Lonely Planet Japan (Travel Guide) Paperback – August 15, 2017 by Lonely Planet (Author), Rebecca Milner (Author), Ray Bartlett (Author), Andrew Bender (Author), Craig McLachlan (Author), Kate Morgan (Author), Simon Richmond (Author), Tom Spurling (Author), Benedict Walker (Author), Wendy Yanagihara (Author) (Lonely PLanet)

This is a wonderful guide with a massive amount of information, but designed so the information isn’t overwhelming. The book breaks down the top places to go in different areas of Japan and tells you which rail lines to take, how much it costs, and how much time it will take, among other things. There are tips peppered throughout the book that are actually really helpful, like daily itineraries, extra information on top places to see, tips on using the different transportation systems, etc. There’s even a whole section in the back on the initial travel planning for airlines, visas, language, etc. One thing that makes this guide stand out to me is that it’s easy to read and get the information you need, and it’s not a dry read; the authors really included their own perspective which makes it feel more real.

Overall, this seems to be a really well organized, information packed guide to Japan travel.

I would give this a 5 star, but I’m taking one off because the book I received looked like someone had already been reading through it: there were some bends on the corners of the cover, the binding was loose like it had been used before unlike a new book that’s a little stiff, and the Tokyo map included had been torn out already though it was still in between the pages and hadn’t fallen out which was good. Absolutely not a deal breaker, but just a bit surprising and odd to get a new book in that condition.