Japan rewards the traveller who plans well. The distance from Europe and North America means your routing choices genuinely matter - the difference between a well-chosen connection and a poor one can be six hours, several hundred pounds, and the difference between arriving ready to explore or ready to collapse.
Two major gateway airports serve Tokyo: Narita (NRT) and Haneda (HND), with very different city access logistics. Kansai International (KIX) is an underused alternative for those heading to Kyoto or Osaka first. The country’s internal transport is world-class but has its own logic - the Shinkansen timetable matters, domestic flights are essential for the northern and southern extremes, and the JR Pass is not always the answer depending on your itinerary.
Four visits over twenty-plus years, flying in via London, Hong Kong, and across the Pacific. Extensive Shinkansen use, time in Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, and Okinawa. Here is what actually matters.
