Planning your first trip to Japan? You may have a running list of basic questions before you set foot in this fascinating country that feels so different and exciting when you arrive. What’s the best way to get around? How do I get the most out of my visit without feeling the pinch? Read on for our top travel tips to Japan!
Let’s be honest, planning for a big trip can be overwhelming, especially if you don’t have the luxury of time or money. To help you plan ahead for your visit to Japan, we have put together a list of essential travel tips – from accommodation to transportation to eating. Preparation is key when you only have a short time to get out and explore. We want you to make the most of your trip, so you have a fantastic adventure experiencing the wonderfully distinct culture of Japan.
Here are our 8 top travel tips for your first-time visit to Japan!
1. Best Time to Visit Japan
The first thing you want to know is Japan has a distinguish four seasons, and each season offers its unique experience to visitors. Many people may agree that April is the best time because you get to witness the most anticipated bloom of sakura – cherry blossoms. While the cherry blossom season is spectacular, it is also the busiest and the most expensive time to visit Japan.
Summer can be muggy and uncomfortably hot, but it is an exciting time to soak in the atmosphere of matsuri (street festivals) and the grandeur of weekly firework displays.
Fall is particularly a favorite season of mine as you get to see beautiful foliage on the mountains and streets.
While the colder months in Japan may sound less appealing, it does make the best time for budget travelers since most of the hotel rates would be least expensive and you don’t have to worry about the crowd.
In truth, the BEST time can be highly subjective and depends on your personal needs. The length of stay can make an impact on your travel experience too, so allow yourself to stay for at least two weeks to get a better sense of the place. Whichever season you decide, it’s worth remembering that you would have a memorable time in Japan no matter when you visit.
Pro tip: During the hot Japan summer, you will be sweating, so wear dry-fit material clothing to stay comfortable during your travels.
2. Get a Japan Rail (JR) Pass
If you plan on doing an extensive traveling by taking the Shinkansen 新幹線 (bullet-train) during your visit to Japan, Japan Rail Pass or JR Pass would be the economical way to go.
For your convenience, you’ll get to experience unlimited travel throughout the country on the local, regional and express JR rain services. Keep in mind you have to buy the JR Pass before arriving in Japan as it’s not sold there. For more details on pricing and how to purchase the Pass, check out our JR Pass Guide post.
Pro tip: It takes 20-40 min to exchange your JR Pass voucher. Get the tickets for the rest of your trip at one go to avoid multiple trips to the JR office. If you change your travel plan, you can always exchange the tickets later.
3. Rent a Pocket Wi-Fi or SIM Card for Internet Access
Want to stay connected for your entire trip to Japan? Rent a pocket Wi-Fi or get a local Japan SIM card! The pocket wi-fi is more versatile as it is lightweight and works for any kind of devices. Whether you’re using it to check Google Maps, to research travel information or to make some quick calls, pocket Wi-Fi would be your best companion.
There are several rental mobile Wifi services you can check out. We have been using Sakura Mobile for the past few years. The connection speed is pretty fast and we haven’t had any trouble with the service. They will deliver the SIM card or pocket Wi-Fi to your hotel or address in Japan.
Pro tip: Download the Google Maps app to use in Japan. It is very convenient, and a lifesaver when you get lost in big cities or rural towns. Softbank offers a free Wifi service so you can save on your data at certain places.
4. Get Your Yen (¥) Ready (How about My Credit Cards?)
Despite being an uber-modern country, Japan can be old-fashioned when it comes to money. There are still quite a lot of shops and restaurants that are cash only. However, with the upcoming 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games and the increasing numbers of tourists to Japan, you can expect more and more businesses in larger cities are starting to accept credit cards and debit cards.
To be safe, you still want to make sure you have enough yen in your wallets. Cash will always come in handy when you visit smaller towns or mom-and-pop shops. Also, inform your banks that you will be using your cards in Japan in advance.
Pro tip: When you use cash, you’re likely to get a ton of change. Also, Japanese bills are much wider than the US bills and they don’t fit in standard US-size wallets. Solution? Pick up a Japanese wallet from a discount store ($5 – $10) to use on the trip and keep it as a souvenir when you go home.
5. On a Budget? Utilize Japanese Convenience Stores!
Japan may have a reputation for being an expensive destination, but there are endless ways to enjoy the country without having to break the bank. For any budget travelers, the vending machines and convenience stores like 7-Eleven are your best friends when you visit Japan.
You can literally feed yourself some decent bento, ramen, or onigiri rice balls, or get an emergency toothbrush or umbrella from Japan’s world-class vending machines and convenience stores. There is also Daiso, the Japanese equivalent of a dollar store, that can supply most of your travel needs and souvenir shopping.
Pro tip: You don’t need to bring an umbrella with you to Japan. All convenience stores sell them for 500 yen ($5) when it rains unexpectedly.
