COLOURFUL T-SHIRTS, CLOTHING & GIFTS INSPIRED BY JAPAN - WORLDWIDE SHIPPING
MENU

Japan Travel Guide Updates

Japan Travel Guide Book

Updates to “Your Guide to Japan”, a travel guide book by Amy Crabtree of Cakes with Faces.

Opening times and details can change, and sometimes places even shut down after a book’s published. Updates to the published book will be posted here.

Updates to First Edition

The first edition says “4 million views” on the red stripe at the top of the front cover.

Shops / Cafes / Theme Restaurants Closed

Sadly during the pandemic a number of theme restaurants have closed down:

  • Kawaii Monster Cafe in Harajuku sadly closed on 31st January 2021. But there are lots of other kawaii things to do in Tokyo, in the book on pages 116-9. And there are other theme cafes, on page 246-7. I also have a feeling that the Kawaii Monster Cafe may return one day in some form, as they’ve kept the brand alive on Twitter, and there have been collaborations and pop-ups. If you’re going to Osaka, you’ll love Pink Kawaii Cafe – here’s my video about it!
  • Robot Restaurant in Shinjuku.
  • Shining Moon Tokyo, the Sailor Moon theme restaurant / dinner show.
  • Moreru Mignon (p118) is no longer at the SkyTree mall, but there are still branches in Shibuya 109 and Ikspiari at Tokyo Disney.
  • Maison de Julietta (p118) the lolita photo studio has closed, but it’s still worth going to the basement level of Laforet if you like cute fashion!

My Suica

Suica is an IC card for paying for your trains (see page 56-7). I’ve not tried it myself, but you can get “My Suica” as a non-Japanese resident. When you buy the card from a ticket machine, you’ll need to enter a phone number. You get a card with your name printed on it. The other difference is that if you lose your card you can get a replacement, including any credit that was on the card. However for short stays in Japan, the replacement might not arrive before you return home, so whether it’s worth it is up to you!

Suica Card on your Phone

If you have an iPhone, you can also use your phone as an IC card by adding Mobile Suica to your Apple Wallet. The main benefit is that you can top it up by credit/debit card (most ticket machines for the regular Suica cards only take cash).

This works on iPhones 8 and newer. Instructions on how to set it up are available here on GaijinPot.

PASMO (the other major IC card – essentially the same as Suica but without the cute penguin mascot) also released a mobile app in 2020 – but it’s currently only available for Android and doesn’t work with Google Pay.

World’s Largest Gachapon Store

If you’re gachapon hunting you’ll definitely want to visit Ikebukuro in Tokyo for the world’s largest collection of gachapon machines. Opened in February 2021, it’s at Bandai Namco’s department store in Sunshine City. Details are here on SoraNews24 and the official site’s here (in Japanese). Be aware that Sunshine City is a huge shopping mall, so you may need to hunt for it! It’s on Floor 3 in the Sunshine City World Import Mart Building (the same building as the aquarium). You can see it in my Gachapon Challenge video from 2023!

Oedo Onsen Monogatari Closed

Oedo Onsen Monogatari in Odaiba closed on 5th September 2021 because their lease is finishing. An alternative within Tokyo is the spa at Senkyaku Banrai, which is next to Toyosu Fish Market, Spa LaQua at Tokyo Dome, or you could take an overnight trip to an onsen town nearby. Here’s a list of onsen in or near Tokyo. There’s also a large onsen ‘theme park’ in Osaka.

Mazaria Closed

The VR theme park in Ikebukuro has closed permanently (mentioned on p108 and p136). You might like Sega Joypolis in Odaiba instead, or Red Tokyo Tower.

UFO by Francfranc Closed

The space-themed shop in Shibuya is now closed (mentioned on p137). The company that created the interactive elements is always holding new installations – details are here on their website, and TeamLab often creates exhibitions too – details on their website here. Currently there’s an interactive (and free!) TeamLab floor in the Galaxy shop in Harajuku.

Sales Tax

All shops and restaurants are required to show the price with sales tax included – so you’ll know exactly how much the bill will be, with no surprises at the till! Previously, some shops displayed prices with tax included and some without, so this makes it simpler.

