Transport · Passes · Money · Bookings
Logistics
Everything priced for our actual route. Yen figures are the source of truth; euros use a planning rate of 1 EUR = ¥180 (September 2026).
Point-to-point ≈ ¥56,800 pp. A 21-day JR Pass would lose ~€300 per person.
Suica in Apple Wallet or a physical ICOCA. Works nationwide, not on Kiso valley buses.
Decision: no forwarding. Keep suitcases under 160 cm combined or reserve the oversized-baggage seat on the Shinkansen. The report's forwarding section stays for reference.
Excluding flights, range €2,400–3,800. Accommodation is the lever.
Logistics — Japan, 10–30 March 2027, 5 people
Everything below is priced for the actual route: HND → Tokyo (7n) → Matsumoto/Kiso (4n) → Nagoya → Kyoto (5n) → Osaka (4n) → HND, with day trips to Kamakura/Takao, Uji, Nara, Kobe and Himeji.
Exchange rate used: 1 EUR = ¥181.48 mid-market on 5 September 2026 (xe.com, investing.com quoted 181.80). All EUR figures use a rounded planning rate of 1 EUR = ¥180, which makes the euro numbers marginally conservative. Yen figures are the source of truth.
Headline conclusions
- Do not buy any Japan Rail Pass. Point-to-point costs ≈ ¥56,800 pp for the whole trip. A 21-day national pass is ¥100,000–105,000 and would only ever cover ≈¥46,000 of that. You lose roughly €300 per person by buying one.
- Do not buy any regional pass either — Tokyo Wide Pass does not reach Matsumoto (it stops at Kobuchizawa), and the Kansai passes lose money on this itinerary. Buy IC-card + point-to-point and a couple of city day-passes.
- Forward the big bags twice (Tokyo→Kyoto direct, then Kyoto→hotel/airport). ≈¥2,300–2,600 per bag per hop. This also dodges the Tokaido Shinkansen oversized-baggage rule.
- Realistic per-person total excluding flights: €2,400–3,800, centre of gravity ≈ €3,000.
1. Rail: pass math vs point-to-point
1.1 The point-to-point bill, leg by leg
All fares are ordinary class, adult, per person. Reserved-seat surcharges for 21 March and 30 March include the peak-season +¥200 — 21 March–5 April 2027 is JR 繁忙期 (peak), reserved-seat limited-express charges are +¥200 (norihodai.com JR season calendar 2026–2028, JR Central seasonal fare rule).
| # | Leg | Date | Service | Fare pp | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | HND T3 → Shinagawa | 10 Mar | Keikyu Airport Line, 11 min | ¥330 | japan-guide |
| 2 | Tokyo local transit, 7 days | 10–17 Mar | Suica; metro ¥180–320, JR ¥150–210 | ≈¥4,000 | see §1.5 |
| 3 | Kamakura day trip, return | — | JR Yokosuka/Shonan-Shinjuku | ≈¥1,880 | japan-guide |
| 4 | Takao day trip, return | — | JR Chuo Rapid Shinjuku→Takao | ≈¥1,160 | japan-guide |
| 5 | Shinjuku → Matsumoto | 17 Mar | Ltd Exp Azusa, 2h33, all-reserved | ¥6,620 (¥4,070 base + ¥2,550 ltd exp) | shinjukustation.com, japan-experience |
| 6 | Narai day trip, return | — | JR Chuo local, 34.4 km each way | ≈¥1,180 | distance-derived, see note |
| 7 | Nakasendo day: Matsumoto→Nakatsugawa→(bus Magome)→walk→(bus Tsumago→Nagiso)→Matsumoto | — | local + 2 buses | ≈¥4,370 (¥1,980 + ¥570 bus + ¥300 bus + ¥1,520) | japan-guide Kiso access |
| 8 | Matsumoto/onsen local buses, 4 days | — | Alpico; some cash-only | ≈¥1,500 | Alpico |
| 9 | Matsumoto → Nakatsugawa | 21 Mar | JR Chuo local, 108.2 km, ~2h20 | ≈¥1,980 | distance-derived |
| 10 | Nakatsugawa → Nagoya | 21 Mar | JR Chuo Rapid, 1h19 | ¥1,340 | nagoyastation.com |
| 11 | Nagoya → Kyoto | 21 Mar | Hikari reserved, peak 34–45 min | ¥5,040 (Nozomi ¥5,370; unreserved ¥4,640) | japanshinkansen.net |
| 12 | Kyoto local transit, 5 days | — | bus flat ¥230, subway ¥220–360 | ≈¥3,500 | japan-guide |
| 13 | Uji day trip, return | — | JR Nara Line, 20–30 min | ¥480 | japan-guide Uji |
| 14 | Nara day trip, return (from Kyoto) | — | JR Miyakoji Rapid, 45 min | ¥1,440 | japan-guide Nara |
| 15 | Kyoto → Osaka | 26 Mar | JR Special Rapid, 28 min | ¥580 | osakastation.com |
| 16 | Osaka local transit, 4 days | — | Metro ¥190–380 | ≈¥2,400 | japan-guide |
| 17 | Kobe (Sannomiya) day trip, return | — | JR Special Rapid, 22 min | ¥840 | osakastation.com |
| 18 | Himeji day trip, return | — | JR Special Rapid, 62–64 min | ¥2,920 | osakastation.com |
| 19 | Shin-Osaka → Shinagawa | 30 Mar | Nozomi reserved, peak, 2h30 | ¥14,920 (¥14,720 regular +¥200 peak) | japanshinkansen.net |
| 20 | Shinagawa → HND T3 | 30 Mar | Keikyu | ¥330 | japan-guide |
| TOTAL | ≈ ¥56,800 pp (≈ €316) |
Group total: ≈ ¥284,000 ≈ €1,578.
