Traveling to Japan for the first time can be pretty intimidating.
Not because Japan is unsafe or makes you feel uncomfortable in any way, but because everything is sooo… Different? At least compared to our world.
I’ll never forget the first time we arrived in Japan.
We were both so confused and amazed at the same time! I remember walking into the toilet in Osaka Airport, and once I was done with my business, I just sat there for 5 minutes. I looked at all the buttons, examined them carefully, trying to figure out which one said, “flush.” In the end, I just pressed them all.
It took some time to learn the ways of Japan. But, as challenging as it may seem, Japan quickly turned out to be one of our all-time favorite countries!
In this big travel guide, we want to share all of our tips about the country, and help those of you who are traveling to Japan for the first time. Basically, this is a major travel guide for the first time traveler in Japan.
We’ll go through all the things that we wish we knew before traveling to Japan for the first time such as how to prepare for the trip, how to use public transportation and book accommodation, the top things to see and eat, plus a few tips on how to behave.
So once you’re done reading this beast, you’re hopefully ready to start packing!
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Quick facts about Japan
Before you start to prepare for your first time traveling to Japan, here are a few quick facts that everyone should know about this amazing country.
- Language: Japanese
- Religion: Shinto and Buddhism
- Population: 126 million people
- Valuta: Japanese Yen (¥)
- Time zone: GMT 9+ Hours
- Written language: 3 forms of writing scripts – Kanji, Hiragana, and Katakana.
1. Tips before you travel to Japan for the first time
Before you actually leave home and set out on this amazing trip to Japan, then you have to think about what you need to prepare from home.
So here are our top tips to help you prepare for your first time traveling to Japan.
What time of the year do you visit Japan
Japan can be really cold and really hot depending on what time of the year you visit, and where you travel in the country. So you need to think about the weather before you leave for your trip.
Beneath you’ll see the seasons and average temperatures all year round in Tokyo. This can be your frame of reference. But always make sure to check the weather in the particular destination in Japan that you’re visiting.
| SEASON | MONTHS | AVERAGE TEMPERATURE |
|---|---|---|
| Winter | December – February | 5 – 8 Celcius |
| Spring | March – May | 9 – 18 Celcius |
| Summer | June – August | 21 – 26 Celcius |
| Fall | September – November | 12 – 23 Celcius |
Do you need a visa to travel to Japan
Before you set off for Japan, it’s so important that you do a bit of research in terms of whether you need a visa or not.
Countries like China, Russia, and Vietnam need to apply for a visa to enter Japan. However, 70 countries/regions are exempt of visas including Singapore, the US, Chile, and most of Europe. If you hold a passport from one of these regions, you can enter without a visa and stay up to 90 days.
Do you need an onward ticket to enter Japan
Yes!
This is a very important point. Trust us on this (we speak out of own experience), it’s not funny to be refused to check in for a flight because you don’t have proof of an onward ticket. This happened to us when going from New Zealand to Chile.
The official rule to enter Japan states that you need to have an onward ticket in hand. An onward ticket means a flight ticket which proves that you’re going to leave the country again.
If you don’t have this ticket, you might be rejected to check in for your flight to Japan, or you can have problems with immigration when landing.
In all honesty, we had a flight ticket out of Japan, but we weren’t ask to show it even once. So you just never know. But you shouldn’t take the chance because it could potentially ruin your first trip to Japan if you don’t have it, and you’re asked to show it.
If you don’t know when you are planning to leave Japan during your allowed 90-day stay, then you can always buy a ticket out of Japan that you can either get refunded or change the dates. That way, you can tweak your plans a bit once you’re there.
Do you need any vaccinations to travel in Japan
Of what we could find online, you don’t need any vaccinations to enter Japan.
We were never asked to show proof of any vaccinations.
I was advised by my doctor in Denmark to get the Japanese Encephalitis vaccine before my trip because I was visiting in September, which is during the mosquito season. So just ask your doctor whether there are any vaccines that he/she would recommend before your first trip to Japan.
But overall, no. You don’t need any specific vaccinations in order to travel to Japan.
