Lonely Planet: Japan

by Lonely Planet, Chris Rowthorn, Ray Bartlett

Discover Japan

Dodge flying fish at the world's greatest sashimi market
Find yourself spirited away to Miyazaki's museum of anime
Master the perfect double-clap and bow for your first shrine visit
Earn your keep in a Buddhist temple

In This

Japan resident authors, 343 days of research, 120 detailed maps, three geisha sightings
You asked for it, we researched it - everything you need to know about onsen (hot springs) and skiing, and more language assistance than ever
Cost-saving tips even the locals don't know.

Genres: Travel, Japan, Nonfiction, Reference, Japanese Literature, Asia, History

868 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1981

About the author

OUR STORY
A beat-up old car, a few dollars in the pocket and a sense of adventure. In 1972 that’s all Tony and Maureen Wheeler needed for the trip of a lifetime – across Europe and Asia overland to Australia. It took several months, and at the end – broke but inspired – they sat at their kitchen table writing and stapling together their first travel guide, Across Asia on the Cheap. Within a week they’d sold 1500 copies and Lonely Planet was born. One hundred million guidebooks later, Lonely Planet is the world’s leading travel guide publisher with content to almost every destination on the planet.

Reviews

[Tetty Marlinda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought the book before my arrival to Japan. Never gone to this country before, so I studied many things before travelling. It helped me much to understand where to go, how to and what to do.

[Ferio · Rating 3 out of 5]

Voy a repetir lo que he dicho en otras guías, porque la reflexión es la misma y la estructura también:

Las guías de viaje de este estilo ya solo tienen sentido en el siglo XXI por la conveniencia de tener casi toda la información necesaria en un único sitio porque, por lo demás, carecen de la fluidez y la velocidad de actualización (particularmente en lo hostelero) que nos pueden ofrecer nuestro portal favorito de hoteles o TripAdvisor. Evidentemente, el modelo está cambiando y, por muy actualizada que esté una guía, los países son conjuntos que evolucionan cada día más y lo que ayer molaba puede que hoy no: la única forma de saberlo es a través de Internet.

Pero a mí me gustan mucho las guías Lonely Planet porque te dejan bien claro cuáles son las cosas que no debes perderte a nivel cultural en cada sitio y, siendo cosas que muchas veces tienen siglos, es difícil que su importancia cambie de un día para otro; también me gusta mucho que te dicen en qué atracciones compensa comprar la entrada previamente para evitar horas de cola, los trasfondos artístico-históricos de todas y cada una de ellas, sus precios... De otra manera, es muy complicado que todo estos datos se ofrezcan en una única página.

También hay que tener en cuenta que una guía de estas características no se lee de cabo a rabo como un libro cualquiera, sino que se usa para organizar un viaje pero no para aprenderlo y, llegado el momento de estar allí, leer con mucho más detenimiento las descripciones de cada lugar. Lo bueno que tienen estas es que también tienen un acercamiento histórico y artístico completo de cada región que sirve como introducción a todas las especificidades que se desarrollan. ¡Es material valioso!

Supongo que, con el paso del tiempo, este tipo de guías desaparecerán completamente en beneficio de páginas web que ofrecerán lo mismo a través de GPS, incluyendo audioguías y otra serie de cosas muy beneficiosas. El progreso es imparable pero, mientras tanto, cada vez que salgo de viaje me llevo mi Lonely Planet, que tampoco está de más.

Finalmente, he de destacar un problema de esta edición digital: la navegación es pésima, los enlaces solo funcionan a veces, y el índice es demasiado escueto para la complejidad taxonómica del contenido.

[Ana Bernardino · Rating 5 out of 5]

As of October 2023 there small details that need to be updated but other than that LP was the perfect travel guide for my first visit to Japan 👌🏼

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super helpful and great for planning!

[Tim · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good introduction to travelling around Japan, with sections on all the geographical areas of the country. If you are going to Japan, or thinking of going there, you cannot go astray by picking this up. In classic LP fashion, there are sections on culture, history, et cetera, and it will tell you much of what you should know before setting out. I enjoyed browsing through it and reading up on places I knew I would not be visiting because it gave me a good idea of what many parts of the country are like. And the territory of Japan is diverse, stretching from northern forests in Hokkaido to tropical islands in the southwest, and mountainous areas scattered around the country.

Their recommendations on restaurants and accommodations in the bigger, more touristed areas however can be mostly discounted. One Japanese-American friend of mine certainly felt that way. Not that their advice is bad, but you will find many choices of places to eat and stay, a lot of them very good, and there is no way LP can cover them all.

[Cell]

我手頭上有的是第15版(2017)以及第17版(2022)
作者群大致雷同，內容差異也不大
找時間看看其他作者群差很多的是不是也採滾動式修正

--
在決定要跟家人的沖繩自助旅遊後，突然要肩負一部分出主意以及規劃的責任（當然不是靠這本）
在多方意見的加總下，看起來與旅行社行程有7成像
但如果提議看起來酷酷的行程，例如搭餐廳船於夕陽下用餐，大概會收到很多「蛤!?」的回應吧
原來旅行社行程是年齡跨一甲子up的可接受之集合

[Sophie Crane · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Perfect book with more than enough information to get you organised for your holiday.