Note on the Kiso local fares (rows 6, 7, 9). JR does not publish these on an English page. They are derived from published station distances (Matsumoto 13.3 km from Shiojiri; Shiojiri 222.1 km from Tokyo; from Nagoya: Nakatsugawa 79.9 km, Nagiso 98.9 km, Kiso-Fukushima 133.1 km, Narai 153.7 km — all from the respective Wikipedia station articles) against the standard JR Honshu distance bands. Treat them as ±¥200. Derived hop fares: Matsumoto→Narai ¥590, Matsumoto→Kiso-Fukushima ¥990, Matsumoto→Nagiso ¥1,520, Matsumoto→Nakatsugawa ¥1,980, Nagiso→Nakatsugawa ¥330.
Alternative for 21 March: Ltd Exp Shinano Matsumoto→Nagoya direct, ~2h05, ≈¥6,140 (¥3,410 base + ltd exp reserved). Costs ≈¥2,800 more than the local route and skips the Kiso stops. Only worth it if you want a late start.
1.2 National JR Pass — the numbers
Prices after the October 2023 hike, plus the second hike on 1 October 2026 (selfguidejapan):
| Pass | Ordinary, before 1 Oct 2026 | Ordinary, from 1 Oct 2026 | Green, from 1 Oct 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7-day | ¥50,000 | ¥53,000 | ¥74,000 |
| 14-day | ¥80,000 | ¥84,000 | ¥116,000 |
| 21-day | ¥100,000 | ¥105,000 | ¥147,000 |
The increase applies to JR-designated overseas travel agencies; the Official Japan Rail Pass Website has so far kept the old prices, so from October 2026 the official site is ¥3,000–7,000 cheaper. Exchange orders issued before 1 October keep the old price and must be exchanged within three months of issue — which does not help a March 2027 trip. Nozomi/Mizuho supplement for pass holders is ¥4,960 per adult per journey Tokyo–Shin-Osaka.
Break-even test on this itinerary:
| Option | Cost | JR-coverable spend it replaces | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21-day national pass | ¥100,000–105,000 | ≈¥46,000 (everything JR-run: Azusa, Kiso locals, Nagoya–Kyoto Hikari, Shin-Osaka→Shinagawa as Hikari, all six day trips, Haneda Monorail, JR bits of city transit) | Loses ¥54,000–59,000 pp (≈€300–328) |
| 14-day national pass | ¥80,000–84,000 | best 14-day window ≈¥33,000 | Loses ≈¥50,000 pp |
| 7-day, 17–23 Mar (Azusa + Kiso + Nagoya–Kyoto) | ¥50,000–53,000 | ≈¥19,700 | Loses ≈¥31,000 pp |
| 7-day, 24–30 Mar (Kansai day trips + return Shinkansen as Hikari) | ¥50,000–53,000 | ≈¥20,800 | Loses ≈¥30,000 pp |
The pass also excludes Tokyo Metro/Toei, Keikyu (HND), Kyoto city buses and subway, Osaka Metro, Kintetsu/Keihan/Hankyu, and both Kiso buses — a large slice of the ¥9,900 pp of city transit. And it forces Hikari (3h) instead of Nozomi (2h30) on the 30 March return unless you pay the ¥4,960 supplement.
Verdict: no national JR Pass, under any duration. This route is a small number of long hops with lots of city walking — the exact shape the post-2023 pass no longer fits.
1.3 Regional passes
| Pass | Price | Days | Does it fit? | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JR TOKYO Wide Pass | ¥16,000 (raised from ¥15,000 on 14 Mar 2026) | 3 consecutive | Does NOT reach Matsumoto. On the Azusa it is valid only as far as Kobuchizawa; Kobuchizawa→Matsumoto costs an extra ≈¥2,190 reserved. Value on your plan: Kamakura ¥1,880 + Takao ¥1,160 + a third JR day ≈¥1,500 + Azusa-to-Kobuchizawa ≈¥5,500 ≈ ¥10,000. | No — unless you add Kawaguchiko/Fuji and/or Nikko, each ≈¥8,000 return, which flips it instantly |
| New JR EAST PASS (launched 14 Mar 2026, merged Tohoku + Nagano-Niigata) | ¥35,000 / ¥50,000 | 5 / 10 flexible | Does reach Matsumoto. Your JR East spend across the whole trip ≈¥11,400. | No |
| Kansai Area Pass | ¥2,800 / ¥4,800 / ¥5,800 / ¥7,000 | 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 consecutive | Covers Kyoto, Osaka, Nara, Uji, Kobe, Himeji, HARUKA. Does not cover Shinkansen, Kyoto buses/subway, Osaka Metro, Kintetsu/Hankyu/Keihan. Best 3-day window (Nara ¥1,640 + Kobe ¥840 + Himeji ¥2,920) = ¥5,400 vs ¥5,800. | No — loses ¥400. Marginal enough that a 1-day pass on a Himeji+Kobe combined day (¥2,800 vs ¥2,880) is a ¥80 win. Not worth the queue. |
| Kansai WIDE Area Pass | ¥12,000 | 5 consecutive | Covers Himeji, Okayama, Kinosaki, and Sanyo Shinkansen Shin-Osaka–Okayama reserved. Your entire Kansai JR spend ≈¥6,300. | No |
| Kansai-Hiroshima | — | — | Not on the route. | No |
Official sources: JR TOKYO Wide Pass (¥16,000 confirmed on the official page), Kobuchizawa limit, new JR EAST PASS, Kansai Area Pass (official price table), Kansai WIDE.
1.4 Conclusion
Buy point-to-point tickets. Buy no rail pass — national or regional. The only passes worth money on this trip are city day-passes (§1.5), bought on the day, by judgement.
