Cultural notes for navigating Japan.
What we wish someone had told us before the trip. Manners, transport, dining, onsen, and the things that only come up once you are here.
Japanese Cold Medicine: How to Buy Cold and Flu Medicine at a Japanese Drugstore
Japanese cold medicine (かぜ薬, kaze-gusuri) is over-the-counter medicine that relieves cold symptoms such as fever, sore throat, cough and runny nose, and…
Japan Tourist Taxes in 2026: Departure Tax, Hotel Taxes by City, and Tax-Free Shopping
Japan’s tourist taxes are two main charges: a national departure tax of 3,000 yen every time you leave the country, and local…
Where to Buy Japanese Knives in Tokyo: Kappabashi Knife Shops, Prices and Rules
Kappabashi Dougu Street is a kitchenware shopping street in Taito City, Tokyo, with about 170 shops along roughly 800 metres between Asakusa…
Hatsumode in Tokyo 2027: Best Shrines, New Year Hours and Etiquette
Hatsumode (初詣) is the first visit of the new year to a Shinto shrine or Buddhist temple, made to pray for health…
Japanese Knife Making Experience in Seki: Forge Your Own
Forge your own kitchen knife from tamahagane with a swordsmith in Seki. What the four hours involve, why hand-forged Seki knives are…
Watch a Katana Being Forged in Seki, Japan’s Blade Town
Watch a licensed swordsmith forge a katana in Seki, Gifu, with English narration. What you see at the forge, the people behind…
Japan Tax-Free Shopping in 2026: How the New Refund System Works
By the Japan Documented editorial team. Japan Documented is run by JDOC, a Tokyo company that works with Japanese makers and shops…
I Tried a Samurai Sword-Cutting Experience in Tokyo: Cutting Tatami With a Real Katana
Tameshigiri is the Japanese sword practice of cutting a target such as rolled tatami with a shinken, a real sharpened katana, and…
Medications You Can’t Bring Into Japan: Banned Drugs, Limits & the Yakkan Shoumei (2026)
By the Japan Documented editorial team. We interview foreign residents and travellers across Japan for our Humans of Japan series. Some everyday…
Iaido vs Battodo: Japanese Sword Arts Explained
For many visitors to Japan, the katana is one of the most powerful symbols of Japanese culture. You see it in samurai…
What Does Kamikakushi Mean? Spirited Away and Japanese Folklore
Kamikakushi is a Japanese folklore concept meaning “hidden by the kami,” the belief that a person could be spirited away by gods…
Japan Power Bank Rules 2026: Can You Bring One on a Plane?
Japan’s power bank rules changed on April 24, 2026, and they now shape how you fly, ride the shinkansen, and charge devices…