[Bianca Mogos · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very very useful.

[Louise Burke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really handy whilst travelling and also planning before you leave. some space in the back to collect the stamps which are available most places you visit.

[Ana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Would go again

[Christian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rusutsu > Niseko,
Kyoto > Tokyo,
Land > by

[Ben · Rating 4 out of 5]

Japan Planning 101

This is an excellent guide for all Japan planning.

I found it very detailed and helpful for planning all the different areas and must-see sights.

Definitely give this one a go!

4.4/5

[Valerie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, helpful. I used it a lot—I got a lot of great ideas for what to see and a lot of background information. My one problem/suggestion is that they should give you addresses and maps with the addresses/names on them in the local language as well as in English. I got lost doing one of the Tokyo walks and being able to point to where I wanted to go and have the address in Japanese would have been immensely helpful.

[Chris Craddock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Snow Country

I have always wanted to visit Japan, and it doesn't look like I will make it there anytime soon. Nevertheless, with the help of the lonely planet guidebook to Japan, and Google Earth, I am on my way. Let's say you want to check out Hokusai, one of Japan's best known Artists. Bam! The lonely planet guidebook to Japan got your back. There is a Hokusai Museum in Obuse, a lovely little town northeast of Nagano. Hokusai did a lot of his work there, and over 30 of his works are on display. His most famous work, The Great Wave off Kanagawa, might not be there, as it was last seen in 2012 at The British Museum, but with the help of the guidebook, you can find the prefecture of Kanagawa, along with the other 35 views of Mt Fuji, the series from whence it came.

Maybe you are more concerned with more recent Art, such as Anime, or Japanese Animation. You might want to check out the Ghibli (pronounced "Jiburi") Museum, home to Ghibli Studios and designed by master animator Hayao Miyazaki himself. Even if you are unfamiliar with Spirited Away or their other films, you will love the fairy tale atmosphere and the climbable Cat Bus.

One of my favorite books from the Japanese is 1968 Noble Prize in Literature Winner Yasunari Kawabata's Snow Country. If I were to indulge my whim of visiting Northern Japan, and other sights important to Japanese Authors such as Yukio Mishima, Junichiro Tanizaki, Soseki Natsume, and Ryunosuke Atkutagawa, this guidebook would be indispensable. The same could be said of my long cherished dream of exploring sites from the films of Akira Kurosawa or Nagisa Oshima.

For those of a spiritual bent, there are ancient Buddhist and Shinto Temples, and the old capitol, Kyoto; or for the die hard live-for-the-momentsters, sake bars, discos, the sprawling metropolis Tokyo, and the Sapporo Beer Festival.

More than just a list of sights and locations to visit, there is also lots of helpful information for the traveler. There is a Survival Guide, and help navigating the complex waters of Japanese Etiquette. There is a primer of basic spoken Japanese, and even tips on what sorts of electric sockets you might encounter. There is a lot of invaluable information to the traveler packed into its 880 pages, as well as a pull out map and links to further online resources. Chris Rowthorn was the Coordinating Author, and his team of Andrew Bender, Laura Crawford, and Trent Holden do an excellent job of holding down the fort.

[Julie Shuff · Rating 4 out of 5]

When reviewing before my trip, this book was a bit overwhelming. It's heavy as well, though I did carry it around with me. Overall, I think it's a great reference as long as you have a larger context of where things are in relation to each other, but not great for split decision making on the ground.

Pros: I artificially seemed like an expert on Japan, even though I only knew like four phrases. This book is chock full with information, and it got to the point where the Taiwanese professor leading the trip was asking me for advice and other classmates expected me to know where I was going (an awkward, high pressure situation, lol). The history and background research is also high-quality, in addition to the sights, restaurants, hotels, etc.

Cons: The tear out map is not as helpful as the tourist maps you can get on the ground, except for the subway map on the back. The information isn't organized by neighborhood (except for the smaller maps and top sights) so you have to flip through to the massive Tokyo Eats or Sleeps section if you want to find information about a specific restaurant or hotel. So it's a detailed reference but not necessarily when you need a snap decision. One pet peeve was when I wanted to go to Kikunoi for dinner, they had the lunch rather than the dinner prices specified, so I ended up not going because it was so much more expensive than what was cited in the book.

[Ben · Rating 4 out of 5]

Let's Go To Japan

This is an excellent tome of travel knowledge.

Lonely Planet is my favorite major travel guide publisher, and this was a great book.

I got lots of itineraries and must-dos from all of the various regions.

Definitely check this book out if you are planning a trip to Japan soon!

4.7/5


Merged review:

Big Book of Japan

This was a big and comprehensive book of Japan.

I enjoyed it a lot, and got a lot of great recommendations and travel tips from it.

