12 Tips You NEED To Know Before Travelling To Japan 🇯🇵

[@TokyoCreativePlay]

Which tip was the most helpful to you? Who else has their flight to Japan already booked?! 🇯🇵🇯🇵🇯🇵

[@onebladeprop]

I'm already booked and I always get a sim card.

[@lawzy7172]

Got flights and hotels booked with 2 friends for Osaka, Kyoto, and Tokyo. Question - is a day trip from Tokyo to Miyagi realistic (via the Shinkansen)? We're getting the JR Rail Pass and worried it might not be worth it.

[@thomasbecker9676]

Nothing booked yet, but I'm stocking up on yen while it's so weak against the dollar.

[@stephanieok5365]

I appreciate someone else does pocket wifi because they also don't want to figure out sim swapping.

[@stephanieok5365]

I used kore kudasai/sore kudasai to order food with my toddler japanese. *point to menu, food in a counter* "This please! That please!" ^^;

[@igbatious]

0:40 sim card, pocket wifi 1:59 know directions out of airport 2:55 have address ready 3:36 suica / pasmo 5:40 vegans / vegetarians 6:12 be an adventurous eater 8:08 don't over-plan / rush 10:32 the last train 11:30 google maps 13:05 no tip 15:38 loose change 17:12 luggage size on trains 18:04 speak japanese 21:38 socks

[@PicnicPlate]

timestamp 10/10 thank you

[@irregularmana6216]

The real homie

[@Schilddruse]

On the note of not overplanning: When I went to Japan for two weeks in 2020, we spent pretty much every night at a different place, save for each Kyoto and Tokyo, where we spent two nights each. It was pretty stressful having to take the shinkansen every day to go to a different city, especially with oversized luggage. I've made myself promise that if I ever came back, I wouldn't travel like this again. But on the other hand, I've seen so much that I wouldn't have had the chance to if I took it more slowly. And I wouldn't want to miss any of it. It was the perfect first visit to Japan and if I ever do have the chance of visiting again I will have the luxury of exploring more leisurely as I have already checked "the big ones" off my list.

[@Strider_Shinryu]

Not overplanning (Tip #6) is so important and I'm extremely happy it's on this list. I get if going to Japan is your dream and you don't think you'll ever ever get to go a second time, but you do still NEED to leave time for your self to breathe and actually enjoy your trip. If you have too much planned all you'll remember is the train and bus rides, and the rush to get from one place to the next. Make sure to plan some things but leave time to just experience things at random. Maybe you'll see a cool restaurant you want to try or there will be a cool pop up store or event you didn't know about, or maybe you'll just meet some nice people and you want to go to dinner with them. You never know what might come up. You also don't know if there's a day or two (especially right after you arrive) where you might just not feel good or feel like going anywhere. If your schedule has a little flex in it, that's not a problem and it's better to take a slow day rather than force yourself to DO STUFF you probably won't end up enjoying anyway. I'd personally say for every week you are there, leave at least 2 days pretty much completely open if you can.

[@ashakydd1]

At the same time, research the crap out of any of the places you are going to and create a list of alternate plans as, from my own experience, you might get to those places and find them insanely busy. People go to stuff like Tokyo Skytree, Akihabara, Sensō-ji, etc . . . . only to find them completely packed or have long wait times. Being able to bail and move on to something else without having to think too much in the moment will make a trip a lot easier and more enjoyable. Also, not where parks and gardens are. Most have an entry fee, but, if you are feeling overwhelm and just want to sit down, spending that 200-300 yen is totally worth it.

[@Strider_Shinryu]

@@ashakydd1 Absolutely. While it's important to not over plan, if there are things you really want to do (or NEED to do as in your trip won't be complete without doing them) then you should do as much planning as you can. If you can book it in advance, book it in advance. If you need tickets, see if you can buy them before you even go (even if it means using a proxy seller). If some sort of documentation needs to be filed, don't wait on it. Etc. As much as Japan has to offer, a lot of it is limited in capacity, duration, location, etc.

