Golf in Japan: The Complete Trip Planning Guide for Visitors

The first time you play golf in Japan, the front nine ends and nobody heads for the 10th tee. Your group walks into the clubhouse instead, orders lunch and a beer, and sits down for the best part of an hour. After the round, there is a hot bath waiting in the locker room.

That is how most rounds work here, and it surprises almost every visitor. Golf in Japan is very open to tourists. Japan has 2,153 courses, many of them take non-members, and green fees on a weekday are often lower than you would expect. The catch is logistics. Most courses sit outside the cities, many booking systems are in Japanese, and the day follows its own set of customs. Plan those three things, and a Japan golf trip is easy.

Can tourists play golf in Japan?

Yes. Many courses in Japan accept visitors, and some prestigious clubs let non-members play for a fee, according to JNTO. The most exclusive private clubs remain members only. There are plenty of other choices, from city courses in Tokyo to resort courses in Okinawa.

The Japan Golf Course Management Association counted 2,153 courses paying the golf usage tax in July 2026. Hokkaido had 140 of them, Okinawa had 31, and Tokyo only 21.

How a round of golf in Japan works

A round in Japan is usually an all-day event. According to JNTO's golf guide, most 18-hole courses build in a lunch break of about an hour between the front nine and the back nine. Some clubs let you play straight through, so ask when you book if you would rather not stop.

Teeing off at Kanucha Golf Course, a resort course in northern Okinawa.

Carts, caddies and the bath

Riding carts are common at Japanese courses. Some are guided navigation carts, and some are driven by remote control, so you walk to your ball and the cart follows. At Wakasu Golf Links in Tokyo, for example, every group rides a remote-controlled cart and caddie play is the default.

Caddies cost extra, and JNTO suggests checking in advance whether your caddie speaks English. Rental clubs and carts are usually available, but book clubs ahead because sets are limited.

Most clubhouses have large locker rooms with an onsen or a big communal bath. Bathing is not required, but it is part of the day for many players. The normal bath rules apply, so you wash first and bathe without a swimsuit.

How much does golf in Japan cost?

Green fees vary widely by course, day and season. Weekdays are usually cheaper than weekends and holidays. These examples are current prices from official sources:

• Wakasu Golf Links (Tokyo): self-play costs ¥12,450 on weekdays and ¥21,450 on weekends, including tax and cart. With a caddie it is ¥15,540 and ¥24,540, according to Wakasu Golf Links' fee page.

• Kanucha Golf Course (Okinawa): 18 holes for visitors not staying at the resort cost ¥20,500 on weekdays and ¥25,000 on weekends for a group of four, from April to October, per Kanucha's official golf page. Smaller groups pay more per person.

• Kawana Hotel Oshima Course (Shizuoka): JNTO lists ¥12,300 on weekdays and ¥16,300 on holidays, with prices varying by plan and season.

Rental clubs add to the cost. Wakasu charges ¥3,300 for a set. Kanucha charges visitors ¥4,400 for clubs and ¥2,200 for shoes.

The golf usage tax

Every round in Japan includes a golf usage tax, a prefectural tax charged per person per day. The standard rate is ¥800, and the legal maximum is ¥1,200, according to Japan's Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications. Each course's rate depends on its grade.

Players under 18 and those aged 70 and over are exempt. You will need to show ID, such as your passport, to claim the exemption. Wakasu's fees already include it, but check what each course's price covers.

How to book a tee time in Japan as a foreigner

JNTO says most reservations are made by phone or through the course's official website. Japan's big booking platforms, GDO and Rakuten GORA, each list about 1,900 courses. GDO's booking site is in Japanese, so a course's own English page or your hotel is often the easier route.

Booking rules differ from course to course. A few things to know before you try:

• Book early for weekends. Wakasu Golf Links runs a lottery that opens two months ahead, and players must register as users first.

• Check group size rules. Some courses, including Kanucha and Kawana, charge more per person for twos and threes. Kawana's Fuji Course adds ¥1,705 per person for three players and ¥5,115 per person for two.