1.5 City passes that do pay
| Pass | Price | Break-even | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tokyo Subway Ticket 24h / 48h / 72h | ¥1,000 / ¥1,500 / ¥2,000 (Tokyo Metro official) | 72h pays off at ~4 subway rides/day for 3 days | Buy one 72h ticket for your three densest Tokyo days. Covers Metro and Toei, not JR. Sold to visitors from outside Kanto; also as a QR ticket you can distribute to phones in the group. |
| Kyoto Subway & Bus 1-Day (Kyoto Sightseeing Card) | ¥1,100 (japan-guide) | 5 bus rides (¥230 each) | Buy on temple-hopping days only |
| Kyoto Subway One Day | ¥800 | 3 subway rides | Rarely worth it |
| Osaka Metro Enjoy Eco Card | ¥820 weekday / ¥620 weekend | 3 rides | Weekend one is a clear win |
| Osaka Amazing Pass | ¥3,500 (1-day) / ¥5,000 (2-day) | Metro + 40 attractions | Worth it if you do Umeda Sky + Osaka Castle + a cruise in one day |
| Tokyo Metro “Tap to Ride” | contactless credit card at the gate | — | New; a genuine alternative to Suica for Metro-only trips |
2. How to buy
| Channel | Covers | Booking opens | Foreign cards | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SmartEX (smart-ex.jp/en) | Tokaido / Sanyo / Kyushu Shinkansen — i.e. Nagoya→Kyoto and Shin-Osaka→Shinagawa | 1 month before, 10:00 JST (full seat map). Also a 1-year-ahead placeholder from 05:30 JST — reserves the right to a seat but no train/time/seat; details emailed at 08:00 JST one month out (japanprep) | Visa, Mastercard, JCB, Amex, Diners, Discover. 3-D Secure enrolment required. Debit/prepaid often refused. Amex reported most reliable (real-japan-guide) | Register a Suica/PASMO/ICOCA and tap through the gate — no paper. JR Central stops issuing EX-IC cards from summer 2026; use your own IC card. Between 23:30–05:30 JST bookings cap at 3 people, so book your group of 5 in daytime JST. |
| JR-EAST Train Reservation (English site on eki-net.com) | JR East Shinkansen and limited expresses incl. Azusa | 1 month before, 10:00 JST | Same brands minus Discover; some cards silently rejected. Fallback: JR EAST Travel Service Center or a reserved-seat machine at the station | This is the site for the Azusa on 17 March. The Azusa is all-reserved — there is no non-reserved car, so 5 seats must be booked. Online cap of 15 reservations. Choose the Shinkansen e-ticket + IC card, or collect paper. (real-japan-guide) |
| Station ticket machines / Midori-no-Madoguchi | Everything | same-day to 1 month | Accept foreign cards without 3-D Secure | The reliable plan B if an online payment fails |
| Klook / official pass sites | Regional passes | any time | fine | Irrelevant here — you are buying no passes |
Seat reservations for 5 travelling together. Both SmartEX and JR-EAST Train Reservation let you put 5 passengers on one booking and will seat you together if inventory allows. Tokaido Shinkansen ordinary cars are 3+2, so 5 = one full row. Book the moment the window opens for the two peak legs:
- 21 March 2027 — Vernal Equinox falls on a Sunday, substitute holiday Monday 22 March. Every Nozomi runs all-reserved 20–22 March 2027, so unreserved is not an escape hatch on your Nagoya→Kyoto day.
- 30 March 2027 — peak season, sakura weekend traffic, and 5 people with luggage.
Oversized baggage on the Tokaido Shinkansen. Any single bag whose height + width + depth exceeds 160 cm requires a reserved seat in the last row of a car, with the bag behind the seat. The seat itself is free if reserved in advance; boarding without one costs a ¥1,000 surcharge, not covered by any rail pass, plus the conductor relocates your bag. Over 250 cm cannot board at all. Since July 2025 the oversize compartment is also open to under-160 cm bags on a trial basis without reservation. Sources: japan-guide, JR West, smartEX.
Practical consequence for 5 people: five 28″ suitcases would mean five last-row seats on two Shinkansen legs, which is fiddly and hard to get on peak days. Forward the big bags instead (§5) and travel with cabin-size + backpacks. That is the single biggest logistics simplification on this trip.
3. IC cards
| Card | Status in 2026/27 | How to top up |
|---|---|---|
| Suica in Apple Wallet | The default. Works nationwide on the 10 major networks. No physical card, no deposit, add it before you fly. | Apple Pay. Foreign-issued Visa is blocked at the payment-network level and gets rejected — especially when the phone is outside Japan. Mastercard and Amex top up reliably. Cash top-up works at any JR East / Metro / Toei machine with the “チャージ / IC Recharge” button. (japansoso, japanauthentic) |
| Welcome Suica Mobile | Released March 2025, iOS. No Japanese Apple ID, English UI, accepts foreign cards, issued instantly. Expires 180 days after issue and the remaining balance is not refundable. | In-app with a foreign card |
| Welcome Suica (physical) | Still the fallback for Android users and for anyone whose card fails. Deposit-free, 28-day validity, no refund of balance. | Cash at JR East machines / Travel Service Centers |
| ICOCA (JR West) | Functionally identical for a visitor; buy only if you never got a Suica. | Cash |
| PASMO in Wallet | Same as Suica for your purposes | Same constraints |
Does one card work nationwide? Yes, across the ten interoperable networks (Suica, PASMO, ICOCA, Kitaca, TOICA, manaca, SUGOCA, nimoca, はやかけん, PiTaPa-accepting readers) — which covers every train and subway on this route including Kyoto city buses and Osaka Metro.
Where it will not work on this route:
- Alpico Kamikochi Line train (Matsumoto → Shin-Shimashima): cash only, no IC, no credit card. If you tap into Matsumoto Station on Suica you must exit the JR gate, buy a paper ticket, and re-enter. (Alpico)
- Kiso valley local buses (Nakatsugawa↔Magome ¥570, Nagiso↔Tsumago ¥300): assume cash, exact change.
- The Gurutto Matsumoto city buses do now take Suica/PASMO and contactless credit cards.
Every person needs their own card. You cannot tap five people through a gate on one card.