[@silkvelvet2616]

I agree totally. As a teenager, I went to Katoomba High School and chose bushwalking as my elective sport. Sometimes we would walk round to the 3 Sisters to start a walk down into the valley and we'd see the coach loads of Chinese tourists practically vomit their passengers out for a 20min stop for photos before they were herded back on for the next landmark. Not a criticism, but because they had such tiny annual holidays, they would do these coach tours that would pack the absolute maximum into their one week. They must have been so tired by the time they got home, with only photos and souvenirs and no real memories to show for it. The thought of doing such package tours fills me with dread!

[@Nelsea7190]

I agree, plan 2 or 3 items and the rest of the day will fill up. You might even go through your list a bit faster than expected.

[@terit5246]

Love the tip about the pocket change! I didn’t know about that! Also, Aki’s mention of having the address of your first place of stay is important but so easy to forget!! I also have two suggestions: 1) check which konbini ATMs work with your debit/credit cards early in your trip. I had been using 7-Elevens but then tried to get money in a rural town that only had a Lawson’s and neither card worked ! 2) in lieu of tips, you can bring a few inexpensive, lightweight gifts from your hometown (think postcards, pins, etc) and have those on hand. If you stay at a ryokan or someone goes out of their way to help you, you can show them your appreciation and it’s a great way to connect with locals.

[@TheServeris]

Thanks for the tips. Not having enough of a plan is how I have a panic attack when travelling. I tend to plan around one or two big things to do each day, and the rest is exploring and just doing whatever. Not having that, and leaving it up entirely to just figure out whatever is actually terrifying to me. Just do what works for you, and do your best to not get overwhelmed.

[@karlos1008]

My tip: if you’re getting tired of Japanese breakfasts, try “breadfast”. That’s trying all the breads from the konbini for breakfast if you need something a bit closer to your regular palette. It’ll only cost you a couple of dollars so it’s heaps cheaper than like a croissant from Starbucks or something similar. Alternatively grab some of the onigiri (the soy sauce or bacon and egg ones are incredible)

[@kristynathan5295]

I need more Emma and Aki in my life 😅 so chilled and natural...Ive never wanted more than to visit Japan even more so now ❤

[@ginathemtlgal4739]

I just spent 2 weeks in Japan. HAAAAPPPPYYYY!!!!!! The JR pass was amazing and saved me a lot of money because I went to Kyoto, Hiroshima, Fukuoka. Knowing that JR trains cover districts as well as the subway makes it very useful. Already planning next year’s trip 😉

[@Nynke_K]

Very good tips, I'd say as someone who has traveled to Japan twice! I'd add one thing: if you can avoid oversized luggage (maybe by checking in a hand-luggage-sized suitcase and adding a backpack for hand luggage), that'll make your travels in Japan much easier in general, also on busy commuter trains and at stations with few or no lifts or escalators! But I did use Yamato once too, it's like magic!

[@katja6306]

Good tip too! We opted for one big backpack (more like a hiking backpack), that we checked in and had smaller backpack for walking around during the day. I can recommend this, since we also did lot of travel by train, much easier to carry your things than drag around a suitcase around stations.

[@kayschut9327]

Best tip I can give is: Don't rush. I get that you want to see a lot of things when you are on vacation, but don't forget it's also very important to relax, you don't want to come back more stressed than you were before leaving. It's the main reason I hate packaged tours. I once spent 2 hours sitting on a bench in Nara Park and I don't regret it at all. Also for solo travelers who might feel awkward going into a Yakiniku restaurant by themselves, there's a chain called Yakiniku LIKE that targets people who are solo.

[@carolineb7127]

My tip, if you are visiting Japan from another hemisphere (like Australia...) the recycle stores have amazing deals on end of season clothing (which will be the right season for you going back home). I bought an extra backpack (from a recycle store of course...) to take my purchases back home.

