Let's Go! To Japan
Let's Go! To Japan Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Overview
In Let's Go! To Japan, players are travelers competing to plan and experience the most personally fulfilling dream vacation in Tokyo and Kyoto.
The game consists of 13 rounds in which players draw Activity cards and strategically place them in different days in their week-long itinerary, followed by a final round in which they ultimately go on their planned trip, activating each of their cards in order along the way. The player who collects the most points by the end of their trip is the winner!
Components
- 128 Activity cards
- 24 Favorable Condition tokens
- 4 12+ tokens
- 4 Stress tokens
- 4 Happiness tokens
- 4 Starting Train tokens
- 21 Train tokens
- 20 Wild tokens
- 24 Research tokens
- 16 Walk tokens
- 20 Experience tokens
- 4 Mood tokens
- 4 Player boards
- 1 Round Tracker token
- 1 Round Tracker board
- 1 Scorepad
Setup
- Each player takes a player board, a set of 6 different Favorable Condition tokens (A), a set of 5 different Experience tokens (B), a Mood Tracker token (C) matching their player board color, a Stress token (D), and a Happiness token (E).
- Each player places their Mood Tracker token on the hexagonal center space of the Mood Track at the top of their player board. Each player places their red Stress Tracker token on the leftmost space of the Stress Track just below the Mood Track and does the same with the green Happiness Tracker token on the leftmost space of the Happiness Track.
- Each player places their 5 Experience tokens on the leftmost "0" space on the Experience Track on their player board.
- One player randomly places each of their 6 Favorable Condition tokens in the circular spot corresponding to one of the 6 days (Monday to Saturday) at the bottom of their player board. All other players place their own Favorable Condition tokens on their player boards matching the exact order of that player's tokens.
- Shuffle the 64 Activity cards marked "Tokyo" on the back and place them face-down in a Tokyo deck in the central play area, within reach of all players. Do the same with the 64 Activity cards marked "Kyoto" on the back and place the Kyoto deck face-down near the Tokyo deck. Leave space for a face-up discard pile.
- Place the Round Tracker Board in the central play area. Place the Round Tracker token on the first (leftmost) circular space, so as not to cover the icon.
- Each player takes a Starting Train token.
- Place the Train, Wild, Research, Walk, and "+12" tokens in separate piles within reach of all players to form the supply.
NOTE: During the game, the supply of these tokens is considered unlimited, so if they ever run out, use a temporary marker as needed.
Card Anatomy
- A. Experience and Mood Track Icons: Indicate which Experience and Mood Track tokens will be moved on a player's board when the card is activated at the end of the game.
- B. Points: The number of points the card is worth at the end of the game.
- C. Activity Name and Description
- D. City: Indicates whether this activity takes place in Tokyo or Kyoto. This is also indicated by the color of the card's background (blue for Tokyo, pink for Kyoto). If the card has a yellow background and no city listed, it can be counted as either Tokyo or Kyoto.
- E. Highlight of the Day Requirements: Indicate what is needed to earn the card's bonus points.
- F. Highlight of the Day Bonus Points: The number of bonus points the card can earn if the requirements are met.
Icons
Temples/Shrines icon — There are approximately 100,000 Shinto shrines and 80,000 Buddhist temples scattered throughout Japan. Many of them have become popular sightseeing spots for tourists. As the historic cultural center of Japan, Kyoto is home to many of the most famous ones.
Food/Drink icon — Japan has many famous dishes and different types of dining experiences from elegant kaiseki meals to inexpensive ramen houses. Tokyo has more Michelin-starred restaurants than any other city in the world.
Nature/Gardens icon — Japan offers many opportunities to appreciate nature in all forms. Cherry blossom viewing, called Ohanami, is a large draw for visitors. Kyoto, sitting among the mountains, is particularly known for its fall foliage and beautiful temple gardens.
Shopping/Goods icon — From traditional handmade crafts to modern goods like manga and anime collectibles, Japan has something for every shopper. There are distinct neighborhoods in Tokyo that specialize in luxury goods, street fashion, cookware, and electronics.
Unique Experiences icon — This symbol represents unique, one-of-a-kind experiences, such as performances, meals, and unexpected encounters. These are the memorable events that visitors will excitedly recount to their family and friends back home.
