous logistics early so the time you actually spend in the country is free to be about the country, not admin.