[@anlicsceadu]

For the cellphone, if you have TMobile from the US, then it will work in Japan relatively well. The basic plan works fine as long as you don't mind slower data. Uploading pictures to social media is a pain, but it still works great for google maps and even spotify in most urban areas. Don't make phonecalls though...because that's .20 a minute and will kill you. They also have short term international plans (additional $50 a month) that work really well, and allow for unlimited calling. So if you already have TMobile, you shouldn't have to worry about buying a sim card. Oh also, Google-Fi is a great option as well! I know lots of people who have it here in Japan with no issues. 🙂

[@TreeChap]

This is probably the best Japan travel tips video Ive seen yet So excited to go back for a second time in March. My flights are booked!! ❤🇯🇵

[@aruscared]

Watching this makes me pretty proud I did a lot of research when I went because I had all of this sorted beforehand. But definitely in two things, I had a JR Pass and a Suica Pass. I'd gotten the former originally but then when I arrived learned that the train station my hotel was at was actually not affiliated with JR Pass somehow. So that CAN be a thing! It was also just more convenient to get Suica because I spent more times in arcades than not. Also, really! Just go outside and walk! I stayed in Edogawa-ku and while I had plans to go elsewhere, my first day I just spent wandering the area around the hotel. It was beautiful. I also missed a last train and walked the mile or two home one night. There was so much to see. I always had a "general idea" of where I was going throughout days like going to Odaiba and just exploring different [Digimon based, I'm a nerd] locations and just seeing it for what it;s worth. Def recommend!

[@gdore15]

4:44 interesting choice to zoom on the machine what does not sell Suica while talking about buying a Suica. The pink machine is the one to use to buy. 5:00 they work the same, but technically are not 100% the same, for example you can load some really specific tickets like the Subway 24-48-72 hours ticket on Pasmo and the Tokunai Pass on Suica. I agree with not over planning, but in a different way. I think it's fine to plan 10 things to do in an area on a specific day, but also be flexible and take time to enjoy what do you, it's fine not to follow a plan. Overall really good tips.

[@xXParrallaxXx]

Emma’s Style is stellar, poised, exquisite , excellent 👌👌

[@icsk8grrl]

Check the airport map for the bathrooms ahead of arrival, it’s super stressful after a long flight if you really need to pee and you cannot find a toilet. I was zonked out on an anti anxiety med and couldn’t bring myself to read the signs, but the nicest local pointed me in the right direction and also showed me where to buy my pasmo card (absolute angel). Can confirm over planning is a no no, I try to have just 1 thing, restaurant or area we want to see each day. Also we have at least 1 day with zero plans midway through since we get tired from all the walking around lol

[@mariostudio7]

It's so nice that people might try to help even when they don't know how to speak english. I've been to some countries that refuse to talk to you even if they know how to speak english which is really frustrating.

[@BeardedNerdSE]

Definitely don't overplan. I've seen some ridiculous itineraries like "we do Akihabara from 10:00 to 12:00, then Shinjuku from 12:15 to 14:15" etc. You're going to hate it. All the major centers in Tokyo easily take you a day each to explore even a slight bit. I'd recommend picking one per day and planning a few spots in each that you really want to hit, and just explore freely between those.

[@BennyCo.Skateboard]

Planning on going for a week next years February for my birthday. Glad I came back to the channel.

[@otakuforlife19]

I always find myself watching all of these types of videos.

[@fufu5068]

This is super helpful. Gonna go Tokyo next week!! See you there!

[@Jeremy_408]

2 things I noticed. Aki’s hair looks great and Emma’s earrings are amazing

[@ToliBera]

My tips (From my time in Hong Kong, so transferable knowledge) -Get the transit app (Citymapper, MTR, for HK) -Get the Octopus Card (HK's version of the Suica Card) -Thigh Glide / baby powder (you're gonna do a lot of walking, and it's hot/humid. The Chafe) -Drink More Water.

[@q.adisti4605]

Going to visit Japan next week! My first time tho 🥺 So anxious about the public transportation the most. Thank you for your tips! ✨️

[@sourcedecay]

Your best tips were not overplanning and trying to speak Japanese even if you're not great at it. I knew a bit of Japanese when I went so I tried my best, and it seemed like everyone I spoke to in my broken-ass Japanese really appreciated me at least trying. My best days in Japan were when I split off on my own, hopped on a random train, and got lost.