4. Connectivity
4.1 eSIM options (data-only, no Japanese phone number)
Prices are provider list prices in USD as of 2026; €1 ≈ $1.08.
| Provider | Plan that fits 20 days | Price | Japanese network | Tethering | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ubigi | 10 GB / 30 days ≈ $16.50; 20 GB ≈ $27 | ≈ €15–25 | NTT Docomo + KDDI | Yes, unrestricted | Best pick for this trip. Docomo has the best coverage in the Kiso valley and mountain Nagano. 5G. |
| Airalo | 20 GB / 30 days ≈ $22 | ≈ €20 | SoftBank + KDDI | Yes | Cheapest per GB. Unlimited tiers were repriced sharply upward in early 2026 (30-day unlimited ~$35 → ~$72) — avoid the unlimited plans. |
| Saily | 20 GB / 30 days ≈ $24.99 | ≈ €23 | SoftBank + KDDI | Yes | Soft-unlimited tiers with a 5 GB/day high-speed cap. Does not disclose its network, so rural coverage is unpredictable. |
| Holafly | 15-day unlimited ≈ $39 | ≈ €36 | undisclosed | Limited by FUP | Only if someone genuinely streams |
| Mobal / Sakura Mobile | physical SIM / eSIM with a Japanese phone number | more expensive; not price-verified here | Docomo/SoftBank | — | Worth one of these for the group if you want a callable Japanese number for restaurant bookings and ryokan. Could not verify 2026 pricing — check directly. |
Source: japanauthentic eSIM comparison 2026, japan-wireless.
4.2 Pocket wifi vs eSIM for a group of 5
| 5 × eSIM (Ubigi 20 GB) | 1 pocket wifi, unlimited | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost, 21 days | ≈ 5 × €25 = €125 (€25 pp) | Ninja WiFi from ¥440/day → ¥9,240 for 21 days; realistic unlimited plan ¥800–1,200/day → ¥17,000–25,000 = €95–140 (€19–28 pp) |
| Devices | 1 each, independent | up to 5 devices — exactly your group size, with zero headroom |
| Failure mode | one person’s data dies | everybody’s data dies, and whoever holds the router controls where the group can split up |
| Battery | phone only | extra device to charge; a full day of navigation drains it |
| Airport logistics | none | pick up + return at HND, or courier to the first hotel |
Recommendation: eSIM each. The cost difference is €5–10 per person over three weeks; the flexibility difference is large, and you will split up on day trips. Buy Ubigi. Optionally add one Mobal/Sakura SIM with a real Japanese number for phone-only restaurant reservations.
5. Luggage forwarding (takkyubin)
Yamato Transport TA-Q-BIN / 宅急便 is the default; Sagawa is a near-identical alternative that hotels sometimes use instead.
5.1 Prices per bag
| Size (H+W+D) | Typical bag | Within Kanto | Tokyo ↔ Kansai | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100 cm | 24″ medium | ≈¥1,650 | ≈¥1,770 | |
| 120 cm | 26″ standard checked | ¥1,850 | ≈¥1,970 | ≤15 kg |
| 140 cm | 28″ large checked | ¥2,190 | ≈¥2,310 | ≤20 kg |
| 160 cm | XL / ski bag | ¥2,510 | ¥2,630 | ≤25 kg |
| 180 cm | — | ¥3,060 | ≈¥3,180 | ≤30 kg; some konbini refuse >180 |
| 200 cm | max | ¥3,720 | ≈¥3,840 | absolute limit, 30 kg |
Source: selfguidejapan luggage forwarding (official Yamato rate table), cross-checked against japanauthentic and tokyocheapo.
Route-specific estimates for you (Tokyo→Kansai band, size 140):
| Route | Price/bag | Lead time |
|---|---|---|
| Tokyo → Kyoto | ≈¥2,310 (¥2,300–2,650 for a normal checked bag) | next day |
| Tokyo → Matsumoto (Kanto→Chubu) | ≈¥2,190–2,310 | next day |
| Matsumoto → Kyoto | ≈¥2,310 | next day, but Nagano→Kansai is the one leg on this route where 2 days is possible — ask at drop-off |
| Kyoto → Osaka (same region) | ≈¥1,850–1,900 | same day if dropped before ~11:00, otherwise next day |
| Kyoto/Osaka → Haneda | ≈¥2,310 + ¥660 airport counter fee | allow 2 days (Yamato requires 2 days before departure, 3 in some areas) |
Airport counters at Haneda T1/T2/T3 and Narita T1/T2, roughly 07:00–23:00, with a ¥660 counter usage fee added (introduced at Narita June 2025, Haneda July 2025). Haneda → central Tokyo same-day delivery exists if you drop before 11:00 (≈¥5,780 for size 160).
5.2 How to send
- From a hotel (easiest): tell reception the evening before. Give them the destination hotel’s name, address, phone number, the name on that reservation, and the delivery date. They fill the waybill, take payment, hand you a tracking slip. Standard practice at essentially every mid-range hotel and up; a machiya/Airbnb host may or may not do it, so confirm before booking.
- From a konbini: hand the bag over the counter with a completed waybill. ¥100 off for self drop-off. Chains that accept Yamato: 7-Eleven, FamilyMart, NewDays, Daily Yamazaki, Poplar. Lawson handles Japan Post Yu-Pack, not Yamato — one source claims Lawson takes Yamato, but Lawson’s carrier partnership is Japan Post; check the black-cat logo on the door. Bags over size 180 may be refused. Staff will not speak English — have the address written in Japanese.
- From a Yamato service centre / airport counter: English waybills available at airport counters.
5.3 Recommended pattern for this route
10 Mar HND T3 → Yamato counter → Tokyo apartment (5 bags, ≈¥2,970 each incl. ¥660 fee)
travel with a daypack for the first day
17 Mar Tokyo → KYOTO apartment directly (big bags skip Matsumoto entirely)
≈¥2,310/bag. Arrives 18 Mar, sits with the Kyoto host until you arrive 21 Mar.
⇒ Do the whole Matsumoto/Kiso leg (17–21 Mar) with backpacks only.
⇒ Confirm with the Kyoto host in writing that they will receive bags 3 days early.
26 Mar Kyoto → Osaka apartment ≈¥1,900/bag, same-day if before 11:00
(or just take them on the 28-min JR — no oversized rule on local trains)
28 Mar Osaka → HND airport, 2 days ahead ≈¥2,970/bag
⇒ optional; 30 Mar Shin-Osaka→Shinagawa is a reserved Shinkansen, so if you
keep the bags you need last-row oversized seats. Forwarding avoids that.Total per person if you split 5 bags 1:1: ≈¥7,200–10,100 ≈ €40–56 for the whole trip. That buys you: no oversized-baggage seats to hunt for on two peak-season Shinkansen, no suitcases on the Azusa or on the Kiso locals (which are 2–4 car trains with no luggage space), and no wheeling bags over Nakasendo cobbles.