• Resort courses are the easiest. Courses attached to hotels, such as Kanucha and Kawana, publish their fees and rules in English.

• Ask your hotel concierge. A good concierge can call a course for you, which helps where the website is in Japanese only.

Kawana's famous Fuji Course is open only to guests staying at the Kawana Hotel. Its Oshima Course is open to visitors without a hotel stay, according to Kawana Hotel's golf FAQ.

Japan golf etiquette and dress code

Japanese golf culture is fairly formal. JNTO describes the usual dress code as a collared shirt with slacks, or a skirt for women. Shorts are often fine in summer, but some courses ask for knee-length socks with them.

Some high-end clubs require men to wear a jacket inside the clubhouse. Kawana recommends a jacket on arrival and does not allow collarless shirts. Pack a light blazer if you plan to play an older private or resort course.

A green at Kanucha, where the course winds through hills above the coast.

On the course, keep up the pace. The lunch break is scheduled, so a slow front nine pushes back everyone's afternoon.

Best places for a golf trip in Japan

Japan's golf regions are very different. Your choice depends on the season and on how much travel you want between rounds.

Golf in Tokyo

Golf inside Tokyo is limited, with only 21 courses in the whole prefecture. The best-known option for visitors is Wakasu Golf Links. It is a seaside course on Tokyo Bay run by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, and you can reach it by Toei bus from Shin-Kiba Station.

For other courses near Tokyo, plan on a rental car, a taxi or a transfer. Our guide to renting a car in Japan versus taking the train covers the pros and cons of driving.

Mount Fuji and the Izu Peninsula

The Kawana Hotel in Ito, on the Izu Peninsula, is one of Japan's most famous golf resorts. The Fuji Course is a clifftop layout above the sea and the main draw. JNTO lists its fees at ¥47,800 on weekdays and ¥63,700 on holidays, far above the other examples here. Caddies and walking are standard on the Fuji Course.

Golf in Okinawa

Okinawa is Japan's warm-weather golf destination. The Okinawa Convention & Visitors Bureau says you can play on its evergreen grass all year round, which makes it the best choice for a winter golf trip.

The Kanucha resort sits between its golf course and the beach in Nago.

Kanucha Golf Course in Nago is one of the main island's resort courses. Our Kanucha Golf Course page covers access and highlights. Okinawa's courses are spread out, so a rental car is the easy way to play more than one.

Golf also pairs well with the rest of an Okinawa trip. Our seven-day Okinawa route from Naha to the north passes close to Nago on the way to the northern beaches.

Golf in Hokkaido

Hokkaido is Japan's summer golf region, with cooler air and wide mountain views. The season is short, and courses close for the winter snow. In 2026, Niseko Village Golf Course closed for the season on September 30. Niseko Golf Course planned to stay open until November 8.

Best time for golf in Japan

Spring and fall are the best seasons in most of Japan. May and October bring mild weather, and fall colors frame many mountain courses. Summer is hot and humid on Honshu, so start early or head north to Hokkaido.

Winter splits the country. Hokkaido's courses close for the snow, while Okinawa stays green all year. Elsewhere, check each course's winter schedule before you book.

Getting to the course and traveling with clubs

Most Japanese courses are outside city centers, often with no train station nearby. Check each course's access page for shuttle buses from the nearest station. Otherwise, plan on a taxi or a rental car.

If you bring your own clubs, check your airline's rules. On ANA international flights, a golf bag counts as part of your normal checked baggage allowance. Overweight fees still apply, and ANA's own example charges ¥6,000 for a 30 kg bag in Economy, according to ANA's sports baggage page.

Inside Japan, send your bag ahead instead of carrying it on trains. The Okinawa Convention & Visitors Bureau suggests using a delivery service like Yamato or Sagawa and sending it at least two days before you play.

For the days when you are not on the course, pick one of our ready-made Japan itineraries and slot your rounds around it.

To compare golf with other ways to spend an active trip, see our roundup of sports and recreation in Japan.