The news broke in late 2025. Japan was relaxing visa requirements for tourists from dozens of countries, including the UK, US, Canada, Australia, and most of Europe. The new rules were simple: if you’re a citizen of one of those countries, you could enter Japan without a visa for up to 90 days. No application forms. No embassy appointments. No $50 fees.
A reader named Chloe emailed me the day after the announcement. “I’ve wanted to go to Japan for years,” she wrote. “Is now the time? And how much more expensive is it going to be?”
She was right to ask about cost. The Trip Cost Estimator had already started showing higher estimates for 2026. Accommodation prices were up 15% from the previous year. Flight prices were up 20%. And the weaker yen was starting to recover, which meant every pound bought fewer yen than it had a few months earlier.
I ran Chloe’s numbers for a 14‑day trip: Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Hiroshima. Estimated cost in June 2025: £2,100. Estimated cost in June 2026: £2,600. That’s a 24% increase. The visa relaxation had already triggered a surge in demand before the rules even took effect. Hotels were filling up. Tour companies were raising prices.
A travel agent friend of mine, a guy named Kenji (he’s Japanese, living in London), told me “the visa change is good for tourism, but bad for budgets. More people means higher prices. That’s just supply and demand.”
The pre-boom numbers vs. the boom numbers
Let me show you the difference using real data from the estimator.
Accommodation. In 2025, a mid‑range hotel room in Tokyo cost ¥10,000-12,000 per night (£55-65). In 2026, the same room is ¥13,000-15,000 (£72-83). That’s a 30% increase. A budget hostel bed that cost ¥3,000 (£16) now costs ¥4,500 (£25). A luxury ryokan that cost ¥30,000 (£165) now costs ¥40,000 (£220).
Food. A bowl of ramen in Shinjuku cost ¥1,000 (£5.50) in 2025. Now it’s ¥1,300 (£7.20). A sushi set that cost ¥4,000 (£22) now costs ¥5,500 (£30). Convenience store onigiri stayed the same – ¥150-250 – because the konbini chains have pricing power and haven’t raised them yet.
Transport. The Shinkansen bullet train from Tokyo to Kyoto cost ¥13,500 (£74) in 2025. Now it’s ¥14,500 (£80). Not a huge increase, but noticeable. A 7‑day Japan Rail Pass cost ¥50,000 (£275) last year. Now it’s ¥55,000 (£303). The pass still pays off if you travel between four or more cities.
Activities. Studio Ghibli Museum tickets were ¥1,000 (£5.50). They’re now ¥1,200 (£6.60). TeamLab Planets was ¥3,200 (£17.60). Now ¥4,000 (£22). These small increases add up over a two‑week trip – about £50-100 total.
The visa details
The visa relaxation applies to tourists from 71 countries. You don’t need to apply in advance. You just show up with your passport and a return ticket. You get a 90‑day tourist stamp. You can’t work on this visa (not even remote work for a foreign company – technically illegal, though rarely enforced).
The Trip Cost Estimator has a toggle for “visa fees” – set it to £0 if you’re from a visa‑exempt country.
Chloe used the estimator to build her budget. She added a “visa” line item of £0, but she added a “travel insurance” line item of £45 – she knew the medical costs in Japan are reasonable but still not worth risking.
The currency factor
The yen weakened significantly in 2024 and 2025. At its lowest, £1 bought ¥198. That made Japan cheap for British travellers. In early 2026, the yen recovered slightly to about ¥180 to the pound. Still historically weak, but not as weak as before. The Currency Budget Converter can show you the impact.
Chloe set an alert for ¥185 to the pound. When it hit, she bought ¥100,000. That cost her £540. A week later, the rate dropped to ¥182. Her £540 was now worth about £540 still – because she already bought the yen. She locked in the rate.
How to save money in the Japan travel boom
Go in shoulder season. February and March are cheaper than April (cherry blossom) and November (autumn colours). September is cheap but hot and humid. Chloe chose late May – after the spring crowds, before summer heat.
Stay in business hotels. Chains like Toyoko Inn, Dormy Inn, and APA Hotel offer clean, small rooms for ¥8,000-12,000 (£44-66). They’re everywhere. They include breakfast sometimes. They’re not fancy, but they’re fine for sleeping.
Use luggage forwarding. Takkyubin costs ¥1,500-2,000 (£8-11) per large suitcase. Send your bag from Tokyo to Kyoto. Travel light between. You’ll save on taxi fares and Shinkansen seat reservations.
Eat konbini breakfast. Onigiri, yogurt, coffee: ¥500 (£2.75). A hotel breakfast buffet costs ¥2,000-3,000 (£11-16). Do the math.
Buy a Suica card for local trains. Don’t buy single tickets. Load ¥5,000 onto a Suica card at the airport. Use it for subways, buses, convenience stores, vending machines. It’s faster and slightly cheaper.
Avoid tourist-trap restaurants. The restaurant under a famous temple charges ¥2,000 for mediocre soba. Walk two blocks away. A local noodle shop charges ¥800 for excellent udon.
Use the Trip Cost Estimator to compare scenarios
Chloe ran two scenarios. Scenario A: cherry blossom season (early April), nice hotels, restaurant meals, three guided tours. Total: £3,800. Scenario B: late May, business hotels, konbini breakfasts, ramen lunches, self-guided tours using the city’s official audio guides. Total: £2,500. She chose Scenario B and used the £1,300 savings to add a trip to Hakone for onsen and Mount Fuji views.
What’s still cheap in Japan despite the boom
Public transport. The subway in Tokyo costs ¥180-300 per ride. A day pass is ¥800. That’s cheap.
Street food. Takoyaki, taiyaki, yakitori – ¥100-300 per item.
Sake. A glass at a standing bar costs ¥500-800.
Entry to temples and shrines. Most cost ¥300-500. Some are free.
Drugstore items. Skincare, cosmetics, medicines – still 30-50% cheaper than in the UK.
What’s become expensive
Luxury hotels. The Ritz-Carlton in Tokyo is ¥100,000 per night. That’s over £500. Still cheaper than the Ritz in London (£800), but not by much.
Private tours. A guide for a day in Kyoto: ¥30,000-50,000 (£165-275). Chloe skipped it and used the Japan Official Travel App.
Shinkansen upgrades. Green Car (first class) is 30-50% more than regular car. Not worth it.
Final advice for the Japan boom
Chloe went to Japan in late May. She had an amazing time. She spent £2,600 – slightly more than her £2,500 budget, but less than the £2,800 the estimator had warned her about. She said “the crowds were bigger than I expected, even in late May. But I didn’t mind. I just woke up earlier.”
Her tip: book everything as early as possible. She booked hotels five months in advance. She booked the Ghibli Museum tickets exactly one month before – they sold out in 20 minutes. She booked the Shinkansen tickets a month before too.
The Trip Cost Estimator isn’t a booking tool. But it helps you see what you need to book.
If you’re planning a trip to Japan, don’t wait. The boom is real. Prices are going up. Demand is high. The visa relaxation made it easier to go, but it also made it more expensive.
Go anyway. Just go with your eyes open – and a budget that accounts for the new reality.