Updates to the First and Second Edition

The second edition says “5 million views” in the red stripe at the top of the front cover.

These updates apply to both the first and second edition.

Hyperdia Discontinued (For Train Times/Routes)

In April 2022, Hyperdia stopped updating its timetables. Hyperdia was a great app/website for looking up train times, routes and fares. The good news is there are alternatives:

  • Navitime (iOS & Android apps and website) – This one’s my preferred option!
    Has everything you need – it can just be a little slow to use. Note that after typing a station name you need to wait a moment for the names to appear, then click one to select it.
  • Jorudan (iOS & Android apps and website)
    The free app has more options than the website. There’s also a paid version of the app, which allows you to exclude specific train categories (eg shinkansen); the free version is sufficient for most people.
  • Google – You can easily search on Google for routes and times. However there’s no Japan Rail Pass option, so you can’t exclude routes not covered by the pass, like with Navitime and Jorudan.

Visit Japan Web

Instead of filling in paper forms for customs and immigration on the flight, you now complete them online before you travel, on a website called Visit Japan Web. One less thing to do on the flight! There’s a really useful blog post about it here. Even though proof of vaccination’s no longer required, Visit Japan Web is still necessary for customs and immigration details, and makes it much smoother when you arrive at the airport in Japan.

TeamLab Borderless

TeamLab Borderless, the digital art museum in Tokyo, has moved to a new location in central Tokyo, in Azabudai Hills, not far from Tokyo Tower. I’d highly recommend visiting as it’s such a unique, creative and immersive experience (here’s my video so you can see what it’s like).

Other Closures in Odaiba

As well as TeamLab Borderless, other attractions in Odaiba will be closing to make way for the redevelopment.

  • Toyota MEGA WEB – Closing on 31st December 2021.
  • VenusFort – Closed in March 2022.
  • Ferris wheel – Closed in August 2022.
  • Asimo, the Honda robot, retired in March 2022 so he’s no longer at Miraikan, the science museum (but Miraikan’s still excellent and highly recommended!).
  • There’s no longer a One Piece theme cafe at the Fuji TV building, or Tokyo Tower.

Senkyaku Banrai – New at Toyosu Fish Market

While many places have closed in Odaiba for redevelopment, the good news is there’s something new as well! Senkyaku Banrai is a new complex next to Toyosu Fish Market. The new market’s been criticised for being sterile and lifeless compared to the old Tsukiji Market, so this is a more visitor-friendly market with restaurants and food stalls selling food fresh from the wholesale market next door, all in an historic Edo-style setting. There’s also a hot spring spa and a hotel, with a free footbath on the roof with views of Tokyo Bay. It opened in February 2024 – there’ll be a video coming up on my channel!

Small Worlds Tokyo

Indoor attraction in Ariake with miniature cities and dioramas of a space rocket launch, airport and scenes from Sailor Moon and Evangelion. Opened in 2020. Here’s my video about it!

Gundam Cafes

All the Gundam cafes (Osaka, Tokyo and Fukuoka) are now closed. However there’s still a cafe at the Gundam Factory Yokohama (an easy afternoon trip from Tokyo) – although this is temporary, it’s been extended until the end of March 2024.

So now, your top Gundam locations around Japan are:

  • Odaiba, Tokyo: Giant Gundam by Diver City mall, and a shop called “The Gundam Base”.
  • Yokohama, an easy day/afternoon trip from Tokyo: Gundam Factory Yokohama, with a giant Gundam, shop, cafe and exhibition. Temporary until the end of March 2023.
  • Fukuoka: “The Gundam Base” shop in Canal City shopping mall in Fukuoka, which is a really interesting mall with fountain light shows.
  • Fukuoka: Giant Gundam and Gundam Park with a shop, VR games and arcade at Mitsui Shopping Park LalaPort.

Edo-Tokyo Museum

The Edo Tokyo Museum is closing temporarily for three years from April 2022 for major renovations (p121 & p123 in the book). If you were hoping to go during this time, how about visiting the Edo-Tokyo Open-Air Architectural Museum instead? Here’s their website.

Theme Cafes Closed

The following theme cafes have closed – however there are still lots of other theme restaurants (p247), and keep an eye out online for pop-up cafes – here’s a list of them that I update regularly.

