Japanese culture is a beautiful thing, and something that I wanted to respect while we were on our trip. I did some research before leaving for Japan to understand more of their culture and what to expect. From a preparation perspective, luckily traveling to Japan is pretty turn key, but there are definitely some things you can do before leaving to make your trip as smooth as possible.
Below are some things you should know before you go on your Japan trip.
Travel Tips
1. Purchase a 7 day or 14 day Japan Rail Pass before you go.
If you are traveling around to a few different cities like we did, then you should purchase a Japan Rail Pass (or JRail Pass). You actually HAVE to buy this before you leave on your trip since it will get shipped to your home and you’ll need to bring it with you. The JRail pass gives you access to bullet trains that take you from city to city and most inner city public transportation. A 7 Day pass is $274 USD and a 14 day pass is $436 USD. They also offer a 21 day pass for $588 USD. You MUST stamp your JRail pass when you first land in Japan, even if you do not plan to start using it until later on in your trip.
*Purchase a JRail Pass Here.
2. Get a Pasmo or Suica card for public transportation in Japan.
We did not want to “activate” our JRail pass until we left Tokyo for Kyoto. The way that we got around was using a Pasmo card. There’s many public transportation ticket and card options to get around in Japan. Do your research and see what will work best for you. The Pasmo card worked well for us because even if we had some money left on the card, we knew that we could use the remaining money at a convenience store later on so we did not lose any money.
*More information on Pasmo & Suica Cards here.
2. Make reservations at popular restaurants before hand.
Something that we wished we did was do some research on the top restaurants we wanted to eat at in each city and make reservations. We still ate amazing food and definitely hit many bucket list food places off our list, but if you want to have dinner with a geisha in Kyoto or each Michelin star Ramen or Wagyu Beef in Tokyo, then you should definitely make that reservation.
4. Get an international cell phone plan for GPS.
Public transportation is AMAZING across Japan, but figuring it out is not easy. Splurge for a good international cell phone plan and it will make getting around stress free and a lot easier. I travelled with my husband so only I turned on my international plan. Wifi is easily accessible while you’re out and about so he could still get online throughout the day if he needed to.
I have AT&T, they have a quick plan you can turn on through their app that gives you 24 hours of international plan for $10 USD. What’s great about this is that they only track the time that you actually use your plan. So you can stretch 24 hours across 3-4 days if you are mindful of when you’re on airplane mode or not.
5. Things you do not need to worry about:
-PAJAMAS! That’s right you heard me! Save room in your suitcase and ditch your PJs. Every place we stayed at had PJs as an amenity for us to use.
-Japan power outlets are the same as US, no converter needed.
-As I said before, wifi is abundant.
-We mostly paid with credit card throughout our trip, but as with all international travel definitely have Japanese Yen on you at all times.
Cultural Tips
6. Public trash cans are rare.
Japan is the cleanest city that I’ve ever been to. Everyone is very respectful of public spaces so much so that public trashcans are rare. So where does the trash go? People generally carry around a bag where they collect their trash for the day and bring it home to dispose of. I suggest you be prepared to do the same as well.
7. No eating or drinking while walking.
This is probably another reason why Japan is so clean, but it is actually disrespectful to eat (and even drink) in public. Americans are so used to eating while walking or even on public transportation. Whatever you do, do not do this in Japan. You’ll stick out like a sore thumb. Plan your days so you have time to sit down and eat for each meal.
8. Handling money in Japan.
There are many cultural nuances when it comes to handling money in Japan. If you are checking out at a store, out of respect, make sure to place your money or credit card on the tray provided, never hand over your money to the cashier’s hand.
When you’re eating at a restaurant, you may find yourself waiting a while for the waitress to grab your credit card from you. They did not forget about you, and it’s not bad service, it is because paying at restaurants in Japan usually is done at the hostess stand or front register.
Also, as much as you’ll want to tip someone for their amazing service, it’ll do more harm than good. People in Japan do not depend on tips to make their money like in the US. They see it as rude or disrespectful if you tip them for their service. Gratitude and a thank you can go a long way in Japan!
9. Shoes off & Face Masks.
An asian cultural nuance that many people are aware of is taking off your shoes at the door before walking inside someone’s house. There are also businesses and restaurants in Japan that follow this custom as well. Make sure you’re prepared and if you’re not wearing socks, carry socks around with you.
If you are feeling sick or have a cough, wear a face mask out of respect to others around you. It’s a normal custom in Japan, and no one will think twice. People wear face masks for a few reasons – they are sick, they do not want to get sick, they want to stay warm, or simply because they want to.
10. Bow instead of shake hands.
In America, shaking hands is a normal custom, but in Japan, bowing is the common way that people greet each other. There are rules to bowing (age, level in society, etc.), but a simple head nod will be appreciated by locals.
