I travelled extensively in Japan in Sept-Dec 2025. This extraordinary country does things differently, which is a great gift and also a motivating challenge. Here are some observations and suggestions which I share to whet your appetite and to help in your travel planning. For you to use, share and ignore as you wish…

Before You Travel

• Procure an International Driving Licence so you can hire a car. Getting an IDL takes a few weeks (it’s not a new driving test) and is worth it, because EU driving licences are not accepted. You never know when you might want to sit into the driver’s seat – especially in a country that gets more fascinating the more rural you go; and one that drives on the left
• Plan for your phone’s data usage digitally. For data only, I used eTravelsim in advance. On arrival, it automatically detects that you are in Japan, and switching it on is intuitive
• If you need to make phone calls to local Japanese numbers (I did), organise this in advance and pick up a physical sim at the airport. I expect most people will be fine with data only. Because WhatsApp is not widely used in Japan, you can ask your hotel to make (say) reservations for you. Most oblige, and are used to such requests

On Arrival

• The culture shock is real. More planning and less impulse decisions may serve you better during these days. Take time to get your bearings.  If possible, avoid hotel food and tourist-only experiences. They tend to be calorific and hollow
• Feeling secure from danger is a welcome new aura. Women report being very comfortable travelling alone in Japan; young men will never encounter a threatening atmosphere. This has a cumulative, relaxing effect
• Everything has a system in Japan. The system works, but is not flexible: that train will leave on time even if you’re standing on the wrong platform; you must sit in the correct seat if you’ve reserved one; you will only get access to your hotel room at 3pm, no matter how empty the hotel is. When I stopped trying to game the system and rather cooperated with it, life became more calm
• Get cash (and collect coins) once you arrive. Some transport, shops and restaurants only accept cash. 7-Eleven is a reliable place to find an ATM that isn’t a rip-off. These convenience stores are omnipresent and, despite their name, are open 24/7
• Smoking is widespread, and a minority of cafes and restaurants welcome smokers; so prepare to wash your clothes and lungs after. The up-side: this is where you’ll meet regular Japanese people
• Much of commerce happens above the ground floor (1F) level. When walking in the street, keep looking up. You’ll find bars, restaurants, cafes and lingerie outlets snuggled into the 7th floor (7F) and your job is to discover them
• You’ll find Nepalese, Korean, Malay, Indonesian and Filippino people, culture and food everywhere. Japan is the Germany of the East and attracts many neighbours to its doors. The result is a culinary melting-pot and an economic hierarchy. The former is obvious, the latter more ethereal but no less real

Language

• People in cities speak ‘hospitality English’; people in the regions speak some polite phrases; but rural areas speak Japanese only
• Learning ten Japanese phrases (yes, thanks, hello, etc.) will open up your world. Have a go!
• Google translate is your friend. Written or spoken, it gets you out of a jam time and time again. You will become proficient, and may even begin to enjoy it

