Marco Polo Japan Pocket Travel Guide: Pull-out map | Local knowledge | Hidden gems & top sights

Search less and discover more. Unlock the very best of Japan with this compact, easy-to-use travel guide - perfect for planning your Japanese adventure.

Skip the neon tourist traps of Shinjuku and the overcrowded Kyoto highlights at midday. This local expert guide reveals the popular sights and the hidden gems. Discover which shrines are quiet at dawn, which alleyway ramen counters stay open past midnight and which onsen towns still feel untouched. Discover rural ryokan where time slows, mountain trails known only to hikers, and neighbourhood cafés where regulars greet each other by name.

Navigate Japan’s layered cities and landscapes with Marco Polo’s signature pull-out maps, designed for seamless exploration. From Tokyo’s intricate rail networks to quiet countryside roads, move confidently between ancient castles, forested shrines, alpine villages, and island shores. Experience Japan at its most authentic — precise, poetic, and deeply human.

What You’ll Discover:

• Secret Japan experiences - Crowd-free shrines, hidden izakaya, coastal walks, and neighbourhoods untouched by mass tourism
• Japan's top sights - Explore the must-see highlights from Tokyo’s buzzing streets, to Kyoto’s timeless temples, with iconic experiences including Mount Fuji views and journeys on the Shinkansen
• Japan navigation mastery - Marco Polo’s pull-out maps covering cities, transport hubs, and scenic routes
• Authentic Japanese food culture - Local ramen shops, regional specialties, market breakfasts, and seasonal dining customs including fresh sushi, crispy tempura and traditional Kaiseki
• Japan cultural confidence - Etiquette, customs, and essential phrases for meaningful connections
• Smart travel in Japan - transport passes, budget tips, free viewpoints, and money-saving wisdom

Perfect for couples, families, and culture seekers wanting the real Japan, this guide explains why locals treasure small moments, from quiet tea rituals to evening strolls through lantern-lit streets. From sunrise temple bells to late-night noodle stops, discover a country where beauty lives in the detail.

Japan is more than bullet trains and cherry blossoms - it’s the rhythm of daily life, the warmth of shared meals, the stillness of mountain paths, and the grace found in ordinary moments. Find your way with Marco Polo.

• Publication date: 11 November 2026
• Page count: 164
• Dimensions: Height 192 mm; Width 109 mm; Thickness 15 mm
• Publisher: Heartwood Publishing
• Format: Paperback
• ISBN-13: 9781917131780