MORE INFORMATION

Visa: Citizens from 66 countries are visa-exempt from Japan (including the

US, EU and Australia) and can enter for 90 days with a current passport. Consult the diplomatic mission of Japan of your country for more information. Vietnamese visitors are required to obtain a tourist visa; this process can be difficult.

Itinerary: Since Japan has expanded its tourism to Vietnam, several airlines have direct flights from major Vietnamese cities (Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi and Danang) to major Japanese cities (Tokyo, Osaka and Sapporo). In addition, these airlines often have promotions with preferential prices. We chose Vietnam Airlines to fly to Osaka and back from Tokyo at the promotional price of 12 million VND. Transportation: Traveling between Japanese cities is extremely easy thanks to Japan’s outstanding modern public transport system. For foreign tourists, the most economical way is to buy the

JR pass (Japan Rail pass) for 7 days or 14 days (depending on your schedule), which gives you the most access to public transportation from the world’s fastest bullet train, Shinkansen, to normal trains, buses and subways. There are many websites and apps that can help you choose the most appropriate public transportation to travel around Japan. I use the Hyperdia site and am extremely satisfied with the accuracy of the information they provide.

Time: Before viewing autumn in Japan, you should follow the foliage forecast that is updated regularly on Japanese tourism websites each autumn. Usually, autumn starts in September and ends in mid-november. However, the time when green leaves turn to yellow, orange and red varies from region to region and year to year. Our journey was from October 22 to October 31.

Cuisine: Japanese cuisine is one of the most unique features of Japan. Not only famous for sushi or sashimi, traditional dishes such as bento lunch boxes, udon/ ramen noodles and grilled beef are also very special. Don’t miss out on Hida‘s famous beef in Takayama, it is no less delicious than Kobe beef, but it is less expensive.

Accommodation: To save money, we stayed in small motels (similar to hostels). Despite being small, these motels are extremely clean, cozy and have professional service. I often booked rooms at motel chains operating branches in cities such as K’house, J-hopper or Khaosan.

Attire: The autumn weather in Japan is extremely beautiful with temperatures averaging around 12–18°C in the daytime in October and dropping a few degrees lower at night. In addition to autumn outfits (thicker than normal autumn outfits in Vietnam), prepare a light jacket, coat and a scarf to admire the autumn colors in comfort.