If the Kyoto host cannot hold bags from 18 to 21 March, send Tokyo→Matsumoto on 17 March and Matsumoto→Kyoto on 20 March instead. Costs one extra hop (≈¥2,300/bag) and requires the Matsumoto ryokan to accept and forward — most do.
6. Money
6.1 Cash vs card in 2026
Japan is now card-friendly in cities and stubbornly cash-only in exactly the places you are going on the Kiso leg. Working rule: carry ¥15,000–25,000 pp in cash at all times, tap for everything else.
| Cash still required | Card / IC fine |
|---|---|
| Kiso valley buses, small ryokan, mountain soba shops | Konbini, supermarkets, department stores |
| Temple and shrine admission, goshuin stamps | Museums, teamLab, big attractions |
| Coin lockers (many take IC), small izakaya | Chain restaurants, cafés |
| Alpico Kamikochi Line train | All JR/metro (IC or card) |
| Onsen day-use, some ryokan kashikiri fees | Hotels |
6.2 Getting yen
| ATM | Fee | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 7-Eleven / Seven Bank | ¥220 per withdrawal | Cheapest, 24/7, English menu, accepts essentially every foreign card brand. The default. |
| Japan Post Bank | Free during business hours, ¥110 outside | At post offices; slightly cheaper but limited hours. |
| Bank ATMs (MUFG, SMBC) | varies | Often reject foreign cards. Skip. |
Sources: japan-travel-kit ATMs, backpackingislife.
Wise: free ATM withdrawals up to ≈€250/month on an EU-registered account, then 1.75–2.69% (structure revised 1 May 2026). The Japanese ATM operator’s ¥220 is charged on top. Revolut: free monthly FX and ATM allowance on Standard, small fees above, weekend FX markup — check your plan’s limits before you go.
Practical setup for 5: everybody brings a Wise or Revolut card plus one no-FX-fee credit card as backup, and at least two people carry a Mastercard (for Suica top-ups — see §3). Withdraw ¥30,000–50,000 on arrival at the Haneda 7-Bank ATM, split across two withdrawals only if your card’s per-transaction limit forces it.
6.3 Tax-free shopping — the system changed on 1 November 2026
From 1 November 2026 Japan moved from point-of-sale exemption to pay-first, refund-at-departure:
- You pay the 10% consumption tax at the till, present your passport, and the purchase is recorded.
- At the airport, before bag drop (land side), you scan your passport at a self-service terminal. Green = refund processed. Red = customs wants to inspect the goods.
- Abolished: the sealed-packaging requirement for consumables, the ¥500,000 daily cap, and the general/consumable category split.
- Added: proof of departure within 90 days is mandatory.
Sources: japan.travel official, Tokyo Cheapo, GOOD LUCK TRIP.
Consequence for you: budget for the tax up front (a ¥50,000 shopping day now needs ¥55,000 of liquidity), keep the goods accessible until after the airport terminal check, and allow an extra 30 minutes at Haneda on 30 March if anyone is claiming a refund.
6.4 Tipping
None. Ever. Not in restaurants, not in taxis, not for hotel staff, not for a ryokan’s nakai-san. Leaving money is confusing at best and mildly insulting at worst. Service charges (10%) appear on some fine-dining and hotel bills and are already included.
7. Budget model — 5 people, 20 nights, excluding flights
Rate: 1 EUR = ¥180.
7.1 Per person
| Line | Lean | Mid | Comfortable | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accommodation (20 nights) | €1,300 | €1,550 | €1,900 | see 7.2 |
| Food (21 days) | €467 (¥4,000/day) | €700 (¥6,000/day) | €933 (¥8,000/day) | brief’s own range |
| Transport | €316 | €330 | €360 | §1.1 = ¥56,800, plus taxi/late-night buffer |
| Luggage forwarding | €40 | €48 | €56 | §5.3 |
| Activities & entries | €172 (¥31,000) | €210 (¥38,000) | €250 (¥45,000) | see 7.3 |
| Connectivity | €15 | €22 | €30 | Ubigi 10–20 GB |
| Misc / omiyage / shopping | €100 | €180 | €300 | elastic |
| TOTAL pp, excl. flights | ≈ €2,410 | ≈ €3,040 | ≈ €3,830 |
Per-person range excluding flights: €2,400 – €3,800. Plan on ≈ €3,000. Group of 5: €12,000 – €19,000, mid ≈ €15,200.
Add flights: DE→HND return in March typically €650–900 pp economy, which pushes the realistic all-in to €3,100–4,700 pp.
7.2 Accommodation detail
Target from the brief: < €70 pp/night average = ≤ €7,000 for the group over 20 nights = < €350/night for a place sleeping 5.
| Leg | Nights | Realistic €/night for 5 | €/pp/night | Group total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tokyo (apartment, Shinjuku / Taito / Kuramae) | 7 | €330–450 | €66–90 | €2,310–3,150 |
| Matsumoto + onsen (2n town apartment + 2n ryokan half-board) | 4 | €280–550 | €56–110 | €1,120–2,200 |
| Kyoto (machiya sleeping 5, sakura season) | 5 | €400–560 | €80–112 | €2,000–2,800 |
| Osaka (apartment, Namba/Shinsaibashi) | 4 | €270–380 | €54–76 | €1,080–1,520 |
| Total | 20 | avg €65–95 | €6,510–9,670 |
The <€70 pp/night target is achievable only if: (a) Kyoto and Osaka are booked by September–October 2026, six months out — late March is peak sakura demand and machiya for 5 are a thin market; (b) the ryokan half-board nights are limited to two, not four; (c) Tokyo is an apartment, not two hotel rooms. Miss (a) and Kyoto alone can double.
Ryokan-with-meals as a splurge: a proper Shirahone or Asama onsen ryokan with kaiseki dinner + breakfast runs ¥18,000–30,000 pp/night (€100–167). Two of those nights adds €60–195 pp over a plain-room baseline. Worth it once, arguably twice; not four times.