  • The Lock-Up, a prison-themed restaurant in Shinjuku.
  • Christon Cafe (medieval/Christan themed).

New Shinkansen Line to Nagasaki

A new shinkansen line is now running between Fukuoka and Nagasaki (route map on p72). It’s called the Nishikyushu shinkansen, and the new train’s called the Kamome, which means seagull. It now takes only 1.5 hours to get between the two cities, making it quicker to travel to this region. I went on it recently – there’ll be a video coming up on my channel.

There’s also a new sightseeing train running a very similar route, called the Two Stars 4047. It has a very fancy interior! It’s covered by the JR Pass – advance reservation is recommended to make sure you get a seat. Details here…

Music Shops

Rock Inn in Shinjuku has closed (p272). However another music shop to try is Kurosawagakki, which has multiple branches around Tokyo – details here. Their shop selling vintage guitars is in Shin-Okubo near Shinjuku, called “Kurosawagakki Nihon Sō-Honten”.

Link to Tokyo Metro Map

The link to the Tokyo Metro map (p53) has changed – you can now find it here.

Olympic Stadium Tour

If you were hoping to be in Tokyo for the Olympics, you can at least now have an Olympics experience with a new stadium tour. Reserve tickets online the month before you go. It was scheduled to be open until March 2024, but has now been extended. Details here…

Updates to the Third Edition

The third edition says “First edition published 2020. Updated 2022” on the first page when you open the book.

These updates also apply to the first and second edition.

Sky Circus: Now Sunshine 60 Tenbou Park

The observation deck in Sunshine City mall in Ikebukuro has been renovated, and is now re-opened as “Sunshine 60 Tenbou Park”. The VR experiences are gone, and it’s now styled like a relaxing indoor park, with plants, artificial grass and spaces to relax while you enjoy 360 degree views of Tokyo. Here’s the official website.

Moomin Cafes

The Moomin cafes at the SkyTree and Tokyo Dome City (p247) have now closed.

Studio Crown Closed

Studio Crown, the cosplay photo studio (p126) is no longer open.

Tokyo Kawaii Studio

Remember Maison de Juliette, the lolita photo studio that used to be in LaForet Harajuku? Well now there’s a new photo studio there, in the same location! It’s called Tokyo Kawaii Studio. Choose a lolita outfit, have your hair and make-up done, then have your photo taken with a special backdrop. Details are on kawaii-studio.com. Booking is required – and it looks like they’re pretty busy.

Updates to the Fourth Edition

The fourth edition says “6 million views” in the red stripe at the top of the front cover.

These updates also apply to previous editions.

Japan Rail Pass Price Increase

The cost of the Japan Rail Pass increased by 60-70% in October 2023. There’s now also the option to pay extra to ride the Nozomi, which was previously not covered by the pass at all. Examples of how much this costs for popular routes are available here on Japan Guide.

Note since the price increase, the chart on p65 is no longer accurate. The updated version’s below.

Depending on your plans, it may now be better value to purchase individual shinkansen tickets instead. There are JR Pass calculators online (like this one) to quickly check how much you’re likely to spend on trains.

If you’re doing the popular Golden Route (Tokyo/Osaka/Kyoto), the price of individual shinkansen tickets is similar to the previous cost of the JR Pass – so you won’t necessarily be spending more money than before.

Do I need a JR Pass?

Regional Passes

It’s also worth considering a regional pass – there are lots of them for different areas of Japan. The price of these also increased on 1st October 2023. However, the increases vary – some are only a few hundred yen, up to a 50% increase (for the Tokyo Wide Pass).

Note that most regional passes don’t include a trip from Tokyo, so you’d need an extra, individual ticket for that trip. You can check train prices on Japan Travel by Navitime. Remember to include seat reservation fee if you’ll be reserving a seat (recommended if you’re travelling with luggage, so you can reserve the seats with extra space for suitcases). This fee is free of charge if you have a JR Pass.

