Practical Japan travel guides written from the inside. KURASHI ZUKAN is a Japanese consumer-comparison site, and these English pages share what we know about how things in Japan actually work: phones and mobile data, trains and passes, and which Tokyo tickets are worth reserving.

Disclosure: Some links on this page are affiliate links (marked with a button or "book on Klook"). If you book through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Prices, schedules and rules change often, so always confirm the latest details on the official or booking page before you pay.

Start here: our Japan travel guides

Staying connected

eSIM vs pocket WiFi vs SIM card, Japan's networks and frequency bands, and the setup mistakes we used to fix at the phone shop counter.

Japan eSIM, pocket WiFi and SIM guide

Getting around

Narita and Haneda to Tokyo, Suica for visitors, the Tokyo Subway Ticket, and the October 2026 JR Pass price change.

Airport transfers, Suica and JR Pass guide

Tokyo tickets

Ten attractions with timed entry that are worth booking ahead, and the famous sights you can leave unbooked.

Tokyo attractions to book in advance

A simple order for planning your trip

  1. Data first. Check your phone is unlocked and choose an eSIM or pocket WiFi. Everything else, from maps to e-tickets, depends on it. Read the four phone checks.
  2. Arrival route. Decide how you will get from the airport to your hotel, especially for Narita. See the Narita options compared.
  3. Rail pass or not. Add up your long-distance fares before buying a pass. Use the JR Pass fare check.
  4. Timed tickets. Reserve the few attractions that sell out. Start with the 10 Tokyo tickets at a glance.

Who writes these guides

T

Written by Taku, editor of KURASHI ZUKAN

Taku has spent close to 20 years in Japan's mobile and retail industry: about six years managing a phone shop, then head-office roles in used-device merchandising and running a carrier sales business across agency, direct, outsourced and corporate channels. He now runs KURASHI ZUKAN, a Japanese consumer-comparison site, and writes these English guides from the inside view of how Japanese phones, carriers and shops actually work.

Our Japanese site compares mobile plans, home internet and other everyday services for people living in Japan. The English guides use the same approach: put options side by side under the same conditions, say plainly what each is good and bad at, and point you to official sources for anything that changes.

Coming next

We are preparing guides on buying used Japanese phones and goods from overseas, drawing on the author's background in Japan's used-device business.

Corrections and contact

If something in these guides is out of date, please let us know through our contact page. Japanese and English messages are both fine.