JAPAN HAS CHANGED | 10 New Things to Know Before Traveling to Japan 2024 | Travel Update June 2024

[@TheThistleWitch]

Everytime you say "Hello everyone!" and wave I always wave back and say "Hi Toshi!". Your videos and updates have been so helpful in planning our upcoming trip. Thanks for making them!

[@Toshi-Guide-from-Japan]

Thank you for watching as usual. I'm really happy to hear that. I'll do my best!!!!!!

[@BCJ87]

It’s a shame tourists have ruined some spots for others.. first Kyoto and no Fuji, please be respectful.. thank you for the great info

[@Toshi-Guide-from-Japan]

I also hope that this kind of thing will never happen again in other areas.

[@davidebert8034]

I’m going the first week of August! I will definitely try to go to the fireworks show on August 5!

[@Toshi-Guide-from-Japan]

I hope you have a wonderful time in Japan!

[@singchan10]

Foreigner pricing difference usually applies to admission fees. I have never experienced pricing difference for food consumption.

[@Toshi-Guide-from-Japan]

Thank you for sharing your real experience.

[@denniswhite1399]

Its just starting 2 menus different prices I wont go I will take Japanese menu like locals or leave .

[@JamesLoo56]

Agree, differential pricing usually applies at attractions and never in a restaurant elsewhere that I have travelled to. In fact foods reflect on the local culture which is most important for any country to share with visitors. Otherwise we will end up at McDonalds, KFCs and Subways

[@CJNG-q9v]

hi Toshi, thank you for the great videos! may i ask is ICOCA card the same as Suica card? i purchased ICOCA during my last visit to Osaka last year and hope it can be used in Tokyo for my upcoming trip in November

[@Toshi-Guide-from-Japan]

Thank you for your question. Yes. ICOCA has the same function of Suica. You can use it in Tokyo too. I hope you have a wonderful time in Japan.

[@Espyyyyy]

Would love some some information about summer festivals especially in Tokyo around aug. 20 to 31, but also Osaka and Kyoto. Somehow I keep finding different dates for the same festivals so it would be nice to know what is correct. For example Edogawa Fireworks festival. Other events happening in the period is also appreciated!

[@Toshi-Guide-from-Japan]

Thank you for your question. Please check the following link out. I hope you have a wonderful time in Japan. japancheapo.com/events/august/

[@Espyyyyy]

@@Toshi-Guide-from-Japan Thank you! These dates seem more realiable! :-)

[@tarrence4131]

Hey Toshi~ I hope you are doing well my friend. I promise to be as respectful and appreciative of your culture and beautiful country, it is an honor and a privilege to be able to visit and to see the incredible sights. I also loaded Suica on my Apple Wallet and just put 2000 Yen to get from the Haneda Airport to Hotel. As always, thank you for sharing information, and making your videos informative with great editing, I can tell you put so much time and effort into growing your channel and I wish you all the success possible, you always do your best! Thank you. I leave USA in 3 days and can not wait to see you!

[@tarrence4131]

Can you help me make reservations to Team Labs? Have you been to the Team Labs before?

[@Toshi-Guide-from-Japan]

Hi, Thank you for watching as usual. I hope you are doing well. As we discussed in our email, I'm looking forward to seeing you in Tokyo on 7/11-7/13. In terms of the reservation of Team Labs, I sent you an email. Please check it out. Have a safe travel to Japan!! Toshi

[@ShaolinMonkster]

Toshi , i tried booking in all of the huts of fuji and they were fully booked from day 1 !!!!!!!

[@Toshi-Guide-from-Japan]

Thank you for sharing! Oh, really... However, you can climb Mt. Fuji on a day trip! I hope you have a wonderful time in Japan.

[@Cubs3344]

some countries have different ticketing strategies to lure locals visiting their own attractions and museums, most of it is government affiliated agencies, while Japan's food establishment price difference aims to gain profit and are privately owned. The differences are obvious

[@Toshi-Guide-from-Japan]

That's true! Thank you for sharing your opinion!!

[@nemurineko666]

HI In chapter 4 you mention this Kyoto Express buss, and you can pay by Subway&Bus 1-Day Pass. Do you know if I can find what exacply is include in this "Subway&Bus 1-Day Pass." whic line etc? and if similar thing exist in Tokyo and Osaca

[@Toshi-Guide-from-Japan]

>Do you know if I can find what exacply is include in this "Subway&Bus 1-Day Pass." whic line etc? Please check the official website. www2.city.kyoto.lg.jp/kotsu/webguide/en/ticket/regular_1day_card_comm.html >and if similar thing exist in Tokyo and Osaca Yes. For example, the following is the tokyo 1 day pass. www.jreast.co.jp/multi/pass/tokyo_free.html

[@nemurineko666]

​@@Toshi-Guide-from-Japan Thank you :)

[@cshtwn]

Hi Toshi-san. Is Suica card still available at Narita Airport? By the way, can I use Mobile Suica to board non-JR train in Tokyo and other cities (Kyoto and Osaka)?