[@Jordy120]

Most people will appreciate the effort even if you mess it up.

[@giannilyanicks1718]

really creepy. it's like if they force themselves to listen him.

[@batsjapan]

My tip would be to know your exit from railway stations. Too many times i have just used the closest exit only to spend way too much time getting my bearings. Literally you could be 500 metres away from where you should be.

[@marven1101]

I just returned, and a pocket wifi would have been great. There are hotspots all over look for a green phone booth. Team Labs Planet experience in Tokyo was INCREDIBLE

[@meg..meg.]

Google maps is SUPER helpful with planning trips and trains! It has been invaluable!

[@NikeetShah]

One thing not mentioned is if you're a toruist in Tokyo you can go to any BicCamera and show the staff your passport and ask for the "Metro 24/48/72 hour Pass". The pass lets you travel on the metro for an unlimited number of times within the specified time. The 72 hour pass is only 1500 Yen.

[@ThatBrunetteYouTube]

The JR pass is great if you plan to travel to other cities in Japan. If you are staying in one city, stick with PASMO/Suica. If you have food allergies, print out cards with the phrase "I am allergic to" with the list of your allergies in Japanese. The server will check with the chef about the food ingredients on the menu.

[@jennifertilley7699]

I went 6 years ago so things may be different now. When I travelled in Japan, I went with my ex-hubs and we carried around cash with us to avoid any credit card issues. We sat down in a restaurant and I looked at the menu. We didn't realize this place was a fancy restaurant. My ex hubs didn't know that 10000 yen meant $100 (or at least at that time it was, conversion is a little different now), so those travelling with cash or limited amount of money to make sure you understand the cost of things. Luckily I noticed it otherwise we wouldn't have been able to pay for our meal and that would've been awful. Another thing I noticed when being in japan. The hotels I stayed at would tell us about bundle deals that we could get from the train station for that area and they also gave us a list of events that were happening in our area. This was wonderful! The bundle we got from the train station would include any ticket cost for the event, train, and etc at a very discounted price. It was also nice to see relevant events happening in the area that we didnt plan! *This was 6 years ago, so things may have changed.

[@barbararivers5358]

Thank You 🙏🏽

[@Lysander45]

To piggyback off of your tip about getting a Suica, remember that if you are arriving through Kansai International Airport, the equivalent of the Suica is the ICOCA card, which is used in the Kansai area (including Kyoto).

[@Bobsyagod]

My wife and I have booked our first trip to Japan for 21 days in April and I'm trying to keep what you said about not over planning as my mantra. I feel I'm driving my wife nuts with a thousand ideas and too much structure. We've booked all our accomodation, starting in tokyo for the first night, then osaka, Nara, Hiroshima, back to Osaka, Kyoto and then the last week in Tokyo but apart from locked in things we need to prebook like pokemon cafe and Ghibli musuem we're hoping to just go in a direction for the most part with 1 or 2 attractions in mind to achieve and then everything else for the day is pretty free form.

[@totsumtroy975]

Emma's Earrings for the win!

[@Jaybird0323]

I'm going to Tokyo in March! These were all super helpful! Thank you!

[@SamA-bf8lw]

Going in September. Been considering doing it since before the pandemic so looking forward to it. Planning on a few days in Tokyo, few days in Osaka/Kyoto, a couple of days in Hiroshima and back to Tokyo for a few days before flying back. I have a rough idea of what I want to do whilst at these places but also want to just explore a bit and play it by ear. Just got to start saving..

[@jclopez5914]

More please. Me and my partner are planning on going to Japan on march. This has been very helpful.

[@itstonberrytime]

Can't wait for my first trip to Japan! Thanks for all the great tips, keep doing what you're doing!

[@allieats]

My boyfriend and I are planning a trip to Japan and we can’t wait!! We’ve been doing as much research as possible in preparation, and this video was so helpful! If you have more tips to share I (and I’m sure many others) would appreciate a part 2 😊 Cheers from Ohio!

