GoWithGuideFind your perfect tour guide at GoWithGuide. Relax and cherish unforgettable tours with loved ones. Create personalized tours for a truly memorable trip!
GoWithGuideFind your perfect tour guide at GoWithGuide. Relax and cherish unforgettable tours with loved ones. Create personalized tours for a truly memorable trip!WithGoGuide
GoWithGuideFind your perfect tour guide at GoWithGuide. Relax and cherish unforgettable tours with loved ones. Create personalized tours for a truly memorable trip!

Japan travel - How long can I stay in Japan?

K

by GoWithGuide travel specialist:Kenzia V.

Last updated : Apr 28, 20227 min read

General

Most people would want to visit Japan at least once in their life and enjoy the beautiful country. It’s an amazing opportunity to travel to Japan, but some people might not know how long you can stay in Japan and how long you should stay in Japan.

 

Keep reading and you’d find the answer to them.

 

Find out how long you can actually stay in Japan, how long you should stay, ways to make your travel in Japan even more interesting, and more through this article.

 

 

To travel to Japan, you need to do the basic things, like purchasing an airplane ticket, booking an accommodation, make a visa if your country is required to, and so on. But how long can and should you actually stay in Japan?

 

How long can I stay in Japan?

When you enter Japan, you are to receive a status of residence. There are around 20 statuses of residence, including “temporary visitor” for tourists, and various others for workers, students, residents, etc. Each of them has a different limit or maximum length of stay.

 

Japan required a visa for most countries, but Japan has a general visa exemption arrangement for these 68 countries (as of March 5, 2018). Meaning that you don’t need to create a visa, you just need a valid passport to enter Japan as a “temporary visitor”. Temporary visitors from most countries are allowed to stay in Japan up to 90 days.

 

For citizens from United States, Canada, most countries in Europe, Australia, New Zealand, some Latin American countries, some Asian countries, and more, which you can check by clicking here, you can stay up to 90 days without visa requirements. 

 

 

But get this:

 

For countries such as Brunei, Indonesia, and Thailand, even though you are not required a visa (if you have ePassport), you can only stay up to 15 days. And also 30 days for the United Arab Emirates.

 

For certain countries like Switzerland, Austria, Germany, Ireland, Mexico, Liechtenstein or the United Kingdom, temporary visitors are allowed to extend their stay up to six months by applying an for an extension at the immigration bureau in Japan.

 

And guess what?

If you are a citizen of one of the 68 countries (as of March 5, 2018) and have savings of over 30 million yen (~US $284,000), you can extend your and your spouse’s stay in Japan up to 1 year, with no engagement in paid activities.

 

Bottom line is…

You can stay in Japan up to 90 days for temporary visitor status (for most countries). But, you can stay longer in Japan if you have a student visa, working visa, working holiday visa and some other types of visa.

 

How long should I stay in Japan?

Japan is a wonderful country and is not only limited to the major destinations like Tokyo, Kyoto, or Osaka. There are many more beautiful places in Japan you can visit!

 

How long you should stay in Japan, of course, depends on the type of visa you have, or how many days are you allowed to stay by the government. But, there is no clear answer to how long you should stay in Japan. My recommendation would stay as long as you can, but again it depends on how much time you have to travel and your preferences.

 

Staying in Japan for around 2 weeks is enough to visit the major cities like Osaka, Tokyo, and Kyoto and its popular destinations. You will also have time for day trips to places like maybe Chiba, Nikko, Yokohama, Hakone or some other cities.

 

But, if you have more time, you can visit the other endless beautiful prefectures and cities in Japan, each with its own charm and culture.



Where to go in Japan?

Well, definitely visit Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto if it’s your first time in Japan and you want to experience the major destinations in Japan. You can check this itinerary for your Tokyo trip.

 

However, if you visited before or want to experience something different other than these 3 major cities, you can visit a place like Kyushu, an island located in the southernmost Japan to visit the famous hot springs, waterfalls, sand baths, ryokans (Japanese inn), and many historic treasures and the incredible natural beauty.  

 

I also recommend visiting Hokkaido with the popular cities in the island being Sapporo, Hakodate, Asahikawa, Otaru, and many others. It’s the perfect place to ski or snowboard during the winter season. Its charms include its natural beauty, hot springs, lakes, parks, and many more beautiful sights.

If you are looking for day trips, not far from Tokyo, here are some of my recommendations.

 

How to make your Japan trip even more interesting and memorable?

Go on a private tour with a private guide! While in Japan, you can have an enhanced trip by having a deeper understanding and also having a better experience with a private guide by your side.

