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

Tokyo WeekenderTokyo

Katsuura, Chiba: Exploring the Isumi Region’s Surfing Coast

September 24

Along the Isumi region’s eastern coast, life revolves around the sea. The region has the easygoing character of a classic Japanese beach town, with independent cafes, casual seafood restaurants and a…

Kyoto & Kansai Travel TW Collabs

Read at Tokyo Weekender ↗

One letter a week, in your inbox.

Latest

Katsuura, Chiba: Exploring the Isumi Region’s Surfing Coast

Related

TokyoHere's the first official 2026 forecast for autumn leaves in Japan Time Out Tokyo

OfficialKobe in January 2027 - What to Know Snow Monkey Resorts

Kansai10 best ramen in Osaka every noodle lover should try Time Out Osaka

Kansai7 best coffee roasters in Osaka – with seating Time Out Osaka

KansaiTadao Ando’s Kansai in four buildings Time Out Osaka

KansaiThe best fireworks festivals in and near Osaka in 2026 Time Out Osaka