Japan Travel Guide: Things I Wish I'D Known Before Going to Japan (2026)

Good information before a trip.

I bought this (and 3 other) book based on recommendations in a FB group about travel in Japan. I have about 30 sticky note flags in this book for quick reference to useful information and things of particular interest. Great reference guide and really helped me overcome my ignorance about Japan.

The grammar was sometimes incorrect. Some of the "facts" in the book are not for children to read. Many of the suggestions are the personal opinion of the author. On the positive side, this book gives information that is not in a common tourist guide, and quirky info on the culture and customs.

The chapters are not organized well by city. Cheap print and flimsy paper. Lousy pictures. Not enough detail. Otherwise some good basic personal opinions which appear to be must see choices for sightseeing or adventure. Just too elementary. Needs updating. Would return but appreciate the individuals for taking the time to jot down some fairly helpful points. If they fluff up the print and paper quality and cleaned up (or at the very least, connect the table of contents correctly to the sections by city or area) each chapter might flow and read better.

Great book! Many pictures, they are black and white but fully understandable. Many useful tips. They give detailed prices and opening and closing hours for the places they recommend. They translate some food/words and prices from Yen to USD for you. For some of the attractions they recommend, they’ll also tell you what the nearest train station would be. It has very few typos, but some things get lost in translation and there is a language barrier… it’s just a sweet old couple who did a great job:)

If you plan to go to Japan, this book is much needed. Crucial tips and tricks are provided. I liked the way the book was laid out. The different topics were easy to find and reference back to when needed. I very much enjoyed the budget hacks and how to easily manage your trip.

My son recently traveled to Japan. I thought that this was a perfect way to help him get a little information before he went. He loved it, and read it on his forever and a day flight there.

Good information and surprised to see most recommendations included in my upcoming cherry blossom tour. Really good information if you are planning to travel without a tour group. No practical information about money, credit/debit cards, etc. I think this might need to be updated after 5 years things change.

Very useful information, of course some of it was outdated, but the general information was still correct and helped me during my trip to Japan. Thank you!

This book is a scam. Zero value add. No details provided. Simple random copy paste things you can get anywhere on the internet printed in the book format with ugly pictures from black and white printer. No useful information whatsoever. Do not waste your money. I have requested the refund.

Bom guia para conhecer um pouco o Japão antes de ir. O livro é todo a preto e branco e a qualidade de impressão é baixa. Os preços e horários podem ficar rapidamente desatualizados mas é um bom começo para preparar a viagem.

Gekocht voor mijn schoonvader, hij was er blij mee.

Bought this as a gift but it’s such poor quality I’d be embarrassed to hand it to anyone. The contents might be good but the image quality is laughable. How anyone could sell such low quality printed text and images is beyond me.