Country guide

Japan

Destinations

Visa & entry

eu passport	Visa-free entry for tourism, 90 days; some EU nationals (Austria, Germany, Ireland, Liechtenstein) among those eligible to apply for an extension up to a maximum stay of 6 months.
us passport	Visa-free entry for tourism, 90 days.
uk passport	Visa-free entry for tourism, 90 days; UK nationals also among those eligible to apply for an extension up to 6 months maximum.
entry or eco taxes	Japan levies a Sayonara/International Tourist Tax of JPY 1,000 collected on departure (via airline ticket), in effect since Jan 2019 - amount/date from general knowledge, not re-verified this pass.
digital nomad visa	Japan launched a Digital Nomad visa in 2024 (6-month stay, no extension/renewal at time of launch) - not re-verified against an official source this pass; treat as unconfirmed for 2026 rules.
tax residency days	Null - not verified this pass (Japanese tax residency generally hinges on a 1-year+ 'jusho' domicile test rather than a simple day-count, per general knowledge, not sourced this pass).

Money

currency	Japanese Yen (JPY)
card acceptance	Japan remains largely cash-dependent outside major chains/cities; many smaller shops, traditional restaurants, and rural venues (relevant to Chiba/Miura/Miyakojima kite spots) may be cash-only.
atm networks fees limits	Null - not verified this pass; 7-Eleven (Seven Bank) ATMs are widely reported in travel guides as the most reliable for foreign cards, not independently sourced this pass.
local instant payment	Null - not verified this pass (PayPay and other QR-payment apps are widely used domestically but foreigner onboarding not confirmed here).
tipping	No tipping culture; tipping is not expected or customary in restaurants, taxis, or hotels - service charges typically included.
cash tips	Not customary; attempting to tip can cause confusion - general knowledge extension of the no-tipping norm, not independently sourced this pass.

SIM & internet

operators ranked for coast coverage	NTT Docomo KDDI (au) SoftBank Rakuten Mobile
id required for sim	Null - not independently verified this pass; Japan generally requires passport ID for SIM purchase/rental per general knowledge.
starlink status	Partial signal: KDDI (au) announced a partnership with SpaceX/Starlink (2022) to extend connectivity via ~1,200 remote mobile towers - this describes a carrier-backhaul partnership, not confirmation of direct consumer Starlink licensing/availability in Japan.
notes	Airport eSIM/pocket-wifi rental is the commonly reported tourist solution in kite trip reports, not independently verified this pass.

Insurance

kite excluded by standard policies	Not independently re-verified this pass; kitesurfing commonly classified as an excluded 'extreme/adventure sport' by basic travel-insurance policies industry-wide - general knowledge only.
recommended	Specialist kite/watersports rider or a policy explicitly listing kitesurfing as covered.
evacuation note	Japan has high-standard but potentially expensive private medical care; evacuation coverage recommended - general knowledge, not sourced this pass.

Health

vaccines	No special vaccines required for Japan; routine vaccinations sufficient - general knowledge, not independently re-sourced this pass.
mosquito disease seasons	Null - not verified this pass (Japan has had localized dengue transmission concerns historically, e.g., Tokyo 2014, but not verified for current status).
tap water	Generally safe to drink across Japan - general knowledge, not independently re-sourced this pass.
emergency numbers	110 (police), 119 (fire/ambulance), 118 (Japan Coast Guard).
hospital standard	Null - not verified this pass.
pharmacy notes	Null - not verified this pass.

Driving

idp needed	CONTRADICTION - see contradictions field. One source states Japan recognizes the 1968 Vienna Convention IDP; another (Wikipedia's Japan driving-licence article) implies Japan does not straightforwardly recognize foreign IDPs and instead operates a license-conversion (gaimen kirikae) system for residents, with only Geneva Convention (1949) style IDPs commonly accepted for short-term visitors in most third-party travel guidance. This is a widely-cited travel trap (UK/Ireland/Germany-issued Vienna-style IDPs are reported by many travelers as NOT accepted in Japan) - could not resolve definitively this pass; verify with a Japan-specific official source (JAF) before renting a car.
road safety	Left-side driving.
rental traps	Null - not verified this pass.
4x4 contexts	Null - not verified this pass.
police stops	Null - not verified this pass.

Regulation

kite rules national	Null - not verified this pass.
drone rules	Null - not verified this pass (Japan has notably strict national drone laws including registration and no-fly zones, per general knowledge, not sourced this pass).
protected areas	Null - not verified this pass (Miyakojima/Okinawa reef areas likely have marine protected zones, not sourced this pass).

Calendar & costs

school holidays	Null - not verified this pass; Japanese Golden Week (late Apr-early May) and Obon (mid-Aug) are widely known as major domestic travel-price-spike periods - general knowledge, not independently sourced this pass.
currency	JPY

airline: ANA (All Nippon Airways)
policy: Null - could not load ANA's sports equipment baggage page this pass (connection timeout).
source: https://www.ana.co.jp/en/us/baggage-rules-services/checked-baggage/sports-equipment/ (fetch timed out)
airline: JAL (Japan Airlines)
policy: Null - could not load JAL's sports equipment baggage page this pass (403 error).
source: https://www.jal.co.jp/en/baggage/inter/free/sports.html (403 forbidden)

IDP requirement: Wikipedia's International Driving Permit article lists Japan as recognizing the 1968 Vienna Convention IDP. Wikipedia's Driving licence in Japan article does not confirm this and instead frames foreign-license use around a license-conversion process, and widespread third-party travel-blog/kite-trip-report consensus is that Japan actually requires a 1949 Geneva Convention-style IDP (meaning IDPs issued by Vienna-only countries like the UK, Ireland, and Germany are often reported as not accepted). Not resolved this pass - flagged for verification against JAF (Japan Automobile Federation) directly.

Open questions

Resolve the IDP convention contradiction above via JAF's official page (jaf.or.jp) before publishing final driving guidance.
Confirm ANA and JAL kitesurf/sports-equipment baggage fees and size limits.
Confirm Japan Digital Nomad visa 2026 status, income threshold, and renewal rules.
Confirm eSIM/tourist SIM options and ID requirements for Chiba/Miura/Okinawa/Miyakojima kite trips.
Confirm drone rules and marine protected area rules near Miyakojima/Okinawa.
Confirm cost-of-living figures - Numbeo query was rate-limited during this research pass.