Skip to content

The guide desk

Local culture

Good questions. Useful answers. Find what you need for your first night in Japan.

Choose a city

Choose a topic

24 guides

First-time tipsSapporo

Your first night in Sapporo: a food-first plan

Warm food, city lights, and an evening you can take at your own pace.

Sapporo TV Tower illuminated at night

First-time tipsAll cities

Cash or card: what should you take to dinner?

A simple payment backup makes a first evening easier.

Lanterns and small restaurants in Omoide Yokocho, Shinjuku

Food & drinkAll cities

How to order dinner without speaking Japanese

Keep the question short, point clearly, and confirm the answer.

A bowl of char siu shoyu ramen photographed in Asahikawa

First-time tipsAll cities

Do you need to book dinner in Japan?

When to plan ahead, what to confirm, and how to keep an arrival evening flexible.

Lanterns and small restaurants in Omoide Yokocho, Shinjuku

Food & drinkTokyo

Omoide Yokocho: your first food-alley visit

A small counter, a clear order, and room for your neighbours. Here is how to settle in.

Lanterns and small restaurants in Omoide Yokocho, Shinjuku

First-time tipsFukuoka

What if it rains on your yatai night?

Keep the food plan, give it a roof, and save the waterfront for better weather.

Reflections and evening lights on the Nakasu waterfront in Fukuoka

Food & drinkSapporo

Sapporo miso ramen: how to choose your first bowl

A straightforward way to turn a long list of noodle shops into one good dinner.

Sapporo TV Tower illuminated at night

Local cultureFukuoka

Nakasu or Tenjin: choose your Fukuoka evening

Use the riverside, your dinner plans and your hotel location to narrow the choice.

Reflections and evening lights on the Nakasu waterfront in Fukuoka

Food & drinkSapporo

Soup curry in Sapporo: what should you order?

Think about the broth, the main ingredients and the spice level one step at a time.

Sapporo TV Tower illuminated at night

First-time tipsTokyo

A rainy evening in Tokyo, without the long detour

Keep dinner, shorten the walk, and have an indoor option close by.

Tokyo Tower and the surrounding skyline at blue hour

Getting aroundFukuoka

Fukuoka subway: find the right line and station

A clear route from your first dinner to the right hotel entrance.

Reflections and evening lights on the Nakasu waterfront in Fukuoka

Food & drinkAll cities

Dinner for one: a comfortable first meal in Japan

Pick a place you can understand and let one good meal be enough.

A bowl of char siu shoyu ramen photographed in Asahikawa

Food & drinkSapporo

Susukino for dinner: one meal, one optional dessert

A compact food plan for your first evening in central Sapporo.

Sapporo TV Tower illuminated at night

Getting aroundTokyo

Tokyo subway basics: lines, directions and exits

Read the useful parts of the map before you worry about the whole network.

A commuter train next to the platform at Ichigaya Station, Tokyo

First-time tipsSapporo

Planning a comfortable winter evening in Sapporo

Shorter walks, sensible footwear and an indoor destination worth the trip.

Sapporo TV Tower illuminated at night

First-time tipsFukuoka

Your first night in Fukuoka: dinner by the river

A seat at a food stall, a bowl of something good, and the river lights.

Reflections and evening lights on the Nakasu waterfront in Fukuoka

Local cultureAll cities

Local etiquette: the little things that matter

A little consideration goes a long way. Here are the basics for an easy first evening.

Lanterns and small restaurants in Omoide Yokocho, Shinjuku

Local cultureTokyo

Asakusa after dark: a slower way to explore

A temple neighbourhood and a riverside walk, with the evening’s limits in mind.

Tokyo Tower and the surrounding skyline at blue hour

Food & drinkTokyo

Ueno or Yurakucho: where should you have dinner?

Two starting points for a casual Tokyo meal. Let your day and your journey home decide.

Lanterns and small restaurants in Omoide Yokocho, Shinjuku

First-time tipsTokyo

Your first night in Tokyo: where to begin

A food alley, a little exploring, and a clear route back. Keep your first evening simple.

Lanterns and small restaurants in Omoide Yokocho, Shinjuku

Getting aroundSapporo

Sapporo transport: subway or streetcar?

Choose the service that reaches your destination, then check the last short walk.

Sapporo TV Tower illuminated at night

Food & drinkFukuoka

Ramen in Fukuoka: a shop or a yatai?

Two ways to make a bowl of noodles the centre of your evening.

Reflections and evening lights on the Nakasu waterfront in Fukuoka

Food & drinkFukuoka

Your first Fukuoka yatai: how does it work?

From waiting for a seat to settling the bill at a small food stall.

Reflections and evening lights on the Nakasu waterfront in Fukuoka

Getting aroundAll cities

How do you get around Japan after dark?

Plan the way back before the night begins. A few saved details make the evening easier.

Illustration of a taxi on a rainy Japanese street at night