Traveler's Guide to Japan: Essential Tips and Tricks

Though expensive, Japan is one of the most amazing, beautiful, and friendly countries in the world. From Mount Fuji to bustling Tokyo to Zen-like Kyoto, Japan is a high-tech world mixed with the politeness and respect of their past.^[1]

Before the Visit

There are some preparations to consider before you head out for Japan:

• Watch this video before your visit
• Read this article before your visit

Get Around

• Train
• Trains are the fastest but expensive way to travel^[1]
• In most major cities, you can buy a day pass, which gives you unlimited travel for 24 hours for around 1,000 JPY on select trains
• Avoid rush hours in big cities especially when you carry luggages
• As a rule of thumb, avoid during the following hours
• 7:00 to 9:00 and 17:00 to 20:00 
• Buy a Pasmo / Suica card
• If you’re planning on taking any subway/metro trains in Tokyo/Kyoto/Osaka, you should load up a Pasmo card.
• They’re available in Tokyo airports and subway stations and are way more convenient than buying tickets.
• While some trains don't accept Pasmo and some won't accept Suica, most will accept both and the two are pretty much interchangeable.
• Japan Rail Pass (JR Pass)
• Basically you cannot purchase JR Pass in Japan
• If you are an foreign tourist, you also have to be “Temporary Visitor" for you to be eligible to purchase it
• Only the authorized agents are allowed to sell JR Pass. You can find the agent list at this page of Japan Rail Pass.
• Some of the agents sell JR Pass online and they can mail to you by Courier or Express post service even in Japan
• This pass is eligible for the railway, bus and ferry services that are provided by Japan Rail Group with few exceptions.
• You can get “Exchange Order” at the time of purchasing.
• It is not an actual pass but a voucher. You have to exchange at the designated station for an actual pass after you arrive in Japan.
• The validity of exchange order is three month from the date of issue.
• The pass will never be sold out. So don’t buy it too early.
• Read more from [17]
• Download the Hyperdia app
• HyperDia is a service which offers the route and the timetable of the railway and the aviation of Japan.
• Taxi
• Cabs are extremely expensive in Japan
• Bus
• Using buses in Japan can be intimidating to foreign tourists because there are usually few English displays or announcements, and there are different systems of ticketing depending on the company.
• Read this article for further guidance

Video 1.  10 Must Know JAPAN Travel Tips No One Talks about (YouTube link)

Eat and Drink

• Tipping
• Normally, tipping in Japan is not customary (maybe except for tour guides, which will be stated clearly before you join the tour from abroad).
• Vegetarian
• Read the following article:
• Essential Japanese for Vegetarian Travelers (Travel for Life)
• Tap Water
• Is it safe to drink?
• Short answer is
• yes
• Long answer is
• As anywhere in the world, that depends on your body. Continue to read from [9] for more details.
• Morning Breakfast
• 15 Chain Restaurants and Coffee Shops to Enjoy Japan’s Morning Set
• Try buffet breakfast at a fairly high-end hotel
• or McDonalds
• Buy foods with discount
• After 8 pm, supermarkets discount their fresh food as they have to get rid of it by law.
• If you buy your food after 8 pm, you can save up to 50%.
• Eating at Restaurants
• Watch Yuka's video here and here for Japanese's traditions

Culture, Customs and Etiquette

• Greetings in Japan are very formal and ritualized
• The traditional form of greeting is the bow
• Watch here to learn Japanese greetings
• Saving face
• The Japanese will try never to do anything to cause loss of face.  So, we foreigners should try to behave like locals.  For example, 
• Avoid using your phones on public transport or use them in restaurants etc.
• Conversation at the table is generally subdued. 
• The Japanese like to savour their food.
• Don't litter
• Bring a small plastic bag with you to hold trash and empty it when you come across a trash bin.
• Convenience stores and bathrooms are places that often have trash bins.
• Read more here.

