Japan without Japanese

Plenty of guides tell you where to go in Japan. This one answers a narrower question: where can you eat, see and stay without speaking Japanese?

We only list a place when its own official page (or an official tourism body) says something that helps: an English menu, card payment, ordering at a machine with English, English tours or English help at the front desk. Each entry shows what the page says, the link, and the date we checked. We do not rate food and we do not rank places.

Start here

• Tokyo without Japanese: 9 places to eat, 3 sights (plus 2 temple and shrine pointers) and a place to stay, checked October 2026
• Tax-free shopping from November 1, 2026: the new refund method in 6 steps

More cities (Kyoto and Osaka next) will be added as we check them.

How we check

1. We read the place's own official website (or an official tourism site such as GO TOKYO or JNTO).
2. We write down only what that page states, with a link and the date.
3. If the page does not say it, we do not claim it. If a page would not load, we leave the place out.

We never copy from map apps, review sites or booking sites. Places change: please open the official link before you go, and tell us if something has changed.

Information only: we are not a travel agency and we do not make bookings or personal itineraries. No affiliate links.