Travel to Japan
Fares by Season, Departure City and Booking Window
West Coast nonstops run hundreds below East Coast ones, and late March costs the most of any month. The fare pattern by month and when to buy.
Japan Know How archive
Category: Travel to Japan
Planning a trip from the United States: when to go, what the rail passes are actually worth in 2026, how far a dollar goes, and which apps replace the ones that do not work there. Written for first visits and repeat visits, with prices dated so you know what is current.
Travel to Japan
Two Tokyo Airports, Two Very Different Rides
Haneda sits nine miles from central Tokyo and Narita thirty-seven. What each ride costs, how late the trains run, and when a cheap fare stops being cheap.
Travel to Japan
Flights, Airports and the First Two Hours
Nonstops leave from a dozen US cities, fares swing by hundreds between months, and Tokyo's two airports are not interchangeable. What to book first.
Travel to Japan
The Apps You Actually Need in Japan
Six apps and one website cover a whole trip. Plus the honest answer on Suica: brilliant on an iPhone, mostly unavailable on Android, and what to do instead.
Travel to Japan
The Best Time of Year to Visit Japan
The best weather and the biggest crowds fall in different months, and that gap is the whole opportunity. Month by month, plus the three weeks the entire country travels.
Travel to Japan
How Much Money to Bring to Japan
Three daily budgets with what each one buys, the taxes that rose in 2026, and the tax-free change on 1 November that moves your refund from the till to the airport.
Travel to Japan
Is the Japan Rail Pass Worth It in 2026?
Tokyo to Kyoto to Hiroshima and back comes to about 44,760 yen against a 50,000 yen pass. The classic route does not break even, and from 1 October the pass costs more.
Travel to Japan
Planning a First Trip to Japan: The Order That Works
Seven decisions in the order they should be made, plus the four things that changed in 2026 and quietly made a lot of older Japan advice wrong.