Sure – there are a bunch of things to know before going to Japan. You should know the exchange rate, about how much to budget, when to go, how to get around, etc. But there are also a handful of random, small, you-won’t-know-it-until-you’ve-been-there type of details. Only you will know it if you read this post.
1. Wear Clean Socks.
Almost every temple, home, museum and many restaurants you visit will require you to remove your shoes before you enter. They’ll give you a pair of slippers to wear, but they’re usually pretty thin and slide off easily. Have clean, thick socks with you most of the time, as no one wants to smell your stinky gross feet after you’ve been sightseeing all day. Equally important: you do not wear those slippers into the bathrooms; you’ll find alternate slippers outside the bathroom doors. Wear those while you’re in the restroom in order to keep your primary slippers cleaner.
2. The WiFi Sucks:
Yes, there’s WiFi everywhere. BUT you have to register for it, and of course, you can’t register unless you’re on WiFi already. And the email they’re supposed to send you with information probably won’t work. And also, your password won’t work. And also, it’s just going to kick you off anyway. Sound confusing? It is. Consider WiFi unavailable in most places, except higher end hotels. If you really need WiFi, bring a pocket WiFi type deal, or bite the bullet and use international data once in a while. Related: bring maps with you! It’ll be hard to look stuff up on-the-go.
3. People Love lines.
People follow the rules WAY better. In Japan, lines mean something, dammit! People line up for gondola cars, they line up to get on the subway, and they line up to take photos. The good thing about this is that everything is neat and orderly, and you never have to worry about needing to push your way through a mob to get where you’re going. But it means you’re going to get a lot of angry stares if you don’t wait your turn for just about everything.
4. There are no trash cans.
There are no trash cans anywhere! Japanese people are notoriously clean, and that includes carrying out all your trash – you don’t leave it in public, not even in a trash can! If you really need to find a place to toss your refuse, look for a vending machine (and they’re not hard to find,) as they often have small trash cans next to them. Otherwise, your trash is your responsibility, and you need to pack it up and take it back to your house. For tourists, that means you may want to have a separate little plastic bag with you to put empty water bottles, etc., in, unless you want them leaking all over your bag.
Not a trash bin in sight!
5. Don’t Count on Speaking English.
You know, corn sushi
Many guide books will tell you that English is widely spoken – and is, to an extent. However, “widely spoken” doesn’t mean every place will speak it. Especially in some of the less-visited areas – Hakuba, for example, or in some of the towns north of Nagano – we encountered many restaurants and store owners who didn’t speak English. Or, the translations will be just….wrong. I recommend bringing photos or having someone who does speak both English and Japanese writing down a few key words for you. For example, if you need help with a bus schedule in a more remote part of the country, you’ll need to know the name of where you’re going in Japanese. Google Translate has a great app for this, or you could just carry a guidebook and point. Dorky? Yes. But if you have a specific need – like dishes without meat in them, in my case – you’ll be happy you’ve got a translation.
Robot Fight Dinner Party Show is about 50% English, 50% Japanese. Don’t worry, you won’t understand what’s going on no matter what
5.5 Bonus tip:
When you go to restaurants, they’ll give you a wet towel (or a packaged moist towelette in cheaper places.) DON’T use it on your face! It’s to get your hands clean before dining. Once you’ve wiped your hands, put it back on the tray it came on.
What other tips do you recommend for travelers to Japan?