[@Papershields001]

I’m so excited to head back to Tokyo

[@aappocky5553]

Thanks for the info & thanks to Tokyo Creative for opening the border!

[@tiggerc80]

Hi Ladies great information and I love watching your videos. One bit of information most people don’t talk about is taking medications into Japan, including over the counter stuff. I’ve found, in the past that customs requires that you have a letter from your doctor about any prescription medications, copies of prescriptions and you have to fill out forms to send to the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare department.

[@azurepulse1870]

Since arriving in november, I got one of the local varieties of suica and was able to use it to pay for stuff at the conbinis, get on buses, pay for taxi rides, and get on trains and automatically pay the right amount at the gates instead of trying to read Japanese to try and get a specific ticket (and that's if you can even understand the convoluted train line maps). Planning routes with google maps is a must for easy navigation in Japan. I was able to use my US sim in Japan but it was going to cost me $10 a day or $100 for a month. Getting the Jp sim card is so much cheaper and they rent them out there at the airport. Also, bring a bunch of cash and exchange it for Yen at one of the exchange places in the Japanese airport. You'll get a much better rate there than, say, the exchange rates at American banks or airport exchanges. the raw chicken with a bit of onion and dipped a bit into soy sauce was delicious. Probably my favorite food surprise here.

[@grumpus5248]

Treating my trip to Japan much like my trips to NYC. Each day had 1 or 2 main things to do with a lot of slop time built in because I knew I would be walking or using the subway, might get lost, miss a stop, or get distracted. Edited for clarity

[@elenak288]

This is SUCH a helpful video! Thanks so much Emma and Aki

[@Mordred478]

This video was informative and improved the flavor and texture of my toast.

[@ladyrapture4170]

A good tip we spent the whole first day travelling to Japan and finding out where our accommodation is and we just spent the first day in the same area we stayed in in Tokyo and walked around and chilled and went to some fun activities on the first official day which helped us get over jet lag

[@TigroGumi]

I lived in America for a while and a lot of businesses use the tipping dynamic to constantly under pay waiting staff. I was a chef, the waiters often got paid more than us from tips, but if they relied on their usual wage they would barely be able to live working full time. You have to imagine how greasy most business owners are in other countries when it comes to cutting any cost they can. It should really be included in the pricing, but then again, it is a cultural thing

[@musicaltater4646]

When i traveled, i tried to learn 'where is the bathroom/restroom' since that's quite important to know

[@Nynke_K]

Sumimasen, toire wa, dochira desuka? I have that one memorised too 😊

[@watergirl403]

Oh my gosh this was so amazing practical and useful thank you these are all the nitty gritty details I wanted to know

[@ashleypierro2284]

In Japan I travel with a 24in / 60cm medium checked bag. If you book a seat in the front row of a shinkansen car, the bag will fit right in front of your legs and is low enough that you can still use the tray table.

[@runningbirderandbeer6140]

Great video. I think you forgot one important tip: do all the immigration, customs, and Covid forms online beforehand. It was a little complicated but I now have done all the forms online and supposedly I just need to show the QR codes upon arrival. I will find out when I come to Japan the first time soon.

[@didriksen86]

Going in January/February to Tokyo and these tips are super helpful!

[@AnimeWill]

My planning pretty much involves listing all the places/sites I want to see, group them by area, and then ranking them. I go to that area, start from my #1 and work down the list while being sure to take my time to really enjoy that site and it's surrounding area. Anything I don't get to see before end of day, I possibly move it to another day or I just don't see it and move on to the next area. There's so much to see in just Tokyo alone, and it's impossible to do it on one short trip. So just accept the fact you wont see everything and that way you'll really enjoy your time.

[@TheAquilaSamurai]

Little expansion on the initial tip of knowing directions from airport - if you can, fly into Haneda instead of Narita. Much more centrally located in Tokyo and train line can take you into Tokyo station in less than an hour.

