Japan may feel complicated to plan and visit but it really is not! If this is your first time in Japan there are a few tips you need to know to make sure your trip is enjoyable and smooth. This post covers 25 useful tips for first time visitors to Japan.
Table of Contents
Technology and Apps
1. Google Lens in Your New Best Friend
Use Google Lens to translate Japanese to English or your native tongue. It’s so easy to do. Simply open Google Lens and point at what you want translated and hit translate.
Getting Places
2. Suica Card
Let’s start with one of the most important tips for first time visitors to Japan! Suica is a tap and go card that can be used for local trains, the metro and buses. You can also use it at certain vending machines. There are two ways to get a Suica. Either a physical card or you can download the digital version to your Apple Wallet. I preferred the digital version. All you have to do was to tap your phone as you passed the gate. You will have to tap it twice. Once as you enter and once as you exit. Physical Suicas are hard to come by. You will have to get what they call a “Welcome Suica” from the airport. One thing to note is that the digital version is only available on iPhones.
You can see the balance of your Suica as you tap the gate. The little screen will show you how much your ride cost and how much is remaining on your card. If you use the digital option, you can see it on your phone too. Another advantage of the digital version is that you can load your card for any amount at any time. Additionally, you can also add your physical card to your Apple Wallet.
3. Uber Works!
You can use Uber in Japan. It basically connect you to local taxi drivers. You pay via the app and therefore, it is a cashless transaction.
4. Google Maps
Google Maps is easy to use. If you are using it to get to a train station, the only callout is to pay attention to the name or number of the entrance (more below)
Connectivity
5. Get an eSim
Japan does not issue call and text sim cards to foreigner. You can only obtain a data sim in Japan. You can get a sim either at the airport or you can use an eSIm. eSims are fast becoming my preferred way to stay connected abroad. All you have to do is to purchase the sim from the Airalo app and then activate it when you get to your destination. The app will tell you when you are running low on funds and you can easily reload your sim. Check out Airalo HERE
I have used Airalo now a few times in several countries and can recommend them!
Getting Places
Trains
6. You May Not Need a Rail Pass
This is another very important tip for first time visitors to Japan as you may have heard otherwise. The JR Rail Pass used to bring travelers significant savings. However, in October 2023, the pass went up in price and it may no longer be worth it. You can use this online calculator to see if it will be useful for you. Simply add in all the destinations that you hope to travel by train and it tells you if the pass pays off or not.
7. Book on Klook
The easiest way to book Shinkansen tickets is to book on Klook. You will get a QR code that you must exchange for actual physical tickets. To do this, go to a Shinkansen machine at a major train station and follow the prompts. It’s very easy. You can even do it at the machines at the airport which is what we did. You will get 2 tickets for each reservation. Hold on to both.
One callout for booking on Klook is that you do not get to pick the seat you want. If you are looking to book a very specific seat and number, then you could book tickets in Japan once you arrive. One thing to note is that you may want to book ahead if you are traveling during peak season and want trains at certain times.
8. Hold on to Tickets
If you ride the Shinkansens, don’t throw away your tickets as you need them to exit the train station.
9. Trains are Quiet
Trains including the metro trains and Shinkansens are very quiet. Speaking loud or listening to loud music is not accepted behavior.
10. You Can Reverse the Seats on Shinkansens
If you are traveling with your family or friends, you can reverse one row of seats so it faces the other row! We didn’t realize this until we saw a family do it.
11. Don’t Bring a Big Bag
A 24 inch bag is probably the biggest you can store on the overhead racks of a Shinkansen train without it jutting out. If you travel with a bigger bag, you will have to make a separate reservation for your bag. The baggage storage area in Shinkansens are very small. I honestly don’t recommend it. Check out my travel packing tips on how to pack light on trips.
12. Non-Reserved Seats
We booked a few non-reserved Shinkansens and never went without a seat. A couple of times, we didn’t get to sit together but it was honestly not a big deal. All this to say, if you want to book non-reserved seats to save some money, I think you should be fine.
13. Special Carriages
Local trains and the metro have special carriages for pregnant women, people with strollers and wheelchairs and even for women. They are usually marked on the floor of the train station and on the carriage itself.
