Travel basics
Before your trip, a handful of practical questions are worth settling at home: how to pay for local transport, what entry paperwork is optional, and which customs you will meet in trains, shrines and baths.
For payment on trains and buses, the IC card comparison explains which card suits your phone, how refunds work and where to buy. For arrival, the Visit Japan Web guide shows how to get the immigration and customs QR code ready and what happens if you skip it.
For behaviour, the etiquette guide covers tipping, shoes, quiet trains, trash and shrine visits, and the onsen and tattoo guide explains what bath operators are asked to do, how to find a private bath and how to bathe. This page also lists guides on the Hokuriku Arch Pass and booking a geiko show in Kanazawa.
7 articles
Takayama-Hokuriku Area Tourist Pass 2026: ¥19,800 Worth It?
JR Central's 5-day pass costs ¥19,800. It suits one-way trips between Kansai Airport or Osaka and Nagoya via Shirakawa-go, not round trips from Nagoya.
KanazawaIshikawaGetting around
Hokuriku Arch Pass: Is It Worth It for Tokyo–Kanazawa–Osaka?
The JR West Hokuriku Arch Pass price since March 2026, what it covers, and whether it beats single tickets on three common Tokyo–Kanazawa–Kansai routes.
How to See a Geisha Performance in Kanazawa (and Book It)
Kanazawa's scheduled geiko shows compared: the Saturday Geiko Experience, Geigi no Mai, MEET the GEIKO, Kanazawa Odori; dates, prices, language, booking.
Which IC Card Should Tourists Get in Japan? (2026 Guide)
On iPhone, Welcome Suica Mobile: no deposit, valid 180 days. Otherwise Welcome Suica or TOURIST PASMO, valid 28 days. Refunds, ICOCA and where to buy.
Japan etiquette for visitors: tipping, shoes, trains, trash
The etiquette you will actually meet in Japan: no tipping, shoes off, quiet trains, escalators, carrying your trash, eating on the go, and shrine visits.
Onsen with tattoos: the rules, the options, the etiquette
Can you use an onsen with a tattoo? What Japan's tourism agency asks bath operators to do, how to find private baths, and how to bathe step by step.
Visit Japan Web: do you need it, and how to fill it in
Visit Japan Web is free and optional. How to get the immigration and customs QR code before landing, where the joint kiosks are, and what if you skip it.
