Japan Travel Checklist — What to Do 3 Months, 1 Month, and 1 Week Before Departure
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Japan trip preparation works differently from most destinations. Some things need to be done months in advance — accommodation during peak seasons, Ghibli Museum tickets, certain ryokan bookings. Others can wait until the week before. And a specific set of tasks are best handled in the first minutes after landing. This checklist organizes everything by when it actually needs to happen, so nothing falls through the gap between "I'll do that later" and departure day.
3 to 6 months before departure
Book accommodation for peak periods. Cherry blossom season (late March to mid-April), Golden Week (April 29–May 6), and autumn foliage season (mid-October to mid-November) fill up 3 to 6 months ahead. Budget accommodation fills earliest. If your dates fall in any of these windows, book hotels before anything else.
Apply for a Japan visa if required. Most English-speaking country passport holders (US, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand) don't need a visa for stays under 90 days. Check your country's status. Those who do need a visa should start the process at least 8 weeks before departure.
Book the Ghibli Museum if it's on your list. Ghibli Museum tickets are sold via a lottery system through Lawson Japan — tickets for any given month go on sale on the 10th of the previous month at 10 AM JST. The museum is frequently sold out. If this matters to your trip, it needs to go on the calendar 3 months out.
Book popular ryokan if traveling in peak season. Well-reviewed traditional ryokan in Hakone, Kyoto, and Kinosaki fill up months ahead during cherry blossom and foliage seasons. Book as early as possible if a ryokan night is a priority.
1 to 2 months before departure
Book remaining accommodation. For non-peak travel, 4 to 8 weeks ahead is sufficient for most budget and mid-range hotels. Book earlier if you have specific location requirements (close to a station, specific neighborhood).
Purchase Shinkansen tickets or JR Pass if needed. The JR Pass must be purchased outside Japan before arrival. Calculate whether the pass pays off for your specific itinerary — for Tokyo–Kyoto–Osaka only, individual tickets are usually cheaper. Regional passes (JR Kansai, JR Kansai-Hiroshima) are available both outside and inside Japan.
Book teamLab Planets. Tokyo's most popular digital art experience frequently sells out weeks ahead, particularly for weekend and evening slots. Book as soon as your Tokyo dates are confirmed.
Book Shibuya Sky sunset slot. Tickets go on sale exactly 14 days before each date at midnight JST. Set a calendar reminder. Sunset slots sell out within hours of release.
Book teamLab Planets and similar tickets in one place.
Instead of tracking down each attraction's own booking site, Klook lists most of Japan's popular timed-entry experiences together. Check availability on Klook →
Research eSIM or SIM card options. Purchasing an eSIM before departure is the most convenient connectivity option for compatible phones. Research providers (Airalo, IIJmio, or Japan-specific options) and have the QR code ready to activate on landing.
Notify your bank and credit cards. Alert your bank and card issuers about Japan travel to prevent transaction blocks. Note that Shinkansen ticket vending machines may require a PIN even for foreign cards — know your card PIN before departure. Most retail purchases at hotels, restaurants, and shops process without a PIN for foreign-issued cards, but having it available prevents problems at self-service machines.
Set up your eSIM now so it's one less thing on departure day.
Installing the eSIM profile in advance (it won't activate until you land) means one less task to remember at the airport. Get a Japan eSIM on Yesim →
2 to 4 weeks before departure
Register for Visit Japan Web. Japan's digital immigration and customs pre-registration system (vjw-lp.digital.go.jp) generates a QR code that speeds up arrival processing. Register at least 3 days before departure — the system takes time to process.
Download offline maps. In Google Maps, download offline map packages for Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, and any other destinations. Japan's connectivity is generally good, but having offline maps eliminates the anxiety of navigation in subway dead zones or rural areas.
Download Google Translate Japanese pack. The camera translation mode is one of the most useful tools in Japan — point at a menu or sign, see an instant translation. The Japanese language pack must be downloaded before departure for offline use.
