Japan was a bucket list trip for us that was spontaneously booked after receiving a flight deal email from Going (formerly Scott’s Cheap Flights) that was too good to pass up. Round trip from the US to Tokyo for $550? Yep! I’ll take that.
The trip was booked for January 2020 and, while my boyfriend and I had no idea what was to come next (that’s another story for another time), we couldn’t wait. This would be my first trip to Asia and I had no idea what to expect.
As I began to research my travel destination, I quickly realized how little I knew about Japan and Japanese culture. I taught myself a few key phrases in Japanese and knew I’d figure out the rest. Reflecting on the trip now, I’m ready to share a few tips based on lessons learned. Bottom line: Traveling in Japan is easier than you think!
Buy a Japan Rail Pass. High-speed trains run throughout the entire country and are easy to navigate. Purchase yours online in advance to save money and time upon arrival. We had to activate our pass at the rail’s service center in Tokyo’s Haneda airport but it was a relatively quick process. There are 3 choices for the pass that varies by duration (7, 14, and 21 day options) and we chose the 7-day pass for 70,000 YEN each. The pass then allows you unlimited rides around the country for the duration of your pass and was valid for Hikari and Kodama trains only. Our customer service rep at the service center helped us determine the best trains to take and directed us to our first train to Kyoto.
Reserve a Wifi Buddy. Another important advanced purchase before our trip was to reserve a “Wifi Buddy“, a pocket wifi device that allows you to stay connected throughout your travels in the country. We picked up our buddy at the Haneda airport after we arrived and received a power adapter, pouch, and pre-paid return envelope which made it super simple to send it back on our last day. We relied heavily on Google maps and translation apps so having this device was especially important during the trip. We were both able to separately and simultaneously connect to the device and never ran out of battery throughout each day. It was a great rental purchase!
Grab a Snack at 7-Eleven. I’d heard tales of the great food offerings at 7-Eleven in Japan but I had to see it to believe it and let me tell you, I am a firm believer now. Wow! If only we had half the quality options in America… there were several instances where we popped into a 7-Eleven to grab a snack or beverage which ranged from onigiri to some of the best fried chicken I’ve ever had. The local grocery stores stock their shelves with products so you know you’re getting quality. Seriously, don’t sleep on 7-Eleven when you’re in Japan.
Do Everything Google Maps Tells You. Google Maps’ transit data is surprisingly accurate in Japan, even down to the minute for when the next train will arrive. Japan is a very orderly country so this makes sense but I was pleasantly surprised at how reliable the directions were and the public transportation information. This was another reason why having some type of wifi connection, whether its an eSIM card or our little Wifi Buddy friend, is especially helpful.
Learn Key Japanese Phrases. You may be surprised to learn that only about 30% of the population speaks English. While this may be a smaller percentage than expected, we found the people to be incredibly helpful, regardless of whether or not we spoke the same language. This is why it’s important to practice and learn a few key phrases, such as “yes/no”, “please”, “thank you”, and “do you speak English”. We also like to learn “cheers” when we’re traveling, too. Not only will learning these phrases help you navigate more easily, local people always appreciate the effort as well.
Bring a small bag for trash. One thing you may notice while traveling around Japan is the lack of trash cans. You may also then wonder how, even without public trash cans, the cities and towns can be so clean. This has to do with the Japanese culture that generally frowns upon walking around in public while eating or drinking. Even in a food market, you’ll see signs reminding you not to take your food to go but rather to stand next to the stall and enjoy instead. So it’s recommended to bring a small ziplock bag with you to hold any small trash items, such as gum or candy wrappers, should you need it since there won’t be anywhere else to publicly toss your trash.
Japan is truly an amazing country to visit. We learned so much about their culture and loved our time there. From the incredible food to the profound sense of respect for others and great pride the Japanese take in their work, we can’t wait to go back again.
ALI IN OZ 