Japan 2026 Pre-Departure Checklist
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Trip: Apr 25 - May 12, 2026 Travelers: Ryan Ammendolea, Dennison Cheung
Payment & cancellation deadlines
Upcoming deadlines — act before these dates
These are auto-charge and free-cancellation cutoff dates from the booking confirmations. After the deadline, you're charged the full amount.
| Date | What | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Apr 20 | ReLabo auto-charge ¥102,600 | Card will be charged automatically |
| Apr 21 | Century Marina auto-charge ¥91,440 | Card will be charged automatically |
| Apr 21 | ReLabo free cancel deadline | 100% charge after this date |
| Apr 23 | Century Marina free cancel deadline | 100% charge after this date |
| Apr 24 | Metropolitan Marunouchi free cancel deadline | 100% charge after (already paid) |
| Apr 25 | Nonokaze Resort free cancel deadline | Escalating: 20→50→80→100% |
| Apr 25 | Rental car free cancel deadline | 20% fee 3-6 days before, 50% 1-2 days |
| May 2 | Granbell Otaru free cancel deadline | 20→80→100% after |
| May 5 | Shiodome free cancel deadline | Penalty/deposit forfeiture after |
| — | Canvas Sapporo | Prepaid (no cancellation) |
| — | Sosei MGallery | Non-refundable |
Bookings — Urgent
Action required
These items need attention before departure.
- Book Aomori to Hakodate Shinkansen (Shin-Aomori to Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto, Apr 30) — booked
- Decide on rental car cancellation by Apr 20 (Toyota, confirmation 99934707200, May 2-5 Hakodate to Sapporo). Free cancel deadline is Apr 25, but decide earlier because:
- ReLabo auto-charge hits Apr 20, Century Marina Apr 21 — cluster financial decisions together
- If cancelling, you need time to book the Nonokaze return shuttle (resort → Sapporo, see below) and research JR Hokkaido Rail Pass
- Fuel shock situation worsening
- Book 1-day rental car in Aomori (for Hakkoda/Takayama Inari day trip)
Bookings — Confirmed
- Flights (all 7 legs via Cathay Pacific / JAL / Qantas)
- Hotels (all 8 bookings covering every night Apr 25 - May 12)
- Tokyo to Aomori Shinkansen (Apr 27, confirmation E91290)
- Rental car (booked, pending decision on cancellation)
Pre-Departure Prep
Don't forget
- Get International Driving Permit (required to drive in Japan — apply at a post office or AAA equivalent in Australia)
- Set up mobile Suica on phones — done on both phones
- Register IC cards with Shinkansen e-ticket (confirmation E91290) — done, linked to Suica cards
- Loop ear plugs — Ryan has them
- Research JR Hokkaido Rail Pass pricing and coverage (relevant if cancelling rental car)
- Check Hirosaki cherry blossom status closer to departure (Aomori Day 2, festival ~Apr 19 - May 5)
- Book Nonokaze return shuttle (resort → Sapporo, departs 10:00, arrives 12:30) for May 4 departure — ¥1,000-1,500/person. Only relevant if cancelling rental car. Book via hotel phone or online form. Note: the inbound shuttle from Sapporo is not useful since you're arriving from Hakodate (use JR Hokuto + Donan Bus instead).
- Ask Dennison about N-Vague dinner upgrade at Nonokaze (one of the two evenings) — ~¥11,000/person, 9-course French-kaiseki fusion, only 4 groups per night. Must book 5+ days in advance.
- Check for any Japan fuel rationing announcements closer to departure
Pre-Book Before Departure
Restaurants & activities that need advance booking
These are mentioned across the destination plans but easy to miss. Book before you leave Australia.
| What | When | Lead time | How to book |
|---|---|---|---|
| N-Vague dinner (Nonokaze, Lake Toya) | May 2 or 3 evening | 5+ days ahead | Call hotel or book via tripla |
| Nonokaze return shuttle (resort → Sapporo) | May 4 (departs 10:00) | Book early — Golden Week | Online form or call. Only if cancelling car. |
| teamLab Borderless (Tokyo, Azabudai Hills) | May 10 or 11 | Timed tickets, sells out | Online — book 2 months ahead |
| 1-day rental car (Aomori, Hakkoda trip) | Apr 29 | Before departure | Toyota / Times car rental online |
Golden Week Crowd Strategy
Golden Week: Apr 29 - May 6
Your Hokkaido leg (Lake Toya → Otaru → Sapporo) falls entirely within Golden Week. Here's how each destination is affected and how to manage it.
| Date | Holiday | Where you are | Crowd impact | Strategy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 29 | Showa Day | Aomori | Hakkoda Ropeway may be busy | Go early morning. Museum backup if crowded. |
| Apr 30 | — | Hakodate | Normal | — |
| May 1 | — | Hakodate | Normal | — |
| May 2 | — | Lake Toya | Resort areas busy | You're at the resort. Stay in. |
| May 3 | Constitution Day | Lake Toya | Mt. Usu Ropeway busier | Go at opening or skip. Room is the activity. |
| May 4 | Greenery Day | Otaru | Sakaimachi packed midday | Arrive late afternoon. Lean into evening — day-trippers leave by 5pm. |
| May 5 | Children's Day | Sapporo | City-wide busy | Underground walkways avoid surface crowds. Ramen Yokocho is always busy — go at 3pm lull. |
| May 6 | Substitute holiday | Sapporo | Last GW day, still busy | Pokemon Centre may have queues. Go at opening (10am). |
| May 7+ | Regular weekdays | Sapporo | Normal | Calmer for the rest of the trip. |
General Golden Week tactics
- Morning is king. Tourist spots are calmest before 10am.
- Evening recovers. Day-trippers return to their cities by 5pm — popular spots empty out.
- Midday (11am-3pm) is the worst window. Use this time for hotel rest, indoor activities, or konbini meals.
- Restaurants: Popular spots may need reservations. Dennison can call ahead in Japanese.
- Trains: Reserve seats where possible. Unreserved cars on JR can be standing-room-only.
Destination Planning
- Tokyo transit day (Apr 26)
- Aomori (Apr 27-29)
- Hakodate (Apr 30 - May 1)
- Lake Toya (May 2-3)
- Otaru (May 4)
- Sapporo (May 5-8)
- Tokyo return (May 9-11)