Checklist 準備 · Japan 2026

Flights

Do first. Two origins and the India visa hang off these, so lock them in early.

Lock the arrival dateTarget Tuesday 6 October, backup Thursday 8 October. details →

Book the Sydney group's flights (4)Jetstar JQ13 nonstop to Osaka, or a nonstop to Tokyo then the shinkansen down. details →

Book the Cochin group's flights (2)Singapore Airlines via Singapore: SQ535 then SQ622 in. details →

Book both groups' return from TokyoDeparting 20 October, open-jaw, as separate tickets.

Confirm everyone lands in Osaka the same evening

Visas and documents

Start the moment flights are booked

Start the Japan visa for the 3 who need itBy late Aug 2026The 2 from Cochin plus 1 Sydney-based. Book the VFS Kochi appointment and bring confirmed flights and accommodation.

Check all passports are valid 6+ months past the trip

Australians: carry an onward ticket and accommodation proofVisa-exempt for short tourist stays.

Take out travel insurance for all 6

Accommodation

Book early, it is peak autumn

Book the Tsumago minshuku firstThe hardest bed: small, often phone and cash only, half-board. May need two houses for six.

Book Kyoto rooms for sixApartment-style or paired rooms; book months ahead.

Book Tokyo rooms for six

Book Osaka rooms for six

Budget the 2026 lodging taxes (Kyoto especially) details →

Rail and seat reservations

From about a month out

Decide passes: Kansai-Hiroshima + Tokyo Wide + IC and point-to-pointSkip the nationwide JR Pass for this route.

Reserve 6 shinkansen seats together when the one-month window opens1 month before each legHiroshima return, Kyoto to Nagoya, Nagoya to Tokyo. Use smartEX.

Reserve the free oversized-luggage spaces

Book the Fuji Excursion seats (Tokyo to Kawaguchiko)Fully reserved, limited services.

Pin down the Tsumago to Tokyo connection times

Get IC cards (ICOCA at KIX, or mobile Suica)

Activities and reservations

As each booking window opens

Suntory Hakushu distillery tour~2 to 3 months aheadPossible lottery; it is on the Chuo line near Kobuchizawa, on the Tsumago to Tokyo leg. details →

Sumo morning practice in Ryogoku~2 to 3 weeks aheadNo tournament in October, so watch a stable train instead.

Tea ceremony in Kyoto details →

Confirm the samurai studioSend the YouTube video; Samurai Armor Photo Studio in Shibuya is the best match.

Timed-entry ticketsteamLab, Shibuya Sky, Arashiyama bamboo grove, Ghibli if wanted. Windows open weeks ahead.

Restaurant reservations for sixBiriyani Osawa, Kobe beef (Wakkoqu or Tsukada), Pontocho izakaya; phone Kerala no Kaze.

Tsumago to Magome luggage forwarding on the walk day

Before you fly

Final couple of weeks

Sort mobile data: eSIM or pocket wifiThe eVisa is shown on the phone on arrival, so you need working data.

Carry enough yen for the Kiso valleyCash-only stretches; top up at 7-Eleven or Lawson ATMs in a city first.

Download offline maps, Google Translate, smartEX and a transit app

Check the typhoon and weather forecast; keep a buffer day

Pack a Japan Type A power adapter

Share the itinerary, flight numbers and a meeting point with everyone

On arrival

In Japan

Pick up IC cards and activate any rail passes

Reserve any seats and oversized-luggage spaces not yet done

Keep the Fuji day flexible for a clear morning