Let's Go! To Japan
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The FroGames Card
You have seven days. Tokyo and Kyoto await. Each card you choose is a train you take, a temple you visit, a ramen you order. And in the end, you discover if the journey you imagined is truly the one you wanted to experience.
WHAT IT IS ABOUT
Planning the trip of a lifetime between Tokyo and Kyoto
Designed by Josh Wood and illustrated by five Japan-based artists (Chaykov, Kailene Falls, Toshiyuki Hara, Magdalena Pruckner, Erica Ward), Let's Go! To Japan is a planning and hand management game that puts you in the shoes of a traveler with a week ahead of them and a map of Japan to fill. The cards represent tourist attractions, means of transport, gastronomic experiences: each choice builds your personal itinerary.
At the table, you draw cards for thirteen turns, choosing which days to fill and which moments to sacrifice. Then comes the final round: you activate all the cards in the order you arranged them, discovering if the connections work, if the resources are enough, if the trip you imagined really holds up. The player who returns home with the most experience points wins, but every game leaves you with the feeling of having experienced a unique vacation.
What they say abroad
"Let's Go! To Japan distills the joy of planning a trip into a tight card game that rewards both strategy and storytelling."
Let's Go! To Japan distills the joy of planning a trip into a tight card game that rewards both strategy and storytelling.
— Meeple Mountain
We opened the box and found ourselves with a game that asks to be experienced twice: in the planning and then in the actual journey. It's rare to find a family game with such a clean biphasic structure.
— FroGames
Let's Go! To Japan
The game includes official solo rules that maintain the structure intact: you plan the itinerary by drawing and discarding cards, then you experience it by activating everything in sequence. The experience is complete and the puzzle works very well on its own, even if you lose the pleasure of comparing others' journeys at the end of the game.
FrogScore · FroGames editorial rating · based on rules, international reviews, and play sessionsWhat you pack
The four card categories that build your trip
Tourist Attractions
Temples, shrines, iconic neighborhoods, museums. Each attraction card gives you experience points and often requires you to be in a specific city (Tokyo or Kyoto). Some combine into thematic sets for extra bonuses.
Transportation
Shinkansen, local trains, subway. They allow you to move between the two cities or within the same one. Planning connections is crucial: if you don't have the right transport at the right time, you skip activations.
Gastronomic Experiences
Ramen, sushi, traditional sweets. They give immediate points and often resources (money, energy) useful for subsequent cards. They are the heart of the itinerary: they fill gaps and support the strategy.
Secret Objectives
Cards that reward specific configurations of your itinerary: visiting three consecutive temples, eating ramen on alternate days, alternating Tokyo and Kyoto. Discovering and completing them is key to final points.
Come si gioca
Video dimostrativo di gameplay.
🎲How to playThe rules in four steps▼
How to play
The flow of each round
Thirteen draft rounds, then one activation round. Simultaneous, fluid, immediate.
Each player draws cards, chooses one card to keep and places it in their itinerary (one of the seven days), passes the rest to their neighbor. Simultaneous.
Some cards give you money, photos, movements. Others cost you. Keep track of everything: in the end you must be able to activate every card you've placed in your itinerary.
Cards belong to categories (temples, food, nature, shopping). Collecting complete sets gives huge bonuses at the end of the game. But they occupy valuable slots.
After 13 draft rounds, you activate your itinerary day by day. Each card resolves: you pay the costs, take the benefits, activate combos. Then you count the points. The one who optimized best wins.
⏱️Your first gameThe chronicle, moment by moment▼
A game in five moments
What happens at the table
Not the rules. The experience.
Daydreaming
You draw your initial hand and see Tokyo Tower, an onsen, a manga shop. Everything seems possible. Then you look at the money you have and realize you'll have to choose. The table is silent: everyone is already building their trip in their head.
The first cut
First draft: you choose a card, pass the rest. Someone takes your favorite ramen. You take a temple that's worth little but opens a set. You immediately understand that every card you let go is a significant sacrifice.
