Is it hard to be vegetarian in Japan?

It takes effort rather than luck. The obstacle is dashi, a stock made from dried fish, which appears in miso soup, noodle broth and tempura sauce, so a dish can look entirely vegetable and not be. What works: shojin ryori, the Buddhist temple cuisine around Kyoto and Koyasan, which is fully vegetarian and often the best meal of the trip; soba and udon ordered without broth; vegetable tempura; inari sushi; and the Indian restaurants in every large city. Carry your requirements written in Japanese.

Do I need cash in Japan, or will cards work?

Both. Cards work in hotels, department stores, chain restaurants and most city transport, and contactless is now common. But small restaurants, shrines, markets, some ryokan and rural buses remain cash only, and running out at the wrong moment is a normal Japan experience. Withdraw from 7-Eleven or Japan Post ATMs, which reliably accept foreign cards when bank ATMs do not. An IC card such as Suica or Pasmo, topped up with cash, covers trains, buses and convenience stores.

Do people speak English in Japan?

Enough for a tourist, and less than you might assume. Station signage, train announcements and major attractions are all bilingual, ticket machines switch to English, and staff in hotels and tourist areas manage well. Outside that, conversational English thins out fast, particularly in small restaurants and in the countryside. Nobody is unhelpful about it. Google Translate's camera mode handles menus, and a written note of your dietary needs or destination solves most situations faster than talking.

Is Japan good for families with children?

Very. It is exceptionally safe, spotlessly clean, and the trains turn transfers into part of the fun rather than a chore. Tokyo has Disney Resort and teamLab, Osaka has Universal Studios, and Nara's deer park entertains small children for an afternoon. Two things to plan for: hotel rooms are small, so a family of four often needs two rooms or a Japanese-style room with futons, and walking distances at temple complexes add up quickly for little legs.

What is the best way to get around Japan?

Trains, and nothing else comes close. The Shinkansen links the main cities at speeds that make flying pointless below about 700 kilometres, and city metros cover everything else. Nobody hires a car for a Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka trip, and parking in the cities makes it actively worse. Get an IC card such as Suica or Pasmo on arrival for local travel, then decide separately whether a rail pass or individual Shinkansen tickets suit your route. Taxis work but are expensive enough to be a last resort.

Japan Travel Guide & Tourism (2026)

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8 Nights / 9 Days

Japan Explorer: 8 Nights Tokyo, Kyoto & Osaka Adventure

Tokyo(3N) → Kyoto(2N) → Osaka(3N)

Sold By: Probesten Tours(4.8 )

₹179,000/person

10 Nights / 11 Days

Japan Discovery Tour: Osaka, Kyoto, Nagoya, Tokyo & Fuji 10N/11D

Osaka(3N) → Kyoto(2N) → Nagoya(2N) → Tokyo(3N)

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₹152,000/person

6 Nights / 7 Days

7-Day Japan Cherry Blossom Tour

Tokyo(3N) → Osaka(3N)

₹134,000/person

7 Nights / 8 Days

Japan Cherry Blossom Tour

Tokyo(3N) → Hakone(1N) → Hiroshima(1N) → Osaka(2N)

Sold By: Epic Vibes(4.9 )

₹66,999/person

6 Nights / 7 Days

Japan Highlights: 6 Nights Tokyo, Mt. Fuji, Kyoto and Osaka Tour

Tokyo(2N) → Kyoto(2N) → Osaka(2N)

₹100,000/person

7 Nights / 8 Days

7-Night Japan Highlights: Osaka, Kyoto, Tokyo, Mt. Fuji Adventure (Fix Departure 15 Nov)

Osaka(4N) → Tokyo(3N)

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₹149,499/person

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Japan Travel Essentials

Region: East Asia , Far East

Ideal Duration: 10 to 14 days, or 3 weeks beyond the big three cities

Currency: Japanese Yen (JPY)

Best Time: March to May and October to November; May and June are quieter

Accommodation Cost (per night in USD):
Dorm bed: $20-40
Budget: $50-100
Mid-range: $100-200
Luxury: $250 and above

Budget for Food & Drinks (per day in USD): Budget: $15-30
Mid-range: $40-70

Visa Policy for Indians: Visa required in advance; no visa on arrival

Visa Policy for Other Nationals: Tourist visa required for many countries

Getting In Japan:
Narita International Airport (NRT) in Tokyo, Kansai International Airport (KIX) in Osaka Read More

Getting Around Japan:
Shinkansen (bullet trains), local trains, subways, buses Read More