Print or save key documents offline. Hotel confirmations, flight bookings, any advance ticket confirmations, and a photo of your passport's data page. Store in both cloud and local device storage.
Research restaurant reservations for specific meals. If a specific high-end dining experience is on the list (Sukiyabashi Jiro, a particular kaiseki restaurant), the reservation needs to happen now. Most casual dining in Japan requires no reservation.
Check IC card setup options. iPhone users can add Mobile Suica directly to Apple Wallet — set this up before departure to skip the physical card queue at the airport. Android users with compatible phones can use Suica via Google Pay. Others will pick up a Welcome Suica or Pasmo Passport at the airport.
1 week before departure
Confirm all bookings. Hotels, Shinkansen, advance experience tickets. Print or screenshot anything that requires a physical or digital ticket for entry.
Pack and check the packing list. Japan-specific items to confirm: compact umbrella (not a large one — small fold-up fits in a daypack and is essential given Japan's unpredictable rain), comfortable walking shoes that are broken in, a small coin purse (Japan uses coins far more than most countries), power bank, and any prescription medications in original labeled containers.
Check Shinkansen oversized baggage rules if carrying large suitcases. Suitcases with combined dimensions (length + width + height) exceeding 160cm require a free advance reservation for an "oversized baggage seat" on Tokaido-Sanyo Shinkansen. Failure to reserve results in a ¥1,000 on-the-spot surcharge. Book alongside your Shinkansen ticket reservation.
Withdraw or prepare initial cash. Having ¥20,000–30,000 in yen before departure eliminates the stress of finding an ATM immediately after landing. Many international airports have currency exchange, though rates are worse than Seven Bank ATMs in Japan. A small amount of starting cash is still worth it for the first hour of arrival.
Check the weather forecast. Japan's weather can be variable. A rainy week in Kyoto requires different planning than a clear week — some sites (Fushimi Inari's upper paths, outdoor viewpoints) are better avoided in heavy rain, while others (covered Nishiki Market, indoor temples) are rain-neutral.
Set up Japan Wi-Fi auto-connect app if using. This NTTBP app pre-registers you for multiple public WiFi networks. Download and register before departure for immediate network access on arrival.
Day of departure
Activate eSIM at the airport or on the plane. Most eSIM providers allow activation before landing — activate at your departure airport or during the flight so data is available the moment you clear customs.
Confirm IC card setup. iPhone users: open Apple Wallet and confirm Mobile Suica is active. Load ¥3,000–5,000 as initial balance.
Check Visit Japan Web QR code is accessible. Open the app and confirm the immigration and customs QR codes display correctly before boarding.
Note your first-day plan. Know the specific sequence for arrival day: which airport exit to use, which transport to take, what to do about luggage if hotel check-in isn't until 3 PM. Having this sequence clear before landing eliminates a significant amount of arrival stress.
First 30 minutes after landing
In order: use Visit Japan Web QR code for immigration (if set up), collect baggage, use customs QR code, exit to arrivals hall. In the arrivals hall: Seven Bank ATM for initial yen withdrawal (withdraw ¥30,000–50,000 in one transaction to minimize fees), activate SIM if not already done, pick up physical IC card if not using mobile version. Then head to the transport for your hotel.
Before boarding your flight, screenshot the timetable for your airport rail connection — N'EX, Skyliner, or Rapi:t run at intervals rather than continuously, and connectivity in the first minutes after landing can be unreliable. Knowing whether your train departs in 8 minutes or 45 minutes changes how urgently you need to move through the arrivals process.
The arrival sequence goes smoother when you know it in advance. The most common first-hour mistakes — spending time at airport currency exchange (worse rates than ATMs), trying to pay for transport before having yen or an IC card, not knowing which exit leads to the train — are all preventable with 10 minutes of preparation before the flight.
Related Guides
→ What to Book in Advance in Japan — The Specific Things That Sell Out
→ Japan Packing List — Complete Guide for Every Season and Trip Length
→ What to Do First When You Land at Narita Airport
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