🇪🇸 Spain or 🇯🇵 Japan
And what the world thinks
Dead even. The next vote breaks the tie.
Which one, honestly
Spain leads on the sea and value for money. Japan leads on nature and getting around.
A normal day costs about $150 in Spain and $170 in Japan.
Side by side
- 🇪🇸 Spain🇯🇵 Japan
- Apr to May, Sep to OctBest monthsMar to May, Oct to Nov
- $150A normal day$170
- 7h 45m to MadridNonstop from New York14h to Tokyo
- Very goodBeaches and seaNot the draw
- ExceptionalCities and cultureExceptional
- ExceptionalFoodExceptional
- Very goodNature and hikingExceptional
- Very goodValue for moneyGood
- Very goodEasy to get aroundExceptional
- Fast trains between the big cities, a car for the northGetting aroundThe best rail network in the world, buy the pass before you arrive
- The southern cities in July and AugustWhen to avoidGolden Week in early May, when the whole country travels at once
Pick by what you want
🇪🇸 Choose Spain if
you want cities, food and beaches in the same trip without choosing between them.
🇯🇵 Choose Japan if
you want somewhere that feels genuinely different, you like cities and food, and you want everything to work perfectly.
Full Spain guide →Full Japan guide →
Compare something else
Written and checked by hand. Nothing here about visas or entry rules: those change often and depend on your passport, so check an official source.