Tag: Japan

Things to Know About Japan Before You Go

After five trips to Japan, these are the things I wished I knew about the country before I went. I hope you find these tips useful.

Japanese Culture

  • Speaking Japanese is similar to Spanish in terms of pronunciation. The vowels are pronounced the same and the r’s are rolled. In the US, karaoke is a word that is frequently mispronounced. It is often pronounced as kareeoki instead of ka-ra-o-ke (カラオケ).
  • Japanese is written using three different forms: hiragana (ひらがな), katakana (カタカナ), and kanji (漢字). Learning how to read hiragana and katakana can go a long way. Most kids in early elementary school will learn these two forms before learning kanji which is more complicated. Knowing how to read hiragana and katakana will make reading signs from the street and menus much easier. You can easily figure out the kind of foods a restaurant may serve from their signs. You can use elementary books or apps like Duolingo to learn. Hiragana is used to write traditional Japanese words while katakana is used for foreign words not traditionally found in the Japanese language.
  • If a restaurant has an English and Japanese menu, always ask for the Japanese one. Japanese menus typically have more foods listed than an English one. English menus typically only have foods that they think Westerners will like. Smaller restaurants will also only have Japanese menus.
  • Be prepared to remove your shoes when indoors at places like private residences (like Airbnb), temples, or restaurants with traditional tatami (straw) floors. Make sure you wear socks and they have no holes and that your feet do not smell.
  • It is common for places that require you to remove your shoes and provide house slippers. Make sure to use the house slippers when walking around. In these places, they will usually have a separate set of slippers for the bathroom. Make sure to switch to toilet slippers when going to the bathroom and switch back to house slippers when you’re finished. DO NOT wear house slippers in the bathroom if it is clear there are toilet slippers available.
  • When in doubt, bow to the person you’re speaking to. Bowing is polite and shows a sign of respect. You don’t have to do a full bow from the waist but a simple head one can be sufficient in a lot of casual situations.
  • Get cash. Japan still uses cash in a lot of places like vending machines and smaller “mom and pop” stores. Konbini’s or convenience stores like 7-ELEVEN are a great place to get cash from ATM machines compared to foreign exchange booths. 
  • Bidets are very common. They can be found at the airport, shopping mall, convenience store, etc. Some have heated seats and functions that can play music or nature sounds to mask bathroom noises.
  • Public trash cans are hard to find. The Japanese just carry their trash and dispose of it at home. When in a bind, you can find trash cans at convenience stores. Some vending machines may also have a slot to dispose of trash. Whatever you do, DO NOT LITTER. If you do encounter a trash can, it will typically require you to separate your trash. Make sure to dispose of your trash in the appropriate trash receptacle.
  • Japan is a very clean country. You will rarely see trash on the streets or graffiti on the walls. Everyone collectively cleans up after themselves. At food courts, there is usually a central area where they will keep cleaning supplies. Make sure to bus your own table by returning your dirty dishes to the business you bought the food from and wipe down your table using the provided cleaning supplies.
  • Eating in public in an undesignated eating area is generally frowned upon. If you feel you need to eat in public, do it discreetly or find an out-of-the-way spot to eat. Some casual places will have stand-up tables outside their storefront on the sidewalk to eat and some konbini’s (convenience stores) will have areas to eat your food. It is OK to eat on trains traveling longer distances (like the shikansen) but you cannot eat on the city commuter trains. You almost never see people walking and eating so it is probably best to avoid it if you can.
  • Raw eggs are common and safe to eat in Japan. Egg yolks are more orange than you would find in the US which is usually more yellow than orange.
  • Never stick your chopsticks vertically in your bowl of rice. It is considered very disrespectful as that is how rice is presented at funerals or on altars for the deceased.
  • Tipping at restaurants is not required or expected in Japan. If you leave any money above the cost of the meal, they will chase you down to return it to you.
  • At restaurants before a meal, it is common for the restaurant to present you with a warmed damp towel or a towel wrapped in plastic. This is called an oshibori and is intended for you to wipe your hands and only your hands before a meal. It is NOT for you to wipe your face which is considered bad manners.
  • When on a trip, the Japanese typically purchase items unique to a region as a gift for those back home. It is called omiyage or literally souvenir. When you travel around Japan, you’ll find nicely wrapped boxes of food or items containing items unique to the region that you’re in which are meant to be given as an omiyage. It is a good way to learn what is unique to a region. For example, fish eggs were highlighted around Fukuoka as an omiyage gift.
  • In general, rates of theft are really low in Japan. It is changing but it is not uncommon to find people leaving their phones or laptop computers on their tables and walking away at public establishments. Many establishments will provide baskets that you can place next to your table to keep your bags while you eat. It is also amazing to see televisions and other expensive electronics for sale left outside of businesses with no security tags or security guards watching over them.
  • Onsens are Japanese baths. It is usually communal (unless you book a private one). Therefore, make sure to bathe before going in an Onsen and clothing is NOT optional. You must be completely naked. If you have tattoos, don’t be surprised if you are forbidden from using a communal onsen or are asked to cover the tattoo with flesh colored stickers.
  • Useful Japanese phrases:

