1) Book early!
Japan is incredibly popular with domestic and neighbouring Asian countries including China and many hotels and guides get booked up very early, even outside of peak times such as Cherry Blossom season. The country is no doubt going to increase in popularity as we approach 2019 so our advice is to book as early as possible.

2) Pre-book as much as you can
Japan is a very organised society and they like everything to be pre-arranged as much as possible. This does mean certain services such as transport and guides are often booked up in advance and so don’t risk it. Ensure all the fine details are pre-arranged. For the kind of holidays we arrange, we will always highlight the areas which we know need pre-booking to take away the hassle for you.

3) Escape the city
Whilst the excitement of the cities are the main attraction for many, the rural areas are a must. I visited Hakone National Park which was beautiful and accessible via the famous Bullet train. It makes a great stop off from Tokyo to Osaka or Kyoto.

4) Step outside of your comfort zone
There will be experiences and activities you may not normally be keen on taking part in. Food to try, environments to walk into, people to meet – it is all part of creating an enriching holiday and we can help create the perfect lifelong holiday memories. One example would be to stay in a traditional Ryokan and enjoy dinner with your hosts.

5) Plan plenty of time
Japan is a much bigger country than you expect and whilst you can travel around easily by high speed train, try not to do too much too quickly. Take extra time to get under the skin of a destination. Keep in mind jet lag which can often aggravate your first few days too.