Puzzle under construction
Mid-game: the itinerary takes shape, but it's a Tetris. You have three full days and four empty ones. Multi-use cards tempt you: use them for money or for points? The tension isn't against others, it's against yourself.
The last draft
Last round of cards. You see a perfect combo pass by, but you have no more free slots. Someone curses under their breath. Someone else smiles: they completed a 15-point set. You reread your itinerary and hope you made the right choices.
The real journey
Final round: you activate all cards in order, day by day, as if you were actually making the trip. Combos trigger, points increase, some cards don't work as you thought. In the end, you count everything and understand who planned better. But everyone leaves with regret for what they left out.
🐸Good to know beforehandThree honest things, from friends▼
Good to know beforehand
Three honest things
It's a puzzle, not an adventure
If you're looking for narrative or immersion, this isn't the right game. Let's Go! To Japan is pure optimization: combos, set collection, resource management. The theme is beautiful but it remains a skin over an abstract engine.
Minimal interaction
The only direct interaction is in the draft: you pick before others. Otherwise, everyone builds their itinerary in parallel. If you like games where you ruin other people's plans, this will bore you.
Requires attention to detail
Cards have three different uses (activation, discard for resources, placement for sets). Confusing them or forgetting a cost can ruin your itinerary. This is not a game to play distracted or tired.
🏆Victory and defeatWhat the ending rewards▼
How it ends
How to win
After the final activation round, you count the points. Whoever has the most wins.
Victory
- Points from activated cards (each attraction, food, experience has a value)
- Bonuses from completed sets (temples, cats, sakura, shopping, etc.)
- Points from personal and public objectives completed during the trip
Costly mistakes
- Placed cards you can't activate (you don't have money, photos, or movements to pay for them)
- Sets started and never completed (they occupy slots without giving bonuses)
- Wasted resources: accumulating money or photos you don't use makes you lose potential points
Let's Go! To Japan is the management game that makes you dream of Japan while optimizing combos. It's not for those looking for chaos or interaction: it's for those who love elegant puzzles with beautiful artwork.
💬Frequently asked questionsQuick answers before checkout▼
Frequently asked questions
FAQ about Let's Go! To Japan
What mechanics does Let's Go! To Japan use?
Simultaneous drafting (card drafting), hand management, set collection, multi-use cards, contracts/objectives. The structure is two-phased: 13 itinerary building rounds + 1 sequential activation round.
Is it suitable for those unfamiliar with Japan?
Yes. The theme is evocative, and the illustrations speak for themselves. You don't need to know Tokyo or Kyoto to play: the game guides you with clear icons and intuitive categories. It's more of a puzzle than a tourist simulation.
Does it work well solo?
Yes, it has official solo rules with an AI deck that simulates an opponent in the draft. The optimization remains intact; you only lose social interaction. Ideal for those who love management games to play on their lunch break.
How much does luck weigh in the draft?
Less than it seems. You draw many cards and see many pass by: the variance levels out. If you lose, it's because you optimized poorly, not because you drew badly. Luck is there, but it accounts for perhaps 20% of the result.
Is it available in Italian?
Yes, this is the Italian edition from Studio Supernova. Cards, rulebook, and all texts are translated. The illustrations remain the originals by Japanese and international artists.
The people behind the game
Who invented it, who designed it, who publishes it — and what else they've done.
Let's Go! To Japan is a strategy game for 1-4 players, lasting 45-60 minutes, recommended for ages 10+. Designed by Josh Wood and illustrated by Japanese artists, it brings the tourist travel experience in Japan to the table through simultaneous drafting, resource management, and set collection. The 160 activity cards represent attractions in Tokyo and Kyoto (temples, ramen, onsen, cats, sakura) with multiple uses. The structure is two-phased: 13 itinerary building rounds + 1 final sequential activation round. Includes rules for solo play. Italian edition published by Studio Supernova. Available on FroGames.it
Let's Go! To Japan
Frequently Asked Questions
The answers you're looking for, no beating around the bush.
📸Do the images match the actual product?
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📦Does the content of the box match what is indicated?
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