Onegaishimasu -Please

Sumimasen – Excuse Me

Arigato – Thank you

Gochisosama desu/deshita (deshita being past tense) – After Meal

This is a great video explaining useful phrases when eating at a restaurant. It covers things like asking about specific ingredients, allergies, and special foods (like vegetarian or vegan).

Transit

  • If you plan on traveling extensively around Japan using the shinkansen or other trains, getting a rail pass may be worth it. You’ll have to do the math to determine if a JR rail pass or a Klook Rail Pass is worth the expense instead of buying tickets individually.
  • Transit cards can be added to Apple Wallet (I use Suica). After these cards are added to your wallet, you just hold your phone up to the reader when at a train station or on a bus to pay for your fare. You don’t even have to turn on your phone. I was able to use the electronic Suica card outside of Tokyo in Osaka, Hiroshima, and Fukuoka on both trains and buses.
  • Transit cards can be used like a debit card when purchasing items around Japan. If you find yourself at a business that has a sign which says “cash only” and you’re short of cash, ask them if they accept your particular transit card as payment. Some businesses will not accept credit cards but will accept a transit card to be used as payment. This is also something to keep in mind if you still have funds remaining on your card at the end of your trip. You can buy things at the airport to spend your remaining balance.
  • If you don’t want to use your phone or other electronic device, you can get a physical card. The “Welcome to Suica” card is an alternative. It is only good for 28 days and cannot be returned or funds being refunded at the end of your trip. It also does not require a deposit.
  • If you have a child who is under the age of 12, they can get a child Suica card at a JR Rail Station office. They need to present their passport as proof of age and it requires a 500 yen deposit. They will print the child’s name on the card. It enables the child to have discounted fares and it cannot be used as a debit card. Refunds can be made only at the station from which the card was purchased. When it is scanned at a train station, it will make a cute chirping noise. Adult cards do not make any noise.
  • If you have a physical transit card (does NOT apply to the “Welcome to Suica” card), this video has good tips for turning in your card at the end of your visit.
  • Each train station has their own jingle. It is fun to hear the different jingles as you arrive at different stations.
  • Kuro Neko/Black Cat/Yamato Transport is an excellent and affordable way to get your luggage between one place to another within Japan. They will ship your luggage to your desired destination which eliminates the need to have your luggage with you on crowded trains. You can use this service at konbini (convenience stores) or from your hotel concierge. They have counters at the airports so you can have your luggage shipped to and from the airport to and from your hotel. They are very efficient and trustworthy. I included tracking devices in my luggage when we used the service between Fukuoka and Tokyo. I followed it across Japan as it was being delivered to our hotel. Our luggage was waiting in our room when we arrived.
  • Taxis have automated back doors that open and close for you. Let the driver let you in and out of the taxi. Red colored lights mean the taxi is available while green colored lights mean that it is unavailable.