Details of the regional passes are here. Here are a few that are particularly useful:

  • Tokyo Wide Pass – For the Tokyo area.
  • Hokuriku Arch Pass – A longer, more scenic route between Tokyo and Kyoto/Osaka, via Kanazawa and the Japanese alps in Nagano. Note that the direct shinkansen between Tokyo and Osaka/Kyoto is not included.
  • Passes for Tohoku / Hokkaido – JR East offers various passes for Tohoku and Hokkaido, several of which include the trip from Tokyo. The JR East-South Hokkaido Pass includes travel from Tokyo to Hokkaido, perfect for the Sapporo Snow Festival, and even after the increase will be a similar price to the current JR Pass.
  • Passes for Kansai – There are several passes from various rail companies for the Kansai region around Osaka and Kyoto. These are ideal if you’re flying into Osaka. If you’re also going to Tokyo, you’ll need to purchase a separate ticket for that journey.

There are also alternatives to the JR Pass on p68 of the book, and in this video (the video’s a few years old so some details have changed since then, but it gives you an idea of what’s available).

I hope the price increase won’t put you off travelling beyond Tokyo. The JR Pass has always been heavily discounted compared to individual shinkansen tickets, and hasn’t had a price increase for many years. Compared to rail passes in other countries it remains good value, especially considering the quality of the service in Japan. If you make extensive use of the JR Pass, it’s still worth it, and if you’re only making a few long distance trips, there are alternatives and ways to make it happen. The rest of Japan is completely different from Tokyo, and you’ll have amazing experiences that’ll surely be the highlight of your trip.

Regional Pass Price Increases

Here are links to the official price increase announcements for the regional train passes, with full details:

Additional update to p69: The regional passes must be used on consecutive days.

Updates in 2024

These apply to all editions (including the version that says “Over 7 million views” on the front cover, in the red strip at the top).

Some Suica and Pasmo Cards are Temporarily Unavailable

UPDATE: JR East have confirmed that Suica cards will be widely available again from 1st September 2024, and Welcome Suica will be available from more places.

To start with, it’ll be just MySuica, which is a registered version. It’s designed for residents, but tourists can also use it. When you buy it from the ticket machine, you’ll need to type in a few personal details including your date of birth and phone number. The benefit is that if you lose it, it can be replaced.

From 1st September 2024, Welcome Suica, the temporary version designed for tourists, will be available from more places:

  • Ekitabi Concierge at Tokyo Station
  • Shinagawa Station
  • Shibuya Station
  • Shinjuku Station
  • Ikebukuro Station
  • Ueno Station
  • Haneda Airport
  • Narita Airport
  • Japan Rail Cafe, Tokyo Station

Suica and Pasmo are IC cards to pay for your trains and buses in Japan. I’d recommend them as the easiest way to pay for your trains, because they’re valid for everything – including the Tokyo Metro and train lines that are run by various companies.

For the past year or two, some types of Suica and Pasmo cards have been unavailable due to the worldwide chip shortage. There’s been a lot of misunderstanding about this online, and a lot of dramatic videos/headlines that are really just clickbait!

It’s not really a problem, because you can still get other types of IC cards:

  • Welcome Suica: These are temporary cards, designed for tourists. They last for a month and work exactly the same as the regular cards, except you can’t get a refund of any unused funds. However, it’s easy to use them up any unused credit at convenience stores and vending machines. Currently Welcome Suica is only available from Haneda Airport, not Narita – but this may change depending on availability. Note that Pasmo Passport is discontinued and has now sold out.
  • Regional IC cards from other areas are still available. Suica is the IC card for Tokyo, but you can still get regional cards from other areas eg ICOCA in the Kansai region. These also work in Tokyo and are basically the same as Suica. It’s possible to purchase a Toica card from Tokyo Station – this livestream from Only in Japan shows where to get it. A Toica works exactly the same as Suica, and it has cute chicks on it!
  • Old IC cards: If you have a card from a previous trip, it’ll still work, providing it’s within 10 years of its last use. They’re simply not selling new cards because of the chip shortage.
  • Mobile Suica and Pasmo: You can use the mobile version on your Smartphone via Apple Wallet. Note that some foreign phones/credit cards might not work. Instructions are available here on Japan Living Guide. The advantage to this method is you can top up your card using credit/debit card via Apple Wallet (with a physical card you need cash to top it up at a ticket machine). They’re currently developing a mobile version of Welcome Suica, which will be more tourist-friendly, for release in Spring 2025.