[@TATOOINETABLEFLIP]

Nicely done, ladies! After having been to Japan numerous times, these are tips I would also build into a list for those coming for the first time. Cheers!

[@Titania714]

My top tip is to wear comfortable shoes that you can easily take on and off. You're going to be walking quite a bit, including lots of stairs and hills. And you'll need to be ready for entering shrines, temples, and traditional restaurants. Another tip: don't overpack what you think are essentials. Combini and Donqi have your back!

[@blowfishofdoom]

Going in march :D ! I have started to do something whenever I go to a new town or a convention. I don't make a list of "I MUST do these things!" I flipped it to a "I would like to do these things." just just sort of an relaxed list of things that I think would be cool. Then when I get my boots on the ground I see where the day takes me. I usually make is a larger list so its impossible to do it all in one go and well get in the mindset that I will have to come back on a second trip of If I want to go back.

[@somebodythatiusetoknow2027]

I would love to go there, good idea with the pocket Wi-Fi!

[@silkvelvet2616]

I so very much would like to visit Japan. Your advice is incredible. It's exactly the sort of information that tourists need to streamline their first impressions on arrival. When planning my trip back to Oz from the UK with a stop in Singapore on the way there and a stop in Bangkok on the way back, I researched extensively for all the 'If you know, you know' advice before getting there because I knew that with no understanding of the local language, we needed to know how to navigate the cities (yeah, technically Singapore is an English speaking country, BUT not everyone does). It helped so much. So you two offering up this info cuts down on the research, but also offers a starting point for specific research, so thankyou so much, even if a trip to Japan at this time is just a pipe dream for me.

[@holiday07]

Thanks girls! This is very helpful specially the last part with the phrases and the family mart socks. 😊

[@TyxTheRedSnapper]

I love your knife-earrings, Emma!!

[@rachelfeuerstein5883]

I agree with all of these tips!! One thing that my husband and I did when we visited was bring a little omiyage from home to give to each place we stayed at. We are from America, so we brought a sample of Halloween candy, a sticker from our home town, and a hand written thank you note. As an American it made me feel better about not tipping ;P

[@julezmercury420]

Thank you so much for all the tips!!!

[@brandonward3551]

Great info...Especially for my April 2023 plans

[@darkessraven]

Add on to #5, expect to get food you don’t like in your meal. They do not do custom orders so if you say “no onions”, there’s going to be onions and you are expected to eat around it without complaint.

[@kevinremley6802]

Booked my trip for next year, originally I was supposed to go in 2020. Thanks for the helpful info!

[@MalmasCD]

Thanks for the video. Whilst it's a common topic, these were all really helpful and quite a few hadn't heard mentioned before. I think getting some form of mobile internet will resolve most issues you'll have in Japan! I've always relied on Lonely Planet and free wifi and spent too much time bewildered and lost (even just in Shinjuku station)! That and just knowing at least a few words to be polite :)

[@sheilahgregg7879]

One other phrase I’d add - Doke dae. (Ya spelt wrong…) I used that a lot on my first trip back in 2014. And I’d say the location like Tokyo tower! And point to either side of the station. Poor guy was happy he only needed to point to the exit to answer. But it made it very easy to get around.

[@JinxedG]

Oh this is perfect timing! I'm going to be spending the month there in February for the first time and I'm so excited! Side note, I'm still shocked my job let me have this much time off 🤩

[@dreamair91]

Emma love this look especially the hat. You two are great together would love to see more with you. I want to come to Japan and love the tips!

[@jayj4142]

I’ve been to Japan several times and took a few Japanese lessons between trips. So last time I was in Tokyo, I got on an elevator at one of the stations (I am disabled and stairs are quite a challenge, but I can walk ok)…Well, I got on the elevator and about ten other people got on, so I kind of got crammed face-first into the corner of the elevator and mumbled “Daijoubu”…and everyone else chuckled politely. I think that’s the first time I’d ever made anyone laugh in another language. It’s funny because I would’ve probably said, “I’m fine” and gotten the same reaction if this had happened in the US or Canada. lol

[@TheCreepypro]

the perfect pair to give me tips

[@sophiaisabelle027]

Your content have always been fun and entertaining to watch. Thanks for this informative video. It helps us out a lot.

