Essential Japan

Japan is best explored on foot and by public transport. You’ll need to be fit enough to spend most of each day on your feet and able to handle your luggage as you navigate busy train stations. We recommend comfortable shoes and packing light.

This trip includes accommodation in multi-share dormitories, where you won't be staying in twin-share hotels but rather in cool hangouts with shared facilities. Due to the single-gender dormitories, travellers on the same booking may be split between rooms.

In some destinations, you may be staying in a ryokan-style room. It’s a great taste of tradition; however, not everyone finds futon mattresses on a tatami floor and proximity to other guests as comfortable as Western-style hotels.

This trip is made for travellers who value their independence but also want the benefit of a local leader and a group of like-minded travellers. The itinerary has plenty of free time where your leader will offer suggestions. Please budget spending money for optional activities you want to partake in and public transport to those activities.

As the trip only has limited time in Tokyo and Osaka, we highly recommend staying a few extra days before and after your trip to enjoy all these great cities have to offer.

1. We are currently unable to offer a single supplement, airport transfers or additional accommodation in Japan due to limited availability.

2. It is essential that you pack light and compact for rail travel in Japan. Luggage size restrictions apply. Please review the Packing section of the Essential Trip Information for more details.

3. Accommodation on this trip includes some multi-share hostels with shared facilities. People travelling together may be separated into single gender dorms.

LUGGAGE IN JAPAN
On this trip you will need to carry your own luggage for up to 30 minutes at a time. Train stations are quite complex and usually require climbing a lot of stairs, especially when doing a quick transfer from train to train. Elevators aren't always available and cannot accommodate many people at a time, so if you bring a suitcase, please ensure you are able to lift and carry it up and down stairs yourself without difficulty. Our ryokans allow suitcases, but you'll need to carry it onto the tatami floor in the room, instead of wheeling it. A backpack is often preferred by travellers for these reasons.

We recommend that you keep your main luggage weight around 15kg and certainly no more than 20kg.

LUGGAGE SIZE RESTRICTIONS ON JAPANESE TRAINS
Luggage allowances for train travel are calculated by adding the length, width and height together. We recommend your main piece of luggage does not exceed 159cm.

Luggage between 160cm and 250cm requires pre-booking additional luggage space for an additional fee. This can be difficult to secure given how busy Japan's rail system is. Luggage over 251 cm will NOT be permitted on Shinkansen trains.

If you have oversize luggage you will need to use luggage forwarding services. Additional charges will apply. Please speak to your leader if you need to utilise this service.

Japanese trains don’t have large luggage racks for big suitcases so it's best to pack as light and small as possible so that you are not blocking aisles or taking up extra seats.

DAY PACK
A day pack for carrying essentials when exploring destinations, as well as for any shorter overnight stays, will be useful.

SEASONAL CLOTHING
Weather in Japan varies greatly between summer and winter so be sure to check whether you’ll need a beanie and thermals or light cotton layers during your visit.

PACKING LIST
Below is a link to our ultimate packing list, a guide to get you started:, https://www.intrepidtravel.com/packing-list, WATER BOTTLE
Please bring your own water bottle to refill along the way. Although it can be difficult to avoid bottled water when travelling, please use the water dispensers which are provided on some of our vehicles and at some of our accommodation. Your group leader or local representative will advise whether tap water is safe to drink in your destination, and if it is, you can simply refill it with tap water. When unable to avoid bottled water, it is better to buy the largest available and distribute it into your smaller bottle for the day. If you are walking or trekking as part of your trip you will need to carry at least 2L of water with you.

You will be expected to carry your own luggage, including while moving about busy public transport hubs to make tight connections, up stairs and escalators and on and off buses and trains. Although you won't be required to walk long distances with your luggage, you are expected to be able to walk and handle your own luggage for up to 30 minutes, sometimes at a fast pace and in crowds. Good general fitness and mobility will play a big part in making your trip more enjoyable. Japanese cities are best explored by foot and public transport, so be prepared for a lot of walking each day you are in a destination! Many travellers are surprised how much distance they end up covering each day just seeing the sights. Bring comfortable walking shoes and be prepared to spend most of the day on your feet.

Imano Tokyo Ginza Hostel, 1-5-10 Shintomi, Chūō-ku, 104-0041, Tokyo, JAPAN

Imano Tokyo Ginza Hostel is located in Ginza, Tokyo's most famous upmarket shopping, dining and entertainment district. It is located within 5-min walking distance to several subway/train stations and therefore provides easy access to sightseeing spots such as Asakusa, Akihabara, Toyosu market, and Tokyo tower.

Alternate Joining Point

For trips departing on the following dates
use this joining point.
20 May 2025 (CJYO250520)
03 Jul 2025 (CJYO250703)
10 Aug 2025 (CJYO250810)
Imano Tokyo Hostel
5-12-2 Shinjuku
Shinjuku-ku 東京都新宿区新宿5-12-2
Tokyo
Tokyo
160-0022
JAPAN
Phone: +81 353627161

Japan has a very efficient public transport service and there are many ways to get from the two airports in the Tokyo region (Narita Airport or Haneda Airport) to your hotel.
Narita is located approx. 65 km from Tokyo and taxi fares are expensive given the distance (around JPY25,000). Haneda Airport is closer to central Tokyo and a taxi fare will cost around JPY6,000-10,000.

