How I Actually Start Planning Every Japan Trip

#30 This week on Rewarding Routes, we're getting into one of my favorite parts of the whole travel process, the early stages of planning a trip to Japan.In this episode, we're talking about how to start planning your trip to Japan before you even think about building an itinerary. We'll break down how I use Google Maps to save locations and visually spot the neighborhoods that have my interest, discuss how learning about Japan's different regions and prefectures completely changes the way you experience a trip, and I share how I build a simple budget sheet early on so I'm never caught off guard by costs. Tune in to learn how to plan smarter, go deeper, and start building your dream Japan trip one saved pin at a time.What You'll Learn from This EpisodeHow I use Google Maps to save every location that interests me and how over time it helps me see exactly which neighborhoods I should be staying inWhy learning about Japan's regions and prefectures is one of the most exciting parts of the planning process and how it shapes everything from your route to what you eatHow the season you travel in completely changes your experience, whether that's navigating cherry blossom crowds in spring or catching incredible festivals in the summerWhy I start a simple budget sheet early on and how it helps me plan for activities, ryokans, transportation, and more without any last minute stressHow thinking about travel through points and miles allows me to slow down, enjoy the trip, and keep coming back to Japan year after yearFeatured on the ShowThe Navigatio – A great Japan travel blog worth followingOnly in Japan – John Daub has lived in Japan for nearly 30 years and his passion for the country comes through in every single videoOnly in Japan Go – John's live channel, a great companion to the main channelTDR ExplorerAbroad in Japan – Chris Broad's channel is one of my favorites for Japan contentSam and VictorCurrently HannahTabi Eats – If you love food content from Japan, this one is a must followIf you have questions or want to share how you plan your own trips, reach out to me on Instagram at @itsjohndiaz or shoot me an email at [email protected]. I genuinely want to hear how you do things because I'm always learning too. If you got value from this episode, a five star review would mean the world to me. I'll catch you on the next one!Rewarding Routes Stan Store  → https://stan.store/rewardingroutesInstagram → https://www.instagram.com/rewardingroutes/Email → [email protected]