Japan Tips

September 21, 2023

Note: This is a work in progress page

Some tips for visiting Japan.

General Tips

  • Before arriving, complete your immigration and customs form online to skip filling out the physical form upon arrival. You’ll get a QR code you can use instead at airport customs. 🔗 Visit Japan Web
  • If you have an iPhone, add a Suica card to your Apple Wallet and then add it to Express Mode via the settings. This lets you tap in and out of most public transport extremely quickly. You can also use it for payments in several stores and topping it up is done within seconds from the Apple Wallet app.
  • Book accommodation in advance (at least 6-8 weeks ahead)
  • Avoid missing the last train. Ubers are really expensive in Japan.
  • Note down the 7-11 locations near where you’re staying. They are open 24/7 and all have an ATM that accepts all international bank cards (yes, this of course includes Monzo cards). Great for when you need to make a cash withdrawal.
  • Want to drive in Japan (yes this includes go-karts!)? Remember to get your International Driver’s Permit before you leave the UK. You can obtain one from certain shops with PayPoint. For Japan, you will need the 1949 IDP
  • Keep a plastic bag with you to carry trash. There aren’t many bins to throw trash away
  • Check if you need a Japan Rail Pass - They are available for either 7, 14 or 21 consecutive days. Depending on your trip, you might not want to get one, since they have gone up in price recently and encourage you to rush from place to place to get your money’s worth on the pass
  • Travelling from city to city? Check if your accommodation offers a luggage forwarding service. This allows you to ship your luggage to the next city you’re visiting (specifically to your next accommodation) a day before you travel so you do not need to haul your luggage on public transport. Sagawa and Yamato Transport are recommended companies that deal with forwarding luggage.
  • Tipping when eating out is not expected and attempting to tip will normally result in the restaurant turning down the tip
  • Don’t eat and walk - If you need to eat something while out and about, stand to the side and eat your food
  • Don’t talk loudly on the metro

Must Try Experiences

  • Tea ceremony - A must-try experience in my opinion. There are a lot of places that will offer this across several cities in Japan.
  • Shinkansen (a.k.a. The Bullet Train - The most common route is usually Tokyo to Osaka/Kyoto (or vice versa)).
  • Kissaten (traditional coffee houses) - A traditional Japanese coffee shop. I’d recommend checking out one. I visited Tajimaya Coffee in Shinjuku.
  • Sake tasting - No personal recommendations for this one. Just something I think people should try while in Japan.

Tokyo

Activities

  • Monkey Kart - Go on a go-kart tour across some of Tokyo’s most famous locations (remember - You’ll need an international driving permit for this!).
  • teamLab Planets - A zenful exhibition. I would recommend pre-booking your tickets in advance.
  • Tokyo DisneySea - Self explanatory. Once again, pre-book and plan your trip to the park.

Food

  • Asakusa Kagetsudō - One of my favourite bakery items from Japan is the melon pan. So how do you make a melon pan better? Add matcha ice cream to it! They also offer other fillings if matcha isn’t your…cup of tea 😎
  • Matcha Sweets Kaminari-Issa - Basically right next door to Asakusa Kagetsudō. If you like matcha, this is the place for you. They even do a matcha beer!
  • Tokyo Ramen Street - Tucked underneath Tokyo station is a series of the city’s best ramen all under one train station. There’s a lot to choose from here. The last time I was here I tried Soranoiro NIPPON which I would highly recommend.
  • Omoide Yokochō - A picturesque alleyway lined with an assortment of small eateries
  • Tajimaya Coffee - The Kissaten I ended up visiting. I would recommend checking it out ☕

Locations

  • Sensō-ji temple - The oldest temple in Tokyo. There’s an annual festival called the ‘Sanja Festival’ that happens at this temple around the middle of May that’s worth visiting as well. I stumbled across it by accident the last time I was in Tokyo and found it to be a great experience!
  • Pokémon Center Shibuya - If you’re a fan of Pokémon this is a great place to get all your Pokémon merch.
  • Shibuya Scramble Crossing - Probably the most famous crossing in the world. If you want to people-watch here, I’d recommend getting a seat overlooking the crossing at the Starbucks on the second floor of the Shibuya Tsutaya building.
  • Tsukiji Outer Market - Famous wholesale fish market lined with several restaurants selling the local produce 🐟

Osaka

Food

  • Rikuro's - If you’ve seen those jiggly fluffy cheesecakes on social media, this is the home of them. There are several branches across the city, but the one I’ve linked is the main branch. Just beware that they seem to only sell whole cakes, so it might be a bit much if you’re solo travelling 😅

Locations

Kyoto

Food

  • Kikyo Sushi - Hands down the best sushi restaurant I’ve come across in Japan. This is a restaurant that has been family-run for generations and has amazing service. I would highly recommend visiting here if you are visiting Kyoto and making a reservation in advance as well.
  • Nishiki Market - a 400-year-old market with several stalls and vendors, all under a glass-stained roof that runs down the length of the market. One of my favourite spots in Kyoto

Locations