11 Things to Know Before Travelling To Japan

Japan is one of the most popular destinations for international travelers. The country has a rich culture, stunning scenery, and delicious food. From the peaceful natural beauty of the countryside with historic shrines and temples to the neon lights of the bustling cities, Japan really does have it all! But for many travelers who have never ventured to this part of the world there are a few essential things to keep in mind. Follow these 11 tips to help you navigate Japan like a pro!

#1 Learn Some Japanese

I think one of the biggest mistakes that English speakers make when they’re travelling is assuming that everyone, around the world, will speak some form of English. This is definitely NOT the case. Even in a metropolis like Tokyo, there should be no assumptions that people will speak English to you. While learning English is becoming more and more popular, the older generations have yet to come around. And why should they after all?!

That being said, there are English menus and English speakers in the more touristy area. So if you feel like you can’t survive with Japanese alone, then there are places you can seek out. If you do find someone who speaks English, remember to speak slowly. (But please, do not do this in a condescending way!) English speakers tend to fast very fast. If someone is still learning English, speaking slowly will better allow them to translate and respond in due time.

Japanese Phrases

But don’t feel like just because you can’t read or speak the language, you’re out of luck. Japanese people are some of the kindest and most generous people I’ve ever met. Even if we couldn’t communicate with language, they would take time and a considerable amount of effort to help me with whatever I needed. Rudimentary sign language works well, as does pointing and a kind smile. But what works even better is to try and learn a few phrases in Japanese before leaving for your trip. Put all that time on your long-haul flight to good use! Simple things like, “thank you”, “excuse me” or “please” go a long way in showing gratitude and humility. People will respond to this and give it back to you in leaps and bounds. 

Her are a few useful phrases:
Thank You | arigatou gozaimasu
Please |  onegaishimasu
Excuse Me |  sumimasen
Yes | hai
No | iie
I’m Sorry | gomen nasai
I Don’t understand Japanese |  nihongo ga wakarimasen
Can you speak English? | eigo o hanasemasu ka?

If you are interested in learning some key phrases when eating at restaurants check out this guide!

#2 Convenience Stores are much more than Convenience Stores

In North America, Europe, Australia and other countries I’ve visited, conveniences stores sell little more than candy bars, magazines, chips and dreadfully reheated pizza and hot dogs. But in Japan, convenience stores (also called Konbini) will become your go-to spot for everything from breakfasts, quick snacks and even fantastic bento boxes perfect for picnics. Japanese convenience stores sell ready to eat MEALS which taste incredible! Breakfast in Japan is a savoury meal and the bento boxes sold in stores like 7/11, Lawsons and Family Mart were just as good as some fancy meals I’ve had in restaurants back in Canada. They will even reheat it up for you at the cash.

Best Things to Eat in a Konbini

Onigiri which is rice and fish wrapped in seaweed costs just over a dollar and is a delicious treat if you’re on the go.  Don’t miss out on the drinks either. In Japan, convenience stores sell alcohol as well as other beverages, so its the perfect place to stock up on new and exciting sake flavours, unique tea blends and even seasonal sodas. Konbinis also have an amazing selection of seasonal specialties. This is best exemplified around Sakura season!

But my favourite things to buy are the sweets. Various stores sell delicious packaged soft pancakes with maple syrups and butter sandwiched in between. While not traditionally Japanese, this treat is unforgettable. The sweet pastries, like melon bread, are also the perfect thing to grab for a mid-day snack. If it’s a hot day, don’t pass up one of the various ice cream flavours. Green tea is exceptionally favourable in Japan. And if you’re looking for something more traditional, try the dango. Dango is a Japanese sweet dumpling made from mochiko (rice flour). They are often different colours and paired with a warm green tea (oh yeah, they also have hot tea in heated containers inside the store) it’s the perfect thing to eat on a cold day.

#3 Get A Wifi Hotspot

While Japan might be seen as the mecca of technology and innovation, there are still some areas where Japan is lagging behind. One of those things is public wifi. While in other countries you might be able to get by hopping into coffee shops and open wifi zones to get your dose of the internet, in Japan, this is EXTREMELY rare. I got so many weird looks when I would ask for the wifi password and not because of the language barrier. But there is an easy and relatively cheap solution, a wifi hotspot.

There is a myriad of companies which offer these devices, and they can be shipped directly to your hotel, picked up at the airport or grabbed at your local convenience store. If you’re apprehensive about getting to your hotel without wifi, then the terminal might be your best option, but we opted for the hotel delivery, and it was there waiting for us upon check-in. If you’re staying in an Airbnb, they will often provide these for their guests as an additional incentive for staying at their spot.

Navigating in Japan

The best advice when choosing from all the different companies offering this service is to get the fastest speed possible, and unlimited data. While the cheaper options might seem just as good, you’d be surprised how much you might use it. Sure, getting lost is all part of the fun of travelling, but when you’re hungry and tired being able to navigate yourself to a hot bowl of ramen quickly is just what the doctor ordered. In Japan, they use a very different addressing system then is used in most Western countries.

