Explo

Country guide · Eastern Asia

Japan travel guide: visa, best time, weather, holidays and plugs

Entry rules for every passport, the best months to go, live weather, public holidays and the plug you need for Japan. Capital: Tokyo.

Do you need a visa for Japan?

It depends on your passport. Of the 198 other passports in our data, 71 passports can enter Japan without a visa.

Add Japan to your map

Japan at a glance

Capital
Tokyo
Region
Eastern Asia, Asia
Currency
Japanese yen (¥, JPY)
Languages
Japanese
Calling code
+81
Drives on the
left
Power
Type A, B · 100 V · 50/60 Hz

Best time to visit Japan

  1. J
  2. F
  3. M
  4. A
  5. M
  6. J
  7. J
  8. A
  9. S
  10. O
  11. N
  12. D

Mar–May, Oct–Nov. Cherry blossom or autumn leaves.

General guidance on weather, crowds and wildlife, not a forecast. The chart below shows what the weather actually did last year.

Power plugs and voltage in Japan

Mains power is 100 V at 50/60 Hz. Phone and laptop chargers usually accept 100 to 240 V, so they only need the right plug. Hair dryers, kettles and other single-voltage appliances need a matching voltage or a converter.

Do I need an adapter for Japan?

Hand-curated, so a good first answer: confirm before you fly.

More before you go

Nearby countries

All country guides

Questions

Do I need a visa for Japan?

It depends on your passport. Of the 198 other passports in our data, 71 passports can enter Japan without a visa, 7 passports can apply for an e-Visa, 119 passports need a visa in advance and 1 passport is not admitted. Pick your passport on this page, or see the full list on the all-passports page for Japan.

When is the best time to visit Japan?

Mar–May, Oct–Nov. Cherry blossom or autumn leaves.

What plug type and voltage does Japan use?

Japan uses plug types A, B at 100 V and 50/60 Hz. Check that your devices accept that voltage before you plug them in. Plug data is hand-curated, so confirm before you fly.

Which side of the road do they drive on in Japan?

Traffic keeps to the left in Japan.

What currency does Japan use?

Japanese yen (¥, JPY).

What is the calling code for Japan?

+81.

What is the capital of Japan?

Tokyo.

How up to date is this information?

Entry rules come from the open Passport Index dataset, last updated 18 February 2026. Governments change rules often, so check with the embassy or the official immigration site before you book. Weather and public holidays on this page are fetched live from Open-Meteo and Nager.Date.

Keep Japan and every other country on one map

Explo is a free app: light up the countries you have visited, save the ones you dream about, and check visa rules, weather and holidays before you go.

Get Explo

Entry rules come from the open Passport Index dataset by Ilya Ilyankou (MIT), last updated 18 February 2026. Governments change rules often, so treat this as a guide and check with the embassy or the official immigration site before you book.