inspo & info

If you're a seasoned cruiser and fancy visiting Japan, a cruise around Japan can feel like a no-brainer. You already understand the comfort and convenience of cruising and it can take some of the stress out of exploring an unfamiliar country - you might be worried about navigating Japan if you've seen some of the social media posts on how complicated the Japanese transport system is (hint: it isn't really!). But we've also seen plenty of push-back online against Japan as a cr

As experienced cruisers ourselves, the Japansophy fam knows the thrill of waking up every morning with a new town or city (or sometimes even country!) to explore. But we're also aware of the research and preparation that goes into making the most of every port and the old dilemma - do we need to buy a cruise ship excursion or can we go it alone? With a whole lot of wistful yearning, we scoured the Japan cruise listings for 2026 and 2027 to see what ports were being offered by

Narita Airport has a reputation problem. Not an unfair one, either. At roughly 60 kilometres from central Tokyo, it is further from the city it serves than almost any other major international airport in the world. For a country whose infrastructure is legendary, that distance can feel like a rude introduction. The good news is that Japan has done what Japan does: engineered its way around the problem. There are more ways to get from Narita into Tokyo than most visitors reali

There's a reason experienced Japan travellers tend to go quiet when you mention Golden Week. It's not that they won't tell you about it. It's that the look on their face says everything. Golden Week is Japan's perfect storm of public holidays - four national holidays compressed into one week at the end of April and beginning of May, when the entire country seemingly decides to travel at the same time. In 2026 it runs from Wednesday April 29th to Wednesday May 6th. If you're v

Japan's rail network is one of the wonders of the modern world. Punctual, clean, affordable and extraordinarily well-connected. But it is not a 24- hour service. And for international arrivals, especially those coming off long-haul flights, the gap between your actual exit from the airport and the last departure into town can be alarmingly small. We learned this first-hand arriving at 10:30pm into Haneda from Dubai last year. The flight was an A380 — full to capacity and immi

It's basically just a hop, skip and a jump on the train from Kyoto to Osaka but the variety of train lines and routes throws many a traveller into a bit of a tizzy. We break your options down for you and tell you why you shouldn't take the Shinkansen between Osaka and Kyoto! Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you click through and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission, ♡ at no extra cost to you ♡. It helps cover the costs of keeping this site alive a

With 5+ different operators, the Tokyo transportation system can seem overwhelming at first glance. To navigate the city effectively in 2026, you need to understand the distinction between the JR Lines (overground) and the Tokyo Subway (underground). While many travel guides endless plug the iconic green Yamanote Loop , it is rarely the most efficient way to see the city. The subway network - comprised of Tokyo Metro and Toei Subway - is denser, faster for cross-town trip