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Mei Tanaka

Analyst, Japan: rail passes, costs and entry rules, based in Osaka

Japan, Kansai. Lives in Osaka

Last field trip Sep 202646 guides published
  • Rail
  • Budget
  • Entry rules

Languages: English, Japanese

About

Mei worked five years in a Japanese rail company's fares department before joining the desk, which is why her JR Pass maths is right and her tables are long. She covers Shinkansen pricing, IC cards, tax-free rules and what a week in Japan really costs, and she updates the numbers when the yen moves.

Field trips

Months, not dates, for privacy.

  • Sep 2026KanazawaHokuriku Shinkansen weekend, 11 to 13 September
  • Aug 2026NikkoNikko and Kinugawa Onsen by rail, 14 to 16 August
  • Jul 2026Tokyo to HakataNozomi vs Hikari timing and seat test, 3 nights
  • Apr 2026KansaiIC card and Haruka pass check, 2 nights
  • Mar 2026TohokuSeven local-train days with Haruki Sato, from 31 March

Guides by Mei Tanaka

a herd of deer grazing on a lush green fieldThings to doDay trips from Osaka by train: five options and when to startUpdated Oct 12, 2026people near billboardsWhere to stayWhere to stay in Osaka: six neighborhoods compared by trip typeUpdated Oct 12, 2026white and black concrete building near green trees during daytimeItineraryOsaka in 2 days: the south one day, the castle and Umeda the nextUpdated Oct 12, 2026a person walking across a bridge over a riverWhen to goBest time to visit Seoraksan: foliage, closures, rain and snowUpdated Oct 4, 2026A river flows through a lush mountain valleyHow toTateyama Kurobe Alpine Route: tickets, direction and how long it takesUpdated Oct 4, 2026tokyo tower illuminated at dusk with city skylineWhere to stayWhere to stay around Tokyo: five bases for day trips and onsen nightsUpdated Oct 4, 2026A sandy beach with waves coming in to shoreWhere to stayWhere to stay in Hualien: city, Xincheng or the Qixingtan coastUpdated Oct 4, 2026Green and red pagoda templeWhere to stayWhere to stay in Kaohsiung: four MRT bases from Zuoying to HamasenUpdated Oct 4, 2026A sandy beach with waves coming in to shoreHead to headHualien or Taitung: which east coast base should you pick?Updated Oct 4, 2026blue sky and white clouds over seaHow toHallasan hike: reservations, trails and cut-off times for 2026Updated Oct 4, 2026a person walking across a bridge over a riverHead to headSeoraksan cable car or Ulsanbawi hike: which fits your day?Updated Oct 4, 2026tokyo tower illuminated at dusk with city skylineHead to headNikkō, Hakone or Kamakura: which Tokyo day trip should you pick?Updated Oct 4, 2026tokyo tower illuminated at dusk with city skylineThings to doBest day trips from Tokyo by train: eight options ranked by effortUpdated Oct 4, 2026A sandy beach with waves coming in to shoreHow toTaroko Gorge from Hualien: what is open and how to go without a carUpdated Oct 4, 2026blue sky and white clouds over seaItineraryJeju east coast in one day: Seongsan, Udo and ManjanggulUpdated Oct 4, 2026A river flows through a lush mountain valleyWhere to stayWhere to base in Central Honshū: five towns, from Nagoya to NaganoUpdated Oct 4, 2026a person walking across a bridge over a riverHow toSeoraksan hiking guide: Ulsanbawi, Biseondae or DaecheongbongUpdated Oct 4, 2026Green and red pagoda templeHead to headKaohsiung or Tainan: which southern Taiwan city should you pick?Updated Oct 4, 2026Green and red pagoda templeItineraryKaohsiung in 2 days: waterfront, Shoushan, temples and a night marketUpdated Oct 4, 2026A river flows through a lush mountain valleyItineraryTokyo to Kyoto via the Japan Alps: a 7-day route with train timesUpdated Oct 4, 2026blue sky and white clouds over seaWhere to stayWhere to stay in Jeju: city, Seogwipo, east coast or west coastUpdated Oct 4, 2026brown bare trees under blue sky during daytimeRulesK-ETA, explained: who still needs Korea's travel authorizationUpdated Oct 3, 2026A white Shinkansen bullet train arriving at a modern railway station platformTrip ideaThree long weekends from