🇯🇵 Japan or 🇲🇾 Malaysia
And what the world thinks
🇲🇾 Malaysia leads by 5 votes.
Which one, honestly
Japan leads on cities and getting around. Malaysia leads on value for money and the sea.
A normal day costs about $170 in Japan and $75 in Malaysia.
Side by side
- 🇯🇵 Japan🇲🇾 Malaysia
- Mar to May, Oct to NovBest monthsJan to Mar
- $170A normal day$75
- 14h to TokyoNonstop from London13h to Kuala Lumpur
- Not the drawBeaches and seaVery good
- ExceptionalCities and cultureVery good
- ExceptionalFoodExceptional
- ExceptionalNature and hikingExceptional
- GoodValue for moneyExceptional
- ExceptionalEasy to get aroundVery good
- The best rail network in the world, buy the pass before you arriveGetting aroundCheap flights, good trains and buses, one of the easiest countries in Asia
- Golden Week in early May, when the whole country travels at onceWhen to avoidThe east coast islands from November to February, when most of them close
Pick by what you want
🇯🇵 Choose Japan if
you want somewhere that feels genuinely different, you like cities and food, and you want everything to work perfectly.
🇲🇾 Choose Malaysia if
you want Thailand's food and beaches with a fraction of the crowds, and everything running slightly more smoothly.
Full Japan guide →Full Malaysia 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.