Wild icon and Stress icon
Points icon and Happiness icon
Originating in Japan during the Edo Period and prevalent throughout the country, the maneki-neko is a cat figurine that is believed to bring good luck or fortune to its owner.
Round Order
- Draw Cards | 2. Play Cards (2a. Day Bonuses) | 3. End of Round
1. Draw Cards
At the beginning of each round, players will draw Activity cards simultaneously to their hand as indicated by where the Round Tracker token is on the Round Tracker Board.
T/K icon — This icon means players should draw 1 card from the Tokyo deck and 1 card from the Kyoto deck.
T T/K K icon — This icon means players should draw 2 cards from the Tokyo deck and 2 cards from the Kyoto deck.
The text below the icons on the Round Tracker Board indicates how many cards (either 1 or 2) players will play and pass that round.
When a player passes a card, they should place it face-down on the indicated space in the upper right corner of the player board of the player on their left for rounds 1 to 7.
The player receiving the card may NOT look at the card and does NOT have access to it that round.
Beginning in round 8, as indicated by the circular arrow icon on the Round Tracker Board, players will instead pass cards to the player on their right.
Stack icon — This icon means players should draw the entire stack of cards from the upper right corner of their own player board. The number of cards in the stack should match exactly the number indicated on the icon.
At the beginning of round 13, players should draw their choice of 1 card from either the Tokyo or Kyoto deck, as indicated by the icon, and then draw the 1 card remaining on their player board. (Players are not allowed to look at that card before deciding which deck to draw from.)
NOTE: At the end of every round, after both playing and passing cards, players should have NO cards left in their hand!
Research tokens: During the game, players may earn Research tokens, which may be used to draw additional cards.
At any time after drawing their regular cards for the round but before passing cards at the end of the round, a player may discard a Research token to the supply to draw 3 cards in any combination from the Tokyo and Kyoto decks to their hand. The player must then IMMEDIATELY discard any 3 cards to the face-up discard pile in the center play area.
A player may use more than 1 Research token, as long as they complete the draw and discard actions for each token separately.
A player may use a Research token earned on that turn as long as they complete the draw and discard actions before passing cards.
Research tokens not used by the end of the game are worth 1 point each, as indicated on the other side of the token.
2. Play Cards
Each round, players will play either 1 or 2 Activity cards simultaneously to their itinerary, as indicated by the text on the Round Tracker Board.
The upper section of each card shows which of the player's 5 Experience tokens will move forward on the Experience Track on their player board, and/or which way the Mood Tracker token will move on the Mood Track. The tokens do NOT move until the player goes on their trip in the final round.
The bottom section of each card shows the potential bonus points that may be earned in the final round if this card occupies the "Highlight of the Day" position at the bottom of a column and the requirements are met.
Card Placement
Throughout the game, players will add Activity cards to their itinerary by placing them in a column below one of the days, Monday to Saturday, on their player board.
Each day can have a maximum of 3 cards in its column. (Extra Walk cards, which are explained below, are the exception.)
The cards in each column should overlap one another so that the upper section of each card is visible and the card at the bottom of the column is the only one that is fully visible. This card is the player's current "Highlight of the Day" for that day, and if it remains so in the final round, the bonus points at the bottom of the card may be earned.
Whenever a card is added to a day that already has 1 card in that column, the player decides whether the card is tucked underneath the other card — and thus at the top of the column — or placed at the bottom of the column, overlapping the other card and replacing it as the "Highlight of the Day."
Whenever a card is added to a day that already has 2 cards in that column, the player has the additional choice to place the card in between the 2 cards, making sure the upper section of each card is visible.
NOTE: Once a card is placed, it may NOT be discarded, moved to a different day, or swapped with the position of another card in the same day.
2. Play Cards (continued)
When playing cards, players should consider maximizing points by:
- Placing cards in the day in which the Favorable Condition token on their player board matches the most icons in the upper section of the card, since that will earn them bonuses.
- Placing Tokyo cards adjacent to other Tokyo cards and Kyoto cards adjacent to other Kyoto cards, so that fewer Train tokens (worth -2 points each) will be used to travel between Tokyo and Kyoto.
- Placing cards so that the requirements for the bonus points on the card in the "Highlight of the Day" position for each day are met by that point in their trip.