Should you bring valuta from home
We kind of sporadically planned our first trip to Japan when we were already traveling in Malaysia, so we didn’t have time to bring cash to Japan. And honestly, don’t bother.
We just used the ATM when we were low on cash.
Since Japan is a pretty safe country, we wouldn’t worry too much about taking a lot of cash out at once. We always just divide it between each other and hide some in our backpacks in a case of emergency.
If you want to know more about exchanging money and using the ATM in Japan, then you can read this blog post made by a fellow blogger: Exchanging money in Japan
Should you buy the JR Pass from Home
Yes!
If you’re planning to go around Japan by train, then we can definitely recommend you to buy the JR Pass. If you buy the Japan Rail Pass from home, you’ll get a discount. So, you should look into this while preparing your first trip to Japan.
Since Glenn and I weren’t really that prepared, we missed out on this opportunity on our first time in Japan.
But we have friends who’ve used it, and they all say that it was super easy to use and saved them a ton of money! In case you didn’t know, public transportation in Japan is pretty expensive.
Should you bring a travel adaptor to Japan
Yes!
We are from Europe, which have completely different plugs, so we had to bring our travel adaptor.
If you don’t have one already, you’ll most likely need to buy an adaptor on your first time traveling to Japan.
What are some common Japanese phrases
The best tips I can give anyone traveling to Japan (or anywhere else for that matter), is to learn a few basic phrases. Beneath is the top 5 common things you will need to say on your first trip to Japan:
- Yes = Hai
- No = Lie
- Hello = Konnichiwa
- Thank you = Arigatō
- I’m sorry = Gomen nasai (apologies) / Sumimasen (excuse me)
We encourage you to learn even more before you go! We find the mobile app Duolingo pretty useful for learning basic phrases in any language. So check it out – it’s free!
2. Tips on what to see on your first time in Japan
All right, now that you’re hopefully all prepared to be traveling to Japan for the first time, you can start planning your own trip. In other words, now the fun part of this travel guide to Japan begins!
In this section, we’ll share the itinerary from our first time traveling in Japan and give you a few tips that might help you plan your own trip.
Itinerary from my first time in Japan
- Osaka: We flew into Kansai Airport and stayed in Osaka for 4 nights. During this time, we slowly settled into the culture of Japan, walked down Dotonbori at night, ate our first ramen, learned how to take the metro, visited Osaka Castle, went to Nara Deer Park, and had a good time in Universal Studios.
- Kyoto: We then took the train to Kyoto and stayed here for 3 nights. Kyoto is Japan’s old capital and is therefore rich on history and culture. It’s also home to the incredible Fushimi Inari Shrine and Arashiyama Bamboo Forest.
- Toyama: From Kyoto, we took a bus to Toyama where we also stayed for 3 nights. During our 3 days in Toyama, we went to Iwasehama Beach and climbed to the top of incredible Mount Tate!
- Tokyo: We then took the Shinkansen (Japanese bullet train) to our end destination, Tokyo, where we stayed for 9 nights. Tokyo is an incredible city with many diverse districts, bustling nightlife, delicious food, and much more! A must-visit on your first time in Japan.
Tips to plan your itinerary in Japan for the first time
In total, Glenn and I spent 19 days visiting Japan. And since it was our first time, we made sure to visit Japan’s must-see places in Osaka, Kyoto and Tokyo.
You’ll most likely either fly into Osaka or Tokyo, so you should start planning your trip from one of these two major cities.
When planning your trip to Japan, you should first ask yourself; which places are on my bucket list?
Mount Fuji? Fushimi Inari? Hiroshima?
You most likely won’t be able to see everything in your first trip. But make sure to include some of your must-see bucket list places in your Japan itinerary.
Sit down and make a list of at least 5 things (or more) that you really want to see on your first time in Japan, and plan accordingly.
But remember to put in a few blank spots in your itinerary, so you leave room for the unexpected experiences. Our unexpected and off-the-beaten-track destination in Japan was Toyama, and the memories we made there are just incredible!
