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.
- 01 How to Travel
How do I book a ryokan that has no English website?
A copy-paste Japanese email template that books phone-only, Japanese-only inns — plus the two replies you'll get and how to confirm your stay.
6 min read - 02 Getting Around
Reading Japanese-only bus timetables (a survival skill)
The kanji that matter on a rural bus timetable, how to read it row by row, and the weekday-versus-weekend trap that strands travelers.
3 min read - 03 How to Travel
Cash, cards & country Japan: the honest math
Where cards fail in rural Japan, which ATMs accept foreign cards, whether IC cards work, and the simple 10,000-yen rule for a countryside trip.
5 min read - 04 How to Travel
What apps and phrases work offline in rural Japan?
The apps to download before you lose signal, the phrases that actually help, and how to read Japanese signs and menus with your camera — no fluency needed.
3 min read
Done with these? Browse every guide →