10 Practical Tips You Need to Know Before Going to Japan
1. Rent a pocket wifi.
Pocket wifi is the most helpful thing you'll ever have with you because you'll have internet. Need Google Maps when you’re lost? Need a food suggestion? Need to find your friend? Need to translate something? You get the point.
How it works: Order a pocket wifi online to rent for the number of days you’ll be in Japan, plus one or two days on each side to pick up and ship the pocket wifi back. You can opt to:
- Pick up the pocket wifi in the airport in Japan,
- Have it shipped to your hotel (Airbnbs may or may not accept shipments), or
- If available, get one at home and take it with you if you're worried about dealing with the post office first thing after coming off the plane.
Your pocket wifis will usually come with a prepaid return envelope. All you have to do at the end of your trip is place the pocket wifi in the envelop and drop it off at a post office box (the airports will usually have a few).
Which pocket wifi to choose: I’ve used pocket wifis from Global Advanced Communications and Japan Wireless. They both worked great, and it was convenient to pick up and ship back at the airport.
Other tips: I always got unlimited data, although most pocket wifis tend to have a 10GB limit before your connection slows.
If you're staying at an Airbnb, many hosts will provide a pocket wifi for you to use during your stay. However, if you rely on this and need to move to another Airbnb, you’ll be without wifi when you need it most -- in transit.
2. Bring cash.
Despite Japan’s renown for its cutting edge technology, credit cards are not as widely accepted as you might think or hope. If you're shopping at big department stores, they'll likely take credit cards. However, if you want to recharge your subway card, buy subway tickets, order ramen from a vending machine, buy drinks from some vending machines, shop at boutiques, eat at certain restaurants, expect to pay in cash.
If you're worried about exchanging too much cash, you can always bring currency from your country and find a currency exchange store in Japan. ATM usage widely differs based on your bank so check ahead with your bank to see the charges for withdrawing cash abroad.
Side note: Beware of foreign transaction fees on your credit cards themselves.
3. Get an IC card.
These are the best. I love it for its convenience. IC cards are essentially rechargeable cards you can use to pay public transportation fares and make vending machine and convenience store payments. There are many IC cards available, but the popular ones in Tokyo are the Suica and Pasmo cards -- although we had no trouble using our Suica cards throughout Japan.
How to get one: Head to one of the subway ticket machines that say "IC Card." These machines usually have an English option, so it'll be easier for you to navigate. You then pay an initial 500 yen refundable deposit fee, press the button for how much you want to charge your card with, and then you'll get your Suica or Pasmo card. If you're running low, just recharge your card at a ticket machine.
Benefits: Keeping track of little paper ticket stubs can be a hassle in the rush of Tokyo train stations. Instead, tap your IC card against the turnstile and be on your way! Also, if you don't want to fumble with cash and carry a bunch of coins when you're at certain vending machines, Family Mart, Lawsons, or 7-Eleven, you can take out your IC card and tap it against the IC reader. Just tell the cashier you want to pay with your IC card.
4. Good luck finding a trash can.
But seriously, finding a trash can is like going on a treasure hunt in Japan. They are few and far in between, so I highly recommend you carry a small plastic bag to hold your trash (from onigiri wrappers or empty water bottles, for example) until you come across one. Some Family Marts, Lawsons, and JR stations will have trash cans. Does anyone have a map of the trash cans in Japan?
5. Carry a handcloth/tissues/napkins with you for drying your hands.
Many restrooms in Japan don't have a dryer or paper towels for you to dry your hands after you wash them, so it's handy to have something to wipe your hands with. You'll also notice most Japanese citizens carrying hand towels.
6. Along those lines, carry hand sanitizer with you.
Hand sanitizer is always a helpful thing to have in case you stop for a snack or spill something, but more importantly, some restrooms won't have soap for you to use (e.g. restrooms in the subway).
7. Get the Japan Rail Pass if you're traveling outside Tokyo.
A bullet train ticket from Tokyo to Kyoto is around 13,080 yen (about $130) one way. That means it'll cost you about $260 round trip. If you pay 29,110 yen (about $290) for an ordinary Japan Rail (JR) pass, you can travel anywhere around Japan for seven days. You can also use it if you're taking the JR subway lines in Tokyo. So, if you're thinking about traveling outside Tokyo, do the math and see if it's worth it for you to get a JR pass.
The practicalities:
- You must purchase an exchange order for a JR pass in your country before you arrive in Japan. Check out this link for specifics about purchasing a JR pass and check out this link for JR pass sales office locations in your country. You can also buy your JR pass online at Voyagin.
- You will exchange your order for a JR pass once you arrive in Japan at designated exchange offices. To keep it simple, I usually pick mine up at the airport.
- You can reserve seats with your JR pass at certain train ticket offices, named "Midori no madoguchi." If you did not reserve a seat, there are designated train cars for non-reserved seats. However, these cars with non-reserved seating may be full and you may not necessarily be able to find a seat as easily.
- JR passes cannot be used for Nozomi and Mizuho trains. I didn't have any issues with this, but just be aware if you're trying to plan your trains in advance.
8. Download the following apps:
- HyperDia: Hands down my absolute favorite app to use when taking the Shinkansen anywhere. The app is simple: you say where you want to go and when and then it lays out your options. You can also filter by tickets compatible with the JR pass. But you only have a one month free trial before you have to pay to use the app, so don't download it until it's close to your trip. If you don't want to get the app, you can also go to the Hyberdia website to plan your trips. I'd recommend using the HyperDia website if you're planning months in advance. Download the app if you have some flexibility or have some last minute changes.Unfortunately, my HyperDia app expired before I could take a screenshot. These are some I took on the website when I was planning my trip.
- CityMapper (only for Tokyo): The best thing about Citymapper is that it tells you which exit to take when you're trying to get out of the subway because sometimes you come across crazy underground subways like this:
- Google Maps: For general navigation across Japan, Google Maps is always a reliable source.
- Google Translate: It doesn't always get the translation right, but it's better than nothing! If you have an all Japanese menu, pull out the camera, snap a picture of the words you're trying to understand, and Google will translate the Japanese words (to the best of its ability).
9. Get a Tokyo Metro Pass if you're a tourist in Tokyo.
For a flat fee of 1,500 yen, you can ride the Tokyo Metro subway lines for 72 hours. Subway rides really do add up, so if you're planning to travel to many parts of the city in a day, make sure to grab one.
How to get one: Check out the Tokyo Metro website for how to get a Tokyo Metro Pass. You can also go to metro station office. If you can’t find it, ask staff at an information desk or show a staff member a photo of the Tokyo Metro Pass, and they will direct you. Make sure to bring your passport.
10. Bring your passport with you everywhere.
You'll need to present it if you're picking up your Tokyo Metro pass in Japan, redeeming your JR pass, and trying to get tax-free at certain shops. There aren't many pickpockets in Japan, so don't be concerned about someone stealing your passport.