So think about these 3 steps when planning your route:
- Which airport do I arrive at and depart from?
- What are my top 5 bucket list places in Japan? Can I plan the route accordingly?
- When can I leave a few blanks in my planning to end up in unexpected places? (Only if you want to, of course)
3. How much does a trip to Japan cost
We must confess, if we had planned our Japan itinerary a little bit better (like you’re hopefully going to do), then we could have saved a lot of money. Not only could we have bought the JR Pass beforehand, but we could also have avoided paying €100 EACH for a 2-hour train ride from Toyama to Tokyo.
Yes, Japan is expensive. So it’s a really good idea to book some things from home.
In this section we’ll tell you Exactly how much we spent in our first time in Japan, and we’ll share some tips on how to save money while traveling in Japan.
Travel budget from our first time in Japan
This travel budget is from our first trip in Japan, which took place in 2019. If you’re traveling to Japan in 2023, then you have to expect a little increase in the prices because… you know… inflation.
This is how much money we spent in Japan while traveling on a budget:
TOTAL = 276.399 YEN / 2 people in 19 days
DAILY = 14.547 YEN / 2 people per day
So we, as a couple, lived for about €110 / $130 a day in Japan (depending on conversion rate), which is considered low-budget for traveling in Japan.
This budget includes everything from accommodation, transportation, food, drinks, and activities. It basically covers our whole trip in Japan for the first time, except for our flight tickets.
On this budget, we slept in 4 different cities, went hiking on two mountains, visited Nara Deer Park and Fushimi Inari, spent a day in Universal Studios, went out for drinks, ate ramen every day, and much more!
Not too bad, actually.
Tips on how to save money while visiting Japan
- Book ahead of time: If there is anything that we hope you’ve learned from this travel guide, it is to be more prepared than Glenn and I were. If you book some accommodation and transportation ahead of time, you can save a ton of money, which you can spent on food and other activities instead.
- Stay in Hostels: See section 5 on Tips to book accommodation for your first trip to Japan
- Take the bus: See section 4 on Tips to use public transportation for the first time in Japan
- Convenience store food: Eating some of your daily meals in convenience stores such as 7-Eleven or FamilyMart can save you a lot of money. In these small stores, you can find ready-made meals, snacks, and cup-ramen. The stores can also heat things up for you upon demand – super easy! Plus, the food is actually pretty good! The sushi they have in the convenience stores and supermarkets of Japan compares to the sushi you can get on a restaurant in Europe.
- Supermarket food sale in the evening: One evening, Glenn and I went to the supermarket to get some dinner. When we made it to the cashier, everyone in the supermarket was just standing and waiting. We had NO clue about what was happening, it was like time stood still in there. Why didn’t people go pay for their food? We learned that once the clock hit 7 PM, a lot of the meals in the supermarkets are 20% off. And after 8 – 9 PM it even goes up to 50% off! So the people were waiting for the clock to hit 7 PM before they would go to the cashier.
- Look for free things to do in Japan: There are many free activities such as going to the beach, going hiking, visiting shrines, parks, and Japanese gardens. You name it! In every place we went, there were some free activities you could do.
4. Tips to use public transportation for the first time in Japan
Japan has an amazing infrastructure. You can take a train or a bus to most places.
But we’re not gonna lie, apart from having trouble using the toilet in Kansai Airport, our biggest first challenge in Japan was to find the train into Osaka City. Once we reached the train station, we were met by massive boards that presented endless train lines in different colors and in Japanese writing.
It seemed impossible to figure out which train to take, where to find the train, and how to buy a ticket.
So we just stood there for like 10 minutes looking at the boards – trying to crack the code! Eventually, we did crack the code, we did figure out how to buy the tickets, and we did get on the right train. So just take your time figuring out the system, and you’ll be fine.
Nevertheless, it’s always nice to be prepared. So here are some tips and tricks to help you take public transportation on your first time in Japan.
