Traveling in Japan | Basic Travel Guide
Before the world went quiet in 2019, I visited Japan every year while returning to Malaysia to visit my family. Japan is a perfect middle point for me to stop and break up the long trip to catch my breath. After four years of missing my family and my international travel, I returned on the plane in late March to visit Japan and Malaysia. For this trip, I decided to shorten it because I wasn't sure if I could handle a month-long trip, as life has changed quite a bit since 2019. So I spent only a few days in Tokyo at the beginning and near the end of my trip after spending time with friends and family in Malaysia.
If you wondered, I chose to visit in March because I wanted to see cherry blossoms and get a seasonal cherry blossom sticker on my passport, but that was not the case. The timeframe was decided based on other personal reasons. I had visited Japan during cherry blossom season many times before. Although it was magical to see people enjoying their picnic at the park under the cherry trees, it wasn't worth the hassle because the number of visitors that want to see the blossoms have increased tremendously over the years.
For instance, getting through customs at the Narita and Haneda airports was a nightmare! Imagine being stuck among over a thousand people in line, and you feel like you may need to go to the bathroom after your long flight. I was in line for over an hour and a half, regardless of how efficient the officers were. And that's simply the beginning of staying in line while visiting during the cherry blossom season. Something crucial to remember is if you land late at night, you may have difficulties getting to your hotel because the trains stop around midnight. If your plane arrives after 10 pm, you should book an airport hotel ahead of your trip so that you don't have to be involved in the transportation madness. Generally, I only recommend riding in a taxi in Japan if you are in a small town because the fare can be pricey. The charge for getting from the airport to the center of Tokyo could cost you over hundred dollars. If you get through customs after midnight, you will be in line again for the cab as everybody is also desperate to leave the airport. Since I am discussing the airport situation, I might as well mention the time you need to get through the security checkpoint to leave Japan. It was better than the arrival situation, but it could take up to an hour, depending on your flight time. So consider getting to the airport earlier because getting on the wrong train is a common problem for first-timers.
To help ease your transportation anxiety, I suggest you load up the Suica app before you get on the airplane. Unfortunately, it only works on iPhones and Android phones if your Android phone is in Japan. Suica is a payment app for you to quickly get around Japan. You put your phone over the scanner to get through and don't need to pull up your Wallet app. It also works on vending machines, or you want to use it to pay at convenience stores. While setting up the app could be challenging because the interface is in Japanese. It is easy to get around it if you know how to take a screenshot and have Google Translate show you what to do. After setting it up, add some credit before getting on the plane so you can use it immediately when you land. You can also get a physical Suica card at the airport to avoid dealing with the app, but the app is so much easier, and you can reload anytime you need. One issue I ran into was I couldn't reload the credit when I was connected to the hotel WIFI, but it was ok once I disconnected the WIFI and used a cellular connection.
To get around, you do need to have cash, Japanese Yen. In Japan, many stores and restaurants prefer or only take cash; sometimes, certain credit cards may not work. For example, if you want Gashapon capsules, you would need cash for that. There are many ways to prepare for that. First, you can get your Japanese Yen from the money exchange before leaving the country, but that won't get you the best rate. I prefer to go to the ATM at convenience stores, like the 7-11, because it is convenient, and you only pay a small fee. Other than that, you can also find money exchange machines at the airport. I usually exchange $100 for Yen before leaving the airport in case my ATM card doesn't work, and I need time to figure things out. Since you will be using cash and getting coins, I suggest you get a coin case with a few card slots. That way, it is more manageable with all the coins, and you can keep your Suica card, credit cards, and hotel room card for easy access.
In previous years, I often rented a portable wifi for my trip even though I do get free data roaming with my T-mobile package. However, the T-mobile internet connection was slower, and it slowed down further if you used up a lot of data. On my last trip, I decided to try an iPhone e-sim instead of renting a wifi device. The e-sim service I used was Airalo, however other people also used Ubigi. With Airalo, I got both e-sims for Japan and Malaysia. If you decide to try e-sim, install the app and set it up before your trip because sometimes the e-sim option may not be available in the countries you visit. For instance, when I browsed around Airalo, an e-sim for Singapore was out of stock. In terms of connection, Airalo's connection speed is decent but could be better. It did okay in Tokyo, but the internet speed struggled when I was in Penang, Malaysia.