[@Toshi-Guide-from-Japan]

>Is Suica card still available at Narita Airport? Would you like to buy a Suica at Narita Airport? My friend told me she got it 2 weeks ago. >By the way, can I use Mobile Suica to board non-JR train in Tokyo and other cities (Kyoto and Osaka)? Yes. You can use it not only JR but also non-JR in Big city like Kyoto, Osaka, Hiroshima, etc.

[@cshtwn]

Thank you Toshi-san

[@harveyh3696]

11:45 Diamond Head is a publicly funded entity. The only people who get in free are Residents of Hawaii, who pay local taxes. There are other parks in Hawaii that do the same. State ID required to be shown.

[@Toshi-Guide-from-Japan]

Thank you for sharing!

[@harveyh3696]

@@Toshi-Guide-from-Japan You are welcome! :)

[@chantalwut4]

Thank you so much for all the informations!! I have an european Android so i can't have Suica Mobile :( : what can i do about it?

[@Toshi-Guide-from-Japan]

Thank you for watching! Unfortunately, you can't use mobile app. You need to get physical train IC Card.

[@chantalwut4]

@@Toshi-Guide-from-Japan thank you!

[@killininstinct343]

holy shit, finally some good news for Kyoto with the Express Bus service. I went in May 2023 and screwed myself. I basically walked from Kyoto Station to Kiyumizudera only to hop on a bus that takes you back to Kyoto station. I thought it was gonna take me to the entrance of the street towards the temple itself. I did get to see multiple things that day and was unfortunately to late to enter the temple premises, however I went north towards Gion and visited a cool Ramen restaurant and entered the zones where pictures weren't allowed, which I obliged to.

[@Toshi-Guide-from-Japan]

Thank you for sharing your real experience. It's very helpful for other tourists. I hope you come back to Japan soon!!

[@killininstinct343]

@@Toshi-Guide-from-Japan I am actually visiting again this year in October and I'll kinda act as a guide for my friend group in terms of planning the trip (like the first time) but instead of 2 weeks I'll be going 3 weeks. From what I could find out May and October seem like the best months in terms of weather and national & foreign tourism. Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Sapporo, Hakodate and then a few more cities to visit this time. I'm thinking Nikko, Kanagama, Sendai and/or Gifu for the last week but I'm not really sure yet

[@lifeofkryu]

Is there any special event during sept 2-16 ?

[@Toshi-Guide-from-Japan]

Yes. There are some events. I will explain them in my next video. Please check it out!

[@Traveljet14]

Thank you for sharing. 1) Using Credit cards instead of physical suica is going to cost us more because of bank charges in foreign currency. The only ones who benefit are the banks and not us. 2) I have not come across different pricing in dining establishments overseas for tourists. So this is really not a good step for Japan. Hopefully it does not spread throughout the country. For other touristy sight seeing places, it’s not so bad. 3) Not a fan of dynamic pricing. In the end, all these measures make it more expensive for the ordinary people. 4) It’s such a pity inconsiderate tourists have made it more difficult for others. 😢

[@Toshi-Guide-from-Japan]

Thank you for sharing your opinion!

[@TheScratchingKiwi]

This is exactly what I was going to say. A bank charge for every train ticket? That's scary. The banks here do not hold back on the fees!

[@Be__Mi]

Um….for attractions price rise is reasonable (maintenance cost), if food or hotels mark up higher that might not be nice coz we’ve search the price for budget b4 we arrive Japan.

[@Toshi-Guide-from-Japan]

Thank you for sharing your opinion. I hope you have a wonderful time in Japan.

[@Be__Mi]

@@Toshi-Guide-from-Japanfor your information I have changed my itinerary not to go to Toyosu Market😂 E.g. if you know the price of the fish, will you pay more to eat the fish?

[@undertaker0011]

Hi, your link/coupon code for JAPAN WIRELESS does not work. Any ideas ?

[@Toshi-Guide-from-Japan]

Thank you for your message. I checked now. If you order Pocket WiFi, you can use 10% discount coupon. However, if you order eSIM from the link, you need not to use discount coupon. The price should be 10% off automatically.

[@TheBlouZz]

Why there no chip shortage in South korea ? Also it's not very convenient the welcome suica mobile : no Android and if you travel with kids they don't have their own smartphone

[@Toshi-Guide-from-Japan]

>Why there no chip shortage in South korea ? Sorry, I don't know. >Also it's not very convenient the welcome suica mobile : no Android and if you travel with kids they don't have their own smartphone Yes. So, I hope that the shortage of semiconductors will be resolved soon for foreign tourists.