[@kitt3526]

My tip would be go outside of the major areas, spend a few days in Tokyo but then go off the beaten track to prefectures or areas that aren’t visited as much

[@kitt3526]

Prefectures like Tottori or areas like Tohoku, or go right down to areas in Southern Japan. JR rail passses are great and you can explore for way cheaper than locals can

[@Executordee]

these are fine and dandy.. i'm just scared that I might need a emergency roll of TP in the case of none being in the public restrooms. had three acquaintances have it as problem when they went to Japan.

[@melaniejaneprocter5529]

I never had to fill a form in to say where I was staying when I got to Japan. I got help to get on the right train and off. And help to get to my hotel. I got the card and the WiFi when I went to 2020.

[@susowellington5447]

Didn't expect you to mention happy cow. 😄

[@AlessioFangano]

Honestly, this was great! Awesome tips :D

[@MelisaSJ]

Yamato transport is very convenient! I used their service once to send my big ass luggage from Kyoto to Tokyo because I don’t want to bring them to Takayama and Nagoya (I visited these two cities before going to Tokyo). We can choose our desired date for the luggage to be send and it was pretty cheap, about ¥1000-ish.

[@fanglord13]

Easy way to deal with Narita is to fly in and out of Haneda wherever possible. So much easier! Prefer a SIM to a pocket wifi and order ours in advance so we can just plop it in and have connection as soon as we arrive. Couldn't agree more on the overplanning tip! Best course of action is to pick a destination/highlight for the day and allow yourself all day to explore. A daytrip to Matsumoto out of Nagano was one of the best decisions of the trip as we really only planned in seeing the castle and then just walked the streets, taking in the sights and hopping into any store/street that looked interesting. Shinjuku station is a nightmare to navigate, even with my great sense of direction. Definitely need to spare extra time to navigate that mess. Pocket Change is a cool idea, but we will come back to Japan regularly so will keep the coins for next time and hit those Gacha machines asap ;)

[@mizusenshisongs]

Nice tip about the change. I saw a similar tip in a travel hacks book except it said to give it to someone who is arriving in the country you're leaving. Not sure how you would do that though. Google Maps walking distance is weird here in the U.S. too. I always wonder how they even calculate those. I know they still capture Street View with cars (cause I've seen them) so maybe they do something similar with walking.

[@chrischtea]

regarding #10 (getting rid of coins): you can load the coins on your pasmo/suica and hand in the card (at the airport's JR station) to get your money on the card (as notes) + deposit for the card back. I did that in 2019 (not sure it still works).

[@chelseacarpenter2302]

I'm so dang excited for March!! I've been planning this trip since Nov 2019 and was supposed to be there Feb of this year for my 30th but had to push it another year.

[@mianhaeioi]

FYI, the Kansai version of the SUICA card is called ICOCA

[@k3an-official]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I heard that the Suica phone app recently stopped allowing US credit cards/apple pay, which makes it useless for US travelers

[@nickm1187]

I would say Apple Maps is even better than Google Maps and the walking times and directions are very accurate. Also try and spend at least 30% of your time in the countryside. Cities in Japan are great but the countryside is just as special and shouldn’t be missed. The JR system is extremely english friendly no matter where you go.

[@rebeccas9488]

Thank you for those tips! I'm coming to Japan in March/April and now I think we've scheduled too much!

[@robd92]

Daijobu this!!! 🔥

[@johnbecker1996]

I've always had great success with Japan Wireless for pocket wifi. Fantastic customer service.

[@FieryFlamingFajitas]

I really really want to go to Japan as my first overseas trip. Am thinking maybe next year for my birthday. Thank you so much for these tips!

[@Aleta-yz7se]

The tipping thing is because in America they don’t pay hospitality service workers properly. Like ridiculously low. So tips are making up the wages. In other countries they pay servers properly so tips are an extra. In Canada we do pay a minimum wage but tip anyway lol.

