Welcome to the Japan Travel Planning fortnightly newsletter for 20 October 2019, which includes information to help you plan your trip to Japan, top travel deals and articles about Japan.
Black Friday Sales – 29 November 2019
Be aware that the Black Friday Sales will be coming on 29 November 2019 – and usually there are many great deals available for travellers to Japan! You can check out our article from the 2018 Black Friday Sales to see the sort of deals which were available last year, and plan ahead in terms of what you may wish to plan to book, We are already starting to receive emails with details of the upcoming sales, and will update our sales article about one week prior to the Black Friday Sales starting.
Start Planning Your Trip to Japan
A great resource to plan your trip is our Start Here to Plan Your Trip to Japan page.
We have been very busy producing new content following our recent Japan trip. You can check out our most recent articles below:
- Best Places to See Cherry Blossoms in Japan. We asked for other travel bloggers to contribute their best places to see cherry blossoms in Japan – so this is a very comprehensive article to help you plan your trip to Japan in Spring 2020!
- How to Skip the Queue with a Universal Studios Japan Express Pass. This article has everything you ever wanted to know about Universal Studios Japan Express Passes and how to avoid the queues!
- Our Ginormous Guide to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter Japan. For those of you who love Harry Potter check out our detailed article on how to experience Harry Potter World at Universal Studios Japan! Top tip is that Tony is an absolute HP fan and it defintiely shines through in this article 🙂 .
- How to Sightsee Stress-Free with Klook Japan. Our article contains details of how we used Klook to plan and book our recent trip to Japan, and also includes a detailed round up of popular activities you may be interested in booking through Klook Japan.
- Klook Review: Our Personal Experiences Travelling With Klook. Following on from our previous article we have written a detailed review of using Klook to book your trip.
What next you may well ask? We are planning to release more Universal Studios Japan articles over the coming weeks, as well as many more articles to help you plan your visit to Japan.
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Disclaimer: This article contains affiliate links. If you book after clicking on one of these links then we may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Voyagin Halloween Sale
Voyagin are currently running their Halloween Sale from 1-31 October 2019 where you can save up to $US40 per booking using the below coupon codes. Note that the coupon codes are not valid for Tokyo Disneyland, Tokyo DisneySea, Universal Studios Japan or any JR Passes.
Check out out article on the most popular Voyagin tickets and tours for Japan to see how to take advantage of this sale!
- Save $10 when you spend $150, “HALLOWEEN10”
- Save $25 when you spend $300, “HALLOWEEN25”
- Save $40 when you spend $450, “HALLOWEEN40”
Key Japan Planning Information
Japanese Baseball Season Finals Tickets
- The Nippon Series, where the winners of the Climax Finals Series play against each other, is conducted over late October to early November. The main option remaining for visitors to Japan is to purchase reseller tickets through viaGoGo at this link. Ensure you click on the option to sort by date to see the Nippon series matches.
Major Upcoming Events in Japan
Other Japan Events
Upcoming major events for the next month (and you can find many more events into the future in our Japan Planning Calendars as mentioned previously!).
It is a big list this time as I have included all of the Rugby World Cup 2019 matches, and extended beyond one month to cover the RWC2019 finals.
- The Floating Torii Gate at Miyajima Island will be covered with scaffolding for a period of approximately two years from 6 June 2019
- 20 October 2019. RWC2019 Wales vs France in Oita Stadium (2 hours from Fukuoka)
- 20 October 2019. RWC2019 Japan vs South Africa in Tokyo Stadium
- 20 October 2019. Japanese Classic Car Association Endurance Meeting
- 22 October 2019. Enthronement Ceremony of the New Emperor at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo (National Holiday in 2019). A ceremony to formally announce the accession of the new emperor. The Enthronement Ceremony Parade has been delayed to 10 November 2019 due to Typhoon Hagibis.
- 22 October 2019. Kurama Fire Festival (north of Kyoto)
- 22 October 2019. Jidai Matsuri Festival in Kyoto
- 24 October – 4 November 2019. Tokyo Motor Show in Chiba near Tokyo
- 26 October 2019. RWC2019 Semi Final 1: Winner Qualifying Final 1 vs Winner Qualifying Final 2 in International Stadium Yokohama
- 27 October 2019. RWC2019 Semi Final 2: Winner Qualifying Final 3 vs Winner Qualifying Final 4 in International Stadium Yokohama
- Late September to late October. Average fall foliage finish in Sapporo / Hokkaido (can be up to two weeks earlier or later)
- 31 October 2019. Halloween! Tokyo Halloween Events
- 1 – 10 November. Gion Odori Geisha Dances in Kyoto, held daily
- Early November to late November. Average fall foliage start in Hiroshima / Miyajima Island (can be up to two weeks earlier or later)
- Early November to early December. Average fall foliage start in Mt Fuji region (can be up to two weeks earlier or later)
- 1 November 2019. RWC2019 Bronze Final – Loser Semi Final 1 vs Loser Semi Final 2 in Tokyo Stadium
- 2 November 2019. RWC2019 Final – Winner Semi Final 1 vs Winner Semi Final 2 in International Stadium Yokohama
- 3 November 2019. Culture Day
- 4 November 2019. Culture Day Public Holiday
- 8 November 2019. Fushimi Inari Shrine Ohitakisai Fire Festival in Kyoto
- 8 November 2019. G1 GP Drift Racing Round 1 in Ebisu, 3.5 hours north of Tokyo.
