Planning toolkit · 2026
Thirty-five focused calculators and explainers for the parts of a Japan itinerary that the glossy magazines hand-wave past — JR Pass math, Shinkansen platforms, konbini food codes, onsen tattoos, tipping decision trees, and the daily reality of being a foreign traveler on a tight yen budget.
Every tool that touches money uses current yen figures and shows the break-even, not just the headline. The JR Pass has been ~10–13% more expensive since the 2023 price hike — we model that. Konbini discount times, capsule hotel tiers, ryokan seasonality — none of it is recycled from a 2019 blog post.
Etiquette tools explain why, not just what: when to bow, when not to tip, when tattoos matter, when the JR Pass is a trap. We use the words "okairi" and "gochisousama" because that distinction is what most generic travel sites skip.
A small independent team, in Japan at least twice a year. We don't have a single "Top 10" listicle because that's not how you plan a trip. Every tool lists what it can't do, in plain English, so you can decide whether to trust it.
Pick the smallest tool that solves your immediate question. Each one works on its own — no account, no signup.
Model the 2023 price hike against your actual itinerary — see exactly when the JR Pass stops being worth it.
City-pair route summary plus a departure-platform cheat sheet for major terminals.
Picks the right Tokyo airport by hotel district, arrival time, and late-night transit reality.
Hour-by-hour crowdedness for Yamanote and friends — including the reverse-commute trick.
Yamato vs Sagawa vs JP Post pricing, same-day/next-day call window, and airport counter locations.
Metro vs JR vs Walk vs Taxi vs Bus — with the rain-day taxi hack baked in.
Which locker size fits your bag, what it costs, and what to do when Kyoto Station is already full at 9am.
Clockwise vs counter-clockwise, where to stand, and the three transfer stations where the wrong end costs you 10+ minutes.
Cost + time + JR Pass interaction for Osaka↔Kyoto, Tokyo↔Kamakura, Osaka↔Nara and other common legs.
Historical cloud-cover by month, viewing spot, and time of day — plus the synoptic vs orographic cloud distinction.
Pick your passport — get visa-free / eVisa / visa-required verdict, max stay, documents checklist, and reciprocal treatment.
Per-day breakdown by city and travel style — including the "what shocks Western travelers" line items.
Cost, battery, weight, and pickup-hassle factored together — not just price-per-GB.
Welcome Suica vs Mobile Suica vs Pasmo Passport — including the iPhone Osaifu-Keitai limitation.
Two-system comparison (instant tax-free vs refund-at-airport), ¥5,000 threshold math, and queue-vs-savings verdict.
Pick the right Japanese ATM and the right withdrawal size to minimize per-transaction fees.
Which Japanese ATM networks take your card — and why 7-Eleven's 7-Bank ATM is the only 24/7 bet.
What to actually eat at 7-Eleven / Lawson / FamilyMart, with a "try this first" starter list and a list of items to avoid.
What you're actually paying for at a ryokan — kaiseki dinner, onsen access, futon vs bed, broken down honestly.
Filter capsule hotels by area, comfort, sauna, women-only floors, and luggage friendliness — plus the first-timer reality.
Visualize how much room you actually have — and why a "double" in Tokyo fits two slim adults, full stop.
What to say when booking izakaya, sushi, kaiseki, ramen — including the "what to do when they say no" script.
Nigiri with hands or chopsticks, when to use ginger, what omakase actually means — all in one place.
Match a Lion / Taisho / Rohto product to the Western pill it replaces — plus the 医药薬 vs 医薬部外品 distinction.
How to actually filter for non-smoking restaurants on Tabelog / Gurunavi, and the chain vs independent reality.
Realistic expectations for hotel breakfast buffets, with the konbini-vs-buffet cost comparison.
Picks 3 drinks for your mood — with a mini-decoder for what's actually written on the can.
When not to tip (almost always) and the rare situations where tipping is appropriate — with the okairi / gochisousama distinction.
8-question quiz on washing, towels, tattoos, photos — including tattoo-cover sticker workarounds and tattoo-friendly chains.
Real locations for 10+ anime, with etiquette guidance and a "non-otaku can enjoy this too" framing.
Expected crowd (1–5) by hour at Kinkaku-ji, Kiyomizu, Fushimi Inari and more — with sunrise-Fushimi as the only real workaround.
Sakura, ajisai, sunflowers, koyo, plum — by month and region, with the north-to-south gradient visualized.
When bentos, onigiri, and sandwiches actually go on markdown — and what to never buy on discount.
Each tool is a single page. Open the one closest to the question you're asking right now — there's no required reading order, no signup, and no paywall. When a tool tells you a number is approximate, it actually is — we mark those explicitly. When something has moved since we last updated (a fare hike, a visa rule), the limitations section tells you where to verify. Treat these tools like a friend who travels Japan often and has actually done the math, not like a search-results-page summary.