What changed, and when we check again

Clarified that early and late advance reservations cover the permanent exhibition, made the 5 and 6 August extended hours explicit, and labelled the source notes separately. The City of Hiroshima FAQ was checked on 18 October 2026 and confirms admission until 30 minutes before closing; other source checks retain their earlier dates.

How do I choose a short shrine visit or full mountain circuit, and what is unknown at night?

Marked the first bus-tour sale as past; clarified the five bus operators, agency-link opening, Hokutetsu booking hours, parking group-size adjustments and daytime entry restrictions.

Added the shrine's opening hours for the whole year from its official admission page, checked on 18 October 2026. Other sources retain their individual check dates.

Fixed a cut-off sentence and reordered the Eikando times; added Rurikoin daytime hours and cash-only rule, the JR Tokai night sessions, Eikando’s vehicle ban and Tofukuji’s ordinary daytime entry.

Added verified 2027 Odori and Tsudome hours, Tsudome access, admission information and Airport-train frequency. Susukino's 2027 lighting hours and the 2027 Tsudome shuttle timetable remain unverified.

Rechecked on 11 October 2026: the dated facts in this guide were compared with their primary sources (the per-source dates and the review date stay as they were until the source list is updated). Nothing had changed.

Rechecked on 11 October 2026: the dated facts in this guide were compared with their primary sources. Nothing had changed.

Named the museum's two official overseas routes (LAWSON TICKET online and a Sunrise Tours JTB bus tour).

Rechecked on 19 October 2026: added the published closure days for both venues (5 November and 3 December at Planets; 24 November and 8 December at Borderless), teamLab's published visit length of about 2 hours, and Borderless' English, Chinese and Korean app and website support with English-speaking staff. Added the Borderless FAQ as a source.

Added a key-facts box with prices, drawing and payment dates, card and ID rules, hours and access, a route chooser, a dated worked example for a 15 January 2027 visit, a next-step list and direct answers to the traveller questions, and replaced placeholder text in the evidence table with the named sources. The visitor guide, visit-flow page, ticketing site, terms and access page were rechecked on 8 October 2026; the exhibit page keeps its 25 September check and is due again on 23 October 2026.

Rechecked the app-features and no-app FAQs on 18 October 2026: both still show an update date of 31 August 2026 and match the guide. Rechecked Entry Request and Premier Access, clarified the party limit and one-person ticket selection, and distinguished ride prices from show prices. Other sources retain their earlier check dates.

Rechecked all nine sources. The 125 cm child's worked example now uses Express Pass 4: Race & JAWS instead of Adventure Special, which includes two rides requiring 132 cm. Its 10 November 2026 price example totals ¥69,000 at prices on sale on 18 October. Distinguished store-list prices from date prices and relabelled usjticketing.com as USJ's Official Web Ticket Store.

Added TSUGU TSUGU's member class pricing and the 1 November start of its Kyoto traditional workshop.

Updated 18 October 2026: December cafe dates remain unannounced; the January PokéPark application window has closed, with February planning based on the monthly rule. Corrected the Japanese renovation notice date. The reported opening delay and ID-mismatch refund rule remain unconfirmed; January prices retain their earlier observation dates.

Added the November 2026 International Advance Lottery and its ¥550 special sales fee per ticket, clarified that eligibility and limits could not be checked, and kept January 2027 lottery details unconfirmed. Checked 18 October 2026.

Added the ¥110 system fee per ticket that the Museum announced for admissions from November 2026. Checked on 11 October 2026. The guide was not fully rechecked, so the review date is unchanged.

Rechecked on 11 October 2026: the dated facts in this guide were compared with their primary sources. Nothing had changed.

Rebuilt as a full guide with key facts, a chooser, a worked example and FAQs, checked against official sources on 8 October 2026.

Corrected free early entry to cover the full year, added the five seasonal time windows and verified Shiguretei hours against Ishikawa Prefecture on 18 October 2026. Clarified the free-entry example and the sources for each choice. Other source checks retain their earlier dates.

Which Nara station and train should I use from Kyoto or Osaka, and how do I visit Todaiji and the deer responsibly?

