Japan is a vacation spot in contrast to every other. With such a various vary of points of interest starting from futuristic cities to previous temples, distinctive cultural experiences and conventional tea ceremonies, Japan provides a wide range of journey experiences which are unmatched.
Nonetheless, there’s a lot about Japan that’s utterly distinctive and international to many travellers.
For first-time guests, all the pieces from entry to wifi to getting round by public transport will take some getting used to. Plus, there’s a sure stage of respect, politeness, and cleanliness that’s distinctive to Japan, with some quirky etiquette suggestions to concentrate on earlier than visiting.
After spending a number of weeks exploring Japan, we’ve give you an in depth checklist of a very powerful journey suggestions. This checklist of the very best Japan journey suggestions consists of all of the up-to-date info you’ll have to plan your wonderful journey to Japan.
Asakusa, Tokyo
Earlier than You Go
For those who’re planning your Japan journey, right here’s all the pieces you might want to know earlier than you go.
1. The place to Go
Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka are Japan’s most well-known cities. Tokyo is the busy capital on the east coast of Japan and is the place most travellers start and finish their journey to the nation. Arrive at Tokyo Haneda Airport or Narita Worldwide Airport and discover from there.
Kyoto and Osaka are simple to go to by bullet practice. From there, you may also discover the southern a part of Japan.
Whereas we extremely advocate visiting one or two main cities in your journey, getting off the crushed observe may be very rewarding in Japan. Head outdoors of town to discover a few of the nation’s huge landscapes and conventional Japanese tradition which are rapidly disappearing from city areas.
From Tokyo, go to the journey capital of Minakami in Gunma province, or head additional north to Hokkaido crammed with volcanoes, wildlife, and world-class snowboarding. Within the south of Japan, discover the hidden gem of Kuma Valley on the island of Kyushu for someplace off the vacationer radar.
Sundown on Sumida River in Asakusa, Tokyo
Higashiyama space in Kyoto
Osaka Fort
Kuma Valley, Kumamoto, Kyushu
Minakami, Gunma
Usu Bay, Hokkaido
2. Finest Time to Go
You possibly can go to Japan at any time of the 12 months, with professionals and cons for each season. All of it is dependent upon what you intend on doing and seeing within the nation and whether or not you like to keep away from the crowds.
It’s typically agreed that spring and fall are the 2 finest seasons for visiting Japan.
Spring is excessive season because the cherry blossoms bloom across the parks and temples, and vacationers flock to seize these stunning pastel colors in opposition to the previous Japanese structure.
Fall can be a preferred time to go to, because the falling leaves and fall foliage make for equally stunning images across the nationwide parks and gardens within the cities. The climate is often gentle for exploring outdoor.
Nonetheless, you’ll should deal with crowds, excessive costs, and reserving forward for many lodging throughout these months. If you wish to keep away from the enterprise, then probably the greatest Japan journey suggestions is to go to throughout off-season.
Winter brings world-class snowboarding, whereas summer season is when you may expertise a few of the largest cultural festivals.
Summer time is taken into account off-season for tourism, because the climate may be fairly sizzling and insufferable. However there are many fascinating issues taking place in Japan over the summer season months. Gion Matsuri, the competition of Yasaka Shrine, runs over your complete month of July in Kyoto, and the Tenjin Festival is in the midst of summer season in Osaka with fireworks and processions on the second day of celebrations.
Cherry blossoms in Minakami, Gunma
Backyard in Gion, Kyoto
3. Get the Proper Visas and Documentation
Residents of almost 70 international locations can enter Japan without having a vacationer visa for as much as 90 days. All you want is a legitimate passport and two clean pages for stamping. This consists of most European international locations, Australians, Individuals, Canadians, and others.
For those who plan on renting a automobile, you need to maintain a legitimate Worldwide Driver’s Allow, which you will get previous to leaving your own home nation. You cannot get it upon arrival in Japan, so add this to your pre-departure guidelines.
4. Study a Little bit of Japanese
There’s a giant language barrier in Japan as English will not be as extensively spoken as you would possibly count on. It’s actually well mannered to be taught just a few primary Japanese phrases resembling thanks, sorry, please, and whats up, in addition to just a few phrases that will help you order meals and pay your invoice.