Japanese Culture

• Don’t miss the onsen culture. Onsen, or hot spring, is a highly accessible way to relax and recharge in the Pacific Ocean’s most volcanic outcrop. Unlike European spas which focus on luxury and pampering, onsens are ritualised spaces which honour cleanliness and personal relaxation. In visiting an affordable public onsen you’ll get to gatecrash Japanese culture, rather than have it performed for you in (say) an expensively inauthentic tea ritual
• The arts are sometimes hidden, often local, and frequently free. You may have to work to find out what’s going on, but it’s rewarding when that work pays off. Visit the major theatres during the day and ask what’s on; visit the library and ask what’s on; ask the nice lady in the cafe what’s on. What we consider ‘the arts’, in Japan is often understood as ‘community events’. By changing the question, a new world is revealed. For example, I randomly rocked up to the national championship for Traditional Japanese Dance (think Feis Ceoil, or Cardiff Singer of the World) in Osaka; it was two days of the most amazing competitive performances, all free entry, and 100% Japanese.
• If you’re travelling during an odd month (Jan, March, May, etc) you’re in luck. There will be sumo championships somewhere in the country. Work hard to go and see sumo! Check out ‘Wonders of Japan’ travel agency to help you. Pricey, but amazing
• Food and drink festivals happen every weekend somewhere close to wherever you are. Your only challenge is to find out where. They’re fun, very Japanese, and good for experimentation. Keep your eyes peeled – or ask the most experienced person at hotel reception (i.e. not the kid who started last week)
• Book a karaoke room (e.g. Big Echo if you happen to be in Matsuyama). You’ll like it, and can observe why the Japanese love it. You can also play darts, pool and eat endless cinnamon popcorn while you wait for your reserved room to become clean and available
• October is Harvest Festival and is fantastic – especially in Shikoku. Go explore. (It’s like Semana Santa in Spain – each infused with religion, tradition, music and community)
• Japanese galleries (painting, photography) are the best-foot-forward of Nippon’s museums. They are always worth a visit, principally as their meaning is intuitive rather than dependent on (often poor) explanation through garbled translation
• @Irishmen and Irish women – beat a path to the life and works of Lafcadio Hearn. He’s the only Irish hero in Japan and his traces can be found in Matsue, Kumamoto and in the Zoshigaya district of Tokyo
• @Men – I recommend a wet shave in a local barber. Ignore Google reviews; trust your instinct. It’s such a nice experience
• @Gay men – 9 Monsters is the dominant hook-up app in Japan. Like the country, it’s conceived very differently to the orange and black monster you may already know. Happily, it is more human, less exploitative, and free of the cynicism which makes Grindr the most harmful fixture of Western gay life

Accommodation

• This works differently in Japan because the assumptions and systems are different
• Many medium and lower-tier hotels offer lower rates for stays during which your room is cleaned once every four days. This feels like a hybrid between hotel and self catering. You may discover that the result – a private space that no hotel staff ‘invades’ for several days – is to your liking
• Cleanliness is an expression of everyday luxury in Japan. Enjoy how good it feels to know that your room is well cleaned
• Although better prices may be available on individual hotel websites, using Booking.com or Airbnb helps avoid translation and logic issues you will encounter in websites designed for Japanese customers
• Note that Airbnb is under-developed in the Japanese market and often focuses on maximising beds rather than creating the feeling of home. The result is variable; caveat emptor
• Achtung! Make sure that you actively select a non-smoking room. If you do not, all Japanese hotel booking systems consider smoking and non-smoking rooms as interchangeable. If it’s a busy night (e.g. Saturday) you may be assigned a smoking room with no comeback. Being a slow learner, this happened twice to me…
• If onsens are your thing, ‘Dormy Inn’ is a sensational hotel chain premised on having an amazing onsen in each hotel – usually the top floor or the basement. ‘Onyado Ono’ is Dormy Inn’s more posh, more traditional sister-chain. You will find mostly Japanese people in these hotels, and will get to experience more traditional Japanese hospitality (e.g. complementary noodles at 9pm; complementary massage chairs; complementary Yakult each morning, etc.). Dormy and Onyado are especially good experiences outside of the mega cities
• Laundry rooms are very often available in your hotel. When it’s easy to keep things clean, you can travel light with confidence. Note that Japan is a low-fragrance culture where optimal cleanliness is marked by a neutral smell
• Solo travellers will be delighted to know that Japanese accommodation charges per person, not per room. You can expect a 15%-30% ‘discount’ in many bookings

