Forget the grey market drama! If you want something solid for Japan, look at these instead. I absolutely love my current setup and think these are totally worth the jump:

• Sony Alpha a6400 24.2MP Mirrorless
• Incredible autofocus, super portable.
• Canon EOS R10 24.2MP Mirrorless
• Fantastic colors, really easy to use. Either of these will crush your trip photos. Just grab one and start shooting!

Check out the Fujifilm X-T30 II 26.1MP or the Nikon Z5 24.3MP instead! Both are amazing, super reliable, and within your budget. Don't risk grey market, just go official!

Honestly, buying before a trip is always a nightmare. I remember stressing over the exact same thing years ago. I finally caved and bought a body right before flying out, and looking back, I should have just checked the local retailers or used gear sites instead of relying on those big box stores with fluctuating prices. If you are worried about the grey market stuff, try looking into these avenues:

• Reputable used camera shops often list gear with a solid warranty that covers you for a few months, which usually costs way less than brand new.
• Check out the official refurbished sections on the manufacturer websites directly; they are legit and often have deep discounts that dont show up on Amazon.
• Sometimes local camera stores will price match if you show them a confirmed cart from a major dealer, which gives you the peace of mind of having a real person to talk to if something goes wrong. Personally, I spent way too much time refreshing pages and watching prices jump around. If you are on a tight budget, the savings from buying pre-owned or refurbished go a long way toward getting better glass later on, which honestly matters more for those Japan shots than having the latest model anyway. Just grab something reliable so you arent dealing with technical glitches mid-trip.