Japan is incredibly easy to travel in once you understand how it works. But there are a few things that are much easier to get right before you arrive.

Hotel location matters. Luggage needs a little strategy. Restaurant reservations can be their own project. And Tokyo has two airports that may look interchangeable when you are booking a flight, but very much are not when you land.

None of this should make Japan feel intimidating. It is simply one of those places where a little advance planning makes the actual trip feel wonderfully easy.

So if we were sitting down together to talk about your first or fifth trip to Japan, these are some of the things I would mention.

Where you stay matters more than you think.

Tokyo is enormous, and choosing a hotel because it looks wonderful without thinking about where it sits in relation to the rest of your itinerary can create a surprising amount of unnecessary travel time.

Ginza and Marunouchi are often very practical for first-time visitors. They are central, polished, easy to navigate and well connected. But that does not mean everyone should stay there.

Someone more interested in contemporary neighborhoods, nightlife or a less traditional Tokyo experience may be happier elsewhere. The right answer depends on what you actually plan to do.

Kyoto works the same way. Staying near Higashiyama can be wonderful if you want to walk out early in the morning and experience the older streets before they become busy. Other travelers may prefer easier transportation access or a quieter resort-style stay outside the center.

I would rather choose the hotel after we understand the itinerary than build the itinerary around a hotel chosen in isolation.

The trains are easy. The luggage takes a little thought.

Japan’s rail system is one of the great pleasures of traveling there. The Shinkansen is fast, comfortable and remarkably civilized, and train travel between the major cities is usually far more pleasant than flying.

But I do not recommend treating the bullet train like Amtrak with four giant suitcases.

Japan’s luggage-forwarding services are one of my favorite practical travel tools. We can often send larger bags ahead to the next hotel while you travel with a small overnight bag.

This is especially useful when there is a ryokan stay, Hakone, the Japanese Alps or another smaller stop between major cities.

Green Car seats can also be worthwhile on longer Shinkansen journeys, particularly if you appreciate a little more space and a quieter carriage. But the real luxury is usually having the logistics arranged properly.

If you have a choice, I usually prefer Haneda.

Tokyo has two major international airports: Haneda and Narita.

Both work. But Haneda is considerably closer to central Tokyo, and after a long international flight that difference can feel enormous.

Narita may still make sense because of schedule, airline, fare or premium-cabin availability. I would never choose a worse flight solely to avoid it.

But when the flight options are otherwise comparable, Haneda usually wins for me.

Restaurants require their own strategy.

Dining in Japan can be extraordinary, but the reservation system does not always work the way travelers expect.

Some small restaurants do not take bookings directly from overseas guests. Others release tables on very specific schedules. Some rely heavily on hotel concierges or reservation services. And many have strict cancellation policies because a tiny counter may only serve a handful of people each evening.

So the first question is not always, “What is the most famous restaurant?”

It is: what kind of meal do you want?

Sushi. Kaiseki. Yakitori. Tempura. Beef. A tiny izakaya. Something formal and extraordinary, or something casual that you will still be talking about three years later.

I would much rather build a good mix than chase nothing but impossible reservations.

A little etiquette goes a long way.

Travelers sometimes worry far too much about accidentally doing something wrong in Japan.

You do not need to memorize an etiquette handbook.

Be on time. Speak a little more quietly than you might at home. Follow cues about removing shoes. Treat shared spaces thoughtfully. And when you are unsure, watch what everyone else is doing.

That will get you surprisingly far.

A small gift can also be a lovely gesture if you are spending meaningful time with a host or someone has gone particularly out of their way for you, but I would not turn gift-giving into another travel obligation.

Something small and thoughtful from home is plenty.

Do not try to understand all of Japan in one trip.

Tokyo and Kyoto are extraordinary for good reason. They also happen to be where most first-time itineraries begin.

But Japan becomes much more interesting when you allow yourself to think regionally.

That might mean adding the Setouchi Inland Sea, spending time in Kyushu, walking part of an old pilgrimage route, heading into the mountains, or eventually going all the way south to Okinawa.

You do not have to do those things on your first trip.

In fact, I would rather you did not.

Japan is a very good country to leave unfinished.

See enough the first time that you understand why you want to come back.