Japan Prep Notes

Plain answers for your first trip to Japan — new costs, checklists and booking dates, checked against official sources.

New Costs & Rules

Japan's New Tax Refund System, Explained the Way You'll Actually Use It (From November 2026)Do I pay the full price in the store? Yes. For sales from November 1, 2026, tax-free shops sell to visitors at the tax-inclusive price. The old system…Where to Get Your Tax Refund at the Airport: Counter Locations and Opening Hours at Narita, Haneda, Kansai (and Beyond)Everywhere, the order is the same: scan your passport at a customs terminal before you check your bags, within 90 days of purchase. (Kobe Customs (Tak…What Did 2026 Add to Your Japan Trip Bill? Every New Fee, Tax and Rule in One Table (Kept Updated)The one confirmed 2026 increase on nearly every trip is the departure tax: ¥2,000 (≈ $13) more, already in your airfare.

Before You Go

Your First 10 Days in Japan (Tokyo–Kyoto–Osaka): The Itinerary Shape That Works, and the 5 Checks Before You BookThe shape: Tokyo, then Kyoto, then Osaka — 4 nights, 3 nights, 2 nights. Two moving days in 10 days is enough.Your Japan Pre-Departure Checklist: What to Do at 1 Month, 3 Weeks and 5 Days Out (First Trip, 2026–27)1 month out: buy a 10GB eSIM (our pick: Airalo, ¥2,950, ≈ $19) and travel insurance with medical cover. Check the JR Pass first: two one-way Tokyo–Hir…Is the JR Pass Worth It for Your Itinerary? Tokyo–Kyoto–Osaka in 10–14 Days, Checked Against Point-to-Point Tickets (2026)For the classic first trip (Tokyo, then Kyoto and Osaka, then home), the JR Pass usually costs more than buying Shinkansen tickets one by one. Tokyo →…eSIM vs Pocket WiFi for Japan: Which One for a Solo Traveler or Couple on a First Trip (2026)Our pick for a 10-day first trip: an Airalo 10 GB eSIM, one per phone. ¥2,950 (≈ $19) for 10 GB over 30 days (as of 2026-10-31), if each phone support…

Booking Calendar

What Should You Be Booking Right Now? The Japan Reservation Calendar for a First Trip (2026–27)Three months out: enter the Nintendo Museum lottery. Entries open on the 1st of the month three months before your visit, so February 2027 means Novem…USJ Express Pass: When It Goes on Sale, Where to Buy It, and Why Nothing Shows for Your Dates Yet (2026–27)When does it go on sale? Usually about two months before your visit date, per USJ's Japanese ticket FAQ (some tickets differ).How to Get Ghibli Museum Tickets From the US: The Monthly Sale Day, Lawson's Site, and What to Have Open Before It StartsWhen: tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. Japan Standard Time (JST) on the 10th of each month, for the whole of the following month. In the US that's the 9t…