Would very much recommend getting this one!

Check it out.

4.2/5

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I only focused on the places that we'll be visiting in our upcoming trip to Japan. There is a lot of information on many smaller places in Japan. The format for 2024 & 25 has changed a bit and I'm not sure I like it... They only give names of eating and places to stay and you have to look them up on the internet. I think their reasoning is that things change so much and the reviews and info add a lot of pages to the publication. It's just a shift in their content presentation.

[Nick · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fine overview of a complex, culturally sophisticated country. Great background, general history, and informative sidebars. I'll note the Kindle edition was less than ideal—lots of odd characters here and there, poor formatting, and impossible to read maps. It's fine for last minute reference or confirming details on the plane, but worked poorly as a primary reference.

[Mirona · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great to use when planning your trip to Japan, but also as a tool for dreaming about a trip. Or to bring with you on your trip. Basically, if you like Japan, this is great.

[Patience · Rating 3 out of 5]

Everything sounded equally interesting. It provided useful information about how to see things, but wasn't very helpful in helping me determine what I wanted to see

[Kyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love the country. Feel bad it’s so crowded with tourists right now.

[Brona's Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Lonely Planets are always useful for the planning stages of any holiday, although when I first picked up this new edition Japan, I felt overwhelmed by how much choice there was and didn't know where to start.

I found that the highlights at the beginning of each section helped to narrow down the choices, as did the beautiful photograph montages in the middle of most of the sections.

When we're actually on the ground, the LP helps with things like train stations, connections and useful tips about taxi's, money etc.

In previous books we've also enjoyed the walking trails, and look forward to trying out some of the Japan ones next year.

However, I don't find the LP at all useful for booking accommodation. We don't want expensive and we don't want budget, which is what the LP seems to do best. We prefer to trawl the internet for good deals and interesting places to stay.

The Japan guide has been a useful place to get us started, but we supplement their practical information with internet searches, word of mouth and other guides (like the DK ones that give a good sense of the history and culture of the place).

Love the cover on this edition in particular as we're planning a blossom time visit to Japan.

[Catherine Woodman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good adjunct for trip planning,
but for me, does not have the information I need to decide where to go. Admittedly, I have struggled with planning this trip, and so may be more of a me issue than a travel guide problem. The thing I like about Lonely Planet guides is that they usually open with the top things you do not want to miss, and this one does not have that.
Instead it has a first chapter that goes over the myriad of reasons you might be traveling to Japan, and then some routes to consider by region. The other thing that is different is that there are a lot of pictures, which is a nice addition.
Once I decided where to go, this was helpful.

[John Dolan · Rating 3 out of 5]

'Lonely Planet Japan’ is a rather large tome with nice pictures/maps, and on that basis alone I would have expected it to be of significant benefit during my recent first holiday to The Land of the Rising Sun. Unfortunately, that was not the case, and I must say I found talking to folks along the way, using phone apps, and browsing the Internet much more useful in terms of identifying where to go, what to do, and how to do it. Maybe this sort of guide book has had its day. A shame. Lonely Planet used to be my go-to reference source for vacations.

[Nia Nymue · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't read the whole book, just the sections on the places I'm going to. It's very well-organised and caters to many different "learning styles". The descriptions are current and accurate. Will definitely use it again when going to other places. Might even reread for some states just to compare descriptions with my own personal experience.

[Bre · Rating 3 out of 5]

We buy Lonely Planet books before travelling to another country because it helps us get an idea of what exists. This book did that, but not much else. The "budget" recommendations were expensive, the "off the beaten path" options were still highly touristed, and they didnt eben mention some of the best neighborhoods we found. Good to get your bearings, but afterwards, I'd lean on TokyoCheapo ;-)

[Sarah Jackson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Handy and comprehensive guide to travelling around Japan. Excellent information on transport options, tourist hot spots and seasonal information. Comes with a pull out map and Narita airport card . My only criticisms - the print is very small and the book if very chunky (not the best option for the luggage. Great pre-holiday reading.

[Andrew · Rating 2 out of 5]

Despite spanning over 900 pages, Lonely Planet's guide hardly even begins to capture the magic of Japan. The authors are far too focused on the big cities and major tourist attractions, there is little to mention of things to do in further off the beaten track places. Even within the big cities like Tokyo and Osaka, it misses some of the more secret, but far more enjoyable things to do.

[Adam · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't read it cover to cover, but it did help me plan a continent spanning trip. However, there were a few mix-ups in locations. Nothing too crazy, but some shrines were listed as being in one complex when they are really somewhere else. Luckily, the misplaces shrines/monuments were never to far from where they were mentioned, but I'm glad I double checked.

[ARC · Rating 5 out of 5]

As always, the best way to kickoff planning of any itinerary is to read through Lonely Planet guides. The same goes for Japan. Good overviews, great layouts, and compelling storytelling that makes for a great read and a fast & easy way to size up and understand a country before you deep dive into the nitty-gritty of tour planning.