 

Advantages of going on a private tour with a private guide →

  • You can have a great and hassle-free Japan experience (no getting lost, no language difficulty, etc).
  • You can have itineraries tailor-made just for you to match your preferences and interests.
  • An enhanced and more interesting trip by discovering off-the-beaten-path spots.
  • Extra safety.
  • Local insights (personal suggestions by guides for great food, etc.)
  • A deeper understanding of the places and culture in Japan.
  • Endless ideas of where to go and what to do.
  • So many more.

 

Where to go on a private tour with private guides?

The thing is…

There are many places on the web where you can hire a private guide or join a private tour, but you don’t know whether they are trustworthy and good websites or not.

 

That’s why I’m recommending you GoWithGuide. You can check the website for many qualified tour guides options in many areas of Japan from which you can choose according to your needs and preferences.

 

Through the website, you can watch the guides’ personalized videos, read the reviews of each guide, check their availability and service cost to help you find the right guide.

 

Recommended tour guides in Japan

You don’t have to look very hard to find a great private guide for you. Here is a list of great tour guides in Tokyo. And click here for guides in Kyoto, and for other areas of Japan, you may want to click here.

  

If you are not necessarily looking for a specific private tour guide but would like to choose from private tour options, here are some other useful links if you are looking for private tours in Tokyo and Kyoto private tours and also private tours in other areas of Japan.

 

I hope this article provides useful information on how long you can and should stay in Japan, some places to go for your Japan trip, and more recommendation. I hope you have a great time exploring Japan!

 

Saitama Tour Guide - Tetsuro K.

Tetsuro K.

GoWithGuideFind your perfect tour guide at GoWithGuide. Relax and cherish unforgettable tours with loved ones. Create personalized tours for a truly memorable trip!GoWithGuideFind your perfect tour guide at GoWithGuide. Relax and cherish unforgettable tours with loved ones. Create personalized tours for a truly memorable trip!GoWithGuideFind your perfect tour guide at GoWithGuide. Relax and cherish unforgettable tours with loved ones. Create personalized tours for a truly memorable trip!GoWithGuideFind your perfect tour guide at GoWithGuide. Relax and cherish unforgettable tours with loved ones. Create personalized tours for a truly memorable trip!GoWithGuideFind your perfect tour guide at GoWithGuide. Relax and cherish unforgettable tours with loved ones. Create personalized tours for a truly memorable trip!5.00 / 5
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Japan

I’m an instructor of sushi making for foreign travelers and got the national license as a tour guide last year. Therefore I can provide a guiding for Tsukiji/Omiya fish market and a private lesson for the traditional sushi making for both. If you are interested in bonsai too, travering omiya is a perfect idea since I can provide for all these. I hope I have a chance to help you for unforgetable Japan travel experience.                                                                                                                                  

Yokohama Tour Guide - Haruo T.

Haruo T.

GoWithGuideFind your perfect tour guide at GoWithGuide. Relax and cherish unforgettable tours with loved ones. Create personalized tours for a truly memorable trip!GoWithGuideFind your perfect tour guide at GoWithGuide. Relax and cherish unforgettable tours with loved ones. Create personalized tours for a truly memorable trip!GoWithGuideFind your perfect tour guide at GoWithGuide. Relax and cherish unforgettable tours with loved ones. Create personalized tours for a truly memorable trip!GoWithGuideFind your perfect tour guide at GoWithGuide. Relax and cherish unforgettable tours with loved ones. Create personalized tours for a truly memorable trip!GoWithGuideFind your perfect tour guide at GoWithGuide. Relax and cherish unforgettable tours with loved ones. Create personalized tours for a truly memorable trip!5.00 / 5
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I live in Yokohama, Kanagawa prefecture. I have a license to teach in high schools and was admitted to the degree of Master of Arts in Teaching English as a Second Language in the University of Birmingham. Until 2015 I had been teaching English at public high schools in Kanagawa for 37 years. During that time, I had some experience of guiding students from overseas through sister-school relationship around Tokyo and Kanagawa. Therefore, I had good command of English with the TOEIC score of 935. As for a tour guide experience I earned the certificate of National Government Licensed Guide-Interpreter in English and since then I have guided tourists to the popular sites around Tokyo, Yokohama, Kamakura and Yokosuka. My guiding focuses on introducing not only Japanese historical and cultural backgrounds but also giving tourists some tips to travel Japan only by themselves, such as how to use trains and subways, find good restaurants, reserve tickets, buy survenier, and speak basic Japanese. In addition, my tour includes opportunities to experience Japanese culture like Zen meditation, ninja performance, visiting anime's location sites based on tourists' request. Besides, by means of my hobbies of writing English Haiku and Waka (traditional Japanese poems) and performing Rakugo (traditional Japanese funny story telling) in English, I can surely entertain tourists during the tour. My moto as a tour guide is let the tourists have a once-in-a-lifetime experience in Japan with my profound, intelligible and interestiog guiding.                                                                                                                                 

Okinawa Main Island Tour Guide - Tateo U.