Tips for public transportation in Japanese cities
Once you get used to it, it’s actually super easy and affordable to take the metro around the big cities in Japan. Let’s use Tokyo as an example:
- The first thing you should do, is to mark which metro stations are close to your accommodation. For example, we stayed a couple of nights in Oak Hostel Sakura, which was a 2-minute walk away from Oshiage Metro Station on the red Line A20 and purple line Z14. Knowing this, we would always be able to find our way home with these metro lines.
- The second thing we did, was to download a metro map over Tokyo on my phone. That way, we would always have all the lines on my phone and could look up where we where and how to get home. Download the map here: Tokyo Subway map
- The third thing that often helped us, was to go on Google and do a search. For example, “Narita to Oshiage”, then Google Maps will show you all the ways to get from A to B. If you click on the little train symbol, then you’ll get directions with public transportation, the estimated time, and the price. Love this feature!
- The last thing is just to go and find the metro stations. It’s fairly easy to buy a ticket in the vending machines because you can click on a button that says, “English”. The one-way ticket price in Tokyo’s metro range between ¥180 – ¥330, depending on how far you go.
We also learned that you can use your ¥ 10.000 bills in the vending machines at the metro stations and get smaller cash back. Small cash is better to pay with in restaurants, shops, and vending machines.
So that’s the magical formula that Glenn and I used to get around in the big cities of Japan for the first time. And honestly, we still got lost! Take Oshiage metro station for example… It has 4 exits?! Learning which exit was closest to our hostel took a while.
What I’m trying to say is, accept that you will get lost. It’s part of the adventure.
Tips for traveling long distances in Japan
It’s much different to get around in the cities compared to cross country traveling in Japan. In this section, we’ll discuss the 3 best ways to do long-distance traveling in Japan: By JR Pass, by bus, and by Shinkansen.
JAPAN RAIL PASS
The best thing you can do, if you plan to take trains around Japan, is to buy the JR Pass. The JR Pass allows you to take as many JR trains around Japan as many times as you want.
You can book your Japan Rail Pass for 7-,14-, or 21 days – depending on the length of your trip. Here are the prices for the JR Pass in 2023:
- 7 Days = ¥ 50.000
- 14 Days = ¥ 80.000
- 21 Days = ¥ 100.000
The JR Pass can save you a lot of money if you know that you will travel across Japan on public transportation in a short amount of time.
BUS
The second best way to travel long-distance in Japan is to go by bus. We found that buses in Japan are often cheaper and more comfortable than trains. Plus, we kinda just love to take the bus! We feel like you see more of the countryside on the bus than in the train.
The buses sell out faster than trains, so make sure to book a couple of days ahead.
SHINKANSEN
The quickest way to do long-distance traveling in Japan is to hop on the Shinkansen.
The Shinkansen is the name of the famous Japanese Bullet Train. It’s a high-speed railway network that operates long distances in a very short time. The maximum speed goes up to 320 km/h! So you’re basically going super fast from A to B.
However, taking the Shinkansen is expensive.
When all the buses from Toyama to Tokyo sold out, Glenn and I had to take the Shinkansen. It cost us more than $100 EACH for a 2-hour train ride. AUCH! But it was a fun experience to fly through the countryside of Japan like that. Now we’ve tried it.
It was super easy to buy a ticket to the Shinkansen. We just went to the train station in Toyama on the day before we planned to leave, and bought our ticket at the Shinkansen ticket office. You can also plan ahead and book your tickets online if you want.
How to behave in public transportation in Japan
Now that you’re hopefully a bit more confident in taking public transportation, we want to share some tips about behavior that we’ve learned from our first time traveling in Japan. There are some unspoken rules on how to behave in public transportation in Japan, which you should follow.
- Don’t talk loudly! Seriously, even in the metro you would be able to hear a feather land on the floor. It doesn’t mean that it’s prohibited to talk, but you should be completely quiet or talk in a very low tone if you are chatting with someone.
- Don’t eat or drink! You shouldn’t start unpacking your lunch in the trains, and drinking is also a no-no. Unless you’re just having a vital sip of water… I mean, we are just humans! Same goes for buses. There are stops during long-distance bus trips which are made for snacking. You can, however, eat on the Shinkansen and other long-distance trains.
