Travelling to Japan from Malaysia? Here’s everything that you need to know

Japan is a popular tourist destination from Malaysia, with plenty on offer, whether you want to have a fast paced city break, soak up some culture and history, or even hit the slopes. You can travel to Japan from Malaysia pretty easily these days, but as with anywhere, there are still some important Japan entry requirements to get familiar with. This guide walks through all you need to know. Plus we touch on Wise as a good way to spend in JPY with the mid-market exchange rate, and low, transparent fees¹.

Updated Japan entry requirements from Malaysia

As with pretty much every country in the world, the Covid pandemic saw Japan’s borders close, with extensive entry requirements in place to protect travellers during the transition to the post-pandemic ‘new normal’. The good news is that, according to the Embassy of Japan in Malaysia, there are no no outstanding Covid-related requirements² (as of 30th March 2024).

That means there’s no need for vaccination proof, PCR test, or automatic quarantine. Follow common sense travel precautions and stay home if you’re unwell - and bear in mind that if you arrive at the border showing symptoms of Covid you may be tested and quarantined if the circumstances require it.

So now that we can travel to Japan from Malaysia more easily, do Malaysians need a visa to Japan?

Malaysian citizens do not need a Visa for tourist visits of up to 90 days if they have a biometric passport with ICAO standard³. You’ll need to double check your passport meets the ICAO standard - but this is usually the case for any passport issued from 2017.

This visa exemption is in place for visits for tourism, to meet friends and family or for business meetings. If you’re going to Japan to work, or study, or if you plan to stay for longer than the 90 days, you’ll need to get a visa in advance. You can check the right visa type for your needs over on the Embassy of Japan in Malaysia website.

As travel rules and restrictions can change quite abruptly, take a look at the up to date information before you book your trip to Japan, over on the embassy website.

What can I bring into Japan?

So the Japan travel restrictions relating to Covid have largely been dropped - but there are still some rules about what you can bring into the country.

On arrival you’ll need to complete a Japanese customs declaration form, where you can declare the import of dutiable items⁴. It’s important to check the lists of prohibited and restricted items to make sure you’re not accidentally bringing anything into the country that’s not allowed.

While most banned products are pretty obvious, some are less so - including the import of most meat and food products. Bringing meat into the country, including things like jerky or bak kwa, without having a proper licence, can mean a huge fine or even jail time⁵. Don’t fall foul of the law accidentally - even taking a small amount of a food item as a gift for a friend could be enough to get you into serious trouble with the Japanese authorities.

Flights from Malaysia to Japan

You can fly directly from Malaysia to Japan if you’re heading to a major city like Tokyo or Osaka. For most other destinations in Japan, including Okinawa or Fukuoka, there are no direct flights so you’ll need to arrange a stop over in Singapore, or head to one of the Japanese cities served from KL and arrange onward travel from there.

Direct flights from Malaysia to Japan usually take 6 and a half hours or so - but build in extra time if you need a layover. Less direct routes to Japan may offer lower fares, but do take that bit longer.

Travelling within Japan

If you’re planning a multi-city tour of Japan, you’ll also need to think about getting from place to place once you arrive. Japan is a very large country but has excellent infrastructure, which means that getting around isn’t usually too tricky. You can fly from place to place, or take the train or the well known Shinkansen - the bullet train.

Travel times within Japan and between popular destinations can be pretty manageable, too. To give a few common examples, you can get from Osaka to Kyoto on a fast train in under 30 minutes. The shinkansen from Tokyo to Osaka takes only two and a half hours - which makes it faster than flying. And if your trip takes in Tokyo and Okinawa, you can fly between the two destinations in about two and a half to three hours, depending on the route selected. All in all this gives loads of opportunities to visit more than one place in Japan to make the most of your trip there.

If you’re not sure where you’d like to visit in Japan, the Japanese tourist authorities have some excellent suggested Japan itineraries, which you can review based on the type of break you want or how long you have to play with⁶.

3 Tips for a seamless trip when travelling to Japan from Malaysia

A trip to Japan can be enormous fun, but navigating in a new country can be a bit daunting. Here are a few top tips to make sure you can make the most of your time there.

Tap in and out of public transport with the Suica app

The Suica app can be used throughout Japan to tap and pay on public transportation including trains and buses. You don’t need to carry a physical card - just add the app to your phone and then you can top up on mobile and tap and pay with your card when you enter a train or bus.

Download the Suica app for Apple⁷ or the Suica app for Android⁸ before you leave Malaysia for your trip to Japan, to unlock travel without needing to handle cash or buy physical tickets.

Transport your luggage with Takuhaibin (delivery services)

You can make life easier if you’re on a multi-city tour in Japan, by using Takuhaibin - a luggage forwarding service. Services like Yamato Transport have luggage forwarding desks in hotels, airports and even in convenience stores, where you can arrange shipping services to mean you don’t need to carry your baggage around⁹.

Luggage forwarding services can help you to send your luggage to or from the airport or even to hotels and accommodation in different cities. This could be helpful if you’re travelling by train and don’t want to be weighed down by bags, or if you have an early hotel checkout and don’t want to carry your bag all day. Simply arrange for it to be shipped to your next destination and collect it at the hotel once you arrive.

Maximise your JPY transactions with the Wise card

Make your money go further when you travel to Japan from Malaysia, with Wise.

Open a Wise account online or in the Wise app, and order a Wise card for a low one time charge of 13.7 MYR. Your physical card will arrive by mail, and you’ll get instant access to a virtual card for mobile and digital spending, too.

Cash is still an important means of payment in Japan - so you can use your Wise card to make ATM withdrawals up to the value of 1,000 MYR a month fee free, with low and transparent charges after that. Make withdrawals, and tap to pay in stores, with the mid-market exchange rate and low fees from 0.43%.

Add money to your multi-currency Wise account in MYR and automatically start spending in JPY - the card’s auto convert tools will switch your MYR to JPY with the lowest possible changes, and no hidden transaction fees

💳 Get your Wise card today!

Travelling from Malaysia to Japan is sure to be great fun, with plenty on offer for everyone. As Covid restrictions have been relaxed more or less worldwide, your trip is fairly easy to arrange, too. Use this guide to check out the Japan entry requirements that are still in place for everyone, and to pick up some handy tips to make getting around the country easy once you arrive. Plus, don’t forget to grab a Wise card to spend and withdraw in JPY with low fees and the mid-market rate - making your money go further on your trip.