JAPAN · Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Kanazawa, Hiroshima…
Rehearse your Japan trip before you go
Japan is bullet-train cities and quiet mountain towns.
Dejavoy is a free game: plan a trip, then play it through day by day before you go, and catch closed days, missed bookings and tourist traps before they catch you.
Entry rules by passport
| Passport | What you need |
|---|---|
| Japan | Your own country |
| South Korea | No visa or pre-travel authorisation for a short tourist stay |
| China (mainland) | Get a tourist visa for Japan A Japanese tourist visa is required; residents of China can apply for an eVISA through an accredited agency |
| Taiwan | No visa or pre-travel authorisation for a short tourist stay |
| Hong Kong SAR | No visa or pre-travel authorisation for a short tourist stay |
| Singapore | No visa or pre-travel authorisation for a short tourist stay |
| USA | No visa or pre-travel authorisation for a short tourist stay Fill in customs on Visit Japan Web beforehand for a faster QR lane |
| Canada | No visa or pre-travel authorisation for a short tourist stay |
| UK | No visa or pre-travel authorisation for a short tourist stay Visit Japan Web speeds up customs |
| An EU country | No visa or pre-travel authorisation for a short tourist stay Visit Japan Web speeds up customs |
| Australia | No visa or pre-travel authorisation for a short tourist stay |
| India | Apply for a Japan eVISA Apply through an accredited agency and show it on your phone; allow one to two weeks |
| Other | Depends on your nationality: check with the embassy or the official site |
Checked Oct 2026. Rules change: check the embassy or official site before you travel.
Traps travellers fall into
In the game these hide among the recommendations. See if you can spot them.
- Queue for a famous Toyosu sushi bar TokyoThe most famous stalls mean hours in line; neighbours of similar quality often have none
- Tsukiji Outer Market snacks (wagyu skewers, uni) TokyoTsukiji's snack stalls are tourist-priced. Look for set-meal diners and tamagoyaki shops
- Chasing maiko for photos in Gion's lanes KyotoGion's private lanes ban photography; never chase or stop maiko
- Grazing at Kuromon Market OsakaKuromon is largely tourist-priced; neighbourhood markets are cheaper and more everyday
- A touted seafood bowl at Omicho KanazawaAt the market, choose places that don't tout and where locals queue; watch out for 'market price'
- A bar a tout leads you to in Nakasu FukuokaDon't follow street touts in Nakasu or Tenjin; touting is restricted by local ordinance
- A maiko in a Gion alley KyotoSince 2024 Gion's private alleys are closed to tourists. Don't chase or photograph maiko without permission
- “Hey, one drink?” TokyoNever follow street touts; touting is banned by Tokyo ordinance
Month by month
- JanuaryJanuary highs are 9–10°C, mornings near freezing. Shrines and temples are packed for New Year visits on 1–3 January.
- FebruaryFebruary is the coldest month: about 10°C in Tokyo and Kyoto, and Kanazawa, Takayama and Shirakawa-go are under snow.
- MarchMarch reaches 13–15°C. Cherry blossoms open late in the month, peaking in Tokyo and Kyoto around the turn of April; spring break crowds begin.
- AprilApril reaches 19–20°C. Early April is peak cherry blossom with packed viewing spots; Golden Week starts on 29 April.
- MayMay is a fresh 23°C. Golden Week (29 April – 5 May) packs sights and trains and pushes up hotel prices.
- JuneJune is the rainy season (early June to mid-July): about 26°C, humid, with many wet days. Hydrangea season.
- JulyJuly turns scorching after the rains (31–33°C). Kyoto's Gion Festival runs all month, with the float parades on the 17th and 24th.
- AugustAugust is extreme heat (32–35°C); watch for heatstroke. Obon (13–16 Aug) fills every train, and it's typhoon season.
- SeptemberSeptember stays hot (27–30°C) and is peak typhoon season; boats and ropeways sometimes stop.
- OctoberOctober is a comfortable 22°C. Autumn colour starts in the mountains; Kyoto turns from mid-November.
- NovemberNovember reaches 14–18°C. Autumn colour peaks mid to late month, in Kyoto and Tokyo from late November into early December.
- DecemberIn December Tokyo and Kyoto reach 10–12°C with dry, sunny days. Many museums and restaurants close from 29 December to 3 January.
Sample routes
- ClassicClassic: Tokyo, Hakone, Kyoto, OsakaThe four essentials, with a night at a hot-spring inn and Kyoto's autumn colours.Tokyo → Hakone → Kyoto → Osaka
- DetourDetour: via Kanazawa to HiroshimaUp to Kanazawa by Shinkansen, then Kyoto, then Hiroshima and Miyajima.Tokyo → Kanazawa → Kyoto → Hiroshima
- Off the pathOff the path: Hida, Hokuriku and KyushuTakayama and Shirakawa-go, Kanazawa, Hiroshima, then Fukuoka's food stalls.Tokyo → Takayama → Kanazawa → Hiroshima → Fukuoka
Hidden gems
- Old Yanaka TokyoA temple town that escaped the war, with the Yanaka Ginza shopping street.
- Pola Museum of Art HakoneA museum sunk into the forest: Monet, Renoir and a woodland trail.
- Fushimi sake district KyotoFushimi's spring water feeds its breweries: canal boats and tastings.
- Nakazakicho's row-house cafés OsakaJust behind Umeda: wartime-surviving row houses turned into tiny shops and cafés.
- Myoryu-ji (the Ninja Temple) KanazawaA temple full of hidden stairs and trapdoors. Tours by reservation.
- Miyagawa morning market TakayamaA riverside morning market: pickles, miso, apples.
- Shukkeien Garden HiroshimaAn Edo-period garden of ponds and little bridges, lovely in autumn.
- Yanagibashi Market Fukuoka“Hakata's kitchen”, where local chefs shop.
28 more to find in the game.
Before you go
- Get a travel eSIM or pocket Wi-FiMaps and transit apps are your lifeline
- Arrange to ship big suitcasesBig bags on the Shinkansen need a reserved space