[@lojosol]

I do not understand why the train companies would want to get rid of IC Cards in favor of credit cards for contactless payment at the fare gates. Credit cards charge the vendor (in this case, the train companies) a fee for each transaction. the train companies own the IC card system, meaning no transaction fee.

[@Toshi-Guide-from-Japan]

Thank you for sharing your opinion! That's true from the perspective of the railway company. However, I think credit cards are better for customers like tourists.

[@jphan21]

Foreigner price difference is not new to me. Over 20 years ago on family trip to Vietnam, the hotel staff told my dad they had to charge us Foreigner price after they heard my brother and I speaking in English. This is after my dad had already prepay for the hotel at the regular price. The different in price for "native" vs foreigners was substantial in Vietnam. Even though your examples in the video show increase in price for foreigners, it's doesn't seem to be exorbitantly higher. That being said, no one likes have to pay more for things.

[@Toshi-Guide-from-Japan]

Thank you for sharing your real experience. It's very helpful for me to understand the difference between Japan and other countries!

[@erictayet]

In some countries, restaurant owners quietly give discount to locals who speak local language. In today's world where Internet and Google Maps is so pervasive, they no longer use 2 menus because it's too obvious and a bad rating can stop all tourist who filter by 4-star and above. However, the practice of overcharging by giving you "free" or "try" items that you didn't order at touristy restaurants is alive and well. If you don't want the starter or wet-napkin or "trial item" they place in front of you, thank the waiting staff and say you don't want it. The practice of 2 entry fees for locals & tourists is a standard almost everywhere I go. It doesn't discourage me to go there because all the best places in the world charges something right? Even a free beach in Bali will have a small cafe or hotel nearby so you can buy refreshments while you're chilling at the beach. Using their chair & umbrella is also chargable.

[@Toshi-Guide-from-Japan]

Thank you for sharing situation around the world. Those are very helpful for me to understand the difference between Japan and other countries!!!

[@marilynturcotte5304]

Marginal costs are okay for foreign tourists, but not blatant price gouging! Now I have a question: Does everyone have to have a payment card for travelling, or can one person pay for another? My husband refuses to carry a cell phone, and I am the one who usually pays for everything. I am the CFO of the Family, LOL Are there any special events happening from October to November?

[@Toshi-Guide-from-Japan]

>Does everyone have to have a payment card for travelling, or can one person pay for another? Is it Train IC card? If so, yes. You need to have it one by one. >Are there any special events happening from October to November? I posted a video about popular events. Please check it out. kzbin.info/www/bejne/gqq0i4ydid-bZ8U

[@denniswhite1399]

That tourist bus is 500 yen more than should be

[@Toshi-Guide-from-Japan]

Thank you for sharing your opinion.

[@TheLAEV]

مرحبا ، شكر لك على هذه المعلومات، انا الان مع عائلتي في اليابان، عندما علمت ان هناك محلات او مطاعم تعطي سعر مختلف( مرتفع ) للأجانب ! شعرت بالغضب المخلوط بالحزن، فأنا شخصيا اذا علمت ان محل يفعل ذلك فلن ادخلة ابدا وقد احذر منه، لانه تصرف غير عادل،حتي اذا كان بعض الدول تفعل ذلك، فهذا امر غير مقبول، وهو يعطي صورة غير جيده لهذه البلد او المطعم او المحل، لانه ايضا يعطي شعور بالتمييز والعنصرية ،بطريقة غير مباشره.

[@Toshi-Guide-from-Japan]

شكرا لتقاسم رأيك!!

[@chrismartin8925]

I'd rather be charged a little extra then see the people of Japan struggle.

[@Toshi-Guide-from-Japan]

Thank you for sharing your opinion.

[@TheScratchingKiwi]

The message is not getting through: the weak yen does not benefit every traveller! Right now, NZD$1 = 98 Yen. I will not pay more for the basics of life (food, water shelter) just because I'm not Japanese. I feel bad for the foreign Japan residents who could be overcharged based on one look at their face. I hope a digitised record of retailers and attractions that use inflated prices for tourists is set up so they can be avoided. People will check the reviews very carefully now. Word gets around! If people are happy to be scammed to line a greedy businessman's pockets, that is their concern. Greed is a negative way to do things and I cannot support it. In case you wonder, we don't have these price 'systems' in New Zealand. All prices in hospitality, hotels etc are inflated, and everyone, tourist and local alike, pay the same price. We also do not tip.

[@Toshi-Guide-from-Japan]

Thank you for sharing your opinion and your country info. It's very helpful for other tourists and me to understand Japan and other countries. I appreciate it!

[@denniswhite1399]

MT Fuji more money then expect to give donation of 1000 yen I would pay to climb no donation

[@Toshi-Guide-from-Japan]

Thank you!

[@denniswhite1399]

I wouldnt eat that place hope it loses money

[@Toshi-Guide-from-Japan]

Thank you for watching.