Shopping

  • The Japanese really love their jingles. It is not uncommon to hear songs and jingles unique to a store being played over and over again as you shop. I honestly don’t know how employees do not go crazy hearing the same jingle day in and day out. They are quite the earworm.
  • Convenience stores or konbini are places to get more than just food and drink. They have areas to eat, use the bathroom, get cash, buy clothes like socks, ship your luggage via Yamato Transport, or buy passes for places like Disneyland. Common convenience stores are Lawson, Family Mart, and 7-ELEVEN. Compared to American convenience stores, the konbini in Japan are significantly cleaner and safer.
  • Department stores sell more than just clothes and housewares in Japan. In most department stores, their basements are reserved for food. There is usually a huge selection of packaged food gifts (omiyage), boxed food, and sometimes groceries. If you go later in the evening (7 or 9PM depending on the store), you can get the food for as much as 50% off. It is a great place to get last minute and cheap dinner.
  • Browsing things like appliances at stores like Yodobashi or BIC are fun to see them in sizes designed for small Japanese spaces and the technology associated with them.
  • There is a 10% sales tax applied to items you buy in Japan. That tax is automatically added to the price of a good being sold. In places where you can get duty free shopping (see next point), they will sometimes show you the total price and price without the 10% tax on the shelf.
  • If you have a foreign passport, you are eligible for duty free shopping in Japan. Duty free shopping applies to participating stores (look for signs) and for purchases which exceed 5000 yen. It is applicable ONLY for items to be used OUTSIDE of Japan. If you intend to use the item or eat the item before leaving, you cannot get it duty free. They will put the items in a sealed bag which cannot be opened until you leave the country. In larger stores like Mega Donki in Shibuya, there is a separate floor and checkout lines dedicated to duty free shopping (look for signs). In other stores, they will just do the duty free paperwork (which includes presenting your foreign passport) right at checkout.
  • If you need new glasses, getting a pair in Japan is something to consider. You don’t need a prescription. They can get your prescription from an existing pair of glasses that you may have. I fell and broke my glasses on a visit to Japan. The frame snapped and the lenses were scratched. I found an optometry shop in a train station. I walked in and got a new pair for less than $50USD, duty free, and in under an hour. They also had frames designed for Asian faces with a wider area around the nose.

Some of my favorite places to shop are:

  1. Yodobashi Camera has stores throughout Japan but the one in Tokyo in Akihabara (aka Akiba) is one of the best. They are more like a western Walmart which sells everything rather than only cameras as its name implies.
  2. BIC Camera (locations around Japan) like Yodobashi Camera is more like Walmart and sells more than just cameras.
  3. Mega Donki has locations throughout Japan but the one in Shibuya in Toyko is especially wild and fun. They don’t really sell electronics but anything and everything that you can think of. Great affordable place for souvenirs.
  4. Tokyu Hands has locations around the country but the one in Shibuya in Tokyo is especially big. It is a great place to get arts and crafts supplies.

Things to Bring With You to Japan

  • Japanese outlets typically can only accommodate electrical plugs with two prongs. If you have a third grounding prong which some of the newer devices in the US have, you will need a plug adapter. To get around that, I carry a power strip that is two pronged to plug it in the wall but the strip has three pronged spots for plugs.
  • Be prepared to walk a lot. With that in mind, it is a good idea to invest in a good pair of walking shoes and to break them in before the trip. It is not uncommon to walk 6 or more miles a day when in the city.
  • It rains a lot in Japan throughout the year. It is easy to buy umbrellas or ponchos in Japan. An easy spot to buy them are convenience stores. Something that may not be as easy to buy are waterproof shoes. It is a good idea to wear shoes that can keep your feet relatively dry in the rain. A good and comfortable pair of rainboots, hiking boots, or water proof walking shoes are helpful.
  • The Japanese may not always have things to dry your hands at public bathrooms. It is very common for the Japanese to carry handkerchiefs with them to wipe their hands when they are out and about.
  • Bring an external battery for your phone. You will use your phone a lot from navigation to taking pictures so it is always a good idea to carry extra power with you.