7.3 Activities detail (per person, indicative)
| Item | Price | Count | Subtotal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Temples & shrines | ¥500–1,000 | ~18 | ¥9,000–18,000 |
| Museums | ¥1,000–2,500 | ~6 | ¥6,000–15,000 |
| teamLab Borderless (Azabudai) | ¥3,600–5,600, dynamic pricing, +¥200 on site | 1 | ¥3,600–5,600 |
| teamLab Planets (Toyosu) — alternative | from ¥3,200 | (1) | ¥3,200 |
| Ghibli Museum | ¥1,000 | 1 | ¥1,000 |
| Matsumoto Castle | ¥700 | 1 | ¥700 |
| Himeji Castle | ¥1,000 | 1 | ¥1,000 |
| Saiho-ji (Kokedera) | ¥4,000 + ¥110 booking fee | 1 | ¥4,110 |
| Katsura Imperial Villa | ¥1,000 (Shugakuin is free) | 1 | ¥1,000 |
| Onsen day-use / kashikiri | ¥800–2,500 | 3 | ¥2,400–7,500 |
| Range | ¥28,800–54,900 (€160–305) |
Sources: Tokyo Cheapo teamLab, Ghibli Museum tickets, japan-guide Kokedera, Imperial Household Agency.
8. Bookings timeline — working backwards from 10 March 2027
All times in JST; CET equivalents in brackets (JST = CET+8 in March, after European DST starts on 28 March 2027; before that JST = CET+8 as well since CET is UTC+1 and JST UTC+9).
| When | What | Why this date | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| NOW — Sept/Oct 2026 | Kyoto machiya (5n) and Osaka apartment (4n) | Peak sakura demand; whole-house listings for 5 are a thin market and go 5–6 months out | Airbnb, Rakuten Travel, Jalan, Booking |
| Sept/Oct 2026 | Tokyo apartment (7n) | Same logic, slightly less pressure | as above |
| Oct–Dec 2026 | Onsen ryokan with half-board (2n, Asama or Shirahone) | 2–3 months minimum; the good ones with kashikiri baths go 4–6 months out | Jalan / Rakuten / direct by email |
| Nov 2026 | Travel insurance with medical cover + repatriation | Before deposits become non-refundable | §12 |
| Dec 2026 | Passport check — validity through the stay; Germans are visa-free for 90 days. JESTA is NOT required — Japan’s pre-screening system is targeted at FY2028 (in force no later than 31 March 2029) | No action needed for 2027 | wego, kanpai-japan |
| 10 Feb 2027, 10:00 JST (02:00 CET) | ★ Ghibli Museum tickets for all March dates | Tickets for the following month go on sale at 10:00 JST on the 10th and sell out in minutes | English Lawson Ticket site — beware fake sites, the museum warned about them in March 2026 |
| ~10 Feb 2027 | Saiho-ji (Kokedera) | Online booking opens 2 months ahead, closes 23:59 JST the day before | Nichi-nichi Sanpai page on the Saiho-ji site |
| 17 Feb 2027, 10:00 JST | ★ Azusa, Shinjuku → Matsumoto, 17 Mar, 5 reserved seats | 1 month before, 10:00 JST. All-reserved train — no unreserved car. | JR-EAST Train Reservation (English) |
| 21 Feb 2027, 10:00 JST | Nagoya → Kyoto, 21 Mar | 1 month before. 20–22 Mar 2027 is the Vernal Equinox long weekend and every Nozomi runs all-reserved | SmartEX |
| Feb 2027 | Katsura Imperial Villa (¥1,000) / Shugakuin (free) | Online via Imperial Household Agency, several days minimum; walk-in lottery from 11:00 as fallback | sankan.kunaicho.go.jp |
| Feb 2027 | teamLab Borderless / Planets timed slots | Weeks ahead for sakura-season weekends; on-site tickets carry a ¥200 surcharge and sell out | teamlab.art official |
| 26 Feb 2027, 10:00 JST | Kyoto → Osaka is walk-up (JR local, no reservation) | — | — |
| 28 Feb 2027, 10:00 JST (02:00 CET) | ★ Shin-Osaka → Shinagawa, 30 Mar, 5 reserved seats + oversized-baggage row if needed | 1 month before. Peak season, sakura weekend, 5 people. This is the hardest booking of the trip. | SmartEX |
| Feb–early Mar 2027 | Restaurant reservations | 1–3 months for anything good | TableCheck (broadest, casual to fine, no booking fee), Omakase.in (top-tier only), Pocket Concierge, Tabelog (needs a Japanese number for many), hotel concierge, or ask your Kyoto machiya host to phone the phone-only places |
| ~1 week before | Visit Japan Web registration → one QR for immigration + customs | Not legally mandatory, but Haneda/Narita/Kansai now run Joint Kiosks that do immigration + customs in one scan; saves 20–30 min. Takes ~15–20 min per person with passport and hotel address. | vjw-lp.digital.go.jp |
| ~1 week before | Buy and install eSIMs (activate on landing) | — | Ubigi |
| On arrival | Suica in Apple Wallet (do it before the flight if you have a Mastercard); Yamato bag forwarding at HND | — | §3, §5 |
Top 5 deadlines, ranked by “cannot be fixed later”
- Now → October 2026 — Kyoto + Osaka accommodation for 5. Everything else has a workaround; this one does not.
- October–December 2026 — the two onsen ryokan nights with half-board.
- 10 Feb 2027, 02:00 CET — Ghibli Museum. One shot, sells out in minutes, no resale that is legitimate.
- 28 Feb 2027, 02:00 CET — Shin-Osaka → Shinagawa Nozomi, 30 March. Peak season + 5 seats together + oversized baggage row.
- 17 Feb 2027, 02:00 CET — Azusa to Matsumoto. All-reserved; if you miss it your 17 March transfer becomes a 4-hour local-train relay.
