First trip to Japan from India? Below is everything we wish someone had told us — visa paperwork, what to install before you fly, how to actually get from Narita to your hotel, and how to eat well as a vegetarian. Read it end-to-end before you book flights.
Prices in INR/JPY current as of early 2026. Visa rules change — verify at vfsglobal.com/japan before applying.
⚠️ Things to Take Care Of
Trash bins are rare in public — carry your rubbish until you find one (most konbini have a bin near the entrance). Tattoos can bar entry from many onsens (hot springs); look for the small number of tattoo-friendly bathhouses if this applies to you. Smoking is restricted to marked areas, but cigarette vending machines are everywhere — don't smoke while walking. Public WiFi is patchy outside major stations and hotels, so don't rely on it. Pharmacies don't stock common Indian medicines (Crocin, Dolo, basic antibiotics) — bring your own kit, including anything for a sensitive stomach.
🛂 Visa Process (Indian Passport)
Japan offers an eVisa for Indian tourists via VFS Global. Single-entry tourist visa fee is roughly ₹500 + VFS service ~₹2,400. Processing takes 5–7 working days. You'll need: passport with at least 6 months validity, passport-size photo on the right background, bank statements for the last 3 months (showing a healthy balance — rule of thumb ~₹1 lakh per traveler per week), ITR for the last 2 years, confirmed flight itinerary, all hotel bookings, a day-by-day plan, and a leave letter from your employer. Apply at least 3 weeks before travel and don't book non-refundable flights until your visa is in hand.
🛫 Before You Land
Buy an Airalo Japan eSIM (5GB ~₹1,500) before you fly, or reserve a pocket WiFi for airport pickup if you're a heavier user. Install these apps before takeoff: Google Maps with the Japan offline pack downloaded, Google Translate with Japanese offline, NAVITIME for Transit (more accurate than Maps for train transfers), and add a Suica card to Apple/Google Wallet (works on every metro, bus, konbini, and most vending machines). Carry around ₹20,000 worth of JPY in cash — Japan is still a cash-first country outside Tokyo. If you're doing 4+ long Shinkansen legs, do the JR Pass math before flying; post-2023 the pass jumped to ~¥50,000 for 7 days and is often not worth it for a typical Tokyo–Kyoto–Osaka trip.
🛬 After You Land
From Narita Airport: take the Narita Express (¥3,070, ~60 min to Shinjuku) or the cheaper Keisei Skyliner to Ueno. From Haneda Airport: Tokyo Monorail or Keikyu Line, ~¥500 and 30 minutes into the city. Withdraw your first batch of JPY from a Seven Bank ATM (inside every 7-Eleven) or a Japan Post ATM — these are the two networks that reliably accept Indian Visa/Mastercard. Domestic Japanese bank ATMs often won't. Grab a physical Suica or Pasmo IC card from any station ticket machine (¥500 refundable deposit + whatever you load on it) if you skipped the digital wallet route.
🚄 Transport
The Shinkansen is the backbone of inter-city travel: Tokyo → Kyoto takes ~2 hr 15 min and costs around ¥14,000. The 7-day JR Pass (¥50,000) only makes sense if you're doing 4+ long legs since the 2023 price hike — for a standard Golden Route trip, paying per leg is usually cheaper. Inside cities, your IC card works on every metro line and private rail, just tap in/out. For an extra-economical Tokyo↔Kyoto/Osaka leg, Willer overnight buses are ~¥5,000 and save you a hotel night. Taxis are expensive (~¥500 starting fare, climbs fast) — reserve them for late-night returns when trains have stopped.
🏨 Accommodation
Budget hostels run ¥3,000–5,000/night (we liked Hostel Wasabi and K's House, with branches across the country). Business hotels like APA, Toyoko Inn, and Sotetsu Fresa run ¥8,000–15,000 — rooms are small but spotless and reliably central. Spend at least one night in a ryokan (traditional inn) in Kyoto: ¥15,000–40,000 including a kaiseki dinner and onsen, and entirely worth it as an experience. Capsule hotels are ¥3,500–6,000 and are a fun one-night novelty for solo travelers. Book everything well in advance for cherry blossom (late March/early April) and autumn colors (November) — these are the two busiest windows of the year.
🍜 Food in a Nutshell
Vegetarian survival is harder than it looks — most "vegetable" soba/udon broth uses bonito (fish flakes), so always ask. Konbini (7-Eleven, Lawson, FamilyMart) are an absolute lifesaver: ¥500–800 for a full meal of onigiri, salads, sandwiches, and surprisingly good karaage. Don't miss: Ichiran ramen (solo booths, you order via a vending machine), kaitenzushi (conveyor belt sushi at ¥100–300/plate), takoyaki and okonomiyaki in Osaka, and melonpan from any street bakery. If you crave dal after a few days, Tokyo and Osaka have solid Indian restaurants (Nataraj and Mughal are the reliable chains). Tap water is safe and free everywhere — refill bottles instead of buying.