Japan Tops 2025 Global Travel Index: The Ultimate Winter Travel Guide

You may be a seasoned globetrotter forever chasing the next stamp on your passport, but Japan is one of those rare destinations that becomes more fascinating with every visit. And you’re not alone in feeling that way — according to a Travel and Tour World report, Japan is projected to top the 2025 Global Travel Rankings, with a major influx of tourists expected.

So instead of drowning in planning tabs, take notes from travel creator Daisy (@ichi.nichi.ippo), who has lived and explored Japan extensively. Here’s her curated guide to Tokyo’s contrasts and a perfectly time-boxed 3-day Kyoto itinerary.

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TOKYO

The crowd-pleasing must-dos

• Shibuya Crossing — touristy, but iconic for a reason

• Senso-ji Temple in Asakusa — Tokyo’s oldest

• Meiji Jingu Shrine — a tranquil forest escape in Harajuku

• Tsukiji Outer Market — seafood, street food, and sensory overload

Neighbourhoods with more soul, fewer tourists

• Nakameguro — riverside cafés & indie boutiques

• Daikanyama — laid-back luxury, vintage stores, quiet streets

• Jimbocho — Tokyo’s “Book Town”

• Yanaka Ginza — one of the last true shitamachi shopping streets

• Kagurazaka — cobbled alleys and geisha history

• Shimokitazawa — thrift culture, live music, creative energy

When the sun sets

• Nonbei Yokocho — the OG “drunkard’s alley” by Shibuya Station

• Golden Gai & Omoide Yokocho — tiny themed bars, yakitori lanes

• Kabukicho — neon-drenched nightlife chaos

• Hoppy Dori — retro izakayas in Asakusa

• Shimbashi — standing bars, after-work crowd

• Koenji — underground gigs, alt scene, vintage stores by day, dive bars by night

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KYOTO: A 3-DAY PLAN

Day 1

• Fushimi Inari Taisha → Lunch at Gion Duck Rice

• Stroll through Gion → Kiyomizu-dera → Souvenirs at Ninenzaka

• Dinner: 2-Michelin-star Kaiseki at Ryosho

Day 2

• Coffee at Weekender’s → Philosopher’s Path walk

• Soba at Juugo → Eikando Temple

• Gyoza at Chao Chao → Drinks at Pontocho Alley

Day 3

• Recover with coffee at Wife & Husband

• Kinkaku-ji → Kitano Tenmangu Shrine

• Oyakodon lunch at Toriiwaro → Soak at Funaoka Onsen

• Final fix: No Name Ramen