books:

	Lonely Planet Japan Chris Rowthorn, Ray Bartlett, ... Lonely Planet Publications, 2005 - 812 pages average customer review:based on 29 reviews view larger image
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o GET MORE FOR YOUR YEN - insider's budget tips and smart accommodation options mean you can do what you want, whatever your budget
o KNOW THE ROUTE - packed with over 150 maps, more than any other guide to Japan
o FEAST LIKE AN EMPEROR - our Food & Drink chapter and mouth-watering restaurant listings dish up the best sushi and sashimi on the archipelago
o ESCAPE THE CROWDS - comprehensive coverage of Mt Fuji, Okinawa and the Southwest Islands, Kyûshû and Hokkaidô, written by the experts
o POINT IT OUT - Japanese script throughout means you'll always find what you want

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Best Tourist Guide Series Out There

This book marks the newest printing of the Lonely Planet series of travel guides on Japan. In my experience with travel, these writers give the most thorough, useful reviews of almost anywhere that anyone would find interest in, with detailed and maps, directions, and things to look out for.
A few notes, however; if you are looking for a picture book, this is NOT for you, this travel guide will contain almost completely pragmatic information such as guides and maps, with very few pictures. Also, if you are looking to actually reside in Japan, you will want to find a guide for the specific city you are looking to live in from a book series not designed for tourists, as there are many cities which are not considered "tourist's destinations" which are thus omitted from this and most other travel guide titles. A must have for a first-time tourist to Japan.

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Great overall guide to Japan

Having been to Europe the last two years, I was used to using Rick Steve's guidebooks, so I needed to find an alternative for Japan. I ordered this book and picked up a copy of Frommer's Japan guidebook, but ended up taking the Lonely Planet guide with me to Japan.

As I was reading both guides the night before my trip, I realized that the Lonely Planet guide had maps of the metro for both Tokyo and Kyoto (it also had Osaka, but I didn't need that one for this trip)and the Frommer's didn't have metro maps. You can always get the maps at train stations, but there's no guarantee they will be in English.

It also called out in more detail the "local" things to do more so than the Frommer's which focused more on the must do things for tourists. If prefer to do a little of both when traveling and the Lonely Planet did a good job of covering the touristy things as well.

The main reason why I give it four stars is because of the usefulness I got out of it while in Japan. I didn't give it 5 stars because some of the info, particularly prices, were a bit dated.

I hauled this guidebook with me in my sling bag the whole 10 days of my trip and used it every few hours to find something to do or to reference directions. The information on which train/subway line to take and what station to get off at was EXTREMELY helpful. We used this info to find our way all over Tokyo and Kyoto.

There is a Tokyo specific guide Lonely Planet publishes, but most of that info is covered in the Japan guide--You do get a smaller footprint though.

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Lonely planet: good contents poor graphics and suggestions

Although Lonely Planet has good contents about all the places to visit, the suggested walks aren't as good as others. The complete descripitions of all the places doesn't orientate first vists wiht "don't live Tokyo withot.." suggestions. Terrible maps and no pictures make this guide a real bible.. not to talk about its size...


Overall helpful - however lacking as a day-to-day travel companion.

Lonely Planet excels as a detailed introduction to what you absolutely need to know before visiting Japan. From travel hints and special considerations you just may not thought about, this guide can be an essential piece of equipment in your travel arsenal. Many of the other reviews here spell out Lonely Planet's best qualities as an overall guide and are spot-on. However, as I read the same reviews prior to purchase and now have the benefit of spending a bit over a month in Japan to date, I can offer the following as additional considerations when considering your purchase of this book.

First and foremost, a previous review mentions the rather ungainly size of the Lonely Planet Japan guide. I have found the text provides good reading at night but not always a best as a handy guide to and from sites throughout the day. It's best used as an encyclopedia of options to consider when planning your trip, and is comprehensive enough that you shouldn't need to go elsewhere for too much information. With that said, picking up a streamlined, secondary source for your day-to-day travels may not be a bad idea (and, to some degree, the LP focused titles on specific geographies handle this - i.e. the Tokyo guide, etc.)

However, the maps are ill-suited for use when traveling on foot or as actual navigation tools. For this purpose I picked up a handy (and very slim) street atlas at a local bookstore which saved me many missteps, and had the added advantage of identifying many of the features the LP guide spoke of but were difficult to find otherwise.

As I've spent nearly all my time in and around Tokyo, I've also found that the Tokyo section in general is a weaker re-write than found in previous LP guides, and covers essentially the same information. A 4th edition Tokyo guide written in 2001 served as a better companion, and the writing was friendlier, and seemed more connected with the actual sites. As Tokyo is quite vibrant and seems to be changing on the hour, I understand the challenge in keeping this section updated. However, it clearly seems in need of a re-write from a local's perspective - as written, it wasn't clear that the necessary time was spent in Tokyo to adequately update this section. Some descriptions seemed an attempt to capture the "feeling" of an area but lacked in the concrete details necessary for a traveler deciding whether or not to leave a particular site off her / his itinerary.

With that said, as an overall guide to Japan consider LP a worthy look - it accomplishes what it sets out to do. For a more-focused travel companion, especially if only traveling to Tokyo, Kyoto, or other limited areas in Japan, the smaller guides will probably suffice nicely, and tend to cover many of the other travel generalities that you'll find ultimately helpful and informative for your trip.

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reviews: page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

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