Kansai

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Photo Hashi photo · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 3.0 and others, credited in the gallery

• Can you go in an onsen in Japan with a tattoo?

  Some of Japan's baths take tattoos, some want them under a cover sticker, and most publish no rule at all. Here is the routine at the taps and in the tub, the baths that say yes, and the ones that say no.

• Can you take a bike on the Shinkansen?

  Every Shinkansen takes a bike packed as rinko, wheels off and fully bagged, up to 250 cm and 30 kg. West of Tokyo you should book the seat with the space behind it, and north of Tokyo there is nothing to book.

• How do you cycle Japan end to end, from Cape Soya to Cape Sata?

  Japan's National Cycle Routes stop well short of joining the northern and southern capes, so riders link them with ordinary roads. Ride Hokkaido covers the island, this guide picks you up at Aomori, and the season decides the direction.

• How do you send skis, boards and bikes ahead in Japan?

  Hand a covered ski or board bag to Yamato two days before you ride and it waits at the resort desk. A bike goes only boxed, within 200 cm and 30 kg, and Sagawa's web booking stays down after its September 2026 breach.