[@battenburg6089]

I'm a little late, but for those who want SUICA / PASMO on their phone, you CANNOT use VISA. there are major issues that don't allow you to charge the card, making it impossible to use. It is known about and is being fixed, but they aren't hopeful that it will be fast. If you don't want it on your phone, that's fine, but if you do, I would look at getting a MONZO card or similar, that is a Mastercard, as they will work with charging your Suica.

[@littlepsycopopmaryith8618]

I can also give some personal tips of when I went to Japan back then too, and these are ones that I learned the hard way. 1. Have everything ready before going to the cashier. A lot of big cities are REALLY busy from breakfast to dinner, and having the money out before you get there. ((Even if it's a big bill, but use the calculator to help with the price. And also look up any tax for the area that you are in, like Tokyo or even Osaka they have a big tax after the price if isnt a mom and pops shop.)) So you can go up there and hand it in to the tray, NOT THE PERSON. And it will be quicker.... 2. DO NOT TAKE THE SPOTS FOR THE PREGNANT/CHILD/ELDERLY SPOTS ON THE TRAIN. It is ment for people or even mothers who are carrying/having kids on the train that can NOT stand for long trips or have disabilities that they cant help of having, so please keep thous spots open. And if it's full and you took that spot, but after a few stops you notice an elderly person/mother who is carrying/have kids/disabled come on the train. Give up that spot, no matter how tired you are. But if you are one of thous people that I listed, then see if someone next to you who is in the same area to see if they are capable of standing to give up their. Politely thou... 3. There is strick rules in areas for a reason, NOT TO BE A JERK.... There is areas in Japan like temples, the Suicide Forest, and areas that will have a sign in the VERY front. It will say something of this.... "For your safety and for everyone's safety. Please do not take photos, cameras, nor videos of this area. We greatly appreciate it, Thank You for your understanding." It's because of their rule of Privacy, and there is VERY strick laws of breaking this law. Thankfully I havent but I almost made a mistake of taking a photo in a temple without permission, but the monk there was very polite and I apologize for my mistake. But for Suicide Forest it's a WHOLE different ball game, because of the strick laws they have is not just for protecting the people who past away in there. It is VERY dangerous and I have been in there, just being on the path gives off a VERY HEAVY vibe of so many emotions.... your mind gets twisted from there, and the sign they have is strick, to the point, and very specific of what will happen if you break that rule. And also what will happen if you stay off the path, ignoring that sign will veto your passport/Visa to Japan for life. And also you can face jail time and also can cost your life, cause after dawn/sunset happens no one can come and find you. Your on your own for the rest of the night, and hoping and praying that you can make it threw the night.

[@ImmortalRimas]

The first time I went which was back in February 2020 for 2 weeks I only scratched the surface of sites to see in Japan. The next time I go (which will probably not be for a few years based on my finances) I wanna use the full 90 day visa my Passport provides to explore all of Japan or at least all the major sites on each island

[@angechrissy]

About the Sucia app - a few vloggers have already spoken about the difficulties in downloading the app to your phone if your phone is not a Japanese-registered phone. I tried but I couldn't do it to my Google Pixile 5 that I bought in Canada (the app is not even available in my Google store). I read about how to "heck" your iPhone to think that it's a Japanese phone to download the app but I wouldn't advise to bother. Just get the card.

[@kingjulian1202]

know only a little bit of japanese... I can just speak for myself and I know it´s not for everyone, but when I will go to Japan for the first time, I will have learnt it for 4 years

[@jurrassitol15]

Not sure if its still available - when i travelled to japan for the second time, i discovered that if you are travelling through Narita and want to grab a suica card, you can grab a NEX suica…the card is a special edition of the card with ¥1500 and also gets you from Narita airport into tokyo…I got this as the JR pass wasn’t value for money for me… I’m looking forward to getting back to japan in 2023 (was supposed to go in 2020, but well we know what happened that year)…flights are already booked…and the countdown has begun!