Transport

• Frequency of most public transport is impressive because of Japan’s population and scale. I tended to arrive and grab the next train, rather than plan to catch a specifically-timed train
• Transport in cities is mostly not integrated and buying tickets is a tad confusing. In general, Google Maps is your friend and tells you how much money to prepare (I did not get a transport card, but many do)
• In busses, take a numbered ticket as you enter the middle of the bus (this is evidence of where you got on) and then pay as you get off at the front of the bus (the price corresponding to your ticket number). Having coins makes life easier. Try to avoid holding everyone up while you stare at the driver with no clue what he wants. The system is rigid: unless you pay the right amount, the bus will not move, and you will not be getting off that bus
• For train journeys, you often receive two tickets – corresponding to a base fare and a supplement to allow you ride a faster service. Most train tickets are bought via machines, so don’t arrive in a rush the first time; they’re not the easiest to work out, even in English. Your tickets are stacked together and introduced simultaneously into the automated turnstiles. I’ve no idea how this works – but it does
• For bullet trains, ChatGPT conservatively encourages you to reserve a seat in advance. Don’t! This costs a lot more, and is rarely needed. Rather, a non-reserved seat almost always works out
• If you take the bullet train south from Tokyo to Osaka, do so on a bright day and grab a seat on the right-hand side of the train. Mount Fuji awaits
• Sometimes, a taxi makes sense and it’s often pretty reasonably priced
• Get on a boat. Many are practical public transport solutions, and often they’re spectacular. Avoid boat tours, unless you came to Japan to meet Daisy Mae from Louisville, Kentucky

Food and Drink

• The beer is amazing. Experiment. The chilled glasses make a difference
• Craft beer is pricey, but delivers
• Japan is a drip-coffee culture. Alas, the ritual is hidden from the customer. The coffee is somewhat weak; a good excuse to order a second 
• There is no teapot culture in Japan, which may disappoint. So much for those tea rituals…
• Fish is of equal quality, but red meat and dairy are of lesser quality than Northern Europe. Choose carefully when you select meat (I once was served ready-to-eat raw chicken – and it was not a mistake); otherwise enjoy exploring veggie and sushi excellence
• Fresh sushi, prepared expertly in front of your eyes, is a revelation in the mouth
• Every region has its famous food. It’s fun to find an excellent locale serving the area’s regional fare
• Be prepared to eat in spit-on-the-floor-places. They’re often very well-run will likely deliver a more satisfying culinary experience

Megacity Watchouts

• Japan is famously safe, but the centre of megacities is where it becomes most like any other big city in the West
• In the big cities, beware of bargains as they’re usually a trick
• When choosing accommodation look out for frequent unwelcome surprises: eg. your room is five metres from a major motorway intersection; your airbnb is surrounded by construction on three sides; your hotel room has no see-through windows, and feels like a prison. A careful review of reviews will reveal these tricks. A low price usually means there’s a catch. Find it!
• Consider escaping the Tokyo / Osaka megatrap. Anyway, the regions (smaller cities, towns and rural areas) are more friendly, more Japanese, and more surprising. Having that International Driving Licence might be the gateway to a whole new adventure

[I did not get to Hokkaido and am keeping it for my next trip. Japan’s most northerly island is the cradle of Sapporo beer, sensational skiing and dairy goodness. I can’t wait!]

My Seven Standout Experiences in Japan (You will discover yours)

1. Observing a stable of sumo wrestlers practice early on the morning of their competitive sumo championship event
2. Riding the bullet train north from Osaka to Tokyo on a nice day, only to see stunning Mount Fuji to my left – snowcapped and beautiful, like a timeless debutante
3. Being part of a spontaneous restaurant lock-in in Imabari, drinking sake and beer, and singing songs
4. Visiting Lafcadio Hearn’s home in Matsue, alongside hoards of Japanese people interested in this inspiring Irishman
5. Learning to use an onsen correctly by observing what the locals do, at the Dormy Inn in Kawasaki
6. Witnessing the Harvest Festival celebrations of Sanjo as I walked part of the 88 Temples pilgrimage
7. Chatting with so many amazing, welcoming, sensitive and joyful Japanese people in cafes and bars all over the country

Essays I wrote while travelling around Japan:

Impressions of Kobe: here

The Japanese Equinox: here

Memories in Molly’s Café: here

Hiroshima: here

Kids in Japan: here

Visiting a Love Hotel: here

88 Temples Pilgrimage I: here

88 Temples Pilgrimage II: here

English in Japan: here

The Koto Concert: here

Visiting the Place Where My Piano Was Made I: here

Visiting the Place Where My Piano Was Made II: here

The Gentlemen’s Coffee Club: here

The Sumo Sacrifice: here

An Old Lady Dreams: here

Osaka’s Young Firefighters: here

Japan’s Most Famous Irishman: here

Return to Matsuyama: here