Travel to Japan
One Card Works Nationwide, With Three Exceptions
The ten major IC cards are interchangeable across the country, so the real choice is where you buy one. Deposits, refunds and the Welcome Suica catch.
Japan Know How archive
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
Black Friday 2026 flights to Japan: what US travelers can expect from JAL, ANA, United and Delta
No airline had posted Black Friday dates for U.S.–Japan routes by Oct. 27. Here are JAL's current fares for spring 2027, JR Pass and eSIM prices, and Japan's new tax-free rules.
Travel to Japan
Why a Large Bag Needs Its Own Reservation
Luggage over 160 cm needs a free oversized-baggage seat booked in advance on the Tokaido line, or a ¥1,000 charge on board. Sizes, cars and where bags fit.
Travel to Japan
Machines, Apps and the Ticket Counter
You can buy a Shinkansen ticket online, from a station machine or at a staffed JR counter, but those routes do not offer identical fares or payment options. This guide explains the Japanese terms on each screen, the current advance-booking rules and what to do when a foreign card fails.
Travel to Japan
The Break-Even Math on Kansai, JR East and Hokkaido
Japan’s national rail pass can lose money even on a Tokyo–Kyoto–Hiroshima trip. Compare the current prices, coverage, and break-even math for Kansai, JR East, and Hokkaido before buying.
Travel to Japan
How Japan’s Rail Fares Are Actually Built
Six JR companies, private lines on top, and a fare made of two separate charges. How tickets are priced, when a seat must be reserved, and what a week costs.
Travel to Japan
Two Ways to Get Online and One Bill to Pick
An eSIM works the moment you land and costs a few dollars a day; a rented router covers a whole family but has to be handed back. Where the line falls.
Travel to Japan
What the Cheaper Ticket Quietly Leaves Out
Zipair sells a seat and nothing else; JAL and ANA include bags, meals and a flat-rate domestic leg. What each fare covers once the extras are added back.
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.
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.