Tokyo by rail, none of them KyotoMei Tanaka · Updated Oct 3, 2026a statue of a man sitting on a bench in a courtyardHow toKamakura day trip from Tokyo: trains, passes and a one-day routeUpdated Oct 3, 2026a herd of deer grazing on a lush green fieldHow toNara day trip from Osaka or Kyoto: trains, route and what to skipUpdated Oct 3, 2026A white Shinkansen bullet train arriving at a modern railway station platformData storyWe priced 12 Japan routes with and without the JR Pass. Two clearly wonMei Tanaka · Updated Oct 3, 2026a stone wall on a hillRulesChina visa-free entry: the 30-day list and the 240-hour transitUpdated Oct 3, 2026people near pagoda under white and blue skyWhere to stayWhere to stay in Kyoto: five bases, from the station to ArashiyamaUpdated Oct 3, 2026empty japanese train station platformHead to headIs the Kansai Area Pass worth it? What still exists in 2026Updated Oct 2, 2026gray pergula between green grassWhere to stayWhere to stay in Hangzhou: four West Lake bases comparedUpdated Oct 2, 2026High-angle view of the Hong Kong skyline across Victoria Harbour in golden hour lightItineraryHong Kong in 3 days: harbor, Peak, markets and an islandUpdated Oct 2, 2026a group of houses surrounded by treesWhere to stayWhere to stay in Suzhou: four bases from old town to Jinji LakeUpdated Oct 2, 2026a very tall building with two windows and a clockHead to headHong Kong to Macau: ferry or bridge bus, day trip or overnightUpdated Oct 2, 2026High-angle view of the Hong Kong skyline across Victoria Harbour in golden hour lightWhere to stayWhere to stay in Hong Kong: five bases from Tsim Sha Tsui to LantauUpdated Oct 2, 2026a group of houses surrounded by treesItineraryShanghai to Suzhou day trip: stations, getting around, one-day planUpdated Oct 2, 2026a group of houses surrounded by treesThings to doBest Suzhou gardens to visit: which two or three of the nineUpdated Oct 2, 2026woman walking on great wall of China during daytimeHow toHow to visit Mutianyu: real-name tickets, cable car, getting thereUpdated Oct 2, 2026empty japanese train station platformRulesMoney in Japan: cash, cards and IC cards, checked for 2026Updated Oct 2, 2026woman walking on great wall of China during daytimeWhen to goBest time to visit the Great Wall near Beijing: month by monthUpdated Oct 2, 2026people walking inside amazon building surrounded with plantsRulesDigital arrival cards in Asia: Singapore, Malaysia, Japan and what they askUpdated Oct 2, 2026gray pergula between green grassItineraryHangzhou in 2 days: West Lake, tea hills and Lingyin TempleUpdated Oct 2, 2026woman walking on great wall of China during daytimeHead to headWhich Great Wall section to visit: five compared for Beijing tripsUpdated Oct 2, 2026gray pergula between green grassHead to headShanghai to Hangzhou: day trip or overnight by high-speed rail?Updated Oct 2, 2026a large body of water with a mountain in the backgroundHow toHakone day trip or overnight? The Free Pass, Romancecar and the loopUpdated Oct 1, 2026a large red structure on a beach with Itsukushima in the backgroundItineraryHiroshima and Miyajima in a day: a timed route from 7:30am to dinnerUpdated Oct 1, 2026A white Shinkansen bullet train arriving at a modern railway station platformHead to headIs the JR Pass still worth it? Price your route firstUpdated Oct 1, 2026
DestinationsWhere to go, when to go and how to get around in 221 countries. Every practical fact shows the date we checked it and who checked it.Where to stayNeighborhoods walked end to end: who each area suits, how far it is from the airport train, and the hotels we would book ourselves.PlanVisas and entry rules, travel insurance, eSIMs and rail passes, explained in plain words and rechecked when the rules change.EventsFestivals, concerts and tours with confirmed dates, rooms near the venue and the fastest way on to the next city.StoriesField reports and data stories from the road. We time the queues, count the costs and say what changed since last year.

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