Lonely Planet: The world's leading travel guide publisher Lonely Planet Japan is your passport to the most relevant, up-to-date advice on what to see and skip, and what hidden discoveries await you. Shop and dine in electric Tokyo, explore Kyoto's stunning temples and gardens, or hike the majestic Japan Alps; all with your trusted travel companion. Get to the heart of Japan and begin your journey now Inside Lonely Planet's Japan Travel Guide: Colour maps and images throughout Highlights and itineraries help you tailor your trip to your personal needs and interests Insider tips to save time and money and get around like a local, avoiding crowds and trouble spots Essential info at your fingertips - hours of operation, phone numbers, websites, transit tips, prices Honest reviews for all budgets - eating, sleeping, sight-seeing, going out, shopping, hidden gems that most guidebooks miss Cultural insights give you a richer, more rewarding travel experience - including history, art, architecture, literature, cuisine, sake, onsen (hot springs), customs and etiquette, language and more Free, convenient pull-out Tokyo map (included in print version), plus over 148 colour maps Covers Tokyo, Mt Fuji, Kyoto, Osaka, Kansai, the Japan Alps, Hokkaido, Northern Honshu (Tohoku), Okinawa & the Southwest Islands, Kyushu, Shikoku, and more The Perfect Choice: Lonely Planet Japan, our most comprehensive guide to Japan, is perfect for both exploring top sights and taking roads less travelled. Looking for just the highlights of Japan? Check out Lonely Planet's Discover Japan, a photo-rich guide to the country's most popular attractions. Looking for a guide focused on Tokyo or Kyoto? Check out Lonely Planet's Tokyo guide and Kyoto guide for a comprehensive look at what each of these cities has to offer; or Lonely Planet's Pocket Tokyo, a handy-sized guide focused on the can't-miss sights for a quick trip. Authors: Written and researched by Lonely Planet. About Lonely Planet: Since 1973, Lonely Planet has become the world's leading travel media company with guidebooks to every destination, an award-winning website, mobile and digital travel products, and a dedicated traveller community. Lonely Planet covers must-see spots but also enables curious travellers to get off beaten paths to understand more of the culture of the places in which they find themselves.
This book marks the newest printing of the Lonely Planet series of travel guides on Japan. In my experience with travel, these writers give the most thorough, useful reviews of almost anywhere that anyone would find interest in, with detailed and maps, directions, and things to look out for. A few notes, however; if you are looking for a picture book, this is NOT for you, this travel guide will contain almost completely pragmatic information such as guides and maps, with very few pictures. Also, if you are looking to actually reside in Japan, you will want to find a guide for the specific city you are looking to live in from a book series not designed for tourists, as there are many cities which are not considered "tourist's destinations" which are thus omitted from this and most other travel guide titles. A must have for a first-time tourist to Japan.
Lifesaver
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 17 years ago
My boyfriend and I used this book exclusively while we traveled from Okinawa to Hokkaido for five weeks this past summer. It really was a lifesaver- the only guidebook you need for Japan. We had JR passes and it gives lots of tips specifically for those using JRs. Highly recommended!
The japan bible!
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 18 years ago
Also found this book very useful (can't compare either, still give 5 as I wasn't really missing anything). It has very comprehensive listings with good descriptions of sights, hotels, restaurants, bars and clubs in, to name only the places i had been, tokyo, kyoto, osaka and even in koyasan (a little village in the mountains) - it certainly gave me more than enough to cover in 7 days. The getting around sections were extremly useful (public transport in japan can be a bit of an adventure, the book gives useful tips for example to pay the fare at the end of the journey). Another useful thing were the suggested routes at the beginning of the book. It didn't even suffer from the usual Lonely planet problem to miss out on more upscale places, the book has all the fancy hotels, restaurants, bars covered. Great buy!
great travel guide
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 22 years ago
I absolutely loved this book. I took the shinkansen (bullet train) all over Japan and so it was good guidance to visit all the cities I traveled to : Tokyo, Kyoto, Nara, Hiroshima, Oita. I was able to find all the cheap places to stay and met cool people along the way. The folks who criticized the city maps do have a point. For example, I was trying to find a dumpling place in Kyoto recommended by LP but it was so hard to make out where it was in the map. I finally found it half hour later but it was worth it. You have to realize that most streets in Japan are not numbered like it is in the US so finding the exact store can be trying at times. In finding maps for a particular city, i would go to the local tourist office which gave detailed info. This is my first LP book and overall, i found it to be a very good reference.
The best tour guide in Japan could use this book
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 26 years ago
I was lucky when I went to Japan because my sister had already been living there for almost two years, just the same, I wanted to do all the research. In looking at all the information on the web and reading several tour guides, LONELY PLANET really stood out. By using this book, I found things that my sister had never heard of -- some of which were right in front of her face. By the time we had spent my 10 days there, we had seen the real world of Japan as well as the tourist sites. The book was so helpful that my sister requested it stay with her. She used it extensively as did I for return trips. As another review pointed out, LP does a great job of describing individual locations (and giving you good landmarks to make the trip low stress) both in the big cities and small towns. The things which stand out for me were the hints on the public baths and hot springs, staying at Buddhist temples, tips on the crowds of school kids that hit in May, cultural events like the bunraku, etc. We've bought the updated version since that first trip and each time find some thing new and exciting. This publisher is the first one I turn to for all my travel.
ThriftBooks sells millions of used books at the lowest everyday prices. We personally assess every book's quality and offer rare, out-of-print treasures. We deliver the joy of reading in recyclable packaging with free standard shipping on US orders over $15. ThriftBooks.com. Read more. Spend less.