Tourist Places to Visit In Japan

Tokyo

Osaka

Kyoto

Nara

Nagoya

Hiroshima

All Tourist Places In Japan

Must Know Before You Travel to Japan

Apply for the visa early: Japan needs a visa arranged before you fly, and there is no visa on arrival. Applications from India go through VFS and processing can take a few weeks, so start early and your dates are easy to hold.
Sakura and autumn colour: the cherry blossom in late March and early April is the famous season, but it lasts only about ten days in any one city and the dates shift every year with the weather, so it is hard to book precisely. Autumn colour through November is just as beautiful, lasts longer and costs less.
Plan vegetarian meals in advance: fish stock is used in miso soup, noodle broth and many dishes that look vegetarian. Shortlist a few vegetarian, Indian, Italian or Mexican restaurants in each city before you fly and check what stock they use.
Carry cash: small restaurants, shrines, markets and local buses often take nothing but cash. ATMs inside 7-Eleven and post offices accept Indian cards when bank machines do not.

Japan Tourism

Japan is one of the most loved holiday countries in the world, and in 2025 it welcomed a record 42.7 million visitors. From the bright, busy streets of Tokyo and Osaka to the thousands of temples and gardens in Kyoto, it is a country that looks beautiful almost everywhere you go. In spring, around late March and early April, the Sakura (cherry blossom) opens and whole cities turn pink, with parks full of families sitting under the trees. In autumn, around November, the same parks turn red and gold as the maples change. The bullet train is part of the pleasure too, taking you from a city of 30 million people to a quiet temple garden in about two hours. Delhi and Mumbai have direct flights of around seven hours, and ten days is enough to cover Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka comfortably.

Most first trips to Japan cover three cities in a straight line, and one bullet train serves the whole route. Tokyo in the east is where you start, big and bright and endlessly busy. Kyoto, two and a quarter hours away, is the old imperial capital and where most of the famous temples and gardens are. Osaka, another half hour on, is the food city and the easiest airport to fly home from. Ten days covers all three comfortably. Twelve days lets you add Hakone for hot springs and Mount Fuji views, or Hiroshima and the floating shrine at Miyajima.

What people remember from Japan is the mix of very old and very new. The country has 26 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and the temples and gardens of Kyoto and Nara are among the finest in Asia. Mount Fuji is visible from the train on a clear day. Onsen (natural hot spring baths) are found all over the country and are an experience in themselves rather than a spa treatment. The food alone is a reason to go, from a bowl of ramen at a station counter to sushi in Tokyo. And the trains are a highlight of their own: clean, quiet and so punctual that even a short delay comes with an apology. The season you pick matters more here than in most countries. Late March and early April bring the Sakura (cherry blossom), the busiest and most expensive time. November brings the autumn colour, just as beautiful and far easier to book. Winter is cold, clear and the cheapest, with snow festivals in Hokkaido and skiing at Niseko.

Best time to visit Japan

March to May and October to November are the best times to visit Japan. Spring for the cherry blossom, autumn for the colour, and both for mild dry weather. Cherry blossom peaks in the last days of March and the first week of April in Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka, and full bloom lasts only about a week. T... (Read More)

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What ten days in Japan looks like

Ten days is the sweet spot and the standard shape barely varies. Four nights in Tokyo, which is not too many, with a day for Hakone or Nikko. Then the Shinkansen to Kyoto for three or four nights, using one of them for Nara. Then Osaka for the last two, which doubles as the easiest airport to fly home from. Seven days works if you cut Osaka and accept a faster pace. Fourteen lets you add Hiroshima and Miyajima, or go north to Kanazawa and Takayama, which is where people who have been once go the second time.

Sakura and autumn colour: which season to pick

The Sakura, or cherry blossom, is what most people picture when they think of Japan. Whole cities turn pink for about ten days, parks fill with families eating under the trees, and it is one of the great sights in travel. The catch is timing. Tokyo and Kyoto usually bloom in late March and the first week of April, but the dates move every year with the weather, forecasts only firm up a few weeks ahead, and everything costs more in that window. If you cannot book flexible flights, it is a gamble.

Autumn is the season most Indian travellers do not consider, and it is the easier choice. Through November the maples in Kyoto's temple gardens and the valleys around Nikko turn deep red and gold. It lasts longer than the blossom, the dates are more predictable, flights and hotels cost noticeably less, and the weather is cool and clear for walking. If your leave is flexible, spring is the postcard. If it is not, autumn is the smarter trip.

The rail pass, and whether you still need one

The Japan Rail Pass used to be an automatic buy. It is not any more. The price rose sharply in late 2023, and for the standard Tokyo to Kyoto to Osaka trip, buying individual Shinkansen tickets now often costs less. The pass earns its keep if you are covering long distances, going to Hiroshima and back, heading north to Kanazawa, or moving city every second day. Regional passes, for the Kansai area or the west, are frequently the better answer than the nationwide one. Work out your actual route first, price it both ways, and ignore anyone who tells you the pass is always worth it.

