Start Here
If you're planning your first trip past the big cities, read these four in order. They cover the four things that actually trip people up.
-
How do I book a ryokan that has no English website?
A copy-paste Japanese email template that books phone-only and Japanese-only inns, from a working guide in rural Kyoto.
-
Reading Japanese-only bus timetables (a survival skill)
The five kanji that matter on a rural bus timetable, and the weekday-versus-weekend trap that strands travelers.
-
Cash, cards & country Japan: the honest math
Where cards fail, which ATMs accept foreign cards, and the simple 10,000-yen rule for a countryside trip.
-
Which eSIM actually works in rural Japan?
Signal-tested in the mountains, not in Shibuya: how to choose an eSIM that keeps working once you leave the cities.
A free EN/JP inn-request template is coming to the newsletter — signup opens soon.