For those who’re exploring off the crushed observe outdoors one or two cities, then obtain the Google Translate App for offline use so you may converse with locals when wanted.
Primary phrases and phrases to be taught embody:
- Hi there: Konnichiwa
- Goodbye (when going away for a very long time or not coming again): Sayōnara
- Thanks: Arigatō gozaimasu
- I don’t perceive: Wakarimasen
- I don’t converse Japanese: Nihongo ga hanasemasen
Folks strolling of their kimonos in Gion, Kyoto
5. Foreign money and Cash
The Japanese forex is the yen. Payments are available in 1,000 yen, 2,000 yen (very uncommon), 5,000 yen and 10,000 yen denominations. Cash are available in 1 yen, 5 yen, 10 yen, 50 yen, 100 yen and 500 yen denominations. You’ll have to have Japanese yen to pay for all the pieces in Japan, as international forex will not be accepted anyplace outdoors of the worldwide airports.
Japan nonetheless has a cash-based economic system, so at all times carry some money. You’ll discover that many bars, eating places, and even vacationer points of interest solely settle for money. Though increasingly more settle for bank cards too – you don’t need to be caught out with out money.
You possibly can simply withdraw money from ATM machines utilizing your EFTPOS or bank card from residence. One of the best place to withdraw cash are, surprisingly, 7-Eleven and different comfort shops and Put up Workplaces. Simply be ready for worldwide transaction charges should you’re utilizing your personal financial institution card fairly than a world journey card.
Many Japanese retailers are on a cash-only foundation. Ensure you at all times carry money with you!
6. Get Journey Insurance coverage
We don’t journey anyplace with out journey insurance coverage, and we hope you don’t both. We’ve realized the exhausting method that journey accidents occur while you least count on them, so that you’ll need to be ready with good journey insurance coverage to cowl extra bills incurred.
7. Be aware on Vaccinations
Whereas vaccinations will not be required to enter Japan, it’s really useful to have the next vaccines updated:
- Japanese encephalitis
- Hepatitis A and B
- Chickenpox (Varicella)
- Diphtheria-Tetanus-Pertussis
- Flu (influenza)
- Measles-Mumps-Rubella (MMR)
- Polio
8. Get an eSim Earlier than You Arrive
To scale back your hassles on arrival, arrange a pay as you go journey eSIM, which might maintain you linked all through your Japan journey. An eSim is a sensible journey hack – because it means that you can have a world sim card with out eradicating your own home sim. You should purchase a bundle on-line, scan an activation code and have the eSim arrange in your cellphone inside minutes.
There are many eSim suppliers available on the market, however we advocate both Holafly or Airalo. Seize a bundle with 5-10GB (is dependent upon your sufring wants), set it up earlier than you allow for Japan and have a connection the minute you arrive to navigate from the airport and whereas exploring the cities.
Holafly eSim set up
9. Ebook Lodging in Advance
Through the fashionable seasons in Japan, like spring and fall, it’s ultimate to guide lodging upfront to make sure you get the locations you need. There’s a variety of lodging accessible, from resorts to conventional ryokans, which each supply an perception into the native tradition in several methods.
Motels
You’ll discover a whole lot of resorts dotted round each metropolis. Choices are plentiful and most, even those on the decrease finish, supply clear and comfy lodging. Standard lodge chains like APA are dependable and located in most main cities. They’re inexpensive however very small.
If price range permits, splurge for a much bigger room, and even higher, for a smaller extra environmentally pleasant boutique lodge to scale back your influence on the surroundings.
Solo travellers would possibly take pleasure in staying in one of many distinctive capsule resorts with pod-like rooms. We discovered these to be unsuitable for us, as a pair however nice for solo price range travellers.
Ryokans
A visit to Japan will not be full with out a keep in a conventional Japanese inn (ryokan). Ryokans are extra typically discovered within the countryside in rural cities or on the outskirts of massive cities. They’re notably frequent in sizzling spring cities.
A keep in a ryokan means that you can expertise conventional life-style and structure, together with tatami rooms, futon beds, and Japanese delicacies. Simply make sure you brush up on Japanese etiquette for ryokans earlier than staying.