Vegetarian in Japan: the dashi problem, and how to eat well

Vegetarian food in Japan is a matter of planning rather than luck. The problem is dashi, a stock made from dried fish, which is used in miso soup, noodle broth, tempura sauce and plenty of dishes that look entirely vegetarian. Nobody is hiding it, but nobody thinks to mention it either.

The fix is simple. Shortlist a few restaurants in each city before you fly, and check what stock they use. Vegan restaurants are safest, and Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka all have several. Indian restaurants are common in every big city. Italian and Mexican places are usually easy too. Beyond that, look for shojin ryori, the Buddhist temple cuisine served around Kyoto and Koyasan, which is fully vegetarian and often the best meal of the trip. Convenience stores carry onigiri and inari sushi, and vegetable tempura and soba without broth work almost anywhere. Carry your requirement written in Japanese and you will eat very well.

Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka: which ones, and for how long

Tokyo is the one you need the most time in, because it is not a city so much as a collection of them, and four nights still feels short. Kyoto is where the temples are, and three nights is enough unless you want to walk it slowly, which you should. Osaka is the smallest job, two nights, and it earns its place on food and on being the easier airport for the flight home. If you have to drop one, drop Osaka and day-trip there from Kyoto in half an hour. If you have an extra three days, do not add a fourth city, add them to Tokyo.

FAQs on Japan

Do Indians need a visa for Japan?

Yes, and Japan asks for more notice than most. There is no visa on arrival and no form you can finish in an afternoon. Indian passport holders apply in advance, with applications from residents in India submitted through VFS, and Japan has been rolling out an online route, so check the current process on the Japanese embassy site before you start. Allow several weeks, and hold off on non-refundable flights and hotels until the visa is in your hands.

When is the best time to visit Japan?

Late March to early April for cherry blossom and November for autumn colour are the two peak windows, and both are crowded and expensive for good reason. May and early June are quieter, mild and much easier to book, and they are the underrated answer. Winter is cold but clear, cheap by Japanese standards, and the season for snow in Hokkaido and onsen towns. The one stretch to avoid is late June to August, which is hot, humid and includes the rainy season.

How many days do I need in Japan?

Ten days is the comfortable length for Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka with a day trip or two folded in. Seven works if you drop Osaka and move faster. Fourteen lets you add Hiroshima and Miyajima or head north to Kanazawa and Takayama. Because the Shinkansen makes transfers so quick, days are not lost to travel the way they are elsewhere, so a shorter trip here goes further than the same trip in Australia or Turkey.

How do I get to Japan from India?

Tokyo has direct flights from Delhi and Mumbai, at roughly seven to eight hours. From every other Indian city you connect, most often through Singapore, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Seoul or a Gulf hub, which puts the door-to-door journey at twelve to sixteen hours. Tokyo has two airports, Narita and Haneda, and Haneda is far closer to the city. If your route ends in Osaka, flying home from Kansai (KIX) saves you backtracking to Tokyo.

When is cherry blossom season, and can I plan around it?

Tokyo and Kyoto usually bloom from late March into the first week of April, Kyushu earlier, and Tohoku and Hokkaido through late April into May. Any one city holds full bloom for about ten days. Forecasts appear in January and are revised through February, and they shift by a week in either direction more often than not, so this is something to plan loosely rather than precisely. If the dates are the whole point, book flexible fares, or choose the northern bloom where the timing is later and the crowds are thinner.

What does a Japan trip cost from India?

A ten day trip is commonly quoted between 1.8 and 3.5 lakh rupees per person including flights, which makes Japan one of the priciest holidays an Indian traveller can take. Hotels are the biggest line, and blossom season adds a real premium on top. Food is the happy surprise: a bowl of ramen or a convenience-store meal costs very little, and convenience-store food in Japan is better than it has any right to be, so daily spending lands lower than people expect. Travelling in May, June or November instead of late March cuts the total noticeably.

Is the Japan Rail Pass still worth buying?

Often not, which is a change from a few years ago. The price rose sharply in late 2023, and for a straightforward Tokyo to Kyoto to Osaka trip, individual Shinkansen tickets now frequently work out cheaper. The pass pays off when you are covering real distance: a Hiroshima return, a loop north to Kanazawa and Takayama, or changing city every second day. Regional passes for Kansai or the west are often the better buy than the nationwide one. Price your actual route both ways before committing.

Japan Travel Guide