Entry & Documents
Bringing Medication into Japan: Limits, Bans and the Import Certificate
One month of prescription medicine passes without paperwork. Beyond that you need an import certificate applied for weeks in advance — and…
All lines
All Guides
The full index of procedures, tables and calculators — newest first.
Entry & Documents
Do You Need a Visa for Japan? The 90-Day Rule, Explained
Seventy-one countries enter Japan without a visa for up to 90 days. What that status actually permits, the seven nationalities that can…
Staying Connected
Does Your Phone Work in Japan? What to Check Before You Fly
Carrier lock, eSIM support, network bands and the FeliCa chip that decides whether you can pay with your phone. Four checks, ten…
Entry & Documents
Visit Japan Web: What It Does, What It Replaces, and What to Do If It Fails
The immigration and customs pre-registration portal, explained: what it is for, whether it is compulsory, the QR codes it produces, and the…
Entry & Documents
Japan Customs and Duty-Free Allowances: What You Can Actually Bring In
The alcohol, tobacco and cash thresholds, the medicines that are banned outright despite being sold over the counter at home, and the…
Staying Connected
eSIM, Pocket Wi-Fi or Local SIM in Japan: The Arbitration Table
Three ways to get data in Japan, priced per day and per gigabyte, with the practical trade-offs — battery, sharing, phone compatibility…
Local Rules
Shoes Off in Japan: Where, When and How
The genkan, the slipper hierarchy, the tatami rule, and how to spot the boundary before you cross it in your boots. Plus…
Local Rules
Japan Garbage Sorting Rules for Visitors (and Why There Are No Bins)
Japan is spotless and has almost no public bins. Where rubbish actually goes, how the categories work, and the routine that stops…
Local Rules
Onsen Tattoo Rules in Japan: Where You Can Bathe and What to Do Instead
Many hot springs still refuse tattooed guests. Why the rule exists, how strictly it is applied, cover stickers, private baths, and how…
Local Rules
How to Use a Japanese Toilet: Every Button Explained
The washlet control panel decoded, the squat toilet explained, the slipper rule, and what you must never put down a Japanese toilet.
Transport & Luggage
Narita to Tokyo: Every Route Compared by Price, Time and Stairs
Sixty kilometres from the city, six ways in, and a ¥2,300 spread between them. Every option priced against journey time and how…
Transport & Luggage
Luggage Forwarding in Japan (Takkyubin): Prices, Timings and How to Book It
Send the suitcase ahead for the price of a lunch. What it costs by route and size, how long it takes, the…