2a. Day Bonuses
Whenever a player places a third Activity card in the column for a single day, they have finished planning that day and should check for bonuses by counting the total number of icons in the upper section of the 3 cards for that day that match the Favorable Condition token that was placed for that day during game setup.
(These matches mean that a player has scheduled activities on a day when the conditions are particularly favorable, such as nature activities when the weather is nice or shopping activities when there are big sales going on.)
Based on the number of matching icons, the player chooses 1 of the available bonuses, as indicated in the upper left of the player board:
- Move the Mood Tracker token 1 space to the right.
- Take 2 Research tokens from the supply.
- Take 1 Wild token from the supply.
- Take 1 Luxury Train token (with the 2-point and Mood-Tracker-right side face-up) from the supply.
- Go on an Extra Walk. (Add a face-down card to that day. Do not take a Research token.)
Going for a Walk
If a player does not like the card options in their hand, they can decide to leave part of their schedule open to chance by going for a walk and exploring Japan.
A player does this by discarding 1 card from their hand to the face-up discard pile, taking the top face-down card (without looking at it) from either the Tokyo or Kyoto deck, and placing it face-down in their itinerary as they would any other Activity card.
The player also takes 1 Research token from the supply, as indicated by the icon on the card.
When the player goes on their trip in the final round and arrives at this card, they will reveal it and decide whether to play and activate the card face-up in its current position or leave it face-down, in which case it does not activate but is worth, on the Mood Tracker, 1 point, and a Walk icon, as indicated on the upper section of the card.
Walk cards may occupy the "Highlight of the Day" position and, if face-up and activated, earn bonus points as normal if the requirements are met. If left face-down, the card is worth 2 points, as indicated at the bottom of the card.
2a. Day Bonuses (continued)
A player who has matched 2 icons can choose to take the lesser bonus for matching only 1 icon. A player who has matched 3 icons can choose to take any 1 of the lesser bonuses instead.
No additional bonuses are earned for matching 4 or more icons to the Favorable Condition token for a single day.
Wild Tokens
When a player goes on their trip in the final round, they can discard a Wild token at any time to move an Experience token of their choice 1 space forward on the Experience Track.
Wild tokens may NOT be used to move the Mood Tracker token or count as a Research, Train, or Walk token.
Extra Walk
When taking this bonus, a player simply takes a face-down card (without looking at it) from either the Tokyo or Kyoto deck and places it face-down in their itinerary in the day for which they earned the bonus, so that there are 4 cards in this column, otherwise respecting placement rules.
When the player goes on their trip in the final round and arrives at this card, they will reveal it and decide, as they would with other Walk cards, whether to play and activate the card face-up in its current position or leave it face-down.
However, unlike with regular Walk cards, players do NOT earn a Research token for placing an Extra Walk card in their itinerary.
Kyoto Highlights
a. Kinkakuji Temple b. Arashiyama Bamboo Grove c. Ponto-cho d. Kiyomizudera Temple e. Higashiyama District f. Kyoto Tower g. Fushimi Inari Shrine
3. End of Round
Once players have finished playing their card(s) (and taking their Day Bonuses), they should pass their remaining card(s) according to the Round Tracker Board and have NO cards left in their hand.
The round has now ended and the Round Tracker token should be moved 1 space to the right. At the end of the 13th round (when the Round Tracker token would be moved past the end of board), planning is finally complete and players are ready to go on their trip. How exciting!
At this point, players should place all necessary Train tokens for traveling between Tokyo and Kyoto. (See Trains below.)
Final Round: Going on a Trip!
At this point, players activate the cards in their itinerary in order from Monday to Saturday, starting with the card at the top of the column for Monday and going downward in that column so that the upper section of each card is activated. This is followed by the activation of the visible "Highlight of the Day" bonus on the final card at the bottom of Monday's column.
The total number of points a player scores for Monday should be recorded in the corresponding row on the scorepad.
Players repeat this process in their itinerary for Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, in that order.
It is strongly recommended for your first game (and all your games!) to have players take turns narrating the enriching activities they did for each day. It's more fun that way!
Alternatively, experienced players can activate and score their cards simultaneously.
Example
Machiko is scoring Monday on her itinerary.