Contained in the room at Ayu-no-Sato Ryokan
Non-public onsen contained in the room at Ayu-no-Sato Ryokan
Various lodging
You can too go for various locations to remain like Airbnb locations or tenting out within the countryside.
Some campgrounds are free, whereas others cost per individual or per web site. They’re an effective way to expertise the nationwide parks and pure environments of Japan. Whereas Airbnb provides utterly distinctive lodging from cabins within the woods to complete vacation homes within the mountains.
Whereas in Japan
Listed below are some extra Japan journey suggestions for whilst you’re within the nation and attempting to navigate between cities and across the tradition of a international nation.
10. Finest Approach to Get Round Japan
There are many transport choices to wrap your head round when planning a visit to Japan. If you wish to keep on with public transport fairly than home flights, you can go for trains and buses for lengthy distances, and metropolis transport like subway programs to maneuver quick distances.
In any other case, for these preferring to get off the crushed observe and canopy a variety of floor in a short while, renting a automobile will also be a great way of transferring round.
Practice in Kyoto, Japan
Trains and Japan Rail Cross
Bullet trains are iconic in Japan and virtually everybody needs to experience one at the very least as soon as throughout their time within the nation. The practice community is certainly probably the most environment friendly method of travelling between cities, with a wide range of trains, departure instances, and costs to go well with a variety of travellers.
For those who plan on travelling to a number of areas in Japan, take into account getting a Japan Rail Cross, which permits limitless rail journey (with some exceptions to the sorts of trains you need to use) for a number of weeks.
Nonetheless, there was a large value enhance on JR Passes on the finish of 2023, which makes the JR Cross virtually not price getting except you intend on travelling between cities lots in a brief period of time. You should utilize this JR Cross calculator to work out whether or not getting a Japan Rail Cross will probably be price it to your journey.
Japanese “Bullet Practice” or “Shinkansen”.
Buses
Whereas slower than trains, buses can price lower than half, particularly on busy routes the place low cost fares may be extremely low. In a single day buses may be ultimate for price range travellers trying to minimize down on total every day prices.
You can too get a Japan Bus Cross by Willer Categorical, which can be utilized on in a single day and daytime long-distance buses for 3, 5 or seven days of your selection inside two months from buy.
Subways and City Transport
Inside cities like Tokyo and Kyoto, you need to use a mixture of subway stations and public buses.
To get round inside cities, we advocate buying a pay as you go IC card, like Suica or comparable. You possibly can prime up the cardboard at any practice station and apply it to public transport all through Japan.
Whereas a few of these playing cards don’t at all times work out less expensive than buying particular person journey passes, it will possibly save time at practice stations and standing in line at ticket machines. You should buy these rechargeable playing cards at a merchandising machine in most comfort shops and stations.
There are several types of IC playing cards for every metropolis space. For instance, the Suica card is for JR trains when visiting Tokyo, whereas Icoca is for JR trains in Osaka and Kyoto.
Tokyo Station
Renting a Automobile
For final freedom, take into account renting a automobile, particularly should you plan on exploring outdoors of the principle cities.
Having a automobile means that you can discover freely between cities and out into extra distant areas, together with nationwide parks and wilderness areas. Nonetheless, a draw back is that visitors in massive cities tends to be heavy, and parking may be inconvenient and costly.
You’ll want a world license to lease a automobile in Japan, so make sure you organise this earlier than arriving within the nation.
We discovered automobile rental in Japan to be a really well-organized and simple course of. You possibly can guide a automobile upfront utilizing Japan’s main automobile rental firms like Toyota Rentacar, Nippon Rentacar, Orix Rentacar, Occasions Automobile Rental, Nissan Rentacar and Ekiren. Costs begin from round 5,000 yen per day for a small automobile, which is completely appropriate for navigating most areas in Japan.
Rideshare
Uber may be present in Japan, though solely in massive cities. It’s not extensively utilized by locals as a result of the practice system is so handy, so we solely used it a handful of instances all through our travels in Japan.
We used Uber for airport pickup and dropoff, in addition to to get to our lodging when dragging heavy luggage up and down the steps in Kyoto, simply felt a bit an excessive amount of.
