Japan
A dense archipelago where ancient shrines sit blocks from neon skyscrapers.
- Capital
- Tokyo
- Population
- 124 million
- Currency
- Japanese yen (JPY)
- Language
- Japanese
- Best time to visit
- March–May and October–November
Japan rewards visitors who move between extremes: a morning at a thousand-year-old shrine, an evening under the lights of Shibuya. The rail network is fast and precise enough to plan a trip down to the minute, and regional food varies dramatically from Hokkaido's seafood to Osaka's street food culture.
Autumn (koyo) and spring (sakura) draw the largest crowds, so book accommodations early for either season.