23 Essential Things to Know Before Traveling to Japan

I just returned from a two week trip to Japan and had the most incredible trip. If you’re reading this post that means you’re considering a trip to Japan (or maybe you’re even in the middle of trip planning!). I’m equal parts excited for you and jealous of you (hey, I can’t help it! Japan is an incredible country and I want to go back). You’re going to have a fantastic time in this magical country and I’m going to give you all the things to know before visiting Japan. This is an extremely important post that covers some seriously helpful Japan travel tips for your first time in Japan. 

By the way, we flew Japan Airlines Business class for our trip and loved it. Check out my review of our experience and how we booked the flights by using credit card points.

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1. Japan is one of the safest countries

You won’t need to worry about petty crime or really any sort of crime here. It’s completely safe to walk around at all hours of the night. That being said, of course, be mindful of your surroundings just like anywhere you’d travel to and if your gut is telling you not to walk down a certain street, don’t do it. Personally, I felt incredibly safe here and I would easily go back as a solo woman traveler. 

The only thing I will point out is that towards the end of the day you’re more likely to find some drunk Japanese businessmen on public transportation. In my experience they were harmless but I think it’s important to call out. 

2. The public transportation system is awesome and you can basically get everywhere 

You will fall in love with using the metro and the bus system in Japan because it’s so freaking convenient. If you aren’t used to using a metro, don’t worry! It may seem overwhelming at first but you’ll be a pro in no time. Everything runs on time and there are frequent trains so don’t worry if you miss a train. 

3. A digital Suica card is your best friend but you will need a MasterCard or AmEx to top it off

Suica is one of the metro cards that is used in Japan. If you have an iPhone, a digital Suica card is going to be a game changer and your best option for using the public transportation system as there is currently a shortage in physical cards.. We used it across Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka. 

To get the card follow these steps:

1. Go to the Wallet app on your iPhone
2. Click the plus button
3. Click on “Transit Card” 
4. Search for “Suica”
5. Follow the prompts to add it to your wallet

It’s important to know that if you are using a foreign credit card, you have to use a MasterCard or AmEx in order to add money to the virtual card. Visa cards will not work. 

You can put any amount you want on the card. Google Maps will tell you how much the cost of a journey will be so you can easily put the exact amount on your card if you want. We started off with one of the suggested amounts because we knew that we would be using the trains/buses almost exclusively throughout the trip. Then, the last couple of days, we just topped off the card with the exact amount we needed prior to each trip. That way we finished out our trip with a zero balance. 

I’d recommend getting your virtual card set up before your trip so that you’re ready to go once you land.

4. The JR pass may not make the most sense for you

You will see lots of blog posts recommending getting the JR pass (the Japan rail pass). However, the pass has recently gone up quite a bit so it’s no longer a no brainer to get the pass. Personally, we skipped it because it didn’t mathematically make sense for us. If you are traveling to a lot of cities in a short amount of time it may work for you but the best way to know for sure is to use a pass calculator. 

If you do decide to get the pass, just be sure you buy it in advance as a mail exchange order will be shipped to your home country that you will then use to obtain your actual pass in Japan.

5. Google maps will help you navigate public transportation

Be sure you have internet access so that you are able to use Google maps to help you get around. It’s very accurate and easy to follow and you can use it for both the bus and the subway system. 

Just note that the walking time that it gives you between transferring from one train line to another may sometimes be optimistic. You may take a bit longer as some stations are really large and it can take a few minutes to get your bearings and figure out which direction you need to walk in. Just remember that there are plenty of trains so if you miss one, you can just grab the next one. 

6. You will need a separate ticket for the Shinkansen (the bullet train)

I won’t lie to you. Sometimes it was confusing to figure out how to get tickets. The easiest way to avoid any confusion is to go to the designated ticket counter for the Shinkansen and tell them what train you want and if you want a reserved seat or not. We always went for a reserved seat because it just seemed easier to know where we were sitting.

There are kiosks next to the ticket counters but those required us to insert a physical Suica card which we did not have. 

7. If you need help figuring out trains or directions, go to the information desk in the station

We found that most people running the information desk spoke enough English to answer our questions. They were always extremely helpful and depending on the train, you can buy tickets through them or they’ll point you in the right direction. When in doubt, just head to one of these counters.

8. The metro does not run 24/7 

Contrary to what you may think, the metro doesn’t run at all hours of the day. The Tokyo metro stopped running around midnight. Just be sure to plan accordingly if you’re going to be out late. I also would recommend avoiding the last train if at all possible. It’s usually jam packed. I’m talking uncomfortably packed and there are typically some very drunk people on it. I would also avoid trains during rush hour if you can as they are likely to be more packed as well. 

9. You will likely encounter a language barrier but there are some tools to help you

Google translate will be very helpful for your trip, especially the feature where you can take a photo and have it translate the text. This was very helpful in restaurants or to translate signs. You won’t find an English translation everywhere so make sure you have Google translate on your phone ready to go.

Looking for some restaurant recommendations? Check out my guide to the best Tokyo vegan and vegetarian restaurants.

10. It’s a good idea to learn some phrases in Japanese

Speaking a little Japanese goes a long way both to help you understand the basics and to be polite while you ask someone if he/she can speak some English. We got along just fine with the use of Google translate and some Japanese we learned. 

Sometimes we found locals who spoke a decent amount of English and other times they spoke little to none. Don’t worry, Japanese people are extremely friendly and polite so they will work with you through the communication barriers. Just be sure to do your part and learn some useful phrases.

My fiance and I used Pimsleur before our trip and were pretty impressed by how much we were able to retain. I plan on using it for our next trip too. The lessons are about 30 minutes and are designed for you to do a daily lesson.

