JAPAN HOLIDAY: WHAT TO BOOK IN ADVANCE

I’ve decided to just make a comprehensive list of places and experiences in Japan that you may like to book in advance – depending on what kind of holiday you maybe hoping for.

I totally understand that everyone gets FOMO (or whatever you would call it if you have FOMO in advance? Pre-FOMO?)
So here is a list and I’ll keep adding to it as I go.
Please see here for info on how to begin planning a Japan Family holiday (including time of year thoughts, order on which to plan different parts of the holiday etc.)
Here are the details of when Japanese school students are on holidays.

*Please note that I have not included most restaurants, JR or other travel passes and, of course accommodation*
See here if you’d like to know how to book bullet train tickets in advance

Amusement and Theme Parks
– Tokyo Disneyland & Tokyo Disneysea (many people have trouble making reservations with foreign cards so here are other options on how to buy Tokyo Disney tickets.)
(If you can’t decide between the two I have written about the differences between Tokyo Disneyland and Disneysea here as it depends on what you like. )
Please note that it is NOT possible to buy tickets for Tokyo Disneyland or Disneysea at the gate. This is why their crowd prediction calendars are so accurate.
See here for where to buy Tokyo Disneyland tickets.
Also, I show you here how to check the crowd prediction calendars in to see which days at Tokyo Disney will be the least busy.
*Please note that the new section of TOKYO DISNEYSEA ( Tangled and Frozen and Peter Pan section called “Fantasy Springs” is opening on June 6th. If you decide to visit in June it can go one of two ways
1) If you are a hard core Disney fan and don’t mind waiting hours and hours – you could be one of the first people to enter this new section
2) The other areas of Tokyo Disneysea MAY be (no guarantee) less busy at this time before the focus with crowds will be on the new section so it could be a win-win if you deliberately avoid that new section
*Either way – tickets will be hard to get for this time (especially as annual passport holders will be all dying to go) so please remember to book early!
*The Tokyo Disneyland Hotels and the Toy Story hotels can also book out quickly (the Toy Story Hotel only opens for bookings 3 months ahead of time and is known to book out in minutes.
– Universal Studios Japan (You need to get your express passes ahead of time)
– Legoland Japan, Nagoya (Legoland Nagoya tickets don’t often sell out but the Legoland Hotel does)
– FujiQ Highland
– Kidzania
– Ghibli Park, Nagoya
–Sanrio Puroland (Hello Kitty Land)
– Warner Bros Harry Potter Wizarding World in Toshimaen, Tokyo (please note that there is also a Harry Potter Shop and Cafe much closed to the centre of Tokyo. Reservations also required.)

Internet options
Portable Wifi or an e-sim (I speak further here about how important it is to sort out internet ahead of time.)

International Drivers Licence
You will need to prepare an international drivers license if you want to be able to drive in Japan at all. Including the Mario Cart style go-carts.)

Concerts and Musicals
-Check out Tokyo Weekender and Tokyo Timeout for artists currently touring in Japan

Hiking in Japan?
Download an English support app called YAMAP for hiking routes and downloadable maps.

Cash
Japan has made big steps towards becoming a cashless society but is, compared to many countries around the world, still quite reliant on cash – and not having some cash on you could mean you miss out on some experiences or get stuck in certain scenarios.
I speak more about the need for cash in Japan here.
For this reason, I think it is worth contacting your bank ( firstly to let them know that you will be using your card overseas while you travel) to check what the withdrawal rates are for withdrawing in Japan or if it is worth getting a specific card for travel.

Japan Experiences
-Shibuya Sky observation deck ( available book 30 days in advance – sunset is the most popular time of day.)
– Mario Cart style driving experiences (please note that you will need to obtain an international driving license in your home country first)
– Warner Brothers Harry Potter Studio Tour Tokyo (often is sold out months in advance. Klook is an easy way to purchase tickets.)
– Sumo Tickets
– Tea Ceremony (no need to book this ahead of time but I still recommending clicking and reading here as most places won’t accept small children and I explain why and how to get around it here.)