First, she scores 3 points for Kinkakuji Temple and moves her Temples/Shrines token 1 space to the right on her Experience Track.
Second, she scores 1 point for Kiyomizudera Temple and moves her Temples/Shrines, Nature/Gardens, and Unique Experiences tokens 1 space each to the right on her Experience Track.
Third, she scores 3 points for Otagi Nenbutsuji Temple and moves her Temples/Shrines token 1 space to the right on her Experience Track.
Lastly, she checks if she has scored any bonus points for Otagi Nenbutsuji Temple, since that card is at the bottom of the column in the "Highlight of the Day" position. Since her Temples/Shrines token has reached 3 on her Experience Track, she has fulfilled the requirements for the bonus and scores an additional 5 points, plus 1 point for the 1 Unique Experiences icon she has earned by this point in her trip. (If she earns additional Unique Experience icons later in her trip, they do NOT score additional points for this bonus.)
In total for Monday, she scores 13 (3+1+3+5+1) points!
"Highlight of the Day" Bonuses
The "Highlight of the Day" bonuses reward players for having done complementary activities up to that point in the trip.
In addition to points, some "Highlight of the Day" bonuses grant additional movement of a player's Experience Track and Mood Track tokens, as indicated by the pictured icons.
Also, some "Highlight of the Day" bonuses score points based on the number of specific icons a player has already activated in their itinerary up to the point the "Highlight of the Day" bonus is scored. These are calculated at the time the "Highlight of the Day" card is scored, so any matching icons on future days do NOT score additional points related to that bonus. (See "Highlight of the Day" examples below.)
Walks
As the trip is being scored, when a player comes upon a face-down Walk or Extra Walk card they placed in their itinerary, they reveal it and decide whether to play and activate the card face-up in its current position or leave it face-down, in which case the icons on the upper section of the card activate: on the Mood Tracker, 1 point, and a Walk icon, which counts toward future "Highlight of the Day" bonus requirements.
If a player chooses to activate the card face-up, they should take 1 Walk token from the supply and place it on the upper section of the card as a reminder that card was played as a Walk or Extra Walk. This token counts as a Walk icon for future "Highlight of the Day" bonus requirements.
If a Walk or Extra Walk card was placed at the bottom of a column in the "Highlight of the Day" position and the player chooses to leave it face-down, then that card scores an additional 2 points, as indicated at the bottom of the card, with no requirements that need to be fulfilled.
Tokyo Highlights
a. Ueno Park b. Sensoji Temple c. Akihabara d. Imperial Palace e. Tsukiji Market f. Tokyo Tower g. Shibuya
Mood Tracker
Traveling can be an immensely rewarding experience, but it can also come with frustrations, as represented on a player's Mood Tracker.
There are 4 types of arrow icons that move a player's Mood Tracker token:
- Stress from doing an expensive activity
- Stress from doing a strenuous, crowded, or otherwise challenging activity
- Happiness from doing an inexpensive or discounted activity
- Happiness from doing a peaceful or relaxing activity
Either red arrow moves a player's Mood Tracker 1 space to the left, while either green arrow moves a player's Mood Tracker 1 space to the right.
These movements occur, as normal, when going on a trip in the final round — NOT when the card is initially placed. (The exception is when a player chooses to take the Day Bonus. In that case, the Mood Tracker token should be moved immediately.)
Whenever the Mood Tracker token reaches the rightmost space on the Mood Tracker, move the Happiness Tracker token 1 space to the right and reset the Mood Tracker token to the center space. Players will earn points at the end of their trip corresponding to where their Happiness Tracker token is.
Similarly, whenever the Mood Tracker token reaches the leftmost space on the Mood Tracker, move the Stress Tracker token 1 space to the right and reset the Mood Tracker token to the center space. Players will lose points at the end of their trip corresponding to where their Stress Tracker token is.
If either the Happiness or Stress Tracker token should be moved when it is already on the rightmost space, then it does not move and stays where it is, but the Mood Tracker token resets to the center space as normal.
Kinkakuji Temple, with its famous gold-leaf pavilion, is one of Kyoto's most popular tourist destinations. This historic temple sits in the middle of a pond, resulting in dazzling views as its image is reflected in the water. It has been rebuilt many times over the years, most recently in the 1950's after a fanatic monk set fire to the building. It was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994.