- Dont blow your nose! Okay this might sound super weird if your snot is running down your face while you’re in the subway. However, it’s custom to only blow your nose in toilets. So wait until you’re out of the train and you can go to a toilet. Nobody likes a train full of germs.
- Only occupy one seat! The metros in the big cities often get crowded, so don’t be that kind of person who designates a whole seat for your handbag. The Japanese people are so polite that they would most likely not say anything, but they would find you rude to occupy two seats – and frankly speaking, so would I.
- Wait in line before the metro arrives! Everything in Japan runs so smoothly because there are systems in order. Even during rush hour in Tokyo, there are systems in order. Everyone always stand in a line on the platform, waiting their turn to enter the train. So get in line!
5. Tips to book accommodation for your first trip to Japan
There are many accommodation types in Japan. And since Glenn and I are budget travelers, we’re going to share the best tips to find cheap accommodation on your first time traveling to Japan. Afterwards, we’ll talk a bit about the traditional Ryokan and give some more tips on how to behave in Japan.
Where to find cheap accommodation
The best tips to take advantage of cheap accommodation while traveling in Japan is of course to book ahead.
The earlier you book, the more options you’ll have. Let’s be real, the cheapest and best places always sell out first. So if you know you’re starting your trip with 4 days in Tokyo, go ahead and book those 4 days now.
However, we’re not the greatest planners as we like to keep things open for the unexpected adventures.
So we rarely plan ahead for more than a couple of days at a time, which means we always miss out on the best accommodation deals. Yet, we still found some fairly cheap places to stay at in hostels and private apartments.
We used Booking.com and Hostelworld.com to find the cheapest accommodation in Japan. One bed in a decent hostel in Tokyo cost between $15-20 per night for one person. We also found some cheap small double rooms for $40-50 per night for two people on Airbnb.com, so it’s worth checking out.
Stay in a Ryokan for a cultural experience
If you aren’t a cheapskate like me and Glenn, and you want to have a true Japanese cultural sleeping experience, then you should stay one night in a Ryokan.
A Ryokan is a traditional Japanese inn. It’s like an all-inclusive upscale Bed & Breakfast with delicious meals included in the price. Plus, there is often a Japanese Onsen (hot spring) on the site that you can use for free.
In a Ryokan you’ll get a traditional Japanese experience where you sleep on a futon on the floor, eat a multi-course meal while sitting on the floor with small wooden tables, and you even get to wear a traditional Yukata (a bathrobe/kimono). The Ryokan will most likely also have tatami floors and sliding doors – just like you see in movies!
The average price per night is around ¥15.000 per person, which is more than $100.
So it’s definitely an expensive experience, but it might be worth to try out on your first time in Japan. We surely hope to try it out on our next trip, so we can share our experience with you.
How to behave in your accommodation
Whether you stay in a Ryokan, a hostel bed, or a small 6 m2 room (like we did on our first night in Osaka – it was honestly such a puzzle to get everything to fit), there are at least 2 rules to follow.
- Shoes off! The minute you walk in the front door, you’re expected to take your shoes off. You can either use the slippers provided by your accommodation to walk around inside, or bring your own slippers. Dumb tourists as we are, we didn’t know this during our first night, so we just went straight into our room with shoes on. The next day, we realized this was a big no-no!
- Clean up after yourself in shared spaces! Japan likes it tidy. You’ll never find trash on the street, and every place you walk into is shiny clean. So, if you stay in rooms or dorms where you have a shared kitchen, then make sure to clean up after yourself. Crazy that I even have to mention this… But we’ve been traveling for a while now, and we’ve realized that a lot of people are like pigs in this matter. So, what I’m saying is, don’t be a pig, okay?
6. Food you have to try the first time in Japan
Now we’ve reached the best part of this guide to Japan for the first time traveller – We’ve reached the food court! This is where we mention a few dishes you just have to try on your trip.
Before we get started, I’d like to point out that most days I try to limit my intake of meat, but I quickly realized that this was not an easy task in Japan. So I just went with it and ate meat every day.