Public Transport
If you prefer to make your own way to the hotel from Narita, there are various connections either by express train or limousine bus and then subway to Hacchobori Station. The airport information desks can provide helpful advice too. The most direct way is by a limousine bus (approx. JPY3,500 and 110 mins) to Ginza Station and then subway (JPY180 and 6 mins) to Hacchobori Station. You can also take Narita Express (approx. JPY3,050 and 60 mins) to Tokyo Station and then JR train to Hacchobori Station (JPY150 and 3 mins). If you're travelling from Haneda Airport, the most direct option is the Keikyu Line Airport Limited Express to Sengakuji Station and then subway to Takaracho Staton (approx. JPY590 and 40 mins). It takes within approx 10 mins to Imano Tokyo Ginza Hostel by foot. Please check the transport details on the hotel website: https://imano.jp/ginza/en/. If you're having any problems finding the hotel, ring the hotel directly (you can use one of Japan's green public phones with coins of JPY10 or JPY100).

Imano Osaka Shinsaibashi Hostel, 1-13-28 Kitahorie, Nishi-ku 大阪府大阪市西区北堀江1-13-28, Osaka, 550-0014, JAPAN, Phone: +81 665340088

Imano Osaka Shinsaibashi Hostel is located in a famous fashion area in the Kansai region, lined with high-sensitivity select shops, famous apparel brand street shops, general shops and cafés. The hostel is just a 3-minute walk from Yotsubashi Station on the subway line, and a 10-minute walk from Shinsaibashi Street.

Alternate Finish Point

Japan has a very efficient public transport service and there are many ways to get from your hotel to the two international airports in the Kansai region (Kansai International Airport (KIX) or Itami Airport). KIX is about 50km southwest of Osaka and Itami is about 12km northwest. Please talk with your leader or consult with the hotel's reception desk or check the hotel website for more transport details: http://kamon-hotel.com/access/

Please note that we are not currently able to provide any shared shuttle bus service from your Osaka hotel to the two airports in Osaka.

Breakfasts included: 

Lunches included: 

Dinners included: 1

FOOD IN JAPAN
The Japanese daily diet contains gluten (ie. in flavourings such as soy sauce) and seafood (dashi, or fish stock, is the basis of most dishes, even vegetable ones), so we highly recommend that vegetarians, vegans and coeliacs do their own online research before travelling about some of the options that might be available to them. While our leaders will assist you whenever they can, there may be some included meals that are fixed in advance and not flexible, such as those included at ryokans, and cannot be modified for different diets. For those suffering from particular food allergies, your group leader will endeavor to disclose to their fullest knowledge the main ingredients in dishes being consumed. It is, however, still your personal responsibility to ensure that you do not ingest any foods to which you are allergic.

Food and drink are such a high part of Japanese culture. Here are some links to get your tastebuds tingling:
https://www.intrepidtravel.com/adventures/japan-convenience-store-food/
https://www.intrepidtravel.com/adventures/traditional-tokyo-alleyways-locals-guide/
https://www.intrepidtravel.com/adventures/eat-and-drink-like-a-local-in-japan/
https://www.intrepidtravel.com/adventures/vegetarian-vegan-travel-japan/

PEAK TRAVEL TIMES
Please be aware that while travelling during major national holidays (late Apr to early May) and peak seasons in Japan (Apr-May/Sep–Oct) are fascinating and exciting times to travel, there are also some downsides. There will be huge crowds at most tourist attractions and on all public transport. It's common for there to be difficulties in securing train tickets at our usual preferred times, hotels become overbooked, traffic jams and changes to the itinerary without prior notice can be necessary. If you decide to travel during peak periods come with a sense of adventure and flexibility and we are sure that your experience will still be rewarding and memorable.

While we always endeavour to provide the best possible holiday experience, due to the nature of travel and the areas we visit sometimes things can and do go wrong. Should any issue occur while you are on your trip, it is imperative that you discuss this with your group leader or local representative straight away so that they can do their best to rectify the problem and save any potential negative impact on the rest of your trip.

We recognise that there may be times when your group leader or local representative may not be able to resolve a situation to your satisfaction - if this is the case, please ask the group leader or local representative to speak to their direct manager.

You may also choose to provide details in your online feedback, which we ask you to complete within 30 days of the end of your trip. Please do be aware that it is very difficult for us to provide any practical help after the trip is completed, so informing us while still travelling will give us the opportunity to resolve the issue in real-time.

For general contact details please use the following page: https://www.intrepidtravel.com/contact-us

In case of a genuine crisis or emergency, you can reach our local office on the numbers below:

Available for phone call or WhatsApp call on +81 70 1771 5588

RYOKANS & MINSHUKUS
Japanese-style accommodation - ryokans or minshukus (traditional inn/guesthouse) involve sleeping on futons or matresses on tatami mat floors, with bedding often packed away during the day. Attached bathrooms/toilets will usually be very small and many will only have shared bathing facilities with certain hours, or times available for booking at reception. Your leader will explain etiquette involved in using the shared facilities. As this style of accommodation will often not have furniture (ie. chairs or beds) in the rooms, please consider choosing a different trip style in Japan if you have difficulty getting up from the floor or have knee, hip or back issues. Some establishments may have a curfew when travellers need to be back in the accommodation - this is usually around midnight. Please also be aware that you would normally be required to change to slippers when entering into your room in such properties. Extra fees will be charged if dirty marks are left on their beddings or towels that require professional cleaning.

AVAILABILITY
The recent huge increase in tourism to Japan has put a lot of pressure on accommodation. On occasion, we may need to change accommodation from what is listed in the itinerary in order to operate your departure with minimal changes.

ONSENS
We like to encourage travellers to visit traditional Japanese 'onsens' while in the country as it is a quintessential local experience. In public onsens this means bathing naked with others of the same gender. While the experience can feel strange at first for some, most of our groups end up enjoying this activity. There is very specific etiquette for visiting onsens - your leader can give you some tips and instructions. Please be aware that travellers with tattoos may not be permitted to enter public onsens. Private onsens may also be available - talk to your leader for more information. See our guide to onsens here: https://www.intrepidtravel.com/adventures/japan-onsen-guide/