Rather than streets having names, they give blocks numbers and leave the space in between the blocks, streets, nameless. This can be EXTREMELY CONFUSING if you’re trying to look for a particular restaurant or address, so using the feature on google maps where you can track your orientation to that little blue dot marking your destination was often our saving grace.

#4 It’s Not as Expensive as you Think

One thing I hear over and over again, especially from older people, is how expensive they think Japan is. While it’s not as cheap as places in South East Asia, Japan isn’t as expensive as it’s made out to be. I always say that “it’s as expensive as you want it to be.” If you want to eat at a Michelin star restaurant, you’ll easily have to spend upwards of $200. But there are also HUNDREDS of FANTASTIC restaurants where you can eat for under $10-$20.

A simple bowl of ramen is almost never over 1000 yen. And these are very filling and extremely delicious. As mentioned above, convenience stores are your best friend for quick meals which taste amazing. In places like Europe, you’d be hard-pressed to find this kind of quality food for a similar price.

Additionally, in Europe, most museums and attractions will run you easily 20 euros. Whereas most institutions in Japan are funded by the government and are free to enter. Temples and Shrines are also free to enter and explore. And in my opinion, temples and shrines are some of the most amazing things to see and experience in Japan. Places like Kiyomizu-dera, Sensoji and Tenryu-ji, Fushimi Inari and Meiji are truly some of the best highlights of Japan.

Transportation Costs

While the taxis are indeed costly, they are also the foolish option. The Metro system is astonishing and can get you anywhere you want to go at lightning speed. Unless you’re hauling colossal luggage, take the metro. This isn’t just true for big cities like Tokyo and Osaka. Everywhere you go in Japan has a marvelous public transport system which is relatively inexpensive given the breadth of distance they cover

Accommodation in Japan

Accommodation can be the most expensive part of your trip (aside from your flight). But with a little research, you can find some great options. The Centurion, Washington and Remm brand hotels in Toyko offer spacious (in Japanese terms) rooms at reasonable prices. If you’re looking for something even cheaper, stay in the novel “Capsule Hotels” which are unique to Japan. These literal capsules sleep one person, and while they might look like coffins, they are surprisingly comfortable with individual TVs, headsets and even pyjamas. The high-end capsule hotels will still only run you about $50/night. Some of the capsule hotels also have private onsens (spas) on site which can be a relaxing end to a busy day. 

With the advent of Airbnb, you can find entire apartments for rent with private kitchens, city views and spectacular private gardens. These are indeed the way to feel like you’re living like a local. If you’re staying with a larger group, you can find some incredible options at inexpensive prices. For two people, the apartments can run just as much as a low-mid price hotel, but the larger houses which can hold up 6-8 people are where you find your dollar goes the farthest. 

#5 It’s HUGE!

One thing people underestimate when travelling around Japan is its size. While it looks like a small little island, there is so much to see and do. Getting a rail pass is a great idea to help save money while taking the train all over the country. This way you pay one upfront cost but then have the freedom to travel as much as you want without having to worry about how much each trip will cost.

Tokyo itself is enormous. Although it’s just one city, it is home to over nine million people and spans over 2,000 km². If you decide to stay in the western part of Tokyo, like Shibuya, travelling all the way to the eastern districts, like Asakusa, can take over an hour on the metro and perhaps even longer by car due to all the traffic. But don’t like that deter you. If you take some time to plan out what you want to see, you can divide it up into areas and spend the day travelling around those sections, so you don’t have to hop back and forth on the metro. For instance; Shibuya, Harajuku and Shinjuku can be explored one day and then Ueno, Asakusa and Akihabara another day and so on.

#6 Public Transport Can be Daunting but Once you Figure it Out it’s INCREDIBLE!

When looking at the map of the metro systems around Japan, you might be overcome with fear and confusion. There are so many lines, so many colours and so little English. But don’t let that get you down. There are lots of ways to make this daunting task as simple as pie. Firstly, ensure you have your portable wifi with you and download the Hyperdia app or even google maps will do. These apps will help plan your journey out. You may have to change lines, and adding additional levels of confusion, change trains brands on even a short journey. But there is a very easy way to avoid any fare confusion, upon arrival buy a metro pass.

Metro Passes

The metro passes in Tokyo are called “passmo” or “suica”. If you have a rail pass, you can also use this to pay for your metro fares if it is on a JR rail car. Passmo and Suica cards can be loaded with money. All you have to do it tap your card on the way into the station and tap on the way out. And your fare will automatically be calculated for you when you do. Unlike other systems around the world, there is no standard set fare. The price of your trip is dependent on how far you’re going. While this is completely something, you can figure out, if you have pre-loaded cards it just makes it that much easier.