If you’re vegan or vegetarian you will need to do some extra research before going to a restaurant because most dishes in Japan contain meat and fish.
Anyways, here are our top recommendations for what you must try during your first time in Japan. Remember, this is only a small peak into the enormous gastronomic world of Japan.
Ramen
You gotta try ramen! It’s a Japanese noodle soup that has the most rich and flavorful broth we’ve ever tried, and it comes with different toppings such as meat, corn, bamboo, eggs, nori, spring onions, and much more – depending on the dish you choose.
There are several types of ramen, but the 4 classic ones are: Shio, Shoyu, Miso, and Tonkotsu. The Miso is our all-time favorite!
- How to eat ramen: Slurp! It’s custom to make us much of a slurping sound as possible. That way you’ll suck in the juices of the soup into your mouth, instead of it landing on your clothes. You eat with chopsticks and a spoon.
Sushi
You’ve probably heard of sushi before. It’s a dish that consists of small bites (okay, sometimes the bites are really big!) of raw fish and other seafood either accompanied by or wrapped in rice and seaweed.
The sushi you get in Japan is so fresh and delicious compared to what we can get in even the finest restaurants in Europe. So you just have try the sushi in Japan!
- How to eat sushi: You can eat your sushi with soy and ginger. The wasabi is already put on the piece if the chef thinks it should be there. You then dip only the fish into the soy, not the rice! And after each piece, you can cleanse your taste buds by eating some ginger. You eat with chopsticks.
Japanese curry
Another delicious thing you have to try in Japan is the Japanese curry. We’d actually never heard about the Japanese curry before we tried it in Japan.
The Japanese curry is a thick brown curry which is very rich and flavorful. You can choose what types of meat or vegetables you want in your curry, and then it’s served with rice. It’s not like any other curry we’ve ever tried before.
- How to eat Japanese curry: With a spoon. Easy like that.
Okonomiyaki
When we got home, we sadly realized that we had missed out on this famous dish during our first time traveling to Japan.
The Okonomiyaki is a savory Japanese pancake which is filled with your choice of meat and veggies, and it’s served with delicious sauces on top. It’s a popular dish in Japan, and you know what? It’s made right in front of you in the restaurant on your personal tabletop grill!
- How to eat okonomiyaki: Either the restaurant staff or yourself will cook the pancake right in front of you on your table grill. You then eat it with chopsticks and a little spatula.
Japanese snacks and appetizers
Before finishing the food section, we want to share some of our favorite small meals in Japan. If you’re on the go and you need something quick, or if you just want to try several things at once, you can try some of these godsend appetizers from Japan.
- Onigiri: A rice ball that’s wrapped in seaweed and filled with different meats, seafood, and vegetables. My absolute favorite quick snack in Japan, which you can buy in all the convenience stores for very little money.
- Takoyaki: Also known as octopus balls. It’s grilled balls made of batter with octopus in it and served with a sauce on top. Absolutely delicious, and it’s a classic street food snack in Japan.
- Yakitori: Basically means meat on a stick. Okay it’s more than that, you can get all kinds of stuff on a stick. We had yakitori in a bar in Tokyo as it’s a great informal type of food that goes deliciously with a cold beer.
7. Other useful tips for your first time in Japan
We’ve finally reached the last part of this Japan travel guide. If you’re traveling to Japan for the first time, then here are some more tips that might be helpful to you.
- Be on time. Whenever you go anywhere in Japan, whether it’s to a restaurant, a train, or on a group tour, you have to be on time. Everything runs by the second in Japan – it’s actually pretty impressive. So don’t come strolling in 5 minutes later or you might miss your reservation at the restaurant, your train, or the group tour.
- Download an offline map. We didn’t meet many people who spoke English in Japan, and we found it easy to get lost. And that makes asking for directions pretty close to impossible. So make sure to download an offline map on your phone. That way, you always have directions at hand. We often use the app Maps.me, but you can also download offline maps from Google Maps.