Platt Kodama & Flex Ticket

The Platt Kodama is now available from JR Tokai Tours – select the “Shinkansen One-Way Trip” option.

Sales of the Flex Ticket are currently suspended.

As an alternative, discounted shinkansen tickets (called Hayatoku fares) are available online on the SmartEX website if you buy 3 or 21 days in advance, or for 2 or more people travelling together. These can be purchased up to 30 days in advance – full details here.

New Theme Cafes

There are some new, permanent theme cafes:

My list of temporary, pop-up theme cafes is available here (regularly updated).

TeamLab Borderless / Planets

TeamLab Borderless is now open in its new, central Tokyo location in Azabudai Hills (near Tokyo Tower). Here’s my video, including a walkthrough and tips!

TeamLab Planets, the temporary attraction, has also been extended until the end of 2027.

If you only have time to visit one, TeamLab Borderless is larger. However, only Planets has the water rooms, and it’s temporary, so it won’t be around forever! Here’s my blog post comparing them, to help you decide which to visit. There are some rooms repeated at both of them (including my favourite – the Infinite Crystal World). Here are my videos of both:

Visit Japan Web / Tax Free Shopping

There’s now a new section on Visit Japan Web for tax free shopping, involving uploading a photo of your passport, and scanning the landing permit stamp (sticker) in your passport. This creates a QR code in Visit Japan Web. There’s a walk-through of the process here on the official Visit Japan Web site.

Certain shops in Japan offer tax-free shopping for foreigners if you spend over 5000 yen. Previously you had to show your passport at checkout to remove the 10% consumption tax. Now you can show them the QR code from Visit Japan Web. You can still use your passport if you prefer. (Note that as a foreigner you’re required to carry your passport with you at all times anyway).

JR Pass

From 1st October 2023, you can only buy JR Passes online. You can no longer buy them at the ticket office. It’s best to buy it before you go to Japan.

Flex Ticket / Platt Kodama

An update to the “Other Rail Passes” section on p 68-9.:

  • Flex Ticket is no longer available. A good alternative is “Hayatoku” fares on SmartEX (official ticket website from Japan Railways), which offer discounts if you book 3 or 21 days in advance. However, they are non-flexible, so if you miss your train you can’t take a different train like with full-priced tickets.
  • Platt Kodama is available again. It’s available here as the “Shinkansen One-Way Trip. It’s a single ticket on the Kodama, the slowest shinkansen that stops at more stations. As an example, the trip from Tokyo to Kyoto takes 3 hours 40 minutes.
  • Shinkansen Travel Packages are also available from JR Tokai Tours (owned by Japan Railways) that include bullet train tickets and a hotel. Details here.

New Geisha Art Museum in Kyoto

There’s a new museum in Kyoto about geisha art & culture. As well as displays of kimono and accessories, you can watch performances and even have a photo with geiko or meiko, and there’s a lovely Japanese garden.

It’s in Gion – check the opening times as it’s closed on certain days and times of the year: https://gion-museum.com/en/

Ryokan: Japanese Guest Houses

JapaneseGuestHouses.com no longer offers a service making reservations at ryokan (traditional Japanese hotels), but for now the website’s still available. It’s a useful resource for finding ryokan, then you can make the booking elsewhere. At this point I’m not sure if it’ll be kept up to date in future, so please bear that in mind!

Roppongi City View

The outdoor deck of the observation deck at Roppongi City View has been closed since September 2023. There’s currently no news on when it will re-open. The indoor deck’s still open as usual, but there can be reflections on the glass at night when there’s an exhibition.

Tokyo Disney Tickets

You can’t buy Tokyo Disney tickets at the gate any more. I’d recommend buying them from the official website tokyodisneyresort.jp. If your card doesn’t work on the official site (Japanese websites are fussy about card security), tuse Klook.

Japanese “ESTA” coming in 2030

Japan may be introducing a system like the USA’s ESTA for foreign tourists, to be in place by 2030. The purpose is to stop people arriving on a tourist visa and not leaving. It’ll also apply to countries that don’t need visas. Looks like it’s nothing to worry about, and for now you don’t have to do anything extra. Full details here.

