Japan travel guide · updated 27 Oct 2026
Japan, one stop at a time.
Clear, checked answers for first-time visitors: buying trading cards and model kits, riding the trains, eating well for less, and the new 2026 rules on tax-free shopping and travel fees.
From 1 November 2026, tax-free shopping becomes a refund. You pay the 10% tax at the till and claim it back after a customs check when you leave Japan.
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Japan's new tax-free system from 1 November 2026
You now pay the 10% consumption tax at the till and claim it back after customs confirms, at the airport, that the goods are leaving Japan. Here is exactly what to do at each step.
Every new travel fee in Japan for 2026, in one place
A tripled departure tax, Kyoto's steep new hotel tax, pricier rail passes and an online entry permit on the way. What each one costs you and when it applies.
Buying Pokémon cards in Japan without getting burned
Sealed boxes, single cards and release-day lotteries. How shops price cards, how to spot resealed product, and how to get your cards home flat.
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How to book the shinkansen as a foreign visitor
Which website covers which line, why foreign cards get declined, the 30-day booking window, oversized luggage rules and what Tokyo to Osaka costs.
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All 24 guides →▶ Video
Japan's new tax-free system from 1 November 2026
You now pay the 10% consumption tax at the till and claim it back after customs confirms, at the airport, that the goods are leaving Japan. Here is exactly what to do at each step.
Your first three hours in Japan: airport to hotel
Immigration, customs, data, cash and the train into the city, in the order you will do them, for Narita, Haneda and Kansai.
Akihabara in one day: a route for first-timers
A morning-to-night plan through Tokyo's electronics and anime district, with what each kind of shop sells, café rules and how to save on tax.
How to eat well from a Japanese convenience store
What to buy at each time of day, how to open an onigiri, how the hot counter and microwave work, and the services hiding behind the till.
Every new travel fee in Japan for 2026, in one place
A tripled departure tax, Kyoto's steep new hotel tax, pricier rail passes and an online entry permit on the way. What each one costs you and when it applies.
Business hotel, capsule or ryokan? Choosing where to stay
Room sizes, what is included, typical 2026 prices, and which Tokyo neighbourhoods suit first-time visitors.
13 Oct 2026OT 02Buying Pokémon cards in Japan without getting burned2 min
11 Oct 2026TR 06Suica, PASMO and ICOCA: the tap card you will use every day2 min
10 Oct 2026RG 02Kyoto for first-timers: beating the crowds in 20262 min
9 Oct 2026SH 02Japanese drugstore shopping: skincare, sunscreen and what to skip2 min7 Oct 2026TR 05How to book the shinkansen as a foreign visitor2 min
6 Oct 2026YN 02What a day in Japan really costs in 20262 minPopular tags
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