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KOAlil.comJapan travel, in EnglishBy an editor born in JapanAutumn 2026

KOAlil: Japan travel guide in English

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KOAlil.com
Japan travel, simplified
KOAlil.com
Japan travel, simplified
KOAlil.com
Japan travel, simplified
KOAlil.com
Japan travel, simplified
KOAlil.com
Japan travel, simplified

Japan, the parts
nobody explains.

The unspoken

Sento and Onsen: How to Use a Japanese Bath House

Rinse before you soak, keep your towel out of the water, never take photos, and ask before cooling the bath. Plus Tokyo's ¥600 sento price from 1 August 2026.

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Latest

The newest stories, newest first.

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What nobody tells you

In the Tokyo Fire Department's area, 338 people were taken to hospital after choking on mochi or similar foods in 2020–2024, 135 of them in January.On mochi at New YearSome of Beppu's neighbourhood baths are for members only.On Beppu's local bathsAt New Year, government offices close on 29 December. Banks stay open until the 31st.On New Year closures

Coming up, and what just changed

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Coming up

Already changed

19 articles rechecked against official sources in October 2026 See them all

The unspoken

Why Japanese Waiters Chase You Down the Street — And Why You Shouldn’t Tip in Japan

No, you don't tip in Japan — but "why not" is the part nobody explains. A Japanese-born editor breaks down what staff are actually thinking, and the few exceptions that are quietly changing. The moment you…

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By the numbers

6 cmBlade length beyond which carrying a knife in Japan needs a legitimate reason.Buying a Japanese Kitchen Knife: The Part After the Shop →135January cases among 338 people taken to hospital after choking on mochi, Tokyo Fire Department area, 2020–2024.Mochi at New Year: Tokyo Fire Department’s Choking Warning →¥600Adult price at a Tokyo sento since 1 August 2026, up from ¥550.Sento and Onsen: How to Use a Japanese Bath House →

Right now

Worth reading before a trip in October.

More stories

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Screenprint of a snowy gassho-zukuri roof silhouette framing a glowing village at dusk, with a striped road barrier lowered across the snowy road belowBefore you landShirakawa-go Light-Up 2027: No Tickets at the Gate, How to BookScreenprint-style cross-section of a slim Tokyo building showing a hotel room, a rental apartment and capsule bunks, joined by one orange band.Before you landTokyo’s Hotel Tax Goes to 3% in April 2027, Minpaku IncludedScreenprint-style illustration: a large Japanese kitchen knife with a wooden handle floats across an airport window; inside its blade a traveller stops at a customs counter before bag drop.The unspokenBuying a Japanese Kitchen Knife: The Part After the ShopScreenprint-style illustration: a giant blank rail pass card stands like a gate over a railway line as a regional limited-express train passes through it into the countryside.Before you landJR Pass Alternatives: The Regional Passes Most Sites Don’t MentionScreenprint-style illustration: an avenue of giant geometric cedar trees and a wooden shrine gate opening onto a sunlit mountain pasture with grazing cows.Off the mapTogakushi Shrine: The Half Everyone SkipsScreenprint-style illustration: a night bus, a car ferry, a local train and a small plane move along bold diagonal colour bands while a white shinkansen sits at the edge.Getting aroundSkip the Shinkansen: 7 Cheaper Ways to Cross JapanScreenprint-style illustration: a pair of slippers, a rolled oshibori towel on a tray and a cup of green tea set out on the wooden step of a Japanese inn entrance.The unspokenWhat Is Omotenashi? Why Japanese Almost Never Say the Word

Asked & answered

Is the JR Pass worth buying?
Often not since the 2023 price increase. It depends on your route. Do the math
I have tattoos. Can I still use a public bath?
Sometimes. Policies vary, and there's a reliable workaround. See your options
Should I leave a tip?
No, and the reason is more interesting than "it's rude." Here's why

Not where to go. What happens when you get there.

KOAlil is written by one editor, ko, born and raised in Japan and writing from Niigata. No tourism boards, no paid placements. Some "Before you land" articles carry labelled Klook affiliate links, and I'll tell you when a product isn't worth it.

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