Example: Mood Tracker
Haruto is scoring Tuesday on his itinerary.
First, he scores 3 points for Stay at a Ryokan, moves his Food/Drink and Unique Experiences tokens 1 space each to the right on his Experience Track, and moves his Mood Tracker token 1 space to the left on the Mood Track. It was already 2 spaces left of center because of Take a Drumming Class on the previous day, so it has reached the leftmost space. He moves his Stress Tracker token 1 space to the right and resets the Mood Tracker token to the center space.
Second, he scores 1 point for Stay in a Capsule Hotel and moves his Mood Tracker token 2 spaces to the right.
Third, he scores 1 point for Onsen and needs to move his Mood Tracker token 2 spaces to the right on his Mood Track. After moving it 1 space, he has reached the rightmost space of the track, so he moves his Happiness Tracker token 1 space to the right and resets the Mood Tracker token to the center space. Then he moves the Mood Tracker token 1 space to the right.
Lastly, he checks if he has scored any bonus points for Onsen. The Stress icon on Stay at a Ryokan does not count toward the bonus requirements, since it is a different type of stress. However, the Stress icons on Take a Drumming Class from the previous day do count, so he has fulfilled the requirements and scores 5 points, plus 2 points for the icons he has previously earned. (The Happiness icons on Stay in a Capsule Hotel do not count, since they are a different type of happiness.)
In total for Tuesday, he scores 12 (3+1+1+5+2) points! His points for his Stress Track and Happiness Track will be determined by where his tokens are at the end of his trip.
Trains
At the end of the 13th round, but before the final round in which players begin activating the cards in their itinerary, players must place all necessary Train tokens.
Each time a player will be traveling from Tokyo to Kyoto (or vice versa), they must place one of the following Train tokens between the Activity cards in their itinerary:
- Starting Train token: No benefits or penalties. (This does NOT need to be the first Train token placed.)
- Luxury Train token (previously earned by the player as a Day Bonus): Benefit of 2 points and moves a player's Mood Tracker 1 space to the right. This occurs in between the activation of the 2 cards in different cities.
- Regular Train token (taken directly from the supply): Penalty of -2 points.
Players must take as many Regular Train tokens from the supply as needed to complete their itinerary.
If a player ends a day in Tokyo and begins the next day in Kyoto (or vice versa), they still must take the Train token and place it above the cards in the column for the second day.
Some cards have a yellow background and do not list a city. These are generic activities, and a player chooses separately for each of these cards whether to count it as Tokyo or Kyoto.
Face-down Walk and Extra Walk cards are counted as being in the same city indicated on the back of the card. If a face-down Walk or Extra Walk card is later revealed to have a yellow background and the player chooses to play it face-up, the card still counts as being in the same city indicated on the back of the card.
Any type of Train token placed in a player's itinerary counts toward future "Highlight of the Day" bonus requirements showing a Train icon.
Unused Luxury Train tokens at the end of a player's trip are worth 0 points.
The total number of positive or negative points from Train tokens should be recorded on the scorepad in the corresponding row.
Daruma dolls are traditional figurines modeled after the founder of the zen tradition of Buddhism. These talismans are often used as a way to track goals. When purchased, the owner fills in the doll's left eye with a task in mind. Once the task is complete the owner fills in the right eye of the doll.
Example: Trains
In the previous example, Haruto would need to place Train tokens between the cards: Take a Drumming Class and Ueno Park, Stay at a Ryokan and Stay in a Capsule Hotel, Stay in a Capsule Hotel and Onsen. He would also need to place a Train token above the card Stay at a Ryokan, since he ended Monday in Tokyo and began Tuesday in Kyoto.
All the traveling back and forth is exhausting. So far he has accumulated -6 points just from train travel!
Experience Track
At the end of their trip (after they finish scoring Saturday), players earn points for where each of their 5 Experience tokens is on their Experience Track.
If a player needs to move one of their Experience tokens past the "12" space (which is worth 15 points), the player should move the token back to the "0" space, take a "+12" token from the supply, place it under the Experience token, and continue moving the Experience token forward as normal. This will keep track of the Experience token for potential "Highlight of the Day" bonuses. However, the Experience token will NOT score any further points on the Experience Track than the maximum of 15 points from reaching the "12" space.