You need an internet connection on your phone so you do not need to depend on public free wifi because you don't want to slow down your trip when you need to look up a direction. Of course, you can find free wifi in some areas, but I certainly wouldn't want to depend on that. With a good internet connection, getting around and finding directions will be easier. Google Maps has gotten so good that the direction for public transport is easy to follow. Most of the time, I took trains, but I did try using the bus service once when I was in Tokyo. It cost me 210 Yen, and I got to see the city more by bus instead of underground trains. When taking trains, Google Maps tells you everything you need, the type of train connection, the platform number, the cost, and the train arrival time, and it even tells you the number of the car you want to be in for fast get around. Consider paying attention to the screen above the doors when on the train. The screen often tells you your direction in Japanese and English; some of them show your arrival location at the platform, and which direction you could find an elevator or escalator.
I debated whether I wanted to discuss food options here because there were too many to cover. Please comment if you want more specific restaurant recommendations, and I can set up a list for you. Generally, you want to try their sushi, conveyor belt sushi restaurants, and the seafood at Tsukiji Fish Market. Ramen is excellent in Japan! I had tried many, most were terrific, and I never had a bad one. Specifically, I suggest you try more Tsukemen, dipping ramen that is not so commonly available outside of Japan. Let's face it, we all want to try Wagyu beef and Kobe beef in Japan. They are truly superb and beyond words. You can Google Yakiniku, and you should be able to find some good options on Google Maps based on the photos and reviews. Japanese beef BBQ can be expensive, but you also get more for your money than ordering Wagyu beef dishes at restaurants in the US. If you are on a budget while traveling, check out the mind-blowing food option at 7-11 and the basement of shopping malls. You will find more affordable food, and they are not bad at all. Lastly, I suggest avoiding tourist spots. Instead, local restaurants not recommended by social media influencers will give you a better cultural experience while enjoying great food. If you are worried you won't be able to understand the Japanese menu, download the Google Translate app, and you are good to go!
I will not cover tourist spots here since you can easily find tons of information online. However, I often see people on my Facebook group asking what to buy in Japan, and I will share some thoughts on that since that's my focus on this trip. Depending on what you are passionate about or what your hobbies are, you can find exciting things to buy in Japan. Many people love to try Japanese vending machines as we have always heard about the crazy stuff they would sell in a vending machine. If you are interested in that, do your research. While strolling around town, I rarely see vending machines selling weird stuff. Previously I mentioned that Gashapon is a toy capsule vending machine that started in the 60s. They can be found everywhere around shopping areas, even at the airport. I love the option and want to warn you that it can be addictive even though you may not be big on capsule toys.
People have been raving about Japanese whiskey in recent years, specifically Suntory Whiskeys. However, we can get the Tori in the US, so I wouldn't recommend that. However, if you ever see the limited edition of Hibiki, Yamazaki, or Hakushu, get them because they are worth it. You should check the regulations of your country if you decide to bring some back. I used to be able to find many of the good ones at the airport but not on my last trip. The Yamazaki distillery is located near Kyoto. Visit them if you have time, and bring some cash for their whiskey tasting. It is getting more and more challenging to find those famous whiskeys. I suggest looking up local convenience stores, not 7-11, Lawson, or FamilyMart. Once, I found multiple bottles of Yamazaki 12 at an unassuming local convenience store in Tokyo.
Before leaving the country, I like to hit up the tax-free stores at the airport for some good cookies. The cheese cookies from Hokkaido are excellent since Hokkaido is famous for its milk. If you are still deciding if you would like them, you can find some at Tokyo Station to try before buying a ton to take home. However, Tokyo station is enormous and like a labyrinth. I have been there many times and still get lost all the time.
Generally, cosmetic and stationery products are huge in Japan. You will find more than you can try or buy; the options are insane! For stores, you can check out Tokyu Hands, Loft, and Itoya, and you will be able to find many unique, made-in-Japan products to bring home. Even though you can find Kinokuniya, Muji, and Uniqlo in the US, I would still check them out because you get more options and better prices on many items. Japanese fashion is world-famous, so look up the Japanese brands you like because the price is often better, and you can save more money with their tax-free option. If I want to keep going, this article will be endless, so I will drop a few more names before I conclude my sharing. I really wanted to visit Ichizawa Shinzaburo Hanpu. This handmade canvas bag business has a long history, but they only have their store in Kyoto, and unfortunately, I didn't have enough time to cover Kyoto. Because of my interest in stationery and art, I loved Sekaido Shinjuku! It is a huge art supply and stationery store selling many products you can only buy in Japan. For example, they sell open-stock Holbein color pencils for $1.65 each (when I was there), and US Amazon sells them for $7.70 each! Lastly, I must mention Traveler's Company Notebook, my favorite leather cover journal. It was quite an experience to visit their local stores to check out all the products they sell locally that you won't find online.
Japan is my number one favorite country to visit, and I want to keep going back! I hope this basic travel guide will help you kick-start your Japan trip research. If not, I hope something I mentioned will inspire you to add Japan to your destination list!
All photos taken using Fujifilm X100V, edited in Adobe Lightroom.
