Japan stay planning
Guides
Practical notes for travelers choosing Japan stays and routes around real constraints: baths, tattoos, luggage, food, family movement, airport arrivals, trains, and local rules. Looking for tours, tickets or classes? See Experiences.
Start by problem
What are you trying to solve?
BSJ is organized around practical travel constraints, not generic inspiration. Start with the detail that could affect your booking, route, meal, or day-of-travel comfort.
I have tattoos or want a private bath
Start with tattoo policy, public bath, private bath, and in-room bath wording.
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I am worried about luggage
Compare delivery, station storage, checkout-day planning, and Shinkansen luggage rules.
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I have food restrictions
Check ryokan meals, hotel breakfast, fish-based dashi, allergies, and self-catering.
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I need arrival-day help
Plan airport trains, buses, transfers, luggage, eSIM setup, and hotel check-in.
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I am booking tours or activities
Review meeting points, toilets, luggage, weather, children, and food needs before booking.
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I need station and train basics
Understand IC cards, queues, escalators, priority seats, transfers, and rush hour.
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Stay conditions
Choose stays around real constraints
Baths, tattoos, meals, ryokan customs, and luggage details that affect where you should stay.
Tattoo and bath notes
Tattoo-Friendly Stays in Kansai
Of the 57 stays researched by July 2026, 10 state no tattoo restriction and 6 hand out cover stickers, typically 8cm x 13cm. What "tattoo-friendly" actually means, per bath type.
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Bath planning
Private Bath Stays in Kansai
"Private bath" covers four different things in Japan, from a normal ensuite tub to a bookable hot-spring room. How to tell which one a listing means before you book.
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Food and hotel meals
Dietary Restrictions in Japan
Standard dashi is made from dried bonito or sardines, so most "vegetable" dishes contain fish. Shojin ryori is the reliable exception. What to ask, and when.
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Traditional stays
Ryokan Stay Guide
A practical first guide to ryokan stays: arrival timing, meals, bathing, bedding, tattoos, and what to confirm before planning around a property.
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Bath culture
Japan Onsen Etiquette Guide
Wash first, no swimwear, small towel never in the water. The bathing order, what to do with the two towels, and where tattoos stand at 57 stays checked by July 2026.
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Hands-light travel
Japan Luggage Delivery Guide
Sending a large suitcase between Japanese hotels costs roughly ¥2,000–2,700 and arrives next day. Sizes, cutoff times, airport options, and what to tell the hotel.
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Train and luggage
Shinkansen Oversized Luggage Guide
Bags over 160cm total need a free reserved seat on the Tokaido, Sanyo and Kyushu Shinkansen, or ¥1,000 on board. How to measure, and which lines apply.
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Getting around
Move through Japan with less friction
Trains, IC cards, rail passes, bicycles, and station movement for travelers who want fewer surprises.
Transport manners
Japan Train Etiquette and Transfer Guide
Japan train etiquette and transfers: quiet cars, queues, priority seats, escalators, luggage, IC cards and rush hour.
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Transport basics
Japan IC Card Guide
Suica, PASMO and ICOCA take a ¥500 refundable deposit and hold up to ¥20,000. Welcome Suica takes no deposit but never gives the balance back.
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eSIM and connectivity
Japan eSIM Guide for Travel
Most travelers spend $10–17 on a Japan eSIM for one to two weeks. How much data you need, and which network your plan runs on outside the cities.
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Luggage storage
Japan Luggage Storage Guide
Japan coin lockers cost ¥300 to about ¥1,800 a day by size and operator. Billing rules, locker sizes, the day limit, IC card payment, and what to do when they are full.
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Checkout day planning
Japan Checkout Day Luggage Guide
How to plan a Japan checkout day when your hotel stay ends before your train, flight, tour, or evening plans.
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Arrival and transfers
Japan Airport Arrival and Transfer Guide
How to choose Japan airport trains, limousine buses, private transfers, luggage delivery, and eSIM setup for a calmer first day after landing.
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Taxis and private transfers
Japan Taxi and Private Transfer Guide
When to use taxis, private transfers, airport transfers, or car services in Japan, especially with luggage, children, late arrivals, or difficult station routes.
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Rail planning
Japan Rail Pass Guide
The 7-day pass is ¥50,000, rising to ¥53,000 on 1 October 2026. A Tokyo–Kyoto round trip is about ¥28,000, so the pass needs more than the Golden Route to pay off.
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Cycling basics
Japan Bicycle Rules Guide
A practical guide to bicycle rules in Japan for travelers using rental bikes, hotel bikes, share cycles, or e-bikes.
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Local manners
Understand the small rules around daily travel
Food, photos, shrines, temples, shopping, and quiet public behavior explained without making travel feel intimidating.
Food basics
Japan Restaurant Etiquette Guide
A practical guide to eating out in Japan, from ordering and chopsticks to tipping, payment, allergies, small restaurants, and quiet dining manners.
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Quiet visits
Japan Shrine and Temple Etiquette Guide
A practical guide to visiting shrines and temples in Japan with calm manners around prayer, photography, goshuin, shoes, and quiet spaces.
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Photo manners
Japan Photography Etiquette Guide
A practical guide to taking photos in Japan without blocking streets, entering private spaces, or disturbing residents, worshippers, performers, and local life.
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Shopping and departure
Japan Tax-Free Shopping Guide
From 1 November 2026 you pay the 10% tax in store and reclaim it at the airport. The ¥5,000 minimum stays. What changes, what does not, and what to carry.
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