Japan Travel Guide

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Golden hour in Kyoto

Here are some pieces of advice I shared with my parents before their first trip to Japan!

lANGUAGE

• Japanese. English is not commonly used. Most public transportation signage uses both the Japanese and Roman characters (Romaji) which helps. 

• Make sure to download Google Translate. One of the best features on there is the ability to scan menus/ signs with Japanese characters and translate them into English. Click the 'Camera' button, select the to/ from languages at the top, and then take a picture to translate.

Helpful phrases

• Konichiwa - Hello

• Arigato gozaimasu - Thank you (you could just say 'arigato' but most people say the whole phrase)

• Kudasai - Please

• Hai - Yes (I don't even know the word for 'no' because it seems like there was never any reason to use it)

• Sumimasen - Excuse me/ sorry

Transportation

• Pasmo or Suica card - These will be used for public transportation. Either card is fine! I got a Pasmo card via Apple Wallet and tapped my phone to use public transportation.

  • To set up on iPhone, open Wallet, click the + button -> Transit Card -> pick Pasmo or Suica. I did 1000 YEN to start and topped up whenever I needed. If I had insufficient funds exiting a train station, I could step aside, add the funds, refresh the Wallet, and exit within 30 seconds. FYI I could only successfully add funds using an American Express card (random). Shameless plug: if you’re in the market for an Amex, I recommend the Amex Gold with no foreign transaction fees. Use my referral code to earn 60K points after minimum spend.

• People line up to enter subway/ train cars - there will often be markings on the ground to indicate where to stand in line

• When hailing a cab or asking for directions, say the neighborhood where you’re going then show the address on your phone in Japanese characters.

• It is pretty affordable to hail cabs in Tokyo now and you can usually use card to pay (though it's a good idea to carry a bit of YEN with you - see 'Other Advice' section below)

• Use Uber or Go (apparently Go is more common in Japan than Uber but I wasn't able to get it to work successfully on my phone)

Etiquette

• It is common to bow when saying hello, thank you, bye, etc. Basically - if someone bows to you, you should bow back. You will bow A LOT.

• You can order a to-go coffee at many coffeeshops but most people don't drink coffee walking around in public. This is one of those instances where I leaned into being a foreigner and played dumb.

• It is considered bad manners to eat or drink in public, especially while on public transportation. If you'd like to eat a snack, eat outside of a 711/ FamilyMart/ Lawson or find somewhere a bit private. Pro tip: these shops often have an ATM and sometimes have a trash can for your sneaky to-go coffee.

Other advice

• Tipping: Not customary

• Water: Safe to drink

• Outlets: Plug type A or B (USA); 100V (versus 120V in US)

• Credit Cards: Most places accept credit card now and you can say "Kurejittokādo" - pronounced kinda like credito cardo.

• Cash: It's a good idea to carry a bit of YEN with you. I took out 17K for my 3 week trip ($116) and put everything else on my credit card. Bring cash for temple entrance fees in Kyoto! ATMs are typically at 711/ FamilyMart/ Lawsons.

• E-Sim: I bought one from Airalo. It was WAY cheaper than doing the Verizon TravelPass ($10/ day) or the International Monthly Plan ($100/ month). Use my referral code HANNAH8604 to get $3 USD off your first eSIM purchase.

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