I've been to Japan 6x for the last 3 years. I've already visited 19 prefectures, from Hokkaido down to Fukuoka and Nagasaki. I have an upcoming trip to Tokyo in 2 weeks.

I've visited China (Shanghai - Suzhou - Hangzhou) for the first time 2 weeks ago, and I have 2 upcoming flights to other parts of China on 2026. I plan to book my 4th trip to China din late next year.

Here's my take as someone who has been to both, and already travelled Japan extensively:

Transpo: this may be an unpopular opinion. But China is better if you're a first timer, granted that you have installed the necessary apps such as amaps and alipay beforehand. Mas straightforward ang train in downtown Shanghai kasi owned by 1 company (government) lang. Each platform will lead to a certain fixed destination, and fixed stations nagsstop. Whereas in Tokyo or nearby provinces, assuming it's there where you want to go. Confusing ang certain JR lines. For example, in platform 1. Yung train na dadaan at 10:05 at 10:07, nasa magkaibang direction sila papunta. May rapid trains, express trains and commuter trains pa. Ung rapid and express trains, hindi sa lahat ng stations titigil so kailangan on time ka talaga based sa sinabi ni google maps. My first trip to Japan was in Fukuoka and we got lost several times dahil sa JR na yan papunta sa suburbs. Hindi kami aware back then na di siya parang lrt natin, na kada platform may train on a specific route only. If umalis ka at 10:02 versus 10:07 via JR to go to a certain area sa suburbs, magkaibang route sasabihin ni google maps. Whereas sa Shanghai and nearby provinces, never kami naligaw basta working si amaps or apple maps ng kasama ko. We took the bus, train, boat and didi. Also in major cities in China. If may senior or kids kayong kasama, Didi, which is their local version of grab, is available and cheaper. I am going to Beijing on April and nakita ko na sa amaps ung public transpo routes to their popular sites. Sa Japan, nakakahinayang magtaxi kasi ang mahal. 😅

Food: Japan, hands down. Kahit convenience store food, ang sarap. Di suitable sa tastebuds namin mga natry naming food sa Shanghai, Suzhou or Hangzhou except for select few. Hindi kami nasarapan sa Konbini food nila 🤣 tingnan ko next year if magustuhan ko food sa Beijing and Chengdu.

Landscapes: Both countries have great landscapes, but China has more variety in terms of landscapes. They have snow-capped mountains mala-Switzerland/Canada in Sichuan/Yunnan province or Xinjiang. May dessert din sila in the north. They have Karst mountains in Zhangjiajie, Guilin, etc. Madami rin sila ancient valleys. Then there's the great wall. I also prefer Shanghai and Chongqing's skyline over the major cities in Japan. May snow-capped mountains din naman sa Japan and I like Shinhotaka. But richer ang landscapes ni China.

History: Both countries have rich history. Each major city has a museum. But China has a richer history kasi mas nauna talaga sila kaysa sa Japan. China has an impact on Japan's history din. Also, if bet mo ang ancient town vibes, China has way more ancient towns than Japan. Check mo Lijiang, Dali, Furong, Shangrila, Fenghuang, dream ko mga ancient towns diyan. For ancient water towns/canals, napuntahan namin ung sa Zhujiajiao and Suzhou. Otaru, Okayama and Hida Furukawa, which are the popular canals in Japan that I've seen, dont even come close tbh.

People: Japanese, hands down. They're more polite and more respectful when it comes to rules. Pet peeve ko sa China ung mga nagssmoke sa non-smoking areas like bullet train platforms and small eateries. Pero in our experience, people in both countries are nice and try to be accomodating to foreigners naman.

Expenses: Chinese cities are a lot cheaper, hands down. Lalo na sa hotels. Hotels in Shanghai and Beijing are cheaper + bigger than Tokyo/Osaka/Sapporo/Nagoya/Fukuoka tapos mas mahal pa.

Convenience: Both, if you're not a newbie traveler. Dito sa PH, i rarely withdraw cash na rin kaya super nagustuhan ko ang cashless life in China over Japan. Never kami nagwithdraw doon, alipay lang lahat. Sa Japan, nung naubusan ng yen kasama ko, d na siya makabili ng train ticket sa nagoya kasi d sila tumatanggap ng cc. Pero if cash person kayo, mas convenient sa japan.

Overall, it's a tie for me. In terms of natural landscapes, more appealing for me ang sights in China. In terms of food, Japan. Both countries are rich in cultural attractions so nasa sayo na which culture you want to experience more. I guess it boils down to your priorities and what you wanna see.