Uber fares are typically cheaper than taxis. A draw back to Uber is that there aren’t as many drivers in comparison with North America, so that you typically find yourself ready longer than should you flag a taxi.
11. Understanding Cultural Etiquette
Japan has a vastly completely different tradition from virtually anyplace else on the planet. As a customer, you’re not anticipated to know all the foundations, however it’s useful to know primary etiquette so that you don’t offend anybody.
Listed below are a very powerful cultural etiquette tricks to bear in mind when visiting Japan.
- Apply bowing respectfully: In Japan, folks greet one another by bowing. A bow can vary from a small nod of the top to a deep bend on the waist. If the greeting takes place on the tatami ground, folks get on their knees to bow. Bowing can be used to thank, apologise, make a request or ask somebody a favour.
- Sneakers off indoors: It’s typically anticipated that individuals take their footwear off indoors, particularly in conventional lodging, folks’s properties, historic websites, and temples, so at all times do because the locals do and go away your footwear outdoors.
- Silence in public locations: You’ll discover that many public locations are quiet when visiting Japan. There’s typically little noise, so don’t create any boisterous sounds or loud noises in public.
- Queueing (ready in line): Japanese persons are very well mannered, particularly in the case of queues. It doesn’t matter what time it’s, there are only a few line jumpers, complainers, or folks breaking rank, and it’s anticipated that everybody is affected person, even throughout rush hour.
- No tipping: You shouldn’t tip whereas in Japan. It’s not likely a part of the tradition and won’t be anticipated. For those who do tip, you’ll end up in a clumsy scenario because the individual will attempt to return your cash to you.
- Correct use of chopsticks: Apply utilizing chopsticks earlier than visiting Japan. Chopsticks are a quite common utensil used extensively in Japan. Whereas many eating places in touristy areas do additionally supply forks and knives, this isn’t the case when eating in small eating places in distant areas. Discover ways to use them and bear in mind just a few easy guidelines. By no means spear your meals with chopsticks or put your chopsticks dealing with up in a bowl. These gestures are harking back to funerary rites and are seen as offensive.
- Pictures etiquette: Avid photographers will need to be conscious when taking pictures within the streets and round folks. Japanese persons are fairly shy and it’s impolite to take their image with out asking permission first. You must also ask permission earlier than taking pictures of individuals’s retailers or merchandise on the market.
- Consuming etiquette in public: It’s thought of impolite to stroll and eat on the identical time or eat on public transport. Permit time to sit down down at a restaurant or restaurant to eat fairly than grabbing one thing on the go.
- Cash etiquette: Don’t immediately hand somebody money when paying for one thing; at all times put it within the tray that’s on the counter and wait to obtain your change in the identical tray.
Minakami, Gunma
12. Perceive Japanese Meals
Together with the distinctive and quirky Japanese tradition, you’ll discover that food and drinks in Japan are fairly completely different from elsewhere in Asia. There are many distinctive experiences in the case of meals in Japan, so we advocate studying extra about Japanese meals and embracing distinctive meals experiences with every alternative.
Should-Have Eating Experiences
There are many distinctive eating experiences to have throughout your journey to Japan. Attempt to have time for a conventional tea ceremony and kaiseki or a conventional multi-course Japanese dinner in Kyoto, head for a sake tasting in downtown Tokyo or go to one of many themed cafes in Tokyo, and check out correct Kobe beef in Osaka.
Kaiseki meal at Seikoro Ryokan
Wagyu beef in Dotonbori, Osaka
Comfort Shops and Merchandising Machines
Fast eats or takeaway meals is wildly fashionable in Japan. Regardless of it being impolite to stroll and eat, grabbing meals to eat later is quite common.
You’ll discover a comfort retailer round each nook, with an ideal choice of ready meals, together with salads, sandwiches and baked items. The meals may be fairly tasty and is right for price range travellers, as you may eat a meal for just some {dollars}. 7-Eleven, Household Mart, Lawson’s, and plenty of different comfort retailer manufacturers are plentiful in each metropolis city and may be discovered even in small villages. Lots of them are open 24/7.
One other quick-eat choice is to seize meals from merchandising machines. You should buy snacks and drinks immediately from the machines and take them to go. Some small eating places additionally function merchandising machine ordering programs to hurry up the ordering and cost course of and scale back employees prices. You possibly can order your meal from a machine and have the meal delivered to you to your desk inside minutes.
