DK Japan

by DK Eyewitness Travel

Make your trip to Japan extraordinary

Picnics under Kyoto's cherry blossom trees. Sake tasting in the mountains of Honshu. Exploring the tranquil temples of Tokyo. For a vacation to remember, Japan is hard to beat. Whatever your dream trip involves, this DK travel guide is the perfect companion.

Our updated guide brings Japan to life, transporting you there like no other travel guide does with expert-led insights, trusted travel advice, detailed breakdowns of all the must-see sights, photographs on practically every page, and our hand-drawn illustrations, which take you inside the country's buildings and neighbourhoods.

You'll

- our pick of Japan's must-sees, top experiences and hidden gems
- beautiful photography and detailed illustrations, taking you to the heart of Japan
- the best spots to eat, drink, shop and stay
- detailed maps and walks which make navigating the region easy
- easy-to-follow itineraries
- expert get ready, get around and stay safe
- colour-coded chapters to each part of Japan
- a lightweight format, so you can take it with you wherever you go

Want to explore Japan's one-of-a-kind capital? Try Top 10 Tokyo.

Genres: Travel, Japan, Nonfiction, Reference

342 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 7, 2025

Reviews

[Sammi]

I wouldn’t usually list a travel guide on here, but I read this one from cover to cover so I guess I will. It turns out I really like DK eyewitness travel guides, they always got criticized from how I would hear about them. They don’t have much about details like the opening and closing times of museums, or how to get around the city transit system. That’s obviously very useful, but not what I would use a travel guide for (I would look these things up online), but rather they had a lot more emphasis on images and giving you an overall vibe of places and things to do. Really recommend it

[Nicole Karlsefni]

I read this before my trip to Japan and it saved me the headache of having to heavily research where I wanted to stay, visit, etc. Would recommend.

[Eddy Vermeulen]

One of the best practically oriented guides I read in preparation of my trip.

[Catherine Woodman]

I believe this book was more useful because I had already read a guidebook for Japan, but I have been feeling more than usually overwhelmed by the planning of an upcoming trip to Japan, even though from the get go I recognized that it was going to be a 2-week trip.
Now that I have read this, I have a much better idea of where I want to go (and while I don't have any of the details nailed down. like how reasonable is it to get between these places, and how long to spend in them), I am far more comfortable with where to go, and where not to go, and which thing I would give up first if we don't have enough time to do everything.
The organization by island is a no brainer, but this book also does a good job of laying out why you would want to go to each place, what makes it different from other areas in Japan, and some ideas of what the range of things to do it.
While I usually get this sort of guidebook out to look at the pictures, in this case the writing is very helpful as well.

[Ben]

Donkey Kong Eyewitness

This is a great book on Japan.

As it is the land that invented Donkey Kong, I find it funny how it is titled!

Anyways, that being said, there is lots to delve into with this book, and you will definitely get a good itinerary when planning your trip.

4.6/5

[Terry]

Another great DK Eyewitness. An easy breezy pleasant intro to Japan. DH & I hope to travel there soon. This is a great overview of what’s to come.

[Bethe]

Bright, energetic, full of photos, maps, and info on glossy paper, the usual DK style. Not quite as user friendly as some travel guides, also seems to trend to a more upscale travel experience.

[Lisa]

Good "main city" Japan info... Tokyo and Kyoto but the rest of the guide is broken down by prefecture and not in an orderly manner (North to South) so unless you're really familiar with what prefecture the city that you want information on, it can be frustrating.
I read the ePub version and the maps did not enlarge where it said double tap to enlarge. That also was disappointing.
It was nice to have such updated information though as this was 2025 edition.

[Donna]

Perfect book to read before your trip to Japan! Provides insight to major cities, sights, temples & day trips.

When we curate customized travel plans for guests, we always suggest a DK Travel Guide for travelers. It helps them get into sync of what they will be seeing & experiencing on their trip.

We always include experiences unique that guests would not read about in the book, but are catered to their preferences! A fun, relaxed pace to traveling anywhere in the world.

[Erica]

Lots of great information

[Morrigan Coady]

3.5

[Nancy Walsh]

Excellent. Highly recommend. Full of information. Phrase book print rather small.