Day by Day Japan plans a first trip to Japan the way a friend who lives here would: one day at a time, with the trains and the prices written down.

Each route is a real day or weekend: where to go first, how long the walk or the train takes, what the ticket costs and where to eat on the way. Prices come from the operator's or the place's own published fares and carry the date they were checked; where we have not checked a price, the route says so instead of guessing. If it rains, the route has a plan B.

Around the routes sits the week in Japan. Every few hours the site reads the Japanese city and food press and the English-language desks in Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka and Fukuoka, and puts the places they name on one map. Headlines stay in the language they were written in, every story links to its source, and we quote no more than a line.

The routes and notes are written by one editor under a pen name, Sora Nakamura, drafted with AI assistance from checked material and read before they go out. Day by Day Japan is independent: no advertisers, no affiliate links, no bookings.

← Day by Day Japan Archive

Deep JapanGo

How Tokyo’s trains inspired a project back home

September 7

I lived in China for six months a few years ago, and that’s where my fond memories of Asia began. More recently, I’ve visited Japan three times in 16 months.

Cheap & practical Experience Tips Tokyo Trains

Read at Deep Japan ↗

One letter a week, in your inbox.

Latest

How Tokyo’s trains inspired a project back home

Related

TokyoThe Survival Guide to Shinagawa Station Tokyo Cheapo

GoOsaka to Tokyo: The Fastest and Cheapest Ways to Get There in 2026 Japan Cheapo

GoBest Free Observation Decks in Tokyo JW Web Magazine

GoNarita Airport Transit & Stay Program to Return with Free and Paid Local Tours Japan Station

EatHow to Actually Taste a Bowl of Ramen (Not Just Eat It) 5AM Ramen

EatTokyo Ramen Etiquette: A Local’s Guide to Doing It Right 5AM Ramen