Added separately purchased limited-express fares to the two-adult December example, the Toshogu and Treasure House combined ticket, and explicit pass eligibility and ropeway-closure source scope. Official fare tables and the current Tobu and Toshogu pages were checked on 18 October 2026; unchanged winter sources retain their earlier dates.

Updated the JR East and shrine announcement status, replaced the removed MUFG PDF with its branch-holiday FAQ, added Meiji Jingu’s 2025–26 hours and clarified the Japan Post publication period.

A first ski trip to Japan, 2026–27: Niseko, Hakuba, Nozawa Onsen or GALA Yuzawa

Added Marunouchi’s announced 2026–27 dates, Yomiuriland’s hours and prices with ride and March weekday limits, refreshed Kobe ticket-sale status and clarified Osaka show length. Removed internal source notes and gave each checked-table row its own source and advice.

Rechecked all seven official pages on 20 October 2026. APA Yokohama Bay Tower's guest-room page lists a remote and temperature control for every room category and repeats that cooling and heating can't be switched room by room; we updated the wording to match. Hotel rules and fees were unchanged.

Rechecked on 11 October 2026: the dated facts in this guide were compared with their primary sources. Nothing had changed.

Rechecked on 11 October 2026: every fact under this guide's recheck promise was compared with its primary source. Nothing had changed.

Removed the stale conflict between help articles, distinguished temporary verification charges from meal payment, and clarified refund timing.

Added a “your situation, what to do” table, using only facts already in this guide. No facts were rechecked, so the review date is unchanged.

Rechecked all eight hotel pages; corrected the Toyoko Inn source note on locker hours, added late-checkout and excluded-item conditions.

Scheduled recheck: all six official pages rechecked (Agoda Partner Hub added). Clarified that JAPANiCAN's second FAQ also says to rebook; added that a cancelled Jalan booking can't be reinstated, and that JAPANiCAN refunds the yen amount with any cancellation fee charged separately.

Rechecked on 11 October 2026: every fact under this guide's recheck promise was compared with its primary source. Corrected Yamato's size-160 rate between Tokyo and Kyoto to ¥3,160.

Rechecked on 11 October 2026: every fact under this guide's recheck promise was compared with its primary source. Nothing had changed.

Made the luggage checklist item a complete bullet; the travel checks are unchanged.

Added a worked example, using only facts already in this guide. No facts were rechecked, so the review date is unchanged.

Removed the past October holiday, added weekdays to the 2027 holiday list and JMA's 1991–2020 weather averages for New Year, Golden Week and Obon. Cabinet Office and JMA sources checked on 18 October 2026; other sources keep their earlier dates.

Rechecked the Kyoto, airport, Sagawa, JAL ABC, locker, Kyoto City, tax-free and JR Central sources. Added that Sagawa's online tracking is suspended and clarified which Airport TA-Q-BIN options are return-leg only.

Rechecked on 18 October 2026: added the September 2026 Temairazu incident from the company's notice of 28 September 2026 and Hotel Grand Hill Ichigaya's notice of 29 September 2026, softened the April 2024 report of earlier hotel account takeovers to 'scores of hotels' because the figure could not be verified, and moved the source for the #9110 police advice line to the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department page. Other dated facts were unchanged.

Rechecked on 11 October 2026: the dated facts in this guide were compared with their primary sources. Replaced a dead Kyoto City link and restated the Tokyo–Kyoto and Kyoto–Hiroshima train times from current sources.

Rechecked on 11 October 2026: the dated facts in this guide were compared with their primary sources. Nothing had changed.

Rechecked on 11 October 2026: the dated facts in this guide were compared with their primary sources. Nothing had changed.

Added Hakone Ekiden busy dates, the adult EMot discount, the under-6 Romancecar seat rule and Freepass paper/digital group options; added Gotemba bus stops. Fuji side: added Fifth Station winter bus suspension, clarified accommodation-tax scope, and added sources for luggage and Chureito figures. The guide was not fully rechecked, so the review date is unchanged.

Rechecked on 11 October 2026: the dated facts in this guide were compared with their primary sources. Nothing had changed.

