Japan Travel Guide
Home to a unique cultural heritage, Japan is the sort of place where you'll want to know more before you arrive. If you're planning a visit, have a browse through our useful travel guide resources that include when to go for the best weather and most popular festivals, top sights and experiences you should include on your itinerary, what to expect of the local transport and what visas you'll need. There's also reviews from past customers and latest updates on safety in Japan - it is a hotbed for seismic activity after all.
Best Places to Visit
Some places deserve your attention and here's our choice of Japan's top 10
Best Time to Visit
Plan your visit to Japan with our guide to the seasons and what they have to offer
Top Travel Tips
Everything you'll need to know on the currency, cuisine, shopping, tipping & more
Tourist Visas
Not sure if you need a visa for Japan? Check out our guide on visa requirements
Transport in Japan
What to expect of Japan's trains and how to get around the extensive network
Travel Advice & Updates
The latest travel alerts for Japan, plus info on earthquake measurement
Cherry Blossom Festival FAQ
A comprehensive guide to hanami
Top 10 Experiences
Don't leave Japan without experiencing a traditional ryokan, onsen or tea ceremony
Japan Reviews
See what fellow travellers think of our tours to Japan and what they love most
Recommended Reading
- Shogun
by James Clavell - Memoirs of a Geisha
by Arthur Golden - Shutting Out the Sun
by Michael Zielenziger
Facts about Japan
- Japanese trains are among the most punctual in the world: the average delay is just 18 seconds.
- Japan has more than 50,000 people who are over 100 years old, the majority of which are women.
- The biggest Japanese community outside of Japan is in Brazil with the first immigrants having arrived in 1908.
Japan Travel Advice for South African Travellers:
The safety of our travellers is of utmost importance and we keep informed of the latest travel updates on Japan. We recommend that you check the latest travel advice from the consular in South Africa before you travel.
Flying to Japan from South Africa:
Japan is between a 19-22 hour flight from South Africa depending on whether you fly from Johannesburg or Cape Town. The main international gateway in Japan is Tokyo where our tours start and if flying from Johannesburg, Cathay Pacific, Singapore Airlines and Qatar are all good flight options with a transit en route. If flying from Cape Town an additional stop may be made in Johannesburg when flying to Japan. The majority of our tours end in Kyoto or Osaka, and you will need what's known as an open jaw flight ticket flying into one city and out of another. Osaka international airport serves Kyoto and plenty of airlines fly from here to South Africa. Check out Travelstart for multi city flight deals from South Africa to Japan.