Travel guides
Every Travel article on the Japan eSIM blog, newest first.
Mount Fuji climbing season: the exact open dates
Mount Fuji only opens to climbers for a short summer window. Here's how the official season is set each year, and how to confirm this year's exact dates.
Grand sumo tournament dates and how to buy tickets
Japan's six annual grand sumo tournaments each run about two weeks. Here's how the yearly calendar works and the practical way to book seats before a trip.
New Year in Japan: What Actually Closes, and Who's Traveling
Japan's New Year isn't a party night. It's the country's biggest holiday, with shrine crowds, closed shops, and its busiest travel week.
Autumn Leaves in Kyoto and Nikko: When Koyo Actually Peaks
Nikko's autumn leaves peak weeks before Kyoto's. Here's why elevation and latitude split the timing, and how to plan around both.
Tattoo-Friendly Onsen in Japan: Where You Can Actually Bathe
Tattoos and onsen aren't automatically incompatible. Here's where to actually bathe in Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka, plus cover patches and private baths.
Traveling Japan During Typhoon Season (August–October)
Typhoon season runs roughly August through October in Japan. Here's how it actually disrupts trains and flights, and how to plan around it.
How Japan's Cherry Blossom Forecast (Sakura Zensen) Works
Japan's cherry blossom forecast is published early and revised repeatedly. Here's how the sakura zensen actually works, and when to trust it.
Golden Week Japan 2026: The Exact Dates to Avoid
Golden Week 2026 runs April 29 to May 6. Here's why those specific dates, what's open anyway, and how hotel prices react.
Is the JR Pass Worth It in 2026? The Real Break-Even Math
The JR Pass only pays off past a specific number of shinkansen legs. Here's the break-even math, and why a Suica can't replace it.
How Much Data Do You Need for a Trip to Japan?
Maps through giant stations, camera translation, transit apps and photo backups — what Japan's everyday apps really use, and how to budget your data.
Japan eSIM vs Pocket WiFi: Which One Should You Take?
Pocket wifi means a pickup queue, a second device and nightly charging. An eSIM lives in your phone. An honest comparison for a trip to Japan.
Do You Need a Japanese Phone Number as a Tourist?
Most visitors never need a Japanese phone number. Where one does get asked for — reservations, tickets, deliveries — and the workarounds that work.
Airport SIM at Narita and Haneda: Counter vs Installing at Home
What buying a SIM on arrival at Narita or Haneda actually involves — counters, vending machines, timing — and what installing an eSIM at home skips.
Mobile Data on the Shinkansen and in Japan's Mountains
How mobile coverage behaves on the Shinkansen, on rural lines and in the Japan Alps — what works, where it genuinely drops, and how to prepare.