Added Narita's 18:00–21:00 same-day delivery time and Yamato's 16 October counter list, showed that Haneda same-day can cost ¥5,780 to the 23 wards, corrected the JAL ABC price for oversized bags, and listed all Haneda terminals. Checked on 20 October 2026. Yamato's two FAQ pages were not rechecked, so the review date is unchanged.

Added that Sagawa's online tracking and web pickup requests are suspended, checked against Sagawa's rate page on 20 October 2026. Sagawa's fares were unchanged. No other sources were rechecked, so the review date is unchanged.

Added Ramen Hisui’s 30-minute seating and change restrictions, restaurant-specific timing in the example, pending-reservation sources and the temporary card-verification charge. The full-guide review date is unchanged.

Rechecked on 11 October 2026: the dated facts in this guide were compared with their primary sources. Nothing had changed.

First published: four routes into phone-only and Japanese-site restaurants, Tabelog English, OMAKASE and AutoReserve fees, a hotel request template, phone phrases and queue maths, checked against official pages on 11 October 2026.

First published: how to pay a ramen ticket machine, the kanji on the buttons, a worked order with change, phone translation and what staff will ask, checked against official pages on 11 October 2026.

First published: three konbini meals a day with real prices, the till phrases, heating, eat-in tax, paying, allergen labels and what's worth buying, checked against official pages on 11 October 2026.

First published: the 2027 dates to avoid, weekday patterns, quiet hours and timed tickets at big sights, forecast tools that exist and a worked example, checked against official pages on 11 October 2026.

First published: real room sizes and bed widths, what double and semi-double mean, how to filter booking sites and how to make a small room work, checked against official pages on 11 October 2026.

First published: how many steps a sightseeing day takes, shoes and socks, where to sit down, blister supplies at drugstores and pacing so your feet last, checked against official pages on 11 October 2026.

Added how to pay and where counter sales are; corrected the museum's official name.

Added that, on the same conditions as its tyre cover, Toyota lists the cost of a damaged wheel as free with the Double Protection Package; under basic protection a damaged wheel is subject to the NOC. Removed internal source notes and clarified the police and road-reporting lines.

Corrected the attribution of the online price freeze and the 1 October 2026 purchase-date rule to the JR Group notice hosted by JR Central; fares and the full-guide review date stay unchanged.

Rechecked on 11 October 2026: the dated facts in this guide were compared with their primary sources (the per-source dates and the review date stay as they were until the source list is updated). Nothing had changed.

Rechecked on 11 October 2026: the dated facts in this guide were compared with their primary sources (the per-source dates and the review date stay as they were until the source list is updated). Nothing had changed.

Rechecked on 11 October 2026: the dated facts in this guide were compared with their primary sources (the per-source dates and the review date stay as they were until the source list is updated). Nothing had changed.

Aligned JAF processing-time guidance and source-check dates; replaced the child-seat source and clarified pickup entry evidence.

Rechecked on 11 October 2026: the dated facts in this guide were compared with their primary sources (the per-source dates and the review date stay as they were until the source list is updated). Nothing had changed.

Rechecked on 11 October 2026: the dated facts in this guide were compared with their primary sources (the per-source dates and the review date stay as they were until the source list is updated). Nothing had changed.

Added a worked example and a numbered next step, using only facts already in this guide. No facts were rechecked, so the review date is unchanged.

Added three priced day plans with the latest returns for an evening flight, key facts for the Shuttle suspension, route 117, Yanbaru Express and the aquarium, the rapid #16 return, and concrete FAQ answers; all figures were checked on 8 October 2026.

Added a four-night worked example priced for each base, a situation-to-base chooser, key facts for the 19 October 2026 timetables, a next step and concrete FAQ answers; corrected the airport bus FAQ, which had missed route 120.

Corrected one limousine departure time (10:42). Checked on 11 October 2026. The guide was not fully rechecked, so the review date is unchanged.

Confirmed the route 120 and 28 timetables the day after they took effect, aligned the worked example with Okinawa Bus's one-hour arrival advice, corrected the Hilton departure time to 10:42, noted the new Airport Shuttle timetable period and added sources for the taxi figures.

Corrected the limousine boarding margin, the return-bus duration and the bus-versus-taxi comparison; added the earlier route 120 option in the 12:30 arrival example.

