◆For Travelers to Japan, here’s some website I recommend to check:
Japan guide
http://www.japan-guide.com
◆Some tips for traveler
A.Services
① Credit card:
Japan is cash society. Some store or restaurant don’t accept credit card, so it’s better to prepare cash all the time. Most common credit card is Visa, Master and JCB.
② Wifi:
You can’t find free wifi easily in Japan, so it’s better to prepare wifi.
My recommendation is rental Pocket wifi. You can order online, and it’ll arrive your accommodation, then when you return, you can post it from post office/box.
https://en.wifi-rental-store.jp
You can use this coupon cord:500BRCD
They recognize you as my friend and they send 500yen worth QUO card with Wifi with you. QUO card, you can use it at a convenience store in Japan.
③ IC card
It’s so convenient to have IC card like SUICA card (Tokyo area), ICOCA card (Kyoto, Osaka area). You can ride on subway, bus, train and also can use at a convenience store and some vending machine. You don’t need to check the fare for you destination each time.
Here’s good explanation about IC card. (Please check the video)
SUKCA can use in Kyoto or Osaka as well, and ICOCA can use in Tokyo as well. So you just need to buy one for each person.
http://www.jreast.co.jp/e/pass/suica.html
④ Use Kuroneko Yamato, luggage sending service.
If you stay in Tokyo, then move to Kyoto/Osaka, you don’t want to carry big luggage all the time.
Many hotels use this service, so ask your hotel.
From hotel in Tokyo, you send your luggage in Kyoto/Osaka, it’ll arrive in one or two days.
So that you can travel with small bags.
https://www.global-yamato.com/en/hands-free-travel/scene02.html
That’s one of the reason why I recommend to stay at a hotel, not Airbnb.
If you stay at a hotel, there’s a staff to receive your luggage.
You can send your luggage from convenience store, but hotels are more easy.
B: Manners
① Please stop at the red signal, and no J walk.
I know some country, people walk even the signal is red, but Japan obviously more populated and more traffic. Please follow the signal rights.
No J walk as well.
② Eating inside the supermarket/convenient store are not allowed:
Walking around, shopping and eating is not allowed in Japan. If you want to eat something, you eat after you finish shopping.
③ It’s nice to have handkerchief:
People in Japan carry handkerchief, so that you won’t find hand towels in a bathroom. It’s better to have handkerchief with you.
④ It’s better to be quiet in the public place.
In Japan, we are educated to be quiet at the public places like bus, train, restaurant, bar, cafe, hotel, and station etc.
to make space that everyone feels comfortable.
⑤ No walking & Eating
It’s better not to eat while walking.
Also it’s not easy to find trash box in Japan, we usually bring back trash home.
It’s better to have plastic bags for trash.
⑥ No photo shooting without permission
Inside shines, temples, religious places, please respect our culture.
People especially children, even they’re cute, don’t take photos for privacy reason.
Geiko-san, Maiko-san, and Geisha-san also have privacy. If you want to take their photos,
you can take from back side.
⑦ Say “Arigato”
When you leave store, restaurant, and bus etc.
It’s nice to say “Arigato.” (Thank you.)
⑧ Take off your shoes when you enter someones’ home(most of the time),
temples shines, restaurant (sometimes) etc.
People in Japan have a clear border between inside/ outside.
If you don’t know, or there’s no sigh, it’s better to ask somebody if you need to take off your shoes.
Usually when floor level up, it’s better to be careful.
On Tatami Mat, 100% you should take off your shoes.
(At the temple one family from overseas are on tatami with shoes, and temple staff were screaming…)
⑨ Basically you can’t request about the menu
On American movie, sometimes I see customer request “Could you cook egg, ___?” or
“May I have potato instead of carrots” or these kinds of requests.
But in Japan, basically you can’t request that kind of things.
Good news is, many restaurant has image of the food outside, or pictures on the menu.
If you go to high-end, fancy restaurant, you might can say these kinds of requests to chef.
But usually no.
10. Topics of the conversation
Better not to talk about: Personal information
(sexual preference, marriage status, have children or not)
Good topics: weather, food, movie, TV shows, places you have been etc.
11. No need to tip, but you can make them happy
In Japan most of the places, you don’t need to tip.
Even thought, at the Ryokan (Japanese inn) for example, if they make tea, prepare futon, etc.
such as special occasion, we tip.
Some Japanese who have lived in overseas, like me, appreciate tips too 😉
12. Please don’t take photos of children
Children are beautiful in anyplaces in the world.
Even thought, please don’t take photos of children. It’s a privacy reason.
13. Don’t book unlicensed taxi (Especially Chinese speaking people)
In Japan, we have Uber taxi, but run by taxi company.
Not private person allowed to have guest and earn money.
It’s an social issue that especially Chinese guests book Chinese driver and do business illegarlly.
https://asianews.network/five-arrested-for-operating-unlicensed-taxis-for-foreign-tourists-in-japan/
🔹Here’s my advice on Youtube
Akari Talks Japan 