Planning your first trip to Japan
The basics a first-time Japan traveller actually needs: which regions to start with, how transport works, and which apps to install before you fly.
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- For a first trip, anchor on just one or two regions rather than circling the whole country: Tokyo suits big-city and shopping fans, Osaka-Kyoto pairs old temples with street food, while Hokkaido and Okinawa suit travellers after nature or beaches rather than cities.
- Getting around Japan relies mainly on trains. Whether the JR Pass is worth it depends on your actual itinerary, and its price has changed in recent years, so check the current price and conditions on the official JR website before buying.
- Before you fly, install Google Maps and download offline maps for the cities you will visit, add a local transit app for checking train schedules, and fill in Visit Japan Web in advance to cut down airport queue time. An eSIM that activates the moment you land keeps all of these ready to use from the start.
A first trip to Japan: which region to start with
Japan is bigger than most people picture it, and each region offers a genuinely different trip. The general advice for a first visit is to anchor on one or two regions and see them properly, rather than trying to cover everywhere at once — travel time between regions eats into the trip more than expected.
- Tokyo and its surrounds: suits travellers who want a big city, shopping, a huge range of restaurants and enough urban sightseeing to fill any amount of time; the most familiar starting point for a first-timer
- Osaka-Kyoto (Kansai): pairs Kyoto's old temples and shrines with Osaka's lively food scene; the two cities sit close enough to plan together in one trip
- Hokkaido: suits travellers after nature, snow or flower-field scenery, and fresh seafood, more than big-city sights; it sits a fair distance from the other regions, so it is better planned as its own trip than a short add-on
- Okinawa: a southern island chain with beaches and a warm, humid climate quite different from mainland Japan; suits travellers after the sea and diving more than temples or shopping
Visa-free entry to Japan for Thai passport holders
Thailand and Japan have had a bilateral visa-exemption arrangement in place since 2013, letting Thai passport holders travel to Japan for short-term tourism or business visits without applying for a visa in advance, and stay for up to 15 days.
Getting around Japan: trains, the JR Pass, and what to check yourself
Getting around Japan relies mainly on trains: the shinkansen bullet train for travelling between regions, and city rail networks for shorter hops. The rail system is punctual and covers a huge area, but several operators run overlapping lines in the big cities, so you sometimes switch lines or operators mid-journey.
Apps and tools worth having before you go to Japan
- 1Google Maps with offline areas downloadedDownload the offline map area for each city ahead of time, in case signal is weak or slow somewhere. Google Maps can still guide walking routes and show shop locations without a live connection.
- 2A local transit or train-schedule appA dedicated app for checking real-time train schedules and platforms helps a lot in cities where several operators overlap, especially when you need to change lines mid-journey.
- 3Visit Japan Web, filled in ahead of timeVisit Japan Web is the official online service for submitting your immigration and customs details in advance of travel. Filling it in completely before you fly helps cut down the time spent queueing at immigration once you land at a Japanese airport.
How to use Visit Japan Web, step by step
Visit Japan Web (visitjapanweb.digital.go.jp) lets you submit your immigration and customs details online in advance, then present a QR code the system generates instead of filling out paper forms on arrival — saving real time in the queue when you land.
- 1Create an account on Visit Japan Web before you flyGo to visitjapanweb.digital.go.jp and register a user account ahead of time, so you have enough time to fill everything in before you travel.
- 2Register your traveller and passport detailsEnter each traveller's personal details and passport information into the system.
- 3Register your flight and arrival detailsFill in your flight details and the date you are arriving in Japan.
- 4Complete the customs declaration and any immigration questions in advanceFill in the customs declaration, and any immigration questions that apply, directly in the system in advance — no paper forms needed at the airport.
- 5The system generates a QR codeOnce everything is filled in, the system automatically generates a QR code for customs and/or immigration.
- 6Present the QR code at the airport checkpoint on arrivalAt the Japanese airport, present this QR code at the e-gate or immigration/customs checkpoint instead of filling out paper forms — cutting real time off the queue.
Why having data from the moment you land matters
Both Google Maps for finding your way out of the airport and onto a train into the city, and Visit Japan Web for showing your QR code at the immigration checkpoint, work best when data is ready the moment you step off the plane. Using an eSIM activated before you travel skips the whole business of hunting for a SIM counter or fighting for airport Wi-Fi. If you are not yet sure how much data your trip actually needs, see our guide on choosing a Japan eSIM plan, or check the full range of plans on our Japan country page.
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How many days should a first Japan trip be?+
It depends on how many regions you plan to cover. Anchoring on one region such as Tokyo or Kansai, 5-7 days is usually enough to see the highlights without rushing. Covering two regions means budgeting extra time for travel between them.
Where should a first-time visitor to Japan start?+
Tokyo or Osaka-Kyoto are the most familiar starting points, since transport coverage is extensive, English signage is common, and temples, restaurants and shopping are all available in the same area. Hokkaido and Okinawa suit a later trip more than a first one, since they lean toward nature and sit far from the other regions.
How many days can Thai passport holders stay in Japan visa-free?+
Thai passport holders can travel to Japan for short-term tourism or business without a visa and stay for up to 15 days, under the visa-exemption arrangement between Thailand and Japan that has been in place since 2013. Always confirm the current terms with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand or the Japanese embassy before you travel.
Do I need to buy a JR Pass?+
Not always — it depends on how many inter-region shinkansen trips your itinerary actually needs. The pass's price has changed before, so check the current price and conditions on the official JR website and compare against buying individual tickets for your actual route before deciding.
What is Visit Japan Web, and when should I fill it in?+
It is the official online service for submitting immigration and customs details ahead of travel. It is best filled in completely before you fly, so as to cut down queueing time at immigration once you land at a Japanese airport.
Should I activate the eSIM before arriving in Japan?+
It is generally best to install and set up the eSIM profile before you fly, then switch it on the moment you land, so Google Maps and Visit Japan Web are ready to use as soon as you step off the plane, without losing time hunting for a SIM or fighting for airport Wi-Fi.
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