- Always have cash on you. Many places in Japan still use cash as the main form of payment. Plus, most of the millions of vending machines scattered around the country only accept cash. So it’s always a good idea to carry around extra cash in Japan. It’s a really safe country, so you shouldn’t be afraid of getting mugged.
- Change your 10.000 bills in stations. It’s also a good idea to carry around smaller cash for the vending machines and small restaurants. So if you only got 10.000 bills out of the ATM, then you can exchange them to smaller cash when you buy a subway ticket in Tokyo or Osaka.
- Don’t tip in restaurants. It’s not custom to tip in restaurants. We never saw anyone do it, and we never did it ourselves.
- Drink free water or tea in the restaurants. One of the things we loved about Japan is that you never have to buy a drink with your meal. All restaurants either offer free water or free tea.
- Don’t eat on the streets. You’ll never see someone walking and eating in Japan. It’s not custom to eat on the streets. But if you must, then make sure to stand still somewhere or sit down on a bench.
- There are no trash cans on the streets. Since nobody eats on the streets, there are no trash cans around. Yet the cities in Japan are some of the most clean cities we’ve ever visited. But you will look long after a trash can.
- Carry a small plastic bag with you. Since there are no trash cans, we always found it helpful to put our trash in a small plastic bag. You can empty it every day and reuse it.
- Use the convenience stores. There is always a 7-Eleven or FamilyMart around the corner. Whether you need to find an ATM, print out a bus ticket, eat a snack, get sunscreen, or buy an umbrella for a rainy day – they’ve got it! The convenience stores can make your first time traveling in Japan so much easier.
- Follow the rules of society. Japan isn’t the most rebellious country. In fact, you will never see someone cross a red light. Since you’re a guest in the country, you should follow the rules of society. If people queue up, then get in line, if people stand still, then stand still, if people walk, then walk. You know what I mean? Follow the herd.
- Bow your head to greet people. The bow is a way of greeting in Japan. You can kind of compare it to a handshake. You can either do a slight nod with your head or a deep bow from your waist. Although, the deep bows are reserved for those who you have the deepest respect for. So make sure to do a little head nod when you meet new people in Japan.
- People will speak to you in Japanese. A lot of Japanese people don’t speak English, but it doesn’t hold them back from speaking to you. If you enter clothing stores and convenience stores, the staff will keep talking to you in Japanese even if you tell them that you don’t understand. It’s because they are so polite, so they try to give you good customer service. We always just smile and say Arigatō.
- Get in on the karaoke culture. Japan is a very polite country where people generally seem a bit shy. However, the karaoke culture is huge! It’s common to go to bars, get a drink, and sing a song… Even if you’re the only one in the bar. We dare you to try it on your first time in Japan.
- Hide your tattoos. Here is the deal with tattoos, Japan in general doesn’t like people with ink. It’s often associated with the Yakuza (Japanese gangs), and those with tattoos can be rejected into entering public places such as beaches, hot springs, and swimming pools. That being said, I have 2 small tattoos myself. Since it was 25+ degrees Celcius most of the days we visited Japan, there was no way I was going to wear long sleeves and pants every day. So I didn’t cover up my tattoos. I also didn’t flash them in peoples faces, because that would be offensive. If you have long sleeves down your arms, you might think about covering them or you can easily be discriminated. But then again, what if you have a face tattoo? Does it mean that you can never visit Japan? No. Of course you can visit Japan. But you might face discrimination, and that’s the truth of it. If you only have small tattoos like me, then I wouldn’t give it a second thought, but if you have big tattoos, then you might want to think about hiding them. Sorry.
Congratulations, you’ve made it to the end of this long beast of a blog post. We sincerely hope that you feel more prepared about traveling to Japan for the first time with all the tips we’ve given to you.
If you have any questions about visiting Japan, then you are more than welcome to leave a comment below, and we’ll get back to you as quickly as possible. Enjoy your first time in Japan – it’s one of our all-time favorite countries on earth.
Thanks for reading and happy travels!
Pssst… Did you know that we have a YouTube channel with a whole playlist dedicated to our videos from Japan? Check it out: Japan Travel Vlogs
