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Japan

Many package itineraries start in Tokyo before exploring other parts of the country.

How to do Japan better than the rest, according to an expert

Our expert reveals her ultimate two-week itinerary around the Land of the Rising Sun.

  • Danielle Demetriou
McDonald’s in Tokyo’s Shinjuku district, where there are plenty of other places to eat.

I don’t care if I’m elitist – some tourists are too tasteless to travel

If you come to Japan and find yourself at McDonald’s, you need to take a long, hard look at your reflection in that greasy wrapper.

  • Paul Marshall
Fruits of the sea ... at work in traditional outfits.

The ancient Japanese tradition that’s unknown to most tourists

The ancient tradition of women free diving for shellfish can still be seen in Japan’s unspoilt Shima Peninsula.

  • Sue Wallace
Street food being prepared at one of the many seafood stalls in the outer market of Tsukiji Fish Market.

Tokyo’s famous market closed in 2018. Except it’s still going strong

When the Tsukiji fish market closed, the outer market was expected to die – yet here we are today, shoulder to shoulder, queuing for grilled wagyu.

  • Ben Groundwater
Autumn colour in Kyoto.

Your questions: What are some must-sees in Japan over three weeks?

“Other than the flights, our trip is a blank canvas. Can you suggest some essential sights for a couple in their 60s?”

  • Michael Gebicki
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Heian Jingu’s Torii and Okazaki Canal with cherry blossom.

Japan just got a lot more expensive. Here’s why we’ll keep going

Say it ain’t so. Tell me the dream isn’t over. Someone please reassure me that Japan is still a cheap destination.

  • Ben Groundwater
Don’t speak loudly in public spaces.

What Japanese people wish tourists knew, but are too polite to say

It’s not just amateur photographers chasing geisha down Kyoto streets – these are the most irritating visitor faux pas, according to an etiquette expert.

  • Lee Tulloch
Uniqlo’s store with, literally, everything.

Tokyo’s shopping mecca has everything – including a flagship Uniqlo

From clothes to records to books to gifts, the shopping experience in Tokyo’s buzzing Shinjuku is next-level and only limited by your credit-card balance.

  • Barry Divola
Futuristic Shibuya Crossing in Tokyo.

I returned to Japan after almost 20 years. Here’s what’s changed

Was Japan still going to be at the pointy end of wacky experiences and futuristic technologies? Would its cultural idiosyncrasies still induce a travel buzz?

  • Penny Watson
Jodogahama Beach – was said to have been named by a Buddhist monk who thought its beach (hama) resembled paradise (jodo).

‘Here is nowhere’: Japan’s stunning, little-known epic walking trail

The coastline here is as beautiful as it is battered, in a region that has traditionally seen few tourists. But that’s starting to change.

  • Andrew Bain

Original URL: https://www.smh.com.au/traveller/topic/japan-b1c