Lonely Planet Japan (Country Guide) Paperback – August 15, 2017

Great resource. Informative to read ahead of time.

My favorite Japan travel guide of the 3 guide books I bought. The lonely planet one is the best. I could probably just have gotten this guide. It's is incredibly large and covers A LOT, but it doesn't go into much depth as the DK Eyewitness Travel Guide and it doesn't has as many photos. I'm OK with that since I plan to be seeing the places I want to go to and don't need many photos. If you don't plan to see all of Japan I would recommend getting a smaller city or area guide because this guide can be a bit overwhelming because of it's size and breath of topics. Overall a great guide and probably the one to get if you only buy one guide.First Choice: Lonely Planet JapanTied for Second Choice: DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: Japan or Japan by RailIf you like a very photo rich guide that goes more into the culture and history of Japan then DK Eyewitness Travel Japan may be better for you. If you will be focused on rail travel and staying in rail serviced cities, Japan by Rail is very good. No other guide covers the rail system better and how to use it than Japan by Rail.

This is a wonderful guide with a massive amount of information, but designed so the information isn’t overwhelming. The book breaks down the top places to go in different areas of Japan and tells you which rail lines to take, how much it costs, and how much time it will take, among other things. There are tips peppered throughout the book that are actually really helpful, like daily itineraries, extra information on top places to see, tips on using the different transportation systems, etc. There’s even a whole section in the back on the initial travel planning for airlines, visas, language, etc. One thing that makes this guide stand out to me is that it’s easy to read and get the information you need, and it’s not a dry read; the authors really included their own perspective which makes it feel more real.Overall, this seems to be a really well organized, information packed guide to Japan travel.I would give this a 5 star, but I’m taking one off because the book I received looked like someone had already been reading through it: there were some bends on the corners of the cover, the binding was loose like it had been used before unlike a new book that’s a little stiff, and the Tokyo map included had been torn out already though it was still in between the pages and hadn’t fallen out which was good. Absolutely not a deal breaker, but just a bit surprising and odd to get a new book in that condition.

Just enough info for places you are likely to go. Bought for a two week trip in March 2018. I found the organization of Kyoto and Tokyo to be a little confusing. I recommend reading in advance if you’re planning on going to cultural things other than museums, temples, and parks — e.g. nightclubs, shows, and classes. You’ll also need to plan ahead for some of the fancy restaurants. One note: it’s very heavy. You might consider cutting the book into pieces to carry around or use the lonely planet app (good if you plan ahead)

This book is amazing and helping me feel so much more prepared for our upcoming trip throughout the country in the next few months. These other reviews concerned me, but this book is truly great. Yes - it's big. And it has a TON of information - the Tokyo chapter alone is almost 200 pages. So it's not a "light read" and if you try to approach it that way the book will be hard to navigate. But if you really want to be prepared to see many areas of Japan and have a thorough understanding of the country, get this book. If you either don't have the time or just want a few suggestions for the one area you're staying in, go with the internet. Or for something in between try DK Eyewitness Travel Guide.

While this is a thick book, it has an immense collection of raw and useful information that you can only recieve from experience. This book is full of maps, travel info, local guides, itineraries, great food info, passes that can give you discounts, etc. Also has a bit of cultural and language guidance. The previous negative review are irrelevant especially because some appeared before the books release. We also bought the japanese language pocket guide from lonely planet. Very helpful.

I bought this book for a first visit to Japan. It was so heavy and with such small font that I chose not to take it with me. Buyers should be aware that this is such a comprehensive listing of information that it actually can make planning more difficult.

The best travel books. If you plan to travel alone, or with friends but nothing organized, Lonely Planet is the best of the best. mainly because their social attitude, their understanding of the endless need for vital information. During the last five years we have used Lonely planet everywhere we go., they were always right, almost always exact and highly informative