Japan is an archipelago on the eastern part of Asia.

The capital of Japan is in the same time the largest city, Tokyo, and the currency is JPY/Yen.

Japanese people are known for their hard work, and their respect for others. During a conversation I had with a Japanese lady born and raised in Japan, she confessed that the respect they have for their bosses makes them always work some extra hours as they are not willing to leave the office until their superior does. 

In the same time, Japanese people are quiet. Read the last section “It is rude to…” if you want to know more about them!

There are 2 best times to visit Japan:

1. between February and April, or
2. between September and November

Honestly, Japan is beautiful all around the year and if your plan is to save some money and avoid touristic seasons, you can and you should go there outside the recommended months. 

One of the most important facts about Japan is that they mostly use cash.

My advice is to bring cash with you. Of course, you can change your local currency in your country to YEN or you can bring USD/Euro/AUD etc. and go to an exchange in the airport or in the city. As usually, I do not recommend exchanging big amounts of money at the airport as the exchange rates are not favorable for you.

 On the other hand, they have ATMs all over the city: 7-eleven convenient stores will accept international cards at the ATM as some ATMs do not accept international cards at all.

For some of ATMs there is a minimum amount you have to withdraw (for example one of the ATMs we went to had a minimum withdrawal amount of 10K YEN). In the same time, the conversation rate is not the same as if you exchange, but it is still a decent one. 

If there is one essential thing that you have to do when visiting Japan, that is to make reservations for the attractions you are planning to visit in advance, ideally a few weeks before your trip. 

You will be amazed to see how quick some tickets are selling. 

I recommend you to use Klook.com for most of the attractions. Their prices are good and the website is quite intuitive. 

The public transportation system in Tokyo is one of the most efficient ones in the world!

This being said, it is very easy to be used:

a. for taking the bus: you can pay cash directly to the driver (depending on the station you are going to, it can cost between 80 Yen and 400 Yen)

b. for taking the train: you can buy one ticket directly from the train station (depending on the station you are going to, the price of the ticket can vary between 120 Yen and 500 Yen). Make sure to keep the ticket with you until you reach your final station as you will need to use it in order to exit (if not, you will pay for a new one).

Another option is to buy a Suica/Pasmo card (directly from the airport) and recharge it every time with the desired amount. This way, you will not depend on struggling with finding the name of the station when buying the ticket, but you will have to deposit 500 Yen that you can withdraw at the end of your trip and there are no discounts applied. Same as when buying an individual ticket, the price of the ride will differ depending on the destination station. When you exit the train station, you have to tap your card again at the barrier. 

In addition, your card Suica may be used at the vending machines and 7-Eleven convenient stores.

Feel free to check my Instagram stories where I show you how to buy an individual ticket and how to use it when taking the train. 

Every train station ca be identified by a different name/number (for example: Uguidudani station in Tokyo has the number 6). Feel free to ask around for the number of the station and the name of the line (example: JY 06 is for Yamanote Line, Uguisudani station)

Not sure when you have to get off the train? Do not worry, look above your head and identify the TV monitors announcing the current station and the next station (they are also switching to English from time to time). 

It is important to wait in line when the train arrives. Also, inside the train, the elderly people get to stay seated. 

Different trains arrive on the same track, so make sure you take the correct train. A good practice is to take a screenshot of the station you want to go to and show it to the locals is you feel like you need to double check if the train is the correct one.

The rush hours are between 7 to 9 A.M. and 5 to 7 P.M.

c. From the Airport to the city: we chose the Keisei train (Keisei Main Line Limited Express) to go from Narita Airport to Nippori station. From there, we took the green line (JY). The total price was 1150 Yen per person (the train ticket from Nippori to Uguisudani station was included).

If you want to see from where we purchased these tickets in the airport, check out my Instagram highlights about Japan.

d. Last but not least, do not use taxis as they are very expensive!

If  you are going only to Tokyo and Kyoto (and even to Osaka), and you are on a budget, you do not need to buy JR Pass, you can use their public transportation and buy a SUICA/PASMO card or individual train tickets.

As I said in a previous chapter, the public transportation in Japan is really good and not that expensive if you are carefully planning your activities.

On the other hand, if there are more cities you want to visit (let’s say 7 cities), then yes, it is a good choice to have a JR Pass. Purchase your ticket from Klook.com by clicking here!

Japan is one of the safest countries I have ever been to. Even walking late at night on the streets makes you feel safe!

Moreover, everything is super well organised.

Whenever you visit a new country, there is one question we all have: how do I get around the city?

First of all, we noticed that in Japan (and mostly in Tokyo and Kyoto), there is a public Wi-Fi in most of the public areas that you can connect to using your email address, so there is no need to buy a SIM card for internet.

Moreover, most of the accommodations, cafes and restaurants have free Wi-Fi you can connect to. 

Another trick we use is to download Google Maps and Google Translate. This way, you can use them offline and it really helps especially when you want to ask for indications.

Last but not least, some of the Japanese people do not speak proper English, but do not worry, they are very kind and keen to help. Sometimes, they will understand what are you saying and they will interact with you without saying any word in English. During our trip, we asked between 3 to 8 people a day for indications or clarifications, and every single one of them helped us in a way or another. 

In conclusion, do not be afraid to ask for help during your trip in Japan as you will find what you need.

As in every country, there are some actions that can be considered rude. It is better to avoid doing the below things if you want to fully enjoy your trip.

In Japan, when traveling by public transportation, be aware to switch your phone to silent mode and not to talk loudly. They specifically ask you not to talk on the phone during your train ride.

Another important fact is not to tip, as it can be considered rude. In the same time, whenever you will pay, be careful to leave the money on the tray provided by the staff and do not handle the money directly to them. 

Even if you are wearing (short) skirts, it is still considered rude to wear skinny trousers/leggings and you will even notice that the majority of the Japanese people wear either skirts, or large pants. 

Smoking is not allowed while walking in Tokyo. If you want to smoke, you need to find a designated area. Most restaurants have smoking places and hotels have smoking rooms also.

You will notice that the streets are very clean and you will barely find trash cans on the street. The accepted practice is to keep the waste with you and place it on a bin close to convenient stores, departments stores, train stations etc. 

On the other hand, eating and drinking is not allowed on the street. You can eat/drink in designed area only (next to the shop you bought your snack from).

Last but not least, try to learn some basic Japanese words, such as: hello, thank you, goodbye, sorry etc.

When it comes to billing, note that most of the times you receive it once the food is on the table. This doesn’t mean you have to pay for your order on the spot. First enjoy your meal and then bring the check/bill with you at the counter when you leave and you can pay then.

Vending machines: There are more than 4 million vending machines in Japan (you can find approximately one vending machine per 30 people). There are plenty of them serving mystery gifts, cakes, noodles, or even hot drinks! You can pay with your Suica if you have one. All you need to do is to tap your card or insert the coins, select your drink, and then tap your card again to pay if you use a card. Then you can collect your drink.

Plastic food replicas: These illustrations of the food you are ordering in Japanese restaurants can be found almost everywhere! Most of the time, you will see the price indicated next to them and even a number that you can identify in the menu.

Free water in restaurants: Every restaurant we’ve been to served free water, but most of the times you have to serve yourself.

Every hotel has a impressive toiletry set for the guests: our hotels were providing even hairbrushes, beauty facemasks, hair straighteners and many others for free.