Welcome to the Japan Travel Planning fortnightly newsletter for 17 November 2019, which includes information to help you plan your trip to Japan, top travel deals and articles about Japan. A great resource to plan your trip is our Start Here to Plan Your Trip to Japan page.
Key Japan Planning Information
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! We have already updated our Black Friday Sales article with some great deals already coming through pre-sale, so check it out take advantage!
Start Planning Your Trip to Japan
We have been very busy producing new content following our recent Japan trip. You can check out our most recent articles below:
- Top Activities in Singapore for Kids. If you are stopping in to Singapore on the way to or from Japan you may like to check out our new article about top activities in Singapore for kids!
- Mobal Sim Card Review For Japan. Mobal provides both data+voice and data only sim cards for Japan. This is our detailed review of both sim card options from our recent trip to Japan. We were very happy with this option!
- 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 🙂 .
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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Voyagin Year End Sale Promotion
Voyagin are currently running their Year End Sale from 1 November 2019 to 6 January 2020 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.
- Save $10 when you spend $150, “2019YEAREND10”
- Save $25 when you spend $300, “2019YEAREND25”
- Save $40 when you spend $450, “2019YEAREND40”
To see a great range of popular purchase options through Voyagin to take advantage of this sale I suggest you check out our Voyagin Tours and Tickets page at this link.
Major Upcoming Events in Japan
Winter Illuminations in Japan
Japan puts on a wonderful range of illumination events across Japan over the winter months. Here is a selection of links to help you find out about the most popular options:
- Japan Guide. A good overview across Japan of the major illumination events.
- Must See Japan. Another good overview of events across Japan.
- Tokyo Illumination Guide.
- Shinjuku Winter Illumination Guide
- Shirakawa-go Illumination Festival – one of the hardest ones to visit in February – so get in early to make your accommodation and/or transportation bookings…
Upcoming Major 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!).
- The Floating Torii Gate at Miyajima Island will be covered with scaffolding for a period of approximately two years from 6 June 2019
- Late November to early December. Average fall foliage start in Tokyo (can be up to two weeks earlier or later)
- 23 November 2019. Labor Thanksgiving Day Public Holiday
- 24 November 2019. Mt Fuji International Marathon
- 1 December 2019. Osaka Marathon
- 2 – 3 December 2019. Chichibu Yomatsuri Night Festival
- 25 December 2019. Christmas Day
- 25 December 2019. Start Japan Winter School Holidays
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. 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.
- 8 – 22 March 2020 in Osaka. Official ticket sales commence on 2 February 2020. Voyagin pre-sales have not yet commenced.
- 10 – 24 May 2020 in Tokyo. Official ticket sales commence on 4 April 2020. Voyagin pre-sales have not yet commenced.
For more information about how to purchase your sumo wrestling tickets check out our article on How To Buy Sumo Wrestling Online Tickets in 2020.
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.
Autumn Foliage Season in Japan
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. Click here to check out a comprehensive fall foliage map and schedule for Japan to incorporate these dates into your itinerary planning. the autumn foliage season runs until mid to late November in the more southern areas of Japan.
Key Japan Planning Information
Featured Tickets – Japan Rail Pass
We have had a lot of questions about Japan Rail Passes over the past couple of weeks, so I wanted to let you know that we have just finished a major update to our Japan Rail Pass article which should answer most of the common questions, and also provides you with our recommended options to purchase your JR Pass.
Click here to check out our article: Heading To Japan? Want To Buy The Cheapest Japan Rail JR Pass? Read This.
If you are interested in learning more about how we put our 21 day Japan Rail pass to good use during our recent trip to Japan then check out our detailed article about Getting Around Japan with Japan Rail Pass, which includes how to order, activate and use your JR Pass.
Top Articles This Week From the Facebook Group
How To Buy Japanese Kit Kats Online by Pretraveller
Most people who travel to Japan return home with a new found love of the vast range of Japanese Kit Kat flavors – and many with quite a few boxes and packets in their luggage! But once they have all been eaten the next question many people ask is how to buy Japanese Kit Kats, and therefore start the search to look for a Kit Kat store. The aim of this article is to help you find the best options to buy your Japanese KitKats.
You may be surprised to realise that the easiest option to buy Japanese KitKats online is through the Amazon store! They offer a great range of different flavour options to help you re-create those moments in Japan (or try them out in preparation for your trip!). Click here to read more…
Top Things To Do In Kyoto: Kyoto Sightseeing and Tourist Spots by A Passion and a Passport
Headed to Japan and looking for the best things to do in Kyoto? You’re in luck, because I’ve compiled a whole bunch of Kyoto sights and attractions!
Wondering what to do in Kyoto? Oh, there’s so much! With it’s classical Buddhist temples, lush gardens, and imperial palaces, Kyoto is not to be missed on any trip to Japan. It’s also wildly famous for geisha entertainers, kaiseki dining, and traditional wooden houses. Continue reading for some of the most popular things to do in Kyoto, Japan. Kyoto is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture, which is located in the Kansai region of Japan, and is roughly 3 hours away from bustling Tokyo via high-speed bullet train. Promise me that you’ll make the trip to Kyoto at least once in your life – yes, it’s just that spectacular (aka I’m currently scheming another trip there asap). Click here to read more…
Top 25 Easy Day Trips from Tokyo by Tokyo Cheapo
Tokyo is great, there’s no doubt about that, but sometimes you just want to escape and see another side to Japan. And we’re here to help you do just that with these easy day trips from Tokyo.
The skyscrapers can be suffocating in the summer heat and isolating in winter, but don’t limit your trip to this metropolis. Even if you don’t have much time in Japan, it’s great to explore some of the quieter areas and experience the great variety Japan has to offer. From river-boat journeys to vineyards, mountain ranges to island hikes—a day trip can be a whole mini-holiday in itself. If you’re keen to see what else is out there, then here, in no particular order, are our top 25 easy day trips from Tokyo to make your feet itch! Click here to read more…
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 Olympics in 2020. If you are planning to visit Japan for this event you are invited to join the groups with details below
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.