Other Tips

• Currency Exchange
• Remember that Japan is a cash-centric country
• Many small vendors still require cash
• Read [13] for good tips
• Get Connected
• Read [21] for many good advice(s).  For example
• Consider Personal hotspots (aka mifi, portable hotspot, personal Wi-Fi, or pocket Wi-Fi)
• A small, battery powered device that uses the cellular phone network to create a local wireless network.
• Available to rent at major Japanese airports or via the internet for delivery to your home or hotel
• Language
Download Google Translate app
• One of the handiest ways for translating what you want to say on the spot
• Print out your hotel address in Japanese
• Public Toilets
• Public toilets are usually readily available all over Japan, and can be found in department stores, supermarkets, book stores, CD shops, parks, most convenience stores, and in all but the most rural train stations.
• However, do carry toilet papers
• BYOTP or Bring Your Own Tissue Paper is a common piece of advice to anyone in Tokyo who has intentions of using the public toilets.^[8]
• Public Baths (Sento 銭湯)
• Public baths are segregated by gender, and swimsuits are not worn (read more on bathing rules).
• Some sento, typically in hot spring resort towns, utilize natural hot spring water for their baths.
• More commonly, however, public baths simply use heated tap water instead.
• Shopping
• As foreigners visiting Japan, you can get tax refund for some non-consumable items ^[36]
• Use a credit card with no foreign transaction fee
• Recharging devices
• Bring an all-in-one power adapter
• Temples and Museums
• You can buy city or temple passes that are valid for one day

Photo Credits

• japan-guide.com
• mount-fuji-kawaguchiko.com

References

1. Japan Travel Guide
2. Tipping Etiquette When Traveling in Japan
3. Public toilets in Japan
4. Sento (銭湯) Guide (Kyoto)
• Kurama Onsen
• Tenzan No Yu
• May need to bring an own towel
• http://www.day-onsen.com/area26.aspx (in Japanese)
• http://www.chikara-u.com/ (in Japanese)
5. Hyperdia (good)
• "HyperDia" is a service which offers the route and the timetable of the railway and the aviation of Japan.
6. Vegetarian Survival Guide to Japan
7. Duty free shopping in Osaka
8. 10 Things That Will Shock You About Tokyo
9. tap water in Japan: drink it or is it not safe?
10. Groceries in Japan – A Short Guide
11. Travel Tips (Travel and Health)
12. JAPANiCAN.com
13. Currency Exchange Tips – Dollars to Yen (good)
14. Getting around in Japan with Sprint’s $5 Add-on
15. When Should I Buy My Flight? (SmartTravel)
• Avoid booking too early and too late. CheapAir's "window" for good deals on domestic tickets is 27–114 days in advance; Expedia's window is 50–100 days.
• Start with our own free fare alerts, our sister site BookingBuddy, and Airfarewatchdog's famous fare alerts.
16. TSA Travel Tips Tuesday: TSA Recognized Locks
17. Japan Rail Pass user guide. How to use JR Pass to its maximum (good)
• Basically you cannot purchase Japan Rail Pass in Japan.Basically only the authorized agents are allowed to sell Japan Rail Pass. You can find the agent list at this page of Japan Rail Pass official site.
18. JapanDict
19. Culture, Customs and Etiquette (Japan Guide)
20. Traveling in Japan
21. Internet Access (Japan-guide.com)
22. Smartphones, tables, or laptops:WHAT’S BEST FOR TRAVELERS? 
23. Best U.S. ATM & Credit cards for Japan
24. Things to bring or buy in Japan
25. How does Capital One Calculate its Credit Card Currency Exchange Rate?
26. MasterCard/Cirrus/Maestro ATM Locator
27. ATM Abroad (good)
28. Restaurant Japanese: A Survival Guide (Travel for Life)
29. Survival Japanese at Grocery Stores  (Travel for Life)
30. Travel: Must-Know Japanese Phrases in Japan  (Travel for Life)
31. Japan Travel Guide: 5 Things You Should Know about Restaurants in Japan (video)
32. Essential Japanese for Vegetarian Travelers (Travel for Life)
33. NerdWallet’s Best Banks for International Travel
34. Debit Card Foreign Transaction and International ATM Fees: What You’ll Pay
35. 20 safest airlines in the world
36. Japan Travel—Get Your Tax Refunds at Department Stores (Travel for Life)
37. 15 Chain Restaurants and Coffee Shops to Enjoy Japan’s Morning Set
38. Medical Considerations before International Travel
39. The 10 Safest Countries in the World
• 1. Iceland 2. Denmark 3. Austria 4. New Zealand 5. Portugal 6. Czech Republic 7, Switzerland 8. Canada 9. Japan 10. Slovenia
40. How to Introduce Yourself in Japanese
41. How to Eat a Typical Japanese Meal at Home
42. How to use Chopsticks
43. How to ride a train in Japan
44. How to Visit Someone's House 
45. A Solo Trip Can Be A Disaster If You Forget These 7 Rules
46. What to do if an airline loses your luggage