Japan or Taiwan?
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 403 179
UNESCO listings among them 27 0
Cost level High Mid-range
Busiest month in our write-ups October April
Currency Yen (JPY) New Taiwan dollar (TWD)
Plugs and voltage A, B - 100 V A, B - 110 V
Everyday languages Japanese Mandarin Chinese
Driving side left hand side right hand side
Region Eastern Asia Eastern Asia
Capital Tokyo Taipei
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
Taiwan
Japanese orderliness with Chinese warmth; night markets are the evening's main event.
What we have written up
- 921 Earthquake Museum of Taiwan museum
- Alangyi Ancient Trail coastal trail
- Alishan mountain
- Antong Hot Springs hot spring
- Aowanda Forest Recreation Area forest area
- Baguashan Great Buddha statue
Worth knowing before you go
- Cash still leads at night markets; cards fine elsewhere
- Convenience stores do everything - tickets, bills, coffee, seats
- Free wifi is genuinely everywhere
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.