Thank you to everyone who took time to vote in the poll of last year’s Guides (aka blog posts) published on TheRealJapan.com during 2024.

It was the closest-run race in the history of the poll and threw up some very interesting results.

An impressive 25 of the 30 posts published received votes. That’s 83% of the guides published last year – the broadest range ever.

This suggests that my followers are finding value in the wide range of topics covered.

The Top 3 most popular guides of 2024 were:

1. 38 Japan Travel Sites and Resources Every Traveller Should Know was the clear leader with an impressive 31% share of the vote

2. Kyoto City Guide took second place with 17.2% of the vote

There was a five-way tie for third place, each with a 10.3% of the vote:

3. 12 Must-Try Outdoor Activities In Japan
3. 3 Magical Day Trips From Kyoto To Escape The Crowds
3. A First Trip To Japan: 16-Day Itinerary & Review
3. Exploring Japan By Train – A Beginner’s Guide
3. Strolling Zōshigaya – Tokyo Off The Beaten Path

The strong performance of 38 Japan Travel Sites and Resources guide suggests my audience particularly values comprehensive reference guides that practically help them plan their trips.

A shout out to four of my guest contributors who all made the Top 3 – Phillip Jackson authored the excellent Kyoto City Guide at #2 as well as the creative 3 Magical Day Trips From Kyoto To Escape The Crowds sharing third-place.

Also sharing third are The Real Japan subscriber Andrew Rondeau who wrote up his First Trip to Japan: 16-Day Itinerary & Review, Japan train expert Stephen Turner with his Exploring Japan by Train – A Beginner’s Guide, and author Gilles Poitras with his fascinating Strolling Zōshigaya – Tokyo Off The Beaten Path guide.

Thankfully, it appears that my attempt to strike a balance between off-beat and more mainstream topics is working (with the help of numerous expert guest contributors).

The voting pattern reveals several interesting insights about my readership:

1. Resource Compilation: The strong performance of the 38 Japan Travel Sites and Resources guide suggests readers particularly value comprehensive reference materials that help them plan their trips.
2. Practical Planning Focus: The popularity of guides about Kyoto, first-time visits, and train travel indicates readers are seeking practical, actionable information for trip planning.
3. Balance of Mainstream and Off-Beat: The mix of popular topics (Kyoto, first-time visits) with less conventional content (Zōshigaya, escaping crowds) suggests my audience appreciates both essential information and unique perspectives.
4. Diverse Interests: The spread of votes across 24 guides, including niche topics like coffee shops in Hiroshima and sustainable accommodation, indicates I’m successfully serving readers with varied interests and travel styles.

This voting pattern suggests The Real Japan is effectively meeting reader needs by providing both fundamental travel information and specialized content that helps travelers discover unique aspects of Japan.

The strong showing of comprehensive resource guides alongside specific location-based content indicates readers value both broad planning tools and detailed local insights.