Japan travel
Practical guides on speaking, grammar, pronunciation, listening, and study planning, written for learners who want to use Japanese in real life.
Japan travel · Page 2
Imperial Palace East Gardens Guide: Edo Castle, Nijūbashi and Japanese to Use
The Imperial Palace East Gardens are the inner rings of old Edo Castle, now a free garden of giant stone walls, guardhouses and lawns in the middle of Tokyo. Add the palace plaza and the Nijūbashi bridge outside, and you have a morning of history, security checks and polite Japanese questions.
14 min readOdaiba Guide: Rainbow Bridge, Fountain Show and Japanese to Use
Odaiba is Tokyo's waterfront island: a ride over Rainbow Bridge on a driverless train, a sandy seaside park, malls, museums and, since March 2026, one of the world's largest fountain shows. It is also a good place to practise train and ticket Japanese, because getting there is half the fun.
12 min readYanaka Guide: Old Tokyo, Yanaka Ginza, Cemetery and Japanese to Use
Yanaka is the Tokyo of wooden houses, temple walls, cats and small family shops, a short walk from Nippori Station. It is free to wander, best on foot, and ideal for the Japanese of a neighbourhood shopping street: ordering a croquette, asking the way and chatting with shopkeepers.
13 min readShimokitazawa Guide: Vintage Shops, Small Theatres and Japanese to Use
Shimokitazawa, Shimokita for short, is Tokyo's laid-back district of vintage clothes, record shops, small theatres and live music, seven minutes from Shinjuku. It is free to wander and full of independent shops where a little Japanese goes a long way.
11 min readKichijōji and Inokashira Park Guide: Swan Boats, Alleys and Japanese to Use
Kichijōji is the west Tokyo neighbourhood locals dream of living in: a lively shopping district on one side of the station and Inokashira Park, with its pond, swan boats and woods, five minutes away on the other. It is an easy, relaxed day out and a great place to practise everyday Japanese.
12 min readGhibli Museum Guide: Tickets, Getting to Mitaka and Japanese to Use
The Ghibli Museum in Mitaka is Studio Ghibli's own museum, a hand-built house of wonders on the edge of Inokashira Park. Every ticket is for a set date and entry time and must be bought in advance, so planning is everything; a few Japanese phrases make the day smoother.
12 min readTokyo Disney Resort Guide: Tickets, the App, Queues and Japanese to Use
Tokyo Disney Resort, in Urayasu just across the bay from Tokyo, is home to Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea, two of the most visited theme parks in the world. Planning ahead matters, and a little Japanese helps too: most signs, announcements and cast member small talk are in Japanese.
12 min readIkebukuro Guide: Sunshine City, Otome Road and Japanese to Use
Ikebukuro is north-west Tokyo's big, busy hub: one of the world's busiest stations, two giant department stores, Sunshine City with its aquarium and observatory, and anime shops to rival Akihabara. It is also the best place in Tokyo to practise one essential skill: finding the right exit.
12 min readKamakura Guide: Great Buddha, Hase-dera, Hachimangū and Japanese to Use
Kamakura, an hour south of Tokyo, was the samurai capital of Japan and still feels like a temple town by the sea. In one day you can stand beside the open-air Great Buddha, look over the bay from Hase-dera and climb the steps of Tsurugaoka Hachimangū, reading the signs and asking the way in Japanese as you go.
14 min readEnoshima Guide: Island Shrines, Caves, Sea Views and Japanese to Use
Enoshima is a small, steep island joined to the coast by a bridge, an hour from Tokyo and one Enoden ride from Kamakura. Shrines to the goddess Benzaiten, a lighthouse tower, sea caves and grilled seafood fill one easy day, and every stop gives you something new to read and ask in Japanese.
13 min readYokohama Minato Mirai Guide: Harbour Walks, Red Brick and Japanese to Use
Minato Mirai is Yokohama's modern waterfront, a skyline of towers, a Ferris wheel and old brick warehouses along the harbour, half an hour from Tokyo. It is an easy, flat walk full of signs you can read and short questions you can ask in Japanese.
13 min readYokohama Chinatown Guide: Gates, Temples, Street Food and Japanese to Use
Yokohama Chinatown, Yokohama Chūkagai, is the largest Chinatown in Japan: a grid of narrow streets packed with restaurants, steaming bun stalls and two brightly painted temples, half an hour from Tokyo. It is also one of the best places in the country to practise ordering food in Japanese.
12 min readPractical guides
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