The pandemic changes the travel scenery a lot. Additional regulations are in place and some countries took special measures to make sure their tourism market remains active but safe at the same time.

It is a tricky business, but now, we are beginning to see the light at the end of the rainbow a bit.

With new regulations coming into practice, today’s article will be about all the things you need to prepare to travel to Japan - answering the questions of “What to prepare?”, “How to go?”, “Where to go?” and “What to remember?”.

As the pandemic still among us, it is best to keep in mind what are the new regulations in place before booking your flight to Japan.

You can find in-depth information from Traveloka’s COVID-19 Info & Requirements that will help you in your preparation.

From Malaysia, there are both direct and transit flights available to take you to Japan.

There are many major airports in Japan, but the two that typically serves both local and international travellers from Malaysia to Tokyo are the Haneda International Airport and Narita International Airport.

Haneda is typically closer to the downtown area. These two important airports serve as the main gateway to Japan and especially Tokyo.

Suppose you are thinking of going to Hokkaido, in that case, the New Chitose Airport generally serves the Sapporo metropolitan area and Hokkaido, as well as the smaller Asahikawa Airport, which serves domestic flights and international flights from around East Asia.

On the other hand, for travellers interested in going to Okinawa, the Naha Airport is your target destination.

Among the handful of airlines operating in Japan, in general, include All Nippon Airways, Cebu Pacific, Japan Airlines, Philippine Airlines, Malaysia Airlines and Singapore Airlines.

Some of these airlines may offer nonstop or direct flights to Japan, with one or two stops in cities like Hong Kong or Seoul.

It feels incomplete to come to Japan and to Tokyo to an extent without mentioning the Imperial Palace. As the main residence of the Emperor of Japan, which is the oldest hereditary monarchy in the world, it has a large park-like area found in the Chiyoda district of the Chiyoda ward.

After the shogunate and Meiji Restoration decline, the Emperor who had newly arrived at the Edo Castle in 1868 made the castle his new residence before going back to Kyoto and fully settling in a year later, renaming Edo Castle to Imperial Castle.

Visitors can expect nothing less in present-day Imperial Palace as several buildings can be found here, including the main palace, residences of the Imperial Family, archive, museum and administrative offices.

Built on the old Edo Castle site over a total area of 1.15 square kilometres, a well-known attraction would definitely be the Nijubashi Bridge, a bridge leading to the palace interior.

Travel Tips:

Located in the Asakusa district in Tokyo, the Sensō-Ji is the oldest and among the most significant temples in Tokyo – in fact, it is the most famous shrine that you can find in the city, standing at the end of a long street market, Nakamise-dōri which is about 250 meters long.

The Buddhist temple is dedicated to Kannon Bosatsu, the Buddhist goddess of compassion. The temple has been around since 645 A.D., with its main features including the Kaminari-mon, the Hozo-mon and the famous Incense Vat.

The temple typically receives 30 million visitors annually, being the most widely visited spiritual site in the world. It is the focus ground of the renowned Sanja Matsuri festival.

No admission fee is being charged, but the temple accepts donations.

This attraction might be pretty interesting to the travellers that love shopping. Found in Chuo ward, Ginza as a district has been well-established as an upscale shopping area of Tokyo.

While it started off as a former swamp that was filled in during the 16^th century as a silver-coin mint, it got burned in a fire in 1872 and was then designated as a "model of modernisation" by the then-Meiji government, with redevelopments being done laying the Bricktown buildings and forming the earlier identity of Ginza.

These days many internationally renowned department stores, boutiques, restaurants, and coffee houses can be found as you stroll through the area.

It is said that this area has the highest concentration of Western shops in the entirety of Tokyo, with many leading fashion houses like Chanel, Dior and Louis Vuitton among others setting up flagship stores here, as well as electronic companies setting up their flagship retail stores such as Apple and Sony.

Entrance is free, of course, but be ready with a huge sum of money to go to some shopping and café hopping.

As the second-largest island in Japan, Hokkaido certainly has its own offerings of attractions for travellers. The first place to go when in Hokkaido is definitely Sapporo, the largest city in Hokkaido.

Here, the Sapporo Clock Tower is the oldest clock tower of its kind in Japan, having built-in 1878 as one of the earliest buildings to be built in the city.

This American-designed tower would have its clock installed in 1881 by E. Howard & Co. of Boston, Massachusetts, USA. It has been in operation since then.

It was designated as an Important Cultural Property in 1970 and certified as Mechanical Engineering Heritage of Japan in 2009.

Within the same building, there is a museum that the visitors can come over to learn the history of the Agricultural College as well as the development of Sapporo as a city.

Admission fees are charged at JPY200 (MYR7.33) for adults and free for children.

A 334 meters volcanic mountain that used to be separate from the mainland is accessible by bike or hiking. The cable car service operates regularly every 15 minutes.

Upon reaching the top, the mountain would offer a good view of the entire city that is fantastic as well as the bay, especially during clear weather.

In fact, the view from here is renowned all over and comparable to the likes of Naples and Hong Kong.

There are observation platforms, souvenir shops and a café nearby for you to refresh yourself and take some time to relax on top before going down to enjoy the nearby Hakodate city which is famed for its Western-style buildings, and fresh seafood and salt ramen.

Okinawa is the prefecture of Japan, well-known for its tropical climate, beaches, coral reefs and World War II sites.

Coincidentally on its largest island, also named Okinawa, there is an attraction that you will hardly miss when you find yourself travelling around Okinawa, that is Okinawa Commemorative National Government Park or also known as Ocean Expo Park.

Here, there is the Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium, in which you can expect to enjoy viewing the various sea life that is replicated faithfully to the Okinawan ocean environment.

About 11,000 sea creatures are hailing from 570 species being displayed here. Among the attractions are the whale sharks, manta rays and dolphins.

Besides that, there are also nearby attractions such as Emerald Beach and the Tropical Dream Center, which can be found within the same area.

Travel Tips:

Shuri Castle is the main attraction in Okinawa found at Naha City, being the home of the rulers of Ryukyu Kingdom back in the day.

Being among the most visited tourist sites found in Okinawa, the gusuku architectural style of the castle is distinctively Okinawan and is unique to the Okinawa area.

It was built in the 14^th century during the days when Okinawa was under the reign of the Ryukyu Kingdom, serving as the administrative centre and residence of the Ryukyu kings for several centuries before Okinawa got incorporated into Japan in 1879.

The main features include the Shureimon Gate as well as the main hall, the Seiden, which is considered an important landmark in Okinawa.

Over the years, various reconstruction works have been conducted over the building to keep it to its original shape.

Nonetheless, not all of the castle is open to the public as the main courtyard was destroyed by fire back in 2019, with reconstruction plans to commence by 2026.

Who's excited to travel to Japan? We are, too. Hurry and book your flight via Traveloka for the best deals.