Deciphering Menus
It may be obscure menus in Japan, particularly since smaller eating places typically don’t have an English menu. Don’t shrink back from these spots; as a substitute, use the digicam choice in Google Translate in your cellphone to scan the menu. You’ll get a translated menu and be capable to order the dishes by merely pointing.
In main vacationer points of interest and practice stations, you’ll additionally discover many eating places with plastic meals shows. You possibly can see precisely what your order will seem like and be capable to order by pointing to the dish.
Merchandising machines supply one other various to ordering with none Japanese. Merchandising machines usually embody footage of the menu, making it simpler to pick the dish you need.
Ordering meals at Ichiran Ramen
Meals Allergy symptoms and Dietary Restrictions
Whereas travellers with meals allergic reactions or restrictions would possibly assume Japan can be troublesome to navigate, you’ll be shocked to search out that’s unfaithful. You possibly can eat rather well in Japan on a variety of dietary restrictions, and locals are typically completely satisfied to accommodate you so long as you clarify what you may’t have and use translation playing cards outlining your allergic reactions.
For instance, Tokyo is crammed with great gluten-free and Celiac-friendly cafes and eating places serving all the pieces from gluten-free sushi to gluten-free pancakes.
Vegan and vegetarian choices are additionally gaining popularity within the main cities, with a lot of conventional meals now providing tofu choices to exchange meat or seafood. An app like Completely happy Cow is a superb instrument to have for any vegetarian/vegan travelling to Japan.
13. Perceive Japanese Bathrooms
Utilizing a Japanese public rest room is an expertise all in itself. Matching the futuristic fashion of the cities, bogs in Japan are very superior, with many buttons and capabilities on supply.
The very primary ones have a built-in bidet with water for laundry your back and front. some extra luxurious varieties even have music for privateness, air dryers, seat heaters and extra. Don’t be afraid to mess around with the buttons. And should you discover buttons not labelled in English, Google Translate turns out to be useful.
14. Onsen Etiquette
Staying at an onsen lodge is among the finest experiences when visiting Japan. Taking within the stunning environment whereas enjoyable in a pure sizzling spring is an integral a part of Japanese tradition and has been loved for hundreds of years for its therapeutic properties.
Nonetheless, following onsen etiquette is important whereas visiting a shared tub home, so make sure you familiarise your self with some primary suggestions earlier than you go. Onsen bathing is usually carried out in gender-specific baths, with women and men bathing in separate baths.
The one approach to expertise an onsen is within the nude. So know that bathing with garments on, even with a showering go well with, is a giant NO-NO.
Take a bathe to cleanse your self earlier than bathing, then use a small towel to cowl your privates (if you want) on the stroll from the showers to the bathtub. Don’t immerse the small towel within the tub – you may maintain it in your head or on the aspect of the bathtub. Maintain your tub to 10-Quarter-hour, and get out to chill off should you really feel lightheaded or dehydrated.
In case you are bathing with companions, you may chat, however be thoughtful of different friends and maintain the noise stage down. Diving, splashing, and swimming are prohibited within the onsen. Pictures isn’t allowed in most onsens both.
Non-public onsen contained in the room at Ayu-no-Sato Ryokan
15. Security in Japan
Japan is taken into account one of many most secure international locations on the planet. There’s little or no you need to fear about whereas visiting Japan, as any kind of crime fee is sort of low. The one exception is perhaps pickpockets in crowded locations, though even that’s extraordinarily uncommon. Nonetheless, it’s higher to maintain your fingers and eyes in your valuables every time travelling.
Conclusion
There is perhaps lots to recollect in the case of cultural etiquette and Japan journey suggestions, from utilizing the bullet trains to soaking in a conventional onsen. Japan is a totally completely different cultural expertise from every other nation in Asia and, much more so, on the planet.
Nonetheless, that is what makes the nation so distinctive, so embrace the eccentricities and the quirkiness and actually immerse your self within the tradition. Whilst you would possibly make some errors with the etiquette alongside the way in which, it’s all a part of visiting Japan for the primary time.