14. Shinkansens are a Breeze
Shinkansens are so easy to use. You only have to pay attention to the time of the train, the name of the train (i.e., Nozomi, Hikari, Kodoma) and the train number. Compare what is in your ticket to what is on the board. The train number is probably the most important element. The train number is displayed on the side of the train itself. You won’t miss it. Carriages are numbered on the platform, so that you can stand in the designated place and be ready to board. You ticket will tell you which carriage you are on. If you do not have a reservation, the board will tell you which carriages are non-reserved. Don’t stress about Shinkansens! They are actually a lot easier than the metro.
15. Metro and Local Trains are Easy with My Tips!
As I mentioned above, pay attention to the entrance to the metro or train station. One thing about Google is that after it tells you which entrance to take, it kind of leaves you to your own devices. Don’t panic! Just follow the signs on the boards to the platform. Google is really great this way and will tell you which platform number to take and the direction or end point of the train. When you get out, follow the exit that Google is asking you to take as it will be the closest to where you want to go.
The Shinjuku train station was probably the hardest to navigate. We got lost on day 1 but had no issues after. I even navigated through Tokyo Station by myself with no issues. Trust the signs and follow the boards.
Food
16. Don’t Dismiss Convenient Stores
Convenient store food is very cheap and honestly very delicious! I think about the onigiris and egg sandwiches often!
17. You Cannot Walk and Eat in Japan
Well, not that you can’t. It’s more like people don’t. If you purchase food from street vendors, you have to step to aside and finish your food before you proceed. Convenient stores like 7-Eleven have designated places inside the store to eat.
18. Bring a Bag for Waste
This is a tip that really shocked me as a first time visitor to Japan! Garbage bins are very hard to come by. If you are planning on visiting food markets or eating from street vendors, bring a bag to put all your garbage to throw out later.
19. Make Reservations
Make reservations for restaurants as much as you possibly can. Popular restaurants get very crowded. It’s very common to see lines for restaurants in Japan.
Wondering what to eat in Japan? Check out my post HERE
20. Prepare to Line-Up
So you could not make a reservation or the restaurant does not take advanced reservations? Prepare to line up. Some lines like at ramen restaurants for example move fast since ramen restuarants are very rarely places people socialize. But for some other restaurants, like Omakase places, you may have to wait for hours.
Managing Crowds
Japan is very crowded during Cherry Blossom Season and during Golden Week that almost immediately precedes Chery Blossom. Here is my best tips for avoiding crowds.
21.Wake up Early
I know! Who wants to wake up early on vacation, right? Unfortunately, if you want to avoid crowds, you have to wake up early. How early is early? I got to both the Gion District and Fushimi Inari Taisha in Kyoto around 6:45 AM and both places were already crowded. At peak time, these places get so crowded that there’s not even room to walk. Waking up early on vacation is not fun but neither are crowds. Given the option between the two, I personally would always opt to wake up early.
Money
22. You Need Cash
This is another tip that may surprise most first time visitors to Japan. For all the advanced technology in Japan, cash is still very much needed. It’s not that cards cannot be used at all, but you may find that street food vendors, food and bars inside little alleyways and a few more places only trade in cash.
23. Bring a Coin Purse
This is a tip for Japan that I actually saw before I went but never actioned upon and wish I did. Japan has a lot of coins. A coin purse will help keep your cash in one place.
General Tips
24. Book Certain Attractions in Advance
Certain attractions in major cities, especially Tokyo, need to be booked in advance. Examples of this are TeamLab locations and any sort of observation deck.
25. Book Accommodation ASAP
Book your accommodation as soon as you book your flight. This is especially true for peak season! I generally reserve through booking.com. I love Booking because you can filter by your unique needs (i.e., 24 hour reception, beach front etc.)
Did you find this post useful? Please let me know by liking/commenting below or sharing this post on social media! Thank you!!
Pin this Tips for Japan post for later!
Note: This post contains affiliate links. When you make a purchase using one of these affiliate links, I get paid a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Check out all my posts on Japan HERE