9. Weather and packing, 10–30 March
| Place | Early March high/low | Late March high/low | Wet days | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tokyo | ~11 / 3 °C | ~16 / 8 °C | ~10 days in March | Mild; a wet week is entirely possible |
| Matsumoto | 6 / −3 °C | 12 / 2 °C | 26% → 31% chance of a wet day | Snowfall averages 74 mm early March falling to 18 mm late March — snow is realistic on your 17–21 March window (WeatherSpark) |
| Kiso valley | colder than Matsumoto | Narai sits at ~940 m, Magome ~600 m, Tsumago ~420 m. Expect frost mornings; ice and wet leaves on the Nakasendo trail | ||
| Kyoto / Osaka | ~11 / 3 °C | ~17 / 8 °C | ~9–10 days | Warmest of the three |
Sakura 2027 outlook (early forecasts; JMA and Weathernews publish real numbers from January 2027): Tokyo bloom start ≈ 29 March, peak ≈ 30 Mar–4 Apr. Kyoto bloom start ≈ 29 March, peak ≈ 4–5 Apr. Osaka similar. Sources: selfguidejapan 2027 forecast, voyspark.
Read this honestly: you leave on 30 March. On the central forecast you catch the first days of bloom in Kyoto/Osaka (26–30 Mar), not full bloom. Early varieties — kawazu-zakura, shidare-zakura, plum — will be out from mid-March, and Kyoto’s weeping cherries at Maruyama/Kodai-ji usually open several days before the Somei Yoshino. Plan the trip around what is reliably there; treat full bloom as a bonus. Track Weathernews sakura and the JMC forecast from January 2027.
Packing
- Layering system, not a big coat. Base + fleece/light down mid + waterproof shell. Tokyo/Kyoto days will be 15 °C; Matsumoto mornings −3 °C.
- Proper waterproof. ~30% chance of rain on any given day, in all three regions.
- Waterproof hiking shoes with real grip for the Nakasendo. The Magome→Tsumago walk is ~8 km of paved lane and forest path, not alpine — but in mid-March it can be wet, muddy or icy, and the Narai and Torii-toge sections are higher.
- Gloves + beanie for Matsumoto/Kiso only.
- Slip-on shoes. You take them off at temples, ryokan, some restaurants, and the Kiso museum houses. Laces get old fast.
- Daypack each — the whole point of forwarding the suitcases.
- Coin purse. Japan makes coins fast and the Kiso is cash-only.
- Type A plug, 100 V. German devices generally handle 100 V but check anything with a heating element.
- A foldable bag for tax-free purchases you now have to show at the airport.
- Ryokan supply yukata, towels, toiletries — do not pack them.
10. Etiquette and group logistics
Tattoos and onsen. Roughly half of Japan’s onsen still refuse visible tattoos; the other half accept them outright or with a skin-tone cover seal, and the Japan Tourism Agency’s 2024 guidance nudged facilities toward cover-stickers and private baths. The clean solution for a group of five with any ink: book a ryokan with a kashikiri-buro (貸切風呂) or in-room bath. Kashikiri costs ¥2,000–5,000 per session where it is not included, and slots are booked at the front desk on check-in — reserve immediately on arrival at a popular ryokan. Cross-check individual facilities on tattoofriendlyonsen.com or okonsen.net before booking. (WaTabi, thejapanode)
Splitting bills. Casual places — izakaya, ramen, curry, family restaurants — will usually do betsu-betsu (separate payment) without complaint; say “betsu-betsu de onegaishimasu”. Fine dining, kaiseki and most reservation-only places will not split. The low-friction answer for a trip this long: one person pays, everyone settles on Splitwise nightly.
Five is an awkward number. Counter restaurants — the best sushi, yakitori, oden and standing bars — often have 6–10 seats total and will not take a party of 5. Two moves:
- Book 5 seats explicitly where the venue is a table restaurant (TableCheck lets you set party size).
- Split 3+2 for counter places. Two separate reservations at the same time is often possible where one for five is not.
Also: many small places have a table charge (otōshi, ¥300–800 pp) at izakaya, and a few refuse groups outright at peak times.
Trains. Silent. No phone calls, phones on manner mode, no eating on local/commuter trains (eating on the Shinkansen and limited expresses is expected and encouraged — buy an ekiben). Backpacks off the back, on the rack or between your feet. Queue on the platform markings.
Rubbish. There are almost no public bins. Carry your rubbish until you find a konbini bin or your accommodation. Do not eat while walking in most places (street-food streets like Nishiki and Kuromon are the exception, and they will have bins).
IC card each. Non-negotiable — you cannot tap five people through one gate.
Shoes off in ryokan, machiya, temple interiors, some restaurants and museums. Wear socks without holes; the Kiso post towns will make you take them off repeatedly.
Onsen basics for the three first-timers: wash and rinse thoroughly at the seated shower before getting in, small towel never in the water (on your head or the rock), no swimwear, no photos, tie long hair up.
11. Apps
| App | Use it for | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| Google Maps | Walking, finding things, opening hours, general navigation | Default for 80% of moves; weaker on platform numbers and optimal transfers |
| Japan Travel by NAVITIME | Long intercity journeys, multi-line transfers, rail-pass filter | The one to install for the 17 Mar and 21 Mar transfer days |
| Japan Transit Planner (Jorudan) | Fare structure, platform numbers, why route A costs more than route B | Free, transparent, good complement to Google Maps |
| Suica (Apple Wallet) | Everything with a gate | Set up before you fly |
| SmartEX | The two Tokaido Shinkansen legs | Register the account and card now, not in February — card verification failures are common |
| JR-EAST Train Reservation | Azusa | Same |
| Tabelog | Restaurant discovery, ratings that Japanese people actually use (3.5+ is genuinely good) | Discovery, not booking — booking often needs a Japanese number |
| TableCheck | Actual reservations in English | The booking app |
| Klook | teamLab, attractions, occasionally cheaper than the door | Optional |
| 72 Seasons (72 Seasons / Kurashi no Koyomi) | The microseasonal calendar — what is blooming, what is in season to eat | Lovely, not load-bearing |
| Weathernews / Sakura Navi | Daily bloom status once flowering starts | Install in February 2027 |
| Windy | Rain timing on hiking days | Useful for deciding which Kiso day is the walk |
| Google Translate (download JA offline) + Google Lens | Menus, waybills, ingredient lists | Essential for the Kiso leg |
| Splitwise | The five-way money problem | — |
12. Emergency
| Police | 110 |
| Fire / Ambulance | 119 |
| German Embassy, Tokyo | 4-5-10 Minami-Azabu, Minato-ku, Tokyo 106-0047 (Metro Hiro-o, Exit 1) — +81 3 5791 7700 |
| German Consulate General, Osaka-Kobe | Umeda Sky Building, Tower East, 35th Floor, 1-1-88-3501 Oyodonaka, Kita-ku, Osaka 531-6035 — +81 6 6440 5070 |
| Other German posts | Honorary consuls in Fukuoka, Okinawa, Toyohashi — not relevant to this route |
| JNTO Japan Visitor Hotline | 24/7 in English/Chinese/Korean for emergencies and general tourist help — number listed on jnto.go.jp (not verified here; check before departure) |
Source: Federal Foreign Office, German missions in Japan.