Shibuya Drinking Ban

In Japan it’s legal to drink alcohol on the streets in most places. However, Shibuya has introduced a drinking ban in some streets from 1st October 2024. It’s in place during the evening and night time, from 6pm to 5am, to address the problem of noise and littering in the streets. Details here, including a map of where drinking isn’t allowed.

Updates in 2025

Square Enix Cafe Closing

The Square Enix theme cafe in Tokyo closes on 31st March 2025. It’ll be turned into a gift shop. Artnia in Shinjuku will remain open.

Prescription Medication (p260)

To clarify, you can bring 1 months’ supply of prescription medication with you to Japan, and 2 months if you complete a form called the “Yunyu Kakunin-sho”. However, please check the official info for accurate, up-to-date details – the best place to get the rules on this is Japan’s Ministry of Health.

Seishun 18 Train Tickets (p68)

The tickets must now be used on consecutive days, and can’t be shared between people – so you’ll need one pass per person. It can now be used at the automatic ticket gates, and there’s also a 3 day option as well as the 5 day version.

Platt Kodama (p68)

The link to the webpage about the Platt Kodama train ticket is now travel.jr-central.co.jp/plan/en/

Luggage Reservations on the Shinkansen

From 1st July 2025, JR Central and JR West are starting a trial allowing oversized baggage compartments on the shinkansen to be used without a reservation. Usually, if you want to use the baggage compartment or space for oversized luggage, you have to reserve the seat it’s allocated to.

When the trial starts on 1st July, anyone can use the baggage compartment on a first-come first-served basis. However, this only refers to the baggage rack by the bathrooms, not the space for oversized luggage, which is behind the last row of seats (pic on p77). The baggage compartment is only in a few carriages. The space for luggage behind the end row of seats is in every carriage, and still requires a reservation as usual.

Headlines about this have been a little misleading so far – so I’d recommend still reserving the seats with space of luggage if you need them! Here’s the article on The Sankei Shimbun.

Theme Cafe Updates (p246)

  • Peanuts Cafe in Meguro has closed, but you can still go to Peanuts Cafe Sunny Side Kitchen in Harajuku.
  • The Peter Rabbit Cafe in Yokohama has closed, but there’s still one in Jiyugaoka.

Siretoco Donuts Closed (p119)

There are still lots of places with cute doughnuts and snacks, including Floresta in Koenji.

Edo Tokyo Museum (p121)

The renovations must be taking longer than expected, as the museum’s now scheduled to re-open spring 2026.

Public Drinking (p245)

Drinking on the streets is now banned in Shibuya, but still legal in most parts of Japan.

Pompompurin Cafe Closed

The Pompompurin Cafe in Harajuku has closed. It’s pretty devastating news! That place was super cute, but there are still several Sanrio cafes in Tokyo on p246, and keep an eye out for cute pop-up cafes on my list. The new Sanrio shop and cafe opens on Takeshita Street in Harajuku in December 2025.

Shop/Cafe Closures

  • All C’s Cafe in Koenji has closed (p117).
  • Style Nanda in Harajuku has closed (p271).
  • Selca Studio is now closed (p118) – but all the purikura stores are still on Takeshita Street for taking cute photos!
  • Little TGV, the train-themed bar is closed (p247).

Tax-Free Shopping

From 1st November 2026, the procedure for tax-free shopping is changing. Instead of removing the tax at checkout, the tax will be refunded at the airport. You’ll need to keep your receipts. If you’re on a long trip, tax refunds can only be claimed within 90 days of purchase.

Since 1st April 2025, if you ship items home, they won’t be eligible for tax exemption. You have to have them with you. However, you are eligible for tax-free shopping if the retailer ships them directly for you.

The reason for these changes is because the current system was being abused by people buying cheaper tax-free items to sell, or buying tax-free items that never left Japan.

What’s New in Tokyo?

While lots of places closed over the last few years, there are lots of new things too! My regular Japan News videos offer a round-up of new places that have opened, both in Tokyo and around Japan, plus events and what’s coming up:

Found something incorrect?

If you come across anything that’s incorrect or needs updating, please let me know.