Example: Experience Track
At the end of her trip, Machiko's Experience Track looks like this.
- She scores no points for her Shopping/Goods token as it did not reach at least the "4" space.
- She scores 4 points for her Nature/Gardens token.
- She scores 8 points for her Unique Experiences token.
- She scores 8 points for her Food/Drink token.
- She scores 12 points for her Temples/Shrines token.
Final Score
Using the scorepad, players add up the points for their individual itinerary days, Stress Tracker, Happiness Tracker, Experience Tracker, Trains, and leftover Research tokens, which should be flipped to the side showing 1.
The player who has the most points has fulfilled their individual goals for their trip the best and is the winner!
If players are tied, they have had equally remarkable trips and share the victory! (But if they insist, they can add up the number of spaces each of their 5 tokens has moved on the Experience Track and see who has the higher total. If still tied, they must agree that their trips were equally impressive.)
Example Scorepad
| Row | Player M | Player H |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 13 | 24 |
| Tuesday | 11 | 12 |
| Wednesday | 15 | 13 |
| Thursday | 19 | 18 |
| Friday | 18 | 17 |
| Saturday | 21 | 18 |
| Stress / Happiness Trackers | 12 | 2 |
| Experience Tracker | 24 | 20 |
| Trains | 2 | -8 |
| Research Tokens | + | 1 |
| TOTAL | 135 | 117 |
"Highlight of the Day" Examples
THE GOLDEN RULE: "Highlight of the Day" bonuses only activate and score based on icons and tokens activated by that point in a player's itinerary.
For example, if the card shown were placed at the bottom of a player's Wednesday column, it would score 1 point for each Temples/Shrines icon from Monday until the end of Wednesday, including at the top of the card itself. Any Temples/Shrines icons subsequently activated on following days would NOT score additional points for this bonus.
REMEMBER: Some "Highlight of the Day" bonuses, if their requirements have been met, give players icons that grant additional movement of a player's Experience Track and Mood Track tokens. These earned icons should be treated and counted the same as the icons previously collected on the upper sections of the cards when scoring future days in the itinerary. Players can refer to where their tokens currently are on the Experience Track to quickly count how many they have of each of the 5 Experience Track icons.
Brackets
Any bonus showing brackets means points are scored PER COMPLETE SET of the indicated icons. In this example, a player who has activated 3 Temples/Shrines and 2 Nature/Gardens icons in their itinerary up until that card would score a total of 4 points because they have 2 complete sets.
Mood Tracker Icons
For any bonus requirements that show Mood Tracker icons, players must take care to look at their cards (and Luxury Train tokens) rather than the Mood Tracker to see if they have met the exact requirements, since the Mood Tracker token moves both left and right. Players must also take care to differentiate between each of the 2 types of red Stress icons and 2 types of green Happiness icons; they are not equivalent! In the example above, a player must have activated 2 Happiness icons in their itinerary up until that card; Stress icons do not count. If so, the player scores 5 points plus 1 point per Happiness icon in their itinerary up until that card, including those on used Luxury Train tokens, but no points for Stress icons.
Walk Icons
Bonus requirements showing Walk icons mean that a player must have taken at least that number of walks in their itinerary up until that card to score the bonus. A player can count the number of walks they have taken by looking for Walk icons, which are at the top of any Walk cards left face-down, and Walk tokens, which should have been placed each time they chose to activate a Walk card by turning it face-up. If the card with the bonus was played as a Walk card itself and activated face-up, it should have a Walk token placed on it as normal, which does then count toward the bonus requirements.
Train Icons
Bonus requirements showing Train icons mean that a player must have used at least that number of Train tokens in their itinerary up until that card to score the bonus. Starting, Luxury, and Regular Train tokens all count toward fulfilling these requirements. Train tokens that will be used after this card to travel to a different city at the beginning of the next day do not count.
"X" Icons
Bonus requirements showing an "X" through an icon mean that a player must not have any of that particular icon activated on any of their cards in their itinerary up until that card to score the bonus.