6. Accommodations
There is no lack of options when comes to accommodations in Japan. They come in all shapes and sizes, and wide-ranging prices that would meet your need. If familiarity is your priority, you can choose to stay in a western-style hotel like Hilton, Hyatt, Westin and so on.
But if you wish to have a much more local & memorable experience, you can check in to ryokans, Japanese traditional inns where you get to relax in serene quarters and take dips in natural hot springs.
Traveling alone with a low budget? You can even check out the capsule hotels or manga cafes (manga kissa) for a one-of-a-kind experience.
Here are some useful links on accommodations you can research ahead of time:
- Rakuten Travel – Japan’s No.1 hotel booking website
- JTB – Booking is in Japanese only. – We use this site often.
- JAPANiCAN.com – Hotel & ryokan search – We use this often.
- jalan.net – Hotel & ryokan search
- Hostelworld – Leading online reservation site for hostels in Japan
- Japan Ryokan Association – Luxurious ryokan reservation website
- Booking.com for capsule hotels
Pro tip: For ryokan, sometimes they are located far from the station. Find one that offers free shuttle services for pickup and dropoff.
7. Eating in Japan
When comes to eating, your choices are almost inexhaustible. If you don’t want to miss out some best places to eat in Japan, we recommend using Tabelog (食べログ), a comprehensive Japanese Restaurant & Food Guide for your most delicious food adventure. You can select by type of food, area, and budget to find the restaurant that fits your craving.
Pro tip: Not familiar with the food choices at the restaurant? Ask for an English menu. More and more restaurants offer English menus for foreign visitors. Otherwise, use Google Translate’s image scanning feature (download Japanese language).
8. Allow Yourself to Get Lost. Literally!
You don’t need to follow a strict itinerary to fully enjoy Japan. It is one of the safest countries in the world and you can safely navigate the streets alone with a peace of mind. So, relax a bit, allow yourself to venture off without a map and take the unbeaten path. Chances are you will stumble upon many hidden gems that may well be your best discoveries of the trip!
Pro tip: Make sure you stay hydrated, especially if you visit during the summer. It is not unusual to walk 5-8 miles (7-11 km) a day. Convenience stores are the best place to buy a bottle of water or iced green tea. You may save 20-30% compared to vending machines for the same drink.
Reader’s tip: Travel light and avoid large suitcase, it’s difficult to navigate busy stations with large suitcases and some of them do not have elevators.
Ready to book your ticket? We hope you find the above the travel tips useful. Leave us a comment below if this is your first trip to Japan and tell us what you’d like to learn more.
If you are interested in skiing in Japan, check out Hakuba Travel and Ski Guide.
[…] 8 Top Travel Tips for Your First Time Visit to Japan […]
Just checked out One Cook Book’s Facebook page, and saw an amazing video which explained how those fine multi-layered matcha cakes are made. So-ooo delicious. Can’t wait to have a try! We have a young Japanese Study Tour student arriving here in Adelaide, South Australia, on Monday with his school group from Koishikawa, Tokyo. This will be fun to do, together with our long-term home-stay student from Vietnam.
Hi Kristine,
Thank you for your comments on the matcha mille feuille cake. It takes a bit of patience but should be fun to make as a group.
Cheers!
I forgot to say to bring a bandana or small towel/washcloth and keep it handy for the public restrooms. They are usually spotlessly clean but do NOT have paper towels or any other means of drying your hands. Everyone carries a small towel in their bag or backpack and whips them out when needed!
Great advice!
We rented an apartment in Tokyo for 12 days and one in Osaka for 6 days through HomeAway and wouldn’t have changed a thing! We lived like locals, shopped the grocery stores and ate at the small restaurants. We took trains everywhere we wanted to go. Next time we will make sure the apartments are near the JR line. JR Rail Pass is worth every penny!
Hi Tamara,
We agree with your JR Rail Pass is great if you plan to travel extensively on Shinkansen and JR lines. We haven’t tried HomeAway yet but a bit wiery of rental units since Airbnb cancelled our booking at the last minute in 2018 (still big fan of it when we travel in the US).
Thank you for stopping by!
Japan, one of the best places in the world. I am planning a trip to Japan from last many days but I am not able to do so.
The article shared above is really very good, it helped me a lot as it shares very good information related to the travelling in Japan.
I like the above shared points very much, hope to visit Japan very soon.
Hi Obaazo,
Thank you for reading our post and we hope you get to visit Japan soon. Let us know when you go or if you have any questions about traveling there.
Hi Nami,
Since you travel quite often back to Japan, which airline do you usually take and what cabin class do you use? What’s your thought on the airline? I personally dislike ANA…the economy seat can’t recline back so that’s enough a big MINUS for me!
