China or Japan?
The practical differences, drawn from our own write-ups rather than from a brochure. We are not going to tell you which is better - they are different trips. What follows is what actually changes between them.
Places written up here 472 403
UNESCO listings among them 46 27
Cost level Mid-range High
Busiest month in our write-ups October October
Currency Renminbi yuan (CNY) Yen (JPY)
Plugs and voltage A, C, I - 220 V A, B - 100 V
Everyday languages Mandarin Chinese Japanese
Driving side right hand side left hand side
Region Eastern Asia Eastern Asia
Capital Beijing Tokyo
China
Vast, fast and app-driven; patience with crowds and queues is the essential skill.
What we have written up
- Aizhai Bridge suspension bridge
- Anji Bamboo Sea bamboo forest
- Aoluguya Ewenki Reindeer Village indigenous settlement
- Arxan National Forest Park forest park
- Badaguan villa district
- Badain Jaran Desert desert
Worth knowing before you go
- High-speed rail is superb and booked by passport number
- The 144-hour visa-free transit covers many itineraries - check current rules before flying
- Squat toilets are standard outside malls and hotels - carry tissues
Japan
Consideration for others is the operating system; quiet, clean and precise.
What we have written up
- 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art art museum
- Abashiri Drift Ice sea ice
- Abeno Harukas skyscraper
- Adachi Museum of Art museum
- Ago Bay bay
- Akihabara district
Worth knowing before you go
- Cash still matters - many small restaurants and shrines take no cards; 7-Eleven ATMs accept foreign cards
- Convenience store food is genuinely good - a national institution
- The IC card (Suica/Pasmo, also in phone wallets) taps you through trains, buses and shops
Counts describe this site, not the countries: "places written up here" means how many pages we have finished, and it keeps growing. Currency, plugs and languages are practical facts and change rarely; check anything visa-related with the relevant official source before you book.