11. You will walk a ton so be sure to bring comfortable shoes

I got this advice before I went to Japan and I didn’t think much of it. I mean I always walk a lot on a trip, why would this be any different? Well, it was. We walked between 7-10 miles every single day and that was with trying to be careful because I have a bad knee. Trust me, with walks to and from the metro station, within the station, wandering around neighborhoods, etc it really adds up and you are going to be miserable if you don’t have a really comfortable pair of shoes.

As I mentioned, I have a really bad knee and the shoes I can put a lot of mileage in are my Hokas. And if you want something cuter, I bought these booties that have built in arch support before my trip and they were pretty comfortable (I wore them almost every day of the trip).

12. You will need cash

Japan is very much a cash-based society and it’s good to have cash on hand. While most of the restaurants and bars we went to did accept credit cards, most street food / small shops won’t. You’ll also need cash for entrance to temples, some shrines, and other tourist attractions.

13. It’s easy to get cash…from 7/11

Believe it or not, 7/11 is one of the best places to get cash from. Just don’t forget your debit card!

They have an ATM at the front of the store and there’s usually one within a few blocks of you at all times in all of the major cities. If you’re headed to one of the smaller towns or more rural areas, just grab some cash beforehand to be on the safe side.

14. Be sure to have internet access

You could get a local sim card but if you have an unlocked phone, I recommend getting an eSim. My fiance uses an eSim through Nomad and loves it. I have tMobile so I have data abroad. You will 100% need internet access in Japan both to use Google Maps for navigating the transit system and to use Google Translate to help you with the language barrier.

15. Keep your passport on you at all times

You are legally required to carry your passport with you at all times in Japan. While we weren’t stopped at any time and asked to show our passport, it was better to avoid the risk and just keep it on us. You can be fined up to 100,000 yen (about $690 US dollars) or taken in for questioning if you don’t have your passport. 

If you’re like me and don’t typically travel with a purse (I have a little wallet on the back of my iPhone), be sure you bring something comfortable that you can wear all day. I brought a crossbody and as someone who never wears a purse, it was really convenient and comfortable and the perfect size for both my passport and my phone with room to spare. The exact one that I bought is a few years old but this one and this one look similar to mine.

16. You do not tip in Japan

Wait staff are paid a livable wage and there is no tipping culture in Japan. In fact, our friends had a woman chase them down an entire block to return 10 yen (less than $0.01 USD) they accidentally gave them. Instead, if you love your meal, be sure to express gratitude by saying “gochisou-sama deshita” as you are leaving the restaurant

17. Keep your voice down on trains and do not make phone calls

Part of Japanese etiquette is to keep your voice down on public transport and in other public places such as elevators. Trust me, you will stand out if you have a loud conversation. Also, please don’t make any phone calls. In fact, you’ll sometimes see signs that phone calls are prohibited. You can have a conversation with your travel buddy, just keep your voice down.

18. You can’t use public onsens if you have tattoos

Traditional onsens are a beautiful part of Japanese culture and are hot baths filled with geothermal water from hot springs. There are plenty of public baths that you can visit or you can find private ones that you either reserve or that come with your stay in a traditional Japanese inn (known as Ryokans). It’s important to note that most public onsens do not allow you to visit if you have any tattoos. 

If you have tattoos and want to visit a traditional onsen, be sure to do your research ahead of time as you can find the occasional public onsen that will allow you to enter with tattoos. Or, just find a private option!

While I don’t have a photo of an onsen, the buddhist temple we stayed at (pictured below) did have an onsen that we loved.

19. Public restrooms are plentiful and free

If there’s one thing I hate it’s having to pay to use the bathroom. Not because I’m cheap but because I rarely have small coins to pay the bathroom attendant and also, yeah maybe I am a little cheap. 

Thankfully, in Japan, you’ll have no problem finding a free public restroom in the parks, in the subway stations, near tourist attractions, etc. While the train stations’ bathrooms do have soap, I found that most of the other public restrooms did not, so be sure to bring some hand sanitizer with you. 

20. You can use Uber to call an Uber or a taxi in big cities

There is a local taxi app that you can download but we didn’t bother with that as Uber worked just fine. While I do recommend you use public transportation 90% of the time because it’s just so efficient and cost effective, there will be times when you just want to call a taxi. Uber makes it quick and easy and you won’t need to pay the taxi driver directly as it’s all handled through the app (just like it would be if you called a regular Uber).  

21. The outlet is basically the same as the US outlet

Good news, if you’re traveling from the US, you won’t need to worry about bringing a convertor with you as the plugs are the exact same and the voltage is compatible. Keep in mind that the outlets are two prong so if you have a three prong plug that will not work. 

22. There are no public trash cans

Yup, you read that right. For the most part, you won’t find trash cans while you’re out and about. I think we saw a trash bin a grand total of twice in our entire trip. If you have trash, you will likely need to hold onto it until you get back to your hotel. 

When we saw people ordering coffee and pastries to go, they would typically drink/eat right outside the coffee shop and then hand their trash back to them before heading on their way. 

23. You’ll find a vending machine everywhere

One of the most fascinating things about Japan is the abundance of outdoor vending machines on street corners (sometimes there are even several clustered together). 

They are seriously everywhere so if you need something to drink, you’ll likely have options every block or so (just remember, you probably won’t find somewhere to throw the trash away when you’re done). 

Weirdly enough, we didn’t see any vending machines with food, which personally seems like a missed opportunity because who wouldn’t love to get some drunk snacks from a vending machine!?

Bottom Line

Japan is an incredible country to travel to and with these travel tips I’m confident that you will have a fairly smooth trip. If you have any questions, comment and let me know! I’m always happy to help. 

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