- 10 – 24 November 2019. Sumo Wrestling Tournament – Fukuoka
- 10 November 2019. Emperor’s Enthronement Ceremony Parade (delayed due to Typhoon Hagibis)
- 14 – 15 November 2019. Daijōsai, First Ceremonial Offering of New Rice at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo. Every autumn the Niinamesai festival is held, in which the emperor makes an offering of new rice. This is an important ritual conducted historically by successive emperors to pray for rich rice harvests and national peace. In the year that the new emperor is enthroned, it gains extra significance and is known as Daijōsai.
- Mid November to early December. Average fall foliage start in Kyoto, Osaka Tokyo (can be up to two weeks earlier or later)
- 15 November 2019. Closing of Kamikochi National Park between Matsumoto and Takayama.
Click on this page for Tokyo and this page for Japan to see further information about upcoming events.
Everything Sumo!
Upcoming sumo tournaments:
- 10 – 24 November 2019 in Fukuoka. Official ticket sales commenced on 5 October 2019, looking at the official site today a lot have sold but there are still tickets available. You can also order tickets through Voyagin at this link.
- 12 – 26 January 2020 in Tokyo. Official ticket sales commence on 7 December 2019. Click here to pre-order tickets through Voyagin. Ensure you place your order early to ensure that you have the best chance of getting the tickets you want.
For more information about how to purchase your sumo wrestling tickets check out our article on How To Buy Sumo Wrestling Online Tickets in 2019.
Key Japan Planning Information
Autumn Foliage Planning
For those of you planning to visit Japan from now to mid December you are almost definitely planning to try to see some of the glorious autumn foliage colours throughout Japan.
I have found a very comprehensive guide on the Matcha website which includes detailed information about the fall colour dates and locations across all of Japan from north to south. Click here to check it out and to incorporate into your itinerary planning.
Top Articles This Week From the Facebook Group
Lunch at the Pokemon Cafe in Tokyo by Reflections Enroute
Tokyo is well-known for its eclectic eateries and cafes. We make an effort to try a new one each time we go into the city, and we’ve loved the animal cafes and the themed restaurants so much that we could just not wait to visit the Pokemon Cafe right next to the Pokemon Center. Popular Japanese restaurants can get filled up pretty quickly, and we were afraid we wouldn’t get in. As it turns out, we were lucky and all we had to do was wait for 45 minutes, perfect time to go Pokemon shopping across the hall. Click here to read more…
Types of Toilets and Their Usage in Japan by Nippon Utsukushi Toilets
There are basically 3 types of toilets, the Japanese-style toilet, Western-style toilet, and the multi-function toilet and the type installed will vary depending on the location. The Japanese-type toilet is most common at sight-seeing locations and adjusting to the needs of the people, these are currently being converted to Western-style toilets. Click here to see exactly how to use each kind of toilet…
34 Best Restaurants in Tokyo by Conde Nast Traveler
Pulsating with energy and dripping with Michelin stars, Tokyo is the place to be for food lovers right now. From humble yakitori joints serving skewered grilled chicken, to multi-course traditional kaiseki feasts, dishes are prepared with care and respect for seasonal ingredients. But the city’s culinary greatness isn’t limited to Japanese cuisine: There’s phenomenal Italian, refined Chinese, and a genre-defying style of French that deserves a category of its own. “It’s getting hard to eat anywhere else, because Tokyo has it all and does everything better,” a world-weary Brazilian gastronaut confessed recently. We agree completely. Read on for our picks for some of the best places to eat when you’re in Tokyo. Click here to read more…
If you are interested in booking one of these restaurants, we suggest you check out the Voyagin restaurant booking service. They offer options to either pay a fee to book a restaurant, and there are also restaurants where they have set menu arrangements at different levels. After you click through you can use the filter option on the left hand side to search for the particular cuisine, location and number of Michelin stars. Click here to check out the Voyagin restaurant booking service.
Thanks Anne and Tony.
PS. If you have any questions you are welcome to ask questions in the Japan Travel Planning Facebook Group
Japan Travel Planning with Kids Facebook Group
We have also just started a new Japan Travel Planning with Kids Facebook Group, to help families plan their trip to Japan – if you are travelling as a family please click on the link and request to join.
Our Other Facebook Groups
We have additional Facebook Groups to have a key focus on planning your travel to Japan for the Rugby World Cup in 2019 and the Olympics in 2020. If you are planning to visit Japan for either (or both!) of these events you are invited to join the groups with details below
- Japan Travel Planning – Rugby World Cup Facebook Group
- Japan Travel Planning – Olympics 2020 Facebook Group
Join the Japan Travel Planning Facebook Group
You are also welcome to join our Japan Travel Planning Facebook Group – it is a great resource to enable you be inspired and to ask questions about your upcoming trip to Japan!
Disclaimer: This article contains affiliate links. If you book after clicking on one of these links then we may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.