Japan Trips

Japan is one of the safest countries in the world, with Tokyo and Osaka being in the top 3 of the 10 safest cities in the world.

Although mandatory to learn English in school, it’s not necessarily needed in Japan, meaning that fewer people use English on a regular basis. Only those who have the desire to learn or required to learn due to the trade they work. Although in comparison to other countries the level of English may be lower, you’ll be able to find people that speak English in Japan. If you need help with the language, Studytrip.com staff will be happy to help you!

Honshu, which is the main island of Japan can vary from north to south in terms of weather. This is also true from east to west with snow often falling in the west but not so in the east, where it’s milder. The most pleasant time to visit is in either the spring when the cherry blossom season begins, starting in the south and working it’s way up, or in the Autumn when the humidity, rain and heat start to subside and the autumn colours work their way down the country. In the far north you’ll find the island of Hokkaido famous for winter sports and to the southern tip the islands of Okinawa and it’s sub-tropical weather, the weather in Japan offers distinctive seasons which means theres something for everyone.

Spring is possibly the most popular time to visit with beautiful cherry blossoms and pleasant weather. Autumn is also a favourite due to the warm but not humid temperatures and the autumn leaves. Winter, whilst cold, offers great conditions for winter sports and snow festivals and finally the summer months, although they can be rainy and very humid, tourist areas are generally quieter and there are tonnes of fun festivals and firework displays to enjoy.

There are many countries and regions that have visa exemption arrangements with Japan. This allows nationals to enter Japan without the need of a visa for short stays. For more information about the period of stay allowed and whether your country is exempt, please get in contact with us.

Yes, there are plenty of vegetarian options in Japan but it’s best to do some research before coming, as not all restaurants have vegetarian options. It’s also easy to get caught out by simple ingredients used in every day cooking, such as dashi, a type of stock or bouillon, which is typically made from fish.

Yes, you can use your mobile phone in Japan, but be careful as not all phones work on the frequencies used here, also be sure to turn data roaming off if you want to avoid hefty fees from your provider back home. Internet is not widely available in public spaces, so that’s why we recommend pocket WiFi. You can book yours when applying for your trip and you can even connect up to 10 devices!

We have our own highly knowledgable, qualified, multilingual and multinational local staff who act as guides, translate, and provide general support for during the trip, to ensure everyone has the best possible experience.

With most of our trips travel insurance is already included. You can find out more information here. For a small number of our trips that does not automatically include travel insurance, it is still possible to choose this as an option when booking. For those that do not select the travel insurance when booking individuals should book their own. Travel insurance is very much an essential and necessary part of travelling.

Meals are typically not included unless noted on the course page or as part of an activity, like the izakaya dinner. Please ask our staff if you have questions about your specific course.

Japan’s public transportation network is extremely convenient and reliable. We recommend using a Prepaid IC card to avoid having to buy tickets for every trip. You can also use them at certain stores and vending machines, and can easily re-charge them at stations.

Most major international credit, debit, and even some pre-paid cards are accepted in Japan. But note that some smaller businesses only accept cash in local currency.

The #1 app for getting around in Japan is Google Maps. For translation, #2 is Google Translate for speech, writing, and photos. The #3 app that will help you find the best eats in the country is GuruNavi.