Japan 2026 — Complete Travel Guide for Israelis

1Why Japan

Japan (about 377,975 km², ~123 million people) is an experience unlike anywhere else — ancient temples alongside futuristic technology, amazing food, immaculate cleanliness and a unique culture. The capital is Tokyo. Language: Japanese. Currency: Japanese yen (JPY).

• A cultural experience without equal anywhere in the world.
• Level 1 travel advisory — fully green.
• Cherry blossom (sakura) — a spectacular annual event.
• Some of the best food in the world, and the highest level of safety.
• Full visa-free entry for Israelis.

2Flights from Israel

• TLV↔TYO (Tokyo) — connecting: HND (Haneda) from $752 round-trip; NRT (Narita) from $910 round-trip (Skyscanner, 01.06.2026). No regular direct flight confirmed.
• TLV↔OSA (Osaka KIX) — connecting: from $879–880 round-trip (Skyscanner). No regular direct flight confirmed.
• Common connection points: Dubai, Doha, Turkey, Singapore, Hong Kong.

⚠️ Prices and routings change — check in real time before booking.

3Visa & entry for Israelis

• eVisa: not required for Israelis for tourist stays.
• Passport validity: valid for the entire duration of your stay.

4When to fly

• Cherry blossom ✅ (March–April) — the famous scenery; busier and pricier.
• Spring (April–May) — comfortable, less crowded.
• Summer (June–August) — hot and humid; June–July is the rainy season.
• Autumn ✅ (October–November) — foliage, comfortable, recommended.
• Winter (December–February) — skiing in Hokkaido, onsen, snow.

Our recommendation: October–November — beautiful foliage, comfortable weather, less crowded than the cherry-blossom season.

5Itineraries

• 7 days — classic: Tokyo 3 → Hakone 1 → Kyoto 2 → Osaka 1.
• 10 days — the golden route: Tokyo 3 → Hakone 1 → Kyoto 3 → Nara (day trip) → Osaka 2.
• 14 days — extended: Tokyo 4 → Nikko (day) → Hakone 1 → Kyoto 3 → Nara (day) → Osaka 2 → Hiroshima + Miyajima 2.
• Seasonal alternative (winter/summer): add Sapporo / Hokkaido.

⚠️ Japan is expensive for intercity travel — don't pack in too many stops.

6Attractions

Tokyo

• Senso-ji — Asakusa — Tokyo's oldest temple, with the Nakamise market and the impressive Kaminarimon gate.
• Meiji Jingu — a large Shinto shrine in Shibuya set within a 70-hectare urban forest.
• Tokyo Skytree — a 634-metre observation tower (deck at 350 m) — the tallest in Japan.

Kyoto

• Kiyomizu-dera (UNESCO) — a historic temple above Kyoto with a spectacular wooden platform, over 1,200 years of history.
• Fushimi Inari Taisha — thousands of orange-red torii gates along a mountain trail, one of Japan's iconic shots.
• Kinkaku-ji — the Golden Pavilion — a gold-leaf pavilion over a pond, among the most photographed sites in Japan.

Nara & Osaka

• Todai-ji (Nara) — the Great Buddha Hall, one of the largest wooden buildings in the world, with a giant statue.
• Nara Park — a 660-hectare park with free-roaming deer among the visitors.
• Osaka Castle — the historic Osaka castle with a park and museum (09:00–17:00, admission 600 yen).
• Dotonbori (Osaka) — a central entertainment street: food, flashing signs, a unique nightlife atmosphere.

Hakone, Hiroshima & Nikko

• Hakone Ropeway — a cable car over a geothermal area with views of Mount Fuji on a clear day.
• Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum — a moving, thought-provoking museum about the atomic bomb, a must for every visitor.
• Itsukushima Shrine — Miyajima (UNESCO) — a shrine floating on the water with its famous torii gate.
• Nikko Toshogu (UNESCO) — an ornate shrine commemorating Tokugawa Ieyasu, among the most decorated sites in Japan.

7Where to stay — areas

• Tokyo — Shinjuku (excellent transport, nightlife, the most central for tourists); Shibuya (shopping, young crowd, the Scramble Crossing); Asakusa (traditional atmosphere, close to Senso-ji, quieter).
• Kyoto — Gion / Higashiyama (traditional atmosphere, geisha, temples on foot); Kyoto Station (convenient transport).
• Osaka — Namba (Dotonbori, food, nightlife); Umeda (transport, malls, links to Kyoto and Kobe).
• Ryokan — a traditional Japanese inn — tatami rooms, traditional meals, usually an onsen. Check the tattoo policy before booking. Minshuku = a simpler, cheaper version.

8Transport & the JR Pass

JR Pass — worth it?

• Ordinary 7 days: 50,000 yen (~880 ₪)
• Ordinary 14 days: 80,000 yen (~1,408 ₪)
• Ordinary 21 days: 100,000 yen (~1,760 ₪)
• Green 7 days: 70,000 yen (~1,232 ₪)

• Shinkansen: high-speed trains — Tokyo↔Kyoto in about 2:15 hours. Nozomi/Mizuho require a supplement on the JR Pass.
• IC Card — Welcome Suica: an electronic wallet for transport and shopping, valid 28 days. Recommended for every visitor.
• From the airport to Tokyo: Narita Express (N'EX) — a tourist round-trip ticket 5,200 yen (~92 ₪), valid 14 days; Limousine Bus from Narita/Haneda to central areas.

9Internet & eSIM

• Airalo — basic package from $4 (01.06.2026).
• Saily — 1GB/7 days $3.99; 3GB/30 days $7.99; 10GB/30 days $17.99.
• Alternative: Airalo / Yesim — an eSIM from Israel before your flight (see links below).

10Money & costs

• Currency: Japanese yen (JPY). Rate (01.06.2026): 1 ₪ ≈ 56–57 JPY → 100 JPY ≈ 1.76 ₪.
• Examples: JR Pass 7 days 50,000 yen (~880 ₪); Narita Express round-trip 5,200 yen (~92 ₪); Osaka Castle 600 yen (~10.6 ₪); Todai-ji 800 yen (~14 ₪).
• Is Japan still cash-only? No — big cities widely accept cards and IC Cards. It's still worth carrying cash for temples, small restaurants, ryokan and rural areas.

11Travel advisory

12Kosher & Jewish community

• Chabad Tokyo — Chabad Lubavitch Tokyo (chabad.jp) — 1-5-23 Takanawa, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-0074. Phone 81-3-5789-2846. Rabbi Mendi Sudakevich. David's Deli — a kosher restaurant 7 minutes from Chabad.
• Chabad Tokyo — Chabad House Japan (chabadjapan.org) — 1-25-18 Sanno, Ota-ku, Tokyo 143-0023. Phone 03-3772-7707. Rabbi Binyomin Edery — chief rabbi of Japan.
• Chabad Kyoto + Osaka — exist; check current addresses at chabad.org before your trip.

Kosher food exists mainly around Chabad. There is no general kosher availability in Japan — check in advance.

13Japanese etiquette — do's and don'ts

✅ Do:

• Always queue in an orderly line.
• Remove your shoes when required (temples, ryokan).
• Speak quietly on trains.

❌ Don't:

• Don't eat while walking (not customary).
• Don't stick chopsticks upright in rice.
• Don't leave a tip — it isn't done in Japan.
• Don't take photos without checking it's allowed.

14Frequently asked questions