Tateo U.

GoWithGuideFind your perfect tour guide at GoWithGuide. Relax and cherish unforgettable tours with loved ones. Create personalized tours for a truly memorable trip!GoWithGuideFind your perfect tour guide at GoWithGuide. Relax and cherish unforgettable tours with loved ones. Create personalized tours for a truly memorable trip!GoWithGuideFind your perfect tour guide at GoWithGuide. Relax and cherish unforgettable tours with loved ones. Create personalized tours for a truly memorable trip!GoWithGuideFind your perfect tour guide at GoWithGuide. Relax and cherish unforgettable tours with loved ones. Create personalized tours for a truly memorable trip!GoWithGuideFind your perfect tour guide at GoWithGuide. Relax and cherish unforgettable tours with loved ones. Create personalized tours for a truly memorable trip!4.98 / 5
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My name is Tateo. I am officially registerd English tour guide and introducing about Okinawa's history,culture, and nature.I am elderly person but have gone through lots of expericences that happened during US occupation after WW2. For the example, change of monetary system(US dollar to Yen),Change of traffic regulation(driving vehicle from right to left).The reversion of Okinawa to main land Japan was biggest historical event.The US administered Okinawa for 27 years. As a result, thing were Americanized in many aspects. Historically, Okinawa was once independent nation until 1872.During Kingdum era, Okinawa actively traded with China, South Asia Countries, Korea, and Japan. In the end, our culture is quite differ much from main land Japan. For instance, architectural technique, daily customs, and culture are also unique. Okinawa is the only prefecture belong to subtropical climate zone. Even winter time, it's neither hot nor cold. People can enjoy marine sport all through the year.Canoeing, Kayaking, Diving, and Snorkeling are popular. Besides, beatiful white sand beaches and attractive coastline are abundant. Green sea water and blue sky have been lured people from all over the world. Traditional music and dance are worth seeing. Please visit Okinawa and enjoy extraordinary trip. I will be looking forward to seeing you soon.                                                                                                                                  

Gifu Tour Guide - Akiko W.

Akiko W.

GoWithGuideFind your perfect tour guide at GoWithGuide. Relax and cherish unforgettable tours with loved ones. Create personalized tours for a truly memorable trip!GoWithGuideFind your perfect tour guide at GoWithGuide. Relax and cherish unforgettable tours with loved ones. Create personalized tours for a truly memorable trip!GoWithGuideFind your perfect tour guide at GoWithGuide. Relax and cherish unforgettable tours with loved ones. Create personalized tours for a truly memorable trip!GoWithGuideFind your perfect tour guide at GoWithGuide. Relax and cherish unforgettable tours with loved ones. Create personalized tours for a truly memorable trip!GoWithGuideFind your perfect tour guide at GoWithGuide. Relax and cherish unforgettable tours with loved ones. Create personalized tours for a truly memorable trip!5.00 / 5
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Hello! My name is Akiko from Gifu prefecture. I am a National Government Licensed Guide Interpreter. I like going out with my family, talking with my friends over coffee at a cozy cafe, reading books, baking bread and cake when I have time. I passed the national tour guide test in 2017 and have worked as a guide since then. I have guided in Gifu city, Seki city, Takayama city, Shirakawago , Mino city and Nagoya city. I have lived in Gifu for more than forty years. Gifu prefecture is rich in nature so you can enjoy the rural atmosphere. Gifu city has a beautiful river 'Nagara river' and Mt.Kinka which has Gifu castle on the top. You can go up the mountain on foot or use a ropeway. The view from Gifu castle is so fantastic. At the foot of the mountain , there are many places to visit such as parks, a temple having a big image of Buddha, and a street preserving the historic atmosphere. At Nagara River, you can enjoy seeing a traditional way of fishing ‘cormorant fishing’ which is thought to have started 1300 years ago. Many cafes have unique service called 'morning service' in Gifu along with Aichi In the morning (until about ten thirty or eleven) when you order a cup of tea or coffee, they serve toast and salad ! Near Gifu park , you can find a nice Japanese style cafe where you enjoy good coffee and seeing a Japanese style garden. Seki city is a small city but so famous for its cutlery. At Japanese sword museum in Seki, you can see authentic Japanese swords! Mino city next to Seki city is well known for its hand made Japanese paper 'Hon minoshi' designated as intangible cultural asset by UNESCO . Until recently it was not easy to guide guests because of COVID-19 pandemic; however the situation is getting better. Some strict rules about COVID-19 have been lifted. Please visit Gifu. I am looking forward to seeing you. Please feel free to ask me when you need information about Gifu. Thank you for reading my introduction.                                                                                                                                 

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