Hi Jos,
We are a United family as they have the most flights out of San Francisco. Since we travel a decent amount we qualify for premium economy and get to stretch out our legs a bit more. The US-based airlines have horrible food but we’ve learned to buy our own food and bring it onboard to eat during mealtime. ANA has good food but the seats are slightly smaller than US airlines.
I’ve been to Japan twice and these tips are truly very useful. It’s a very safe country. I navigated some places alone and though the Japanese people I encountered didn’t speak English, they gestured happily to show me the directions to my destination. One man even guided me to the train til we got off at the same train station. Japan tap water is potable so I just brought a water bottle, filled it up before exploring the city. Yes, food is delicious anywhere-from restaurants to 7-11 or even in eateries the train stations. Japan tops my list as a favorite destination!
Hi Susie,
Thank you for reading our post and we’re so happy to hear you had such great experiences traveling in Japan. Time for a 3rd trip? 🙂
Hello, thank you so much for your great website and this post in particular. I have been dreaming about traveling to Japan ( I have been there at a much younger age as an exchange student), but i really want to go again and would like my husband to visit. I am wondering if Japan is small kids-friendly…. how is it to travel with little ones?
Hi Maria,
How young are the little ones?
We’ve brought our children to Japan since they are 3 months old so its doable. However, I would not recommend bringing them if they are still in strollers.
In Tokyo the trains are crowded and there’s not much room for strollers. Some of the older stations also do not have elevators and traveling with strollers become difficult.
The public bathrooms in the restaurants are really clean, but 95% do not have changing tables.
Those are the issues I would consider. Once they are older than 5 i would recommend going. Our kids loved Disneyland and DisneySea.
Nami/Mr. JOC,
Thank you for the timely tips. Last visited over 25 years ago, with my Dad, who could speak Japanese, but we won’t have the benefit of someone being able to speak Japanese this time. Starting my planning for trip next year, so these tips will surely come in handy. The sheer number of places to visit/eat/do makes me exhausted just thinking about it. 谢谢/arigato.
Hi Charles,
There are so many places to visit Japan and it’s impossible to cover it all in 1 trip. What we would recommend is not rush through your trip and just have a great time. It’s okay not being able to speak Japanese, Japan gets over 30 mil visitors a year and the majority probably do not speak Japanese.
Use convenience store bathrooms at places like Lawson’s or Family Mart. Cleaned hourly usually. Unlike convenience stores in the states.
Hi Monette,
Great advice. I’ll add it to the post.
Hello Nami!
My husband and I are planning to go in Japan soon! Probably in march 2019 for the cherry blossons 🙂
I am wondering if you recommend any grocery stores to buy kitchen tools or japanese ingredients to make your recipes at affordable prices!
Thanks so much for your tips!
Hi Angelia,
Yes, for kitchenware go to Kappabashi (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kappabashi-dori), it’s 5 blocks of kitchenware at reasonable prices compared to department stores. We’ll be sharing a post on it around late Oct on the blog.
For ingredients, they’re much cheaper in Japan compared to outside of Japan. Find a large grocery store/supermarket and you shouldn’t have any issues finding what you’re looking for.
Cheers
Dont spend all your time in big urban areas. Go to some remote places where things can be very traditional.
NHK has a great app. Check out the TV show called Journeys in Japan. I wish it had been a available when I lived there.
Hi Bkhuna,
Great advice. Could be a bit challenging for non-Japanese speakers but also fun. Personally I love Kyushu and its countryside.
Cheers
The NHK app is in English. They even have full Sumo coverage.
Thank you for all the website suggestions! It will come in handy for my planning for December.
Hi Jasmine,
We’re so happy you found the suggestions helpful, let us know if you have any questions before your visit. In December it’s really cold so dress warm.
This is great, Nami!! I’m
Hoping to go next year, Tokyo marathon! Any tips for marathon week?? I may be asking you for favorite restaurants next year as well ????
Hi Amy,
Book your hotel early for the best rate and try to select a hotel near a station.
There are way too many restaurants to recommend, what’s your favorite Japanese food?
The one piece of advice I think is missing is to pack as light as possible because everything is small there and having huge suitcases is impractical. I learned the hard way trying to get off the NEX train to Narita going home and trying to get three big suitcases off the train. I clogged the doorway from closing with the last one and an attendant running towards me nearly had a seizure that I was delaying their ultra timely train service! 😀
Hi Roy,
You are absolutely correct. We’ll add the tip to the post. In general, our travel rule in Japan for the family is 1 carry-on per person. It’s difficult with a large suitcase especially in the older stations without elevators. With this in mind, we try to look for hotels with coin laundry facility.
The get lost tip is so true! While trying to find the bamboo forest in Kyoto, my friend and I found a delightful monastery – a great rest for the spirit that day.
Hi Amy,
We’re so happy you agree with our suggestion!
Mr. JOC