Rechecked on 11 October 2026: the dated facts in this guide were compared with their primary sources (the per-source dates and the review date stay as they were until the source list is updated). Nothing had changed.

Rewrote the opening answer to lead with the conclusion, using only facts already in this guide. No facts were rechecked, so the review date is unchanged.

Added an access-and-hours table and a day chooser for the four stops, a car-free Naha afternoon worked example, key facts and a next step, fixed the rating display, renamed the page and shortened the review cycle; hours and fares were checked on 8 October 2026.

How much is Tokyo to Kyoto/Osaka?

Updated S.RIDE's service area from its own area page. Checked on 11 October 2026. The guide was not fully rechecked, so the review date is unchanged.

Rechecked on 11 October 2026: the dated facts in this guide were compared with their primary sources. Nothing had changed.

Rechecked on 11 October 2026: the dated facts in this guide were compared with their primary sources. Nothing had changed.

Rechecked on 11 October 2026: the dated facts in this guide were compared with their primary sources. Corrected a quotation so it holds Nippon Rent-A-Car's own words.

First published: choosing your exit before you arrive, transfer gates, station maps that help, Japanese floor numbers and what to do when you're lost, checked against official pages on 11 October 2026.

First published: flat-fare and distance-fare buses, numbered tickets, fares and change on Toei, Kyoto City Bus and a regional operator, and a step-by-step ride, checked against official pages on 11 October 2026.

First published: lifts and wide gates in big stations, rush hours, coin locker sizes and prices, Shinkansen oversized-baggage seats and luggage delivery, checked against official pages on 11 October 2026.

Hanami on the day: park rules, fees and night viewing for cherry blossom 2027

Rechecked on 11 October 2026: the dated facts in this guide were compared with their primary sources (the per-source dates and the review date stay as they were until the source list is updated). Nothing had changed.

First published: the three places that reliably have bins, how sorting works, what to do at your hotel and a worked day of rubbish, checked against official pages on 11 October 2026.

First published: telling a temple from a shrine, how to pray at each, entry fees and opening hours, goshuin stamp books and photo rules, checked against official pages on 11 October 2026.

First published: street smoking bans and fines in Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto, designated smoking areas, indoor rules, trains, heated tobacco and what you can bring in, checked against official pages on 11 October 2026.

How do I let family know I am safe if phone lines are jammed?

Rechecked on 11 October 2026: the dated facts in this guide were compared with their primary sources (the per-source dates and the review date stay as they were until the source list is updated). Nothing had changed.

Rechecked on 11 October 2026: the dated facts in this guide were compared with their primary sources (the per-source dates and the review date stay as they were until the source list is updated). Nothing had changed.

Rechecked on 11 October 2026: the dated facts in this guide were compared with their primary sources (the per-source dates and the review date stay as they were until the source list is updated). Nothing had changed.

Corrected the #7119 coverage exceptions and Tokyo #8000 Saturday hours, and replaced the unknown #9110 routing with official consultation guidance.

Rechecked on 11 October 2026: the dated facts in this guide were compared with their primary sources (the per-source dates and the review date stay as they were until the source list is updated). Nothing had changed.

Rechecked on 11 October 2026: the dated facts in this guide were compared with their primary sources (the per-source dates and the review date stay as they were until the source list is updated). Nothing had changed.

First published: drugstore, pharmacy or konbini, the risk-class labels, common ingredients and Japanese doses, the 1 May 2026 limits on cold medicines and a pharmacist phrase card, checked against official pages on 11 October 2026.

First published: how hot Japan gets, heatstroke alerts and the heat index, when to be outdoors, what to buy, cooling shelters and when to call 119, checked against official pages on 11 October 2026.

First published: where to find a toilet, the washlet buttons, paper, bins and hand-drying, squat toilets, toilet slippers and accessible toilets, checked against official pages on 11 October 2026.

Added a worked example and a “your situation, what to do” table, using only facts already in this guide. No facts were rechecked, so the review date is unchanged.

Rechecked on 11 October 2026: the dated facts in this guide were compared with their primary sources (the per-source dates and the review date stay as they were until the source list is updated). Nothing had changed.