Cities
Any bonus showing points for a particular city (Tokyo or Kyoto) means points are scored for each day up until that card in their itinerary in which all of the Activity cards take place in the indicated city. (A Train token used solely at the beginning of the day, before the first card in the column, does not invalidate this.)
Remember that for any card with a yellow background, a player chooses whether to count it as Tokyo or Kyoto. However, Walk cards, whether left face-down or activated face-up, are counted as being in the city indicated on the back of the card.
Wild Icons
Bonuses that show Wild tokens mean that, if the requirements are met, a player takes that number of Wild tokens from the supply.
Solo Rules
In the Solo mode you are competing against a travel agent to plan the best trip to Japan. Set up the game as normal for a 2-player game, except the travel agent's Experience Track tokens all start on the "2" space on their Experience Track.
The game plays as normal with a few exceptions:
When you pass cards to the travel agent, immediately place them face-up in their itinerary. The first card you pass them will be at the top of their Monday column, the second card will be in the middle of their Monday column, the third card will be at the bottom of their Monday column (in the "Highlight of the Day" position), the fourth card will be at the top of their Tuesday column, and so on and so forth.
When you pass 2 cards to the travel agent, you choose the order in which they are placed.
Whenever you pass a card, take a face-down card from the deck matching the city of the card you passed and place it on the upper right corner of your own player board, as if you were passed that card as normal. When you pass a yellow card that has no specified city, you may choose which deck to take the card from.
The travel agent does not score any Day Bonuses.
Scoring
Score your itinerary as normal. Then score the travel agent's itinerary as normal with the exception that they score all of their "Highlight of the Day" bonuses whether they have met the requirements or not. If the bonus grants a Wild token, instead move the token farthest ahead on the travel agent's Experience Track by 1 space. (If there is a tie between tokens, you choose which token to move.)
The travel agent does not use Train tokens.
Adjusting the Difficulty
To play on an easier mode, the travel agent must meet the requirements of their "Highlight of the Day" bonuses in order to score them.
To play on a harder mode, the travel agent places a Luxury Train token each time they travel from Tokyo to Kyoto or vice versa.
Credits
Game Design: Josh Wood
Artwork: Kailene Falls, Toshiyuki Hara, Magdalena Pruckner, Hideshi Saiki, Erica Ward, On Yamamoto
Director of Projects: Nicolas Bongiu
Production: Dave Lepore, Adelheid Zimmerman
Development: Josh Wood, Mark Wooton
Graphic Design: Brigette Indelicato
Writing: Andre Chautard, Josh Wood
Editing: Andre Chautard
Cultural Consultants: Machiko Kobayashi, Mandy Tong
Playtesters: Chris Backe, Nicolas Bongiu, Eric Buckendorf, Thomas Covert, Theodore Coyer, Jeremy Follin, John Hall, Justin Harris, Ashwin Kamath, Christopher LeBanca, Dave Lepore, Mario Listiawan, Joe Livingston, Andy McGuire, Zane Messina, Kyle Nunn, Kaz Nyborg-Andersen, Vlad Orellana, Luke Pickles, Matthew Ransom, Alex Reichline, Francisco "Paco" Rojas, Todd Rowland, TJ Spalty, Karan Tolani, Dan Varrette, Chris Venuti, Amanda Wong, Adelheid Zimmerman, John Zinser
Josh Wood is the game designer of Cat Lady and Santa Monica and a developer for AEG who has worked on numerous games, including Tiny Towns and The Guild of Merchant Explorers. He resides in Los Angeles, California.
In 2020 Josh and his girlfriend, Kathleen, were scheduled to visit Japan. Due to the pandemic they had to cancel their plans. He took this time to design Let's Go! To Japan by utilizing the notes of all of the sights they planned to visit on that trip.
I would like to personally thank my family, friends, and Kathleen. I would like to thank everyone who supported this or my other games. Thank you Fuji School, Machiko Sensei, and my classmates. Thank you to John Zinser for taking me to Game Market in Tokyo and all the other countless things you've done for me. Finally, thank you to all of the artists, Brigette Indelicato, the AEG development team, Luke Peterschmidt, Adelheid Zimmerman, and Joe Livingston for helping me sculpt this game into what it is. I hope everyone enjoys playing this game and gains the appreciation for Japan that I have gained over these last few years.
ありがとうございます
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