Insurance. Get travel insurance with medical cover and repatriation. Your German statutory insurance (GKV) does not cover treatment in Japan and the EHIC is worthless there; Japanese hospitals expect payment up front and are expensive. Any of the standard German policies will do — do not spend an evening comparing ERGO against Hanse Merkur. What matters is that the policy covers medical treatment abroad, medically necessary repatriation, and ideally trip cancellation (relevant here because you are booking accommodation six months out).
Practical: photograph everyone’s passport and insurance card into a shared album, note the insurer’s 24h emergency number offline, and agree a meeting point per city in case phones die.
Sources
Rail passes and fares
- Japan Rail Pass price increase Oct 2026 — BluePlanet
- JR TOKYO Wide Pass — JR East official
- Tokyo Wide Pass Azusa limit at Kobuchizawa — Snow Monkey Resorts
- New JR EAST PASS, 14 Mar 2026 — Japan Rail Club
- Kansai Area Pass — JR West official
- Kansai WIDE Area Pass — JR West official
- Nagoya–Kyoto Shinkansen fares 2026
- Tokyo–Shin-Osaka Shinkansen fares 2026
- Shinjuku–Matsumoto Azusa fare
- Nagoya–Nakatsugawa Chuo Line fares
- Kiso Valley access — japan-guide
- Osaka–Himeji / Osaka–Kobe fares
- Kyoto–Nara fares · Kyoto–Uji
- Haneda Airport access — japan-guide
- JR peak/off-peak season calendar 2026–2028 · JR Central seasonal rule
Booking
- smartEX fare and season rules
- Booking Shinkansen from overseas 2026
- eki-net vs JR-EAST Train Reservation 2026
- SmartEX booking windows — Japan Prep
- Oversized baggage — japan-guide · JR West · smartEX
- Ghibli Museum tickets · 2026 guide
- Imperial Household Agency visit registration
- Visit Japan Web 2026 + Joint Kiosks
- JESTA timeline · Wego
IC cards, connectivity, luggage, money
- Japan IC cards and phone payment 2026
- Suica on iPhone 2026
- Tokyo Subway Ticket prices — Tokyo Metro official
- Kyoto transit passes — japan-guide · Osaka transit passes
- Alpico buses and IC acceptance
- Best eSIM for Japan 2026 · Japan Wireless eSIM guide
- Ninja WiFi pricing
- Luggage forwarding Japan — official Yamato rates · Yamato guide
- ATMs in Japan 2026 · Wise card in Japan
- Tax-free reform Nov 2026 — japan.travel official · Tokyo Cheapo
Weather, etiquette, emergency
- Matsumoto March climate — WeatherSpark
- Sakura forecast 2027 · by city
- Onsen with tattoos 2026 · etiquette
- German missions in Japan — Auswärtiges Amt
- Best Japan train apps 2026
Could not verify
- Post-14-March-2026 JR East fare revision applied to specific fares. JR East raised conventional-line fares by 4.4–5.2% on 14 March 2026. Every English source still quotes Shinjuku→Matsumoto as ¥6,620 (¥4,070 + ¥2,550), which looks pre-revision; ekitan quotes ¥5,720 “as of March 2026”, which looks like a different section. Budget ¥6,900 for the Azusa and treat all JR East local fares in this document as ±5%. JR Central (Tokaido Shinkansen, Chuo Line Nagoya–Shiojiri) did not raise fares in 2026, so the Nagoya→Kyoto and Shin-Osaka→Shinagawa numbers are solid.
- Kiso valley local fares (Matsumoto↔Narai / Kiso-Fukushima / Nagiso / Nakatsugawa) are derived from published station distances against JR distance bands, not read off a fare page. ±¥200.
- Exact JR peak-season calendar for March 2027 — confirmed via a Japanese fare-calendar site that 21 Mar–5 Apr 2027 is 繁忙期 (+¥200 reserved). The official JR Central calendar publishes it as an image I could not read. Verify at smart-ex.jp/en/product/set_dates once the 2027 calendar posts.
- Whether the Official Japan Rail Pass Website keeps pre-October-2026 prices into 2027. Its DNS did not resolve during research. Immaterial — the pass loses money at either price.
- Mobal and Sakura Mobile 2026 pricing — the comparison I could reach covers only data-only eSIMs. Check directly if you want a Japanese phone number.
- Yamato tourist counters at Kyoto / Osaka / Matsumoto stations. Yamato’s “Hands-Free Travel” counter list page 404s. Airport counters at Haneda and Narita are confirmed; for the cities, use the hotel front desk or a konbini, which is what most people do anyway.
- Which konbini chains accept Yamato. Two sources conflict on Lawson. Lawson’s carrier partnership is Japan Post (Yu-Pack), so 7-Eleven / FamilyMart / NewDays / Daily Yamazaki / Poplar is the safe list — look for the black-cat logo on the door.
- JNTO Japan Visitor Hotline number — deliberately not quoted rather than risk a wrong emergency number. Look it up on jnto.go.jp before you fly.
- teamLab Borderless March 2027 pricing — dynamic, currently ¥3,600–5,600. The exact price for your date only appears when the booking window opens.