Tips for traveling to Japan
Everybody's going, and I get this question a lot, so here it is.
some context
I’ve been to Japan five times. Not quick trips either. Collectively I’ve spent about seven months there total. I minored in Japanese, worked with kids during a summer internship in Saitama, studied abroad in Kyoto, and have bounced around a fair bit of the country. So when friends ask me for Japan tips, I have them.
These won’t be your typical “visit Senso-ji!” type tips. Those are fine, but you’ll see them everywhere. This is what I’d actually tell you if you asked me over drinks.
getting around
- Get a Suica card as soon as you land, or better yet as an Express Card on your iPhone (sorry Android users). It works on almost every train and subway, and you can tap it to pay at convenience stores and some vending machines!
- Skip the JR Pass unless you’re planning on doing multiple, long shinkansen trips in a short window. In most cases it’s not worth it.
- You will walk A LOT, so if you have the opportunity to take a bus or subway vs walking 15 - 20 mins, consider taking it. Your feet will thank you.
- Google Maps works really well for navigation.
food
- Convenience stores (7-Eleven, Family Mart, Lawson) are honestly good. There were many days I’d just grab some onigiri, Famichiki, and a drink and call it a day (minus the Famichiki for breakfast).
- Yelp isn’t really popular in Japan. If you’re looking for restaurants Tabelog or Gurunavi would be better. It’s also worth checking if they take reservations via those sites / Whatsapp.
the language
I studied Japanese for a couple years, and learning a little bit goes a long way. A few simple phrases, or better what some common words look like in Hiragana / Katakana / Kanji is worth it, e.g. sushi (寿司 / すし), or ramen (ラーメン / らーめん). Being able to recognize something from afar is helpful. You don’t need to be fluent, and people appreciate the effort. When all else fails, Google Translate. Live conversations and translating menus are so much easier / better than they were the first times I visited.
pace yourself
Japan is dense. You will want to do everything, and you will try to do too much. Pick fewer places (or don’t, up to you). Leave room for wandering. Some of my best memories are just exploring a neighborhood I had no real plan to visit. Give yourselves some recovery time throughout your trip (again, you’ll be up and about most of the day). Sit, rest your feet, grab a drink or snacks at a cafe.
what I wish I’d known earlier
- Cash isn’t as prevalent as it used to be. Get some for vending machines, random food stalls, coin lockers, etc, but don’t stress too much about it.
- If you have a debit card with no foreign transaction fees and reimburses ATM fees, then you’re set up to get some emergency cash from any convenience store (they have the best exchange rates) with an ATM.
- eSIMs (e.g. from Klook) are super easy and convenient to use now compared to Pocket Wifi. If your phone is unlocked, I’d highly recommend them instead.
- If you love shopping (and don’t want to buy luggage there), consider nesting a smaller luggage in your large checked bag. Un-nest them once you’ve bought too much (as I inevitably do).
- If they’re unruly to travel with, consider using a Takyuubin (e.g. Kuroneko) to send your luggage ahead of you (just make sure you can survive without it for a day or two).
I wanted this to be short, but I always end up having more to say. I’ll stop here for now and see if I need to do an update / part 2 someday.