My best friend and I are planning to go on vacation either to Thailand or Japan. We're wondering between the two which would be a better place to explore, experience culture, food, and do a lot of sight-seeing? Other suggestions within the region is greatly appreciated as well! Thank you!

Depends on budget. Japan can be mucho dinero. Thailand can be one of the most reasonably-priced places in the world to vacation.

that's a pretty big apples and oranges comparison

Thailand by far is less expensive than Japan. I felt safe traveling in both places. Remember In the coolest month Thailand can still be pretty humid. Although I did thoroughly enjoyed Thailand I did favor Japan I felt it had much more history and culture. It's very easy to get round on rapid transit. I did a number of walking tours where you took the train and followed your map and walk all over to see the sites. Good luck with your decision.

Both are culturally equally interesting......difference....: Thailand perpetual summer..and low prices....Japan seasons ...termeratures dropping below freezing....expensive.

I loved Thailand; haven't been to Japan so can't compare.

I was in Japan in June. Loved it and really didn't find it that expensive. We did buy the rail pass which isn't that cheap but we used vrbo for most of our stays and traveled through out Japan. We also rented a pocket WiFi which I would highly recommend if you go. We were there for one month. But, I haven't been to Thailand so I cannot compare.

Increasing violence lately in Thailand that I would be aware of the situation if you're headed there. Burma was a favourite in the region for us if you're looking for somewhere less traveled, would also recommend Sri Lanka but would check the current advisories both as well.
https://travel.gc.ca/destinations/thailand

I'd take Thailand any day over the mini genocide popping off in Burma the last few weeks

Rory
Unfortunately it's been going on much longer than that and it's only been in the news more as of late. The affected region is less traveled from a safety standpoint and I think if you're visiting there you're unlikely to come across anything dangerous yourself, but certainly needs to be looked into.
Even though the elections passed power onto a democracy the military leadership kept control of the army. It's not a good situation and they've really targeted a specific group of refugees who had lived in that area for some time. There hasn't been any outside intervention that I'm aware of but I don't see things improving until there is.

My bf and I spent 2 weeks in Japan in May and we loved it! I would say that accommodations are quite affordable, lots of airbnb options in Osaka/HIroshima that are cheap. We even stayed at a hotel in Tokyo, in HIgashi-Shinjuku area, for like $150-ish per night. But the food/shopping costs are pretty much the same as Vancouver after the conversion. We also got the Japan Rail pass and made good use of it, make sure your reserve your seats to make it worth it/comfortable. We felt extremely safe there, everyone was polite and super nice. We don't speak a lick of Japanese other than the usual please/thank you/hello etc, and we got around fine. The transit/rail system are also in English so it's easy to navigate. I suggest you get the Google Translate app that allows you to take pictures of Japanese writing and the app loosely translates it in English for you so you get the gist of it what food items are. Hotels/airbnb's can be VERY small as they are very efficient with their space and do not waste a single inch of it, so pack light. You must hike Mount Misen in Miyajima, Island off Hiroshima,that is accessible via a short 30 min ferry, maybe shorter, there are also wild deer there. Himeji castle in Kyoto is great, but I think they're undergoing restoration soon but I'm not entirely sure. There is a lot of walking involved in Japan so bring comfy shoes.

Went to Thailand last year, and it's still probably the greatest place I've ever travelled. When you combine the history, the culture, the diversity, the wildlife, the beaches, mountains, tropical islands, it's nearly impossible to beat. And all that costs penny's on the dollar. It's ridiculous. One thing I also found odd, was we were never pestered the entire time we were there. Not something we expected from a developing country. They people were super courteous and I never felt pressured or harassed.

where'd you go?

Rory Chiang mai, bangkok, Koh Tao, and railay/krabbi

Rory
Byron nice! was wondering because you said you weren't pestered. Biggest thing is how you carry yourself imo,

Ya, thinking back, there was a little bit in Bangkok, but it was nothing compared to Mexico, Caribbean, and Kenya. The way you carry yourself is a big part. Working in the DT eastside probably helps.

Went to japan for 2 weeks, would like to go back and visit other parts during different seasons. I'd avoid the high seasons for the crowds and to lower costs but otherwise prices are similar to Canada tho there are ways to visit very cheaply as well if you're on a budget. We stayed in 4 star hotels but not needed. Super safe there and people are really polite. Not cheap compared to the rest of Asia but not expensive and can be affordable if you plan ahead. Rooms are small and lots of walking around but transit system is very easy to get around and you can get away with just English in the cities where it's tourisy. Lots of English signage in Tokyo. Maybe just look up the characters for numbers for some of the menu prices but there's usually pictures or replicas for food. I recommend planning with japanguide.com and renting a pocket wifi.