Corrected the worked-example arithmetic and separate-ticket planning allowances; added the previously reviewed Haneda T3 counter-closure steps.

Removed the 21 October 2026 Bay Shuttle cancellation now that the date has passed; the temporary KIX pier bus-stop move (until late January 2027, planned) stays.

Corrected the fresh-fruit warning, quarantine sequence, unaccompanied-baggage deadline and allowance qualifications; added the Tourism Agency source.

Scoped the fee warning to the arrival Customs declaration, added IC-passport and kiosk-height conditions, and added the three missing official sources.

Reviewed the 18 October official-source checks and added a dated note that Narita Express trains leaving the airport from 18:45 on Friday 6 November and every train on Saturday 7 November 2026 end at Tokyo Station because of JR East tunnel works between Tokyo and Shinagawa; arrivals on Sunday 8 November are not affected. Clarified the HARUKA planning time to about 80 minutes; fares stay unchanged.

Added the 22:57 JR Rapid through Chiba to Tokyo at 00:29, corrected the last Skyliner arrival to 23:48 and the Terminal 3 walk to about 13 minutes, and clarified counter payment and hotel-notice conditions. The 7 November Rapid operates at the same times.

Is there a hotel inside Haneda airport?

First published: the time difference from home, a plan for the first 48 hours, light, naps, food and caffeine, and what's open early and late, checked against official pages on 11 October 2026.

Rechecked the 1 November refund rules (no change) and updated the food consumption-tax cut from the September outline to the bill sent to the Diet on 9 October.

Can I get yen at the airport when I land?

Rechecked on 11 October 2026: the dated facts in this guide were compared with their primary sources (the per-source dates and the review date stay as they were until the source list is updated). Nothing had changed.

Completed the Welcome Suica sales list and added the announced 2027 Galaxy plan and Kanto contactless-card gates, including their limits and the Haneda worked example. Other source-check dates stay unchanged.

Rechecked on 11 October 2026: the dated facts in this guide were compared with their primary sources (the per-source dates and the review date stay as they were until the source list is updated). Nothing had changed.

Rechecked on 11 October 2026: the dated facts in this guide were compared with their primary sources (the per-source dates and the review date stay as they were until the source list is updated). Added Nagasaki City's announced rates for stays from 1 April 2027.

First published: where coins still work, the six coins, paying so change comes back round, the 20-coin rule and clearing leftover yen before you fly, checked against official pages on 11 October 2026.

Added key facts for eplus International, domestic eplus, Lawson Ticket, AnyPASS and Tixplus, replaced the platform table with a chooser that says whether each seller can be used from abroad, added two worked examples and a three-step next step, and corrected the eplus payment and companion-entry lines, which differ between ib.eplus.jp and eplus.tickets. eplus, Lawson and AnyPASS pages were reread on 8 October 2026; the guide's review date is unchanged.

Added a numbered next step, using only facts already in this guide. No facts were rechecked, so the review date is unchanged.

Added check dates next to the key facts, using only facts already in this guide. No facts were rechecked, so the review date is unchanged.

Reviewed the 18 October Apple, Google Pixel, Narita, Haneda and Naha checks; corrected Haneda Wi-Fi shop restrictions, UK iPhone menu labels, provider APN advice and QR-code limits. Kansai could not be rechecked, so its source date and the full-guide review date stay unchanged.

Added check dates next to the key facts, using only facts already in this guide. No facts were rechecked, so the review date is unchanged.

Merged the two opening summaries into one short answer and added a route chooser, a 45-day data worked example, key facts checked on 8 October 2026 and direct answers on plan length, ID and pickup. Source verification dates elsewhere in the guide are unchanged.

Added a worked example with JNTO's real case costs and MHLW hospital pricing, a chooser for whether you need a new policy, key facts, a next step and concrete FAQ answers, and replaced an internal note with a plain no-ranking statement.

Added a “your situation, what to do” table, using only facts already in this guide. No facts were rechecked, so the review date is unchanged.

Added a worked example of a five-day rental and one scrape at published operator rates, key facts for minimum cover, deductibles, NOC and towing, a next step and concrete FAQ answers; the operator figures were checked on 8 October 2026.