Unlike anywhere else in the world, the Japanese metro is always on time. A few years ago one of their trains was 20 SECONDS late, and they sent out a newsletter apologizing. In Toronto, I’ve frequently had to wait over 20 MINUTES for a bus. Without the slightest bit of an explanation so suffice to say; this system was a dream come true for timely planners like myself. If you run into any problems, you can always press the “help” button on the self-serve kiosks. These also always have an “English” option on the screen. But if you press “help,” a real person will come to your aid. They might not speak a lot of English, but they will be able to help you figure it out despite that fact. Just point to where you want to go and they’ll do the rest.

Rules for the Subway

Be sure that when you’re on the train, you keep your voice down and don’t talk on the phone. Both these things are considered very rude and will get you some serious side eye from fellow passengers. Eating and drinking on the metro are also prohibited. On some train, during specific periods of the day, there are “female only” cars.  My husband and I made the mistake of getting on one of these cars. I looked around and saw that there were only women in the car. And all the women were giving my husband some weird looks. I immediately knew there was something amiss. Luckily we were able to get off at the next stop. And going forward was sure to check the cars identifications before we got on.

#7 Smoking is Prevalent

Another somewhat dated characteristic of Japan is the prevalence of smokers. In the rest of the world, smoking inside is a huge taboo and most of the time it is illegal. But in Japan, this is not the case. Even in hotels, you need to make sure you get a non-smoking room. If not, you might end up staying in a musty, smoke-scented room for your entire visit.

Smoking in restaurants is typically isolated to certain areas, and cafes have walled in the room dedicated for smokers. Although there is a slow shift away from smoking by the younger generation, it is definitely a shock for westerners. Recently some Japanese companies started giving their employees who don’t smoke more vacations days. So perhaps this incentive will lead to more people giving up the nasty habit.

#8 There Are Few Garbage Cans in Public

If you decide to grab a drink from a convenience store and drink it on the road, you might be surprised to see that there won’t be many places to put your garbage on your journey. The Japanese are dedicated to cleanliness, and even the smokers won’t be seen throwing their cigarette butts on the street. The inclination not to litter is so strong that people carry around little baggies for their garbage in their knapsacks or purses and then dispose of the trash at home. 

And when it comes to trash they are extremely diligent in sorting it. You might see three or even four different options for garbage when you finally find a refuse area. Most Japanese people don’t eat or drink while walking. Instead, they stand outside the vending machine area or convenience store and finish their meal or drink there, then quickly dispose of their garbage in the cans beside the store. Try to be local and follow suit.

#9 Cash is KING

Another eccentricity of Japan is the fact that you NEED cash here. Credit cards aren’t the norm, and many many places you’ll visit won’t even have a machine. In Japan, printed money and coinage are viewed as pieces of art which someone took the time to produce whereas cards just don’t have the same cultural value. We were shocked by this and had to take out cash a few times on our trip to ensure we didn’t get stuck anywhere without money to pay for a meal or transit or even a drink.

In addition to not being able to use credit cards, taking money out of your bank account can be very difficult too since most ATMs only accept Japanese cards. But not to fear, 7-Eleven is here! ATMs at 7-Elevens will process foreign cards, so hit them up for cash whenever you’re running low. If you’re worried about taking too much money out at one time in the fear that it might be stolen, I would push those fears out of your mind. Japan is one of the safest countries in the world and pickpocketing is almost unheard of. 

#10 The Toilets are that AWESOME

If you know anyone who has ever been to Japan or ever been obsessed with Japanese culture, you’ll know that the toilet situation is much talked about. Toilets in Japan are much more than just a plastic seat. The Japanese take cleanliness very seriously, and so it is no surprise that they would want any bathroom activities to be as clean as possible. Modern Japanese toilets are sleek, electronic devices with an array of functions which makes going to the washroom a life-changing experience. The standard Japanese toilet has a keypad featuring symbols indicating the following: raise the lid, raise the seat, large flush, small flush, rear and front bidet, dry, and stop. 

If you’ve ever dreaded going to a public washroom, fear no more, public washrooms are cleaner here than some North American hospitals. There are still a few squat toilets left in Japan, but most larger cities have been updated to the modern versions. The one thing to be aware of is that on a few rare occasions you’ll visit a bathroom where the toilet paper is not provided. Be sure to check the paper situation before entering the stall in case you need to purchase some from the vending machine before doing your business.

#11 No Tipping

Finally, tipping. The conundrum many travels face when visiting a different city. When to tip, how much, how often etc. Well, in Japan it is very simple. Don’t do it. Ever. It is considered very rude to tip in Japan so avoid doing it all together. Japanese people take service very seriously and good service should be a given, not something that is rewarded. If you are given change after your meal, don’t leave it behind, chances are someone will chase you down the road to give it back to you because they thought you left it behind.