Fodor's Essential Japan

by Fodor's Travel Publications Inc.

Written by locals, Fodor’s Essential Japan is the perfect guidebook for those looking for insider tips to make the most out their visit to Tokyo, Kyoto, and beyond. Complete with detailed maps and concise descriptions, this Japan travel guide will help you plan your trip with ease. Join Fodor’s in exploring one of the most exciting countries in Asia.

Japan offers something for every traveler, with opportunities to try outstanding cuisine, experience nature, and immerse yourself in art, nightlife, and adventure. The country continues to draw visitors to experience its exquisite beauty. In stunning full-color, Fodor’s Essential Japan illustrates the country’s eternal draws, from ancient temples and gardens and the deliberate pace of the tea ceremony, to the dizzying, frenetic pulse of its high-tech cities.

Fodor’s Essential Japan

•UP-TO-DATE Fully updated, including fresh reviews on new hotels in Kyoto, to a closer look at the increasingly popular Okinawa prefecture, plus the latest in culture, dining, and art.•ULTIMATE EXPERIENCES A spectacular color photo guide captures the ultimate unmissable experiences and attractions throughout Japan to inspire you.•DETAILED Full color and full-size street maps throughout will help you plan efficiently and get around confidently. •GORGEOUS PHOTOS AND ILLUSTRATED Full color photos will help inspire you. Stunning magazine-style color features highlight must-have experiences, including Japan’s history and cuisine, shopping in Tokyo, gorgeous sites like Mount Fuji and temples in Kyoto and Shikoku, the art of Monozukuri, a walking tour through Hiroshima’s Peace Memorial Park, and more.•ITINERARIES AND TOP Sample itineraries will help you plan and customize your own itinerary so you can make the most of your time. Includes tips on where to eat, stay, and shop as well as information about nightlife, sports and the outdoors. “Fodor’s Choice” designates our best picks in every category. “Fodor’s Choice” designates our best picks in every category.•INDISPENSABLE TRIP PLANNING Fodor's Japan features a beautifully illustrated Japanese Cultural Primer, with the lowdown on everything from etiquette to the tea ceremony to the Japanese obsession with baseball. Money-saving tips help travelers make the most of their yen. Each individual chapter has its own planner section with all visitors need to know about regional transportation and accommodation.•JAPANESE CHARACTERS AND This edition includes Japanese characters and transliterations across our listings for hotels, restaurants, sights and more, making the guide indispensable for solo exploring.•SPECIAL EVENTS Information on experiencing the Cherry Blossom Festival which takes place from March to May (or February in Okinawa). • Tokyo, Kyoto, Mount Fuji, Okinawa, Sapporo, Hiroshima, and more.ABOUT FODOR'S Each Fodor's Travel Guide is researched and written by local experts. Fodor’s has been offering expert advice for all tastes and budgets for over 80 years.

Looking for a more in-depth look at Japan’s capital city? Check out Fodor’s Tokyo.

Genres: Travel, Japan, Reference, Nonfiction, Guidebook

1179 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 12, 2019

About the author

Fodor's Travel Publications is a United States-based producer of English-language travel guides and online tourism information. It was founded by Hungarian Eugene Fodor in 1936.
Fodor’s was acquired by Random House in 1986 and sold to Internet Brands in 2016.

Reviews

[Lale D · Rating 4 out of 5]

Must read for anyone thinking about visiting Japan

[Ben · Rating 4 out of 5]

Essentially A Great Guidebook

This was a great big book of Japan travel!

I highly recommend it.

I was able to get a lot of insight into the best places and the best things to do.

Give it a try if you are planning a Japan trip!

4.5/5

[Paraphrodite · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars.

Only read the Tokyo section and found it not as up-to-date as the Lonely Planet Tokyo guide.

[Catherine Woodman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I paused my planning on a vacation to Japan that I had hoped to do this next spring because I realized that I just didn't know enough about the country and what it offered, and where I should think about going. I also am vacillating between doing what we often do with an unknown country (this is true for me and not true for my spouse, who has been twice but both times for business and both times I was unable to go), which is to do the "starter trip", see the things that everyone who goes to Japan sees, and then if we like it, plan for a more eclectic trip next time around or if I should try to tailor it a bit.
I started with this book because while I have four books out on Japan, this is the one that I cannot renew, so I had to pick it first. It turns out that that was a good choice, because this is packed with information about planning a trip, where to go, and why you might want to do that. I have been ignoring Fodor of late, and at least in this case, that is a mistake.
This helped me to focus my thoughts some and I am aiming for a a 2025 or 2026 trip now--giving me enough time to get my plans up and running, decide on whether March or September is when I would like to go (probably March) and the route to take.

[Kim Novak (The Reading Rx) · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you’re headed to Japan for the first time, this is a great guide to orient you. Sure, you could Google things for free, but there’s something about being able to peruse a guide book on a plane or train when you can’t get the wifi to connect. Plus all your little tabs and bookmarks remind you where you went when things inevitably get a little fuzzy.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

Impressively nuanced and detailed. Just skimmed for my own purposes. Will return to this again and again as I make more trips to Japan. Practical and educational without feeling too excessive in either regard

[Mallika · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really big so obviously didn’t read the entire thing but found it to be nice

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Helpful descriptions of places to help me plan my first adventure in Japan.

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very well developed travel guide to Japan. The book contained lots of nice information about traveling there, customs as well as sights to see. It's a difficult book to read cover to cover but I enjoyed what I did read and will use some of the information.

[Ben · Rating 4 out of 5]

Essentially Japan

This was a splendid book on Japan travel.

I really enjoyed it, and thought the book did a great job at covering the big must-dos and must-sees from all the various areas and regions.

I placed a lot of items on my must-go list!

Would recommend!

4.6/5

[Dan Ream · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am taking a group tour to Japan in a few months, so focused my reading on the general information about Japanese culture, eating, etiquette, etc., rather than reading the specific reviews of sites, hotels and restaurants. That said, this was a very good guide.

[Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid travel guide. I'll be looking over it again when I actually go to Japan.