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PlaceAllTokyoKyotoOsakaFukuokaSapporo

Festivals5 min readSummer fireworks: how to watch themSummer fireworks draw large crowds in Tokyo and Osaka. Learn how to choose a viewing spot, arrive early and get back to your hotel safely.Practical5 min readTax-free shopping: check the latest refund rulesVisitors can sometimes get back consumption tax on purchases. The refund process has changed, so learn how to check your eligibility and keep the right papers.Practical5 min readTemple and shrine manners on a first visitShrines and temples are working places of worship. Learn the simple steps for purification, prayer, photos and shoes so you visit with respect.Guides6 min readTen days across Tokyo, Hakone, Kyoto and OsakaA ten-day first trip through Tokyo, Hakone, Kyoto and Osaka: the order, the nights, the food and the train days that need a check.Guides5 min readTenjin and Hakata: a Fukuoka base for food and shopsTenjin and Hakata are the two halves of central Fukuoka. Here is how to choose between them as a base, and where to find food stalls and shops.Festivals5 min readTenjin Matsuri in Osaka: boats and drumsTenjin Matsuri is one of Japan's great summer festivals, held in Osaka in July. Learn how the boat procession works, where to watch and how to plan a night out.Guides5 min readTenma and Temmabashi: Osaka's local eating streetsTenma and Temmabashi are Osaka streets where locals eat and drink after work. Here is how to find the small izakaya and standing bars, and order like a regular.Guides5 min readTenma shrine and the covered arcade: a local morningStart a morning at Osaka Tenmangu, then walk the covered shopping street as the shops open. Here is a slow local route for couples and solo travellers.Guides4 min readTennoji Park and a slow museum afternoonTennoji Park has a zoo, an art museum and an old temple close to the station. Here is how to plan a slow afternoon there, with a rest under the trees.Practical5 min readTokyo Station area: how to keep a train day simpleA train day around Tokyo Station is simple if you plan the exit, the bags and the meal before you board. Practical steps for families and solo travellers.Guides5 min readTwo bases in Tokyo: how to split your stayTwo hotels in Tokyo can cut travel time and save you from long rides. Learn how to split your nights between the east and west sides.Practical5 min readTyphoon plan B: flights, ferries and an extra nightTyphoons can cancel flights, ferries and trains in late summer and early autumn. Build a plan B for Fukuoka and southern Japan before you book.

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