Traveling to Japan
Travel tips
Japan was on the top of my bucket list for travel destinations. For years, I wanted to visit, but the pandemic pushed out this trip for three years. Finally in May of 2023 we went to Japan!
I probably consumed over a thousand hours of Japan content, whether that was reading blogs, or through Instagram posts/reels. Even with intense planning and Excel spreadsheets, we didn’t see or do everything on the list. I guess that means we need to make another trip back!
There is so much I could write about, but I love sharing travel tips and considerations! Let me know in the comments if you want trip details, or other topics about the trip that you would like to read about!
Dates:
Our trip was from May 12 - May 26th.
When deciding what time of year to visit Japan, consider reviewing Japanese holidays or peak season tourism. This can impact your budget, reservations at restaurants, and experience with large crowds.
For example, we avoided the first week of May since it was Japan’s Golden Week holiday. During this holiday week, everyone is off, so there are larger crowds. Not to say you can’t or shouldn’t visit during this week, but since it was my first time to Japan, I wanted to save on lodging and avoid larger crowds if possible.
When selecting the dates, I wanted to get back to the U.S. the Friday of Memorial Day weekend, to have three full days to start recovering from the jet lag. Prior to going to Japan, I had traveled to Asia once with my parents when I was 14, and remembered how brutal the jet lag was. Instead of maximizing my time in Japan, I wanted to set myself up with a buffer, before going back to work.
We also did not want to travel during the summer months, as it gets really hot and humid. Our trip in May had some pretty hot and humid days, so I can’t imagine how hot it gets in the peak of summer!
Travel Logistics:
Our travel group consisted of 5 people. We did an overnight layover in Los Angeles and departed from LAX to HND on May 13th, and arrived in Tokyo on May 14th.
We visited six different cities: Tokyo, Hakone, Osaka, Kyoto, Nara, and Enoshima.
We rented an Airbnb in Tokyo and Osaka and stayed in hotels in Hakone, Kyoto, and Enoshima.
Travel tips:
Bring carry-on size luggage
With the trains, it was a lot easier to get around with carry-on size luggage. With larger luggage, you need to book specific seats on the train that have a space that can fit larger sized luggage. I didn’t want to worry about booking specific seats on the trains, so I brought my Samsonite carryon and a tote as my personal item.
Book at least one accommodation with a washer/dryer, or plan to do laundry at a laundromat
To cut down on the amount of clothes we packed, we booked Airbnbs with a washer/dryer. We brought laundry strips so we wouldn’t have to try to decipher the different detergents provided at the Airbnb. I also put a lot of thought into the capsule wardrobe I packed for this trip. I wanted to make sure I could mix and match pieces really easily, which ultimately cut down the number of clothes I had to pack.
Pack a mini steamer
This is one of my favorite things to bring when I travel. It came in handy to get wrinkles out of my clothes, or to disinfect clothes between wears. It quickly also became the travel item favorite, and was used by everyone during our trip.
Get an eSIM
Our group used the Ubigi eSIM data plan during our trip. For those of us who had T-mobile, the eSIM worked really well. We had one person with Verizon, and the data seemed to glitch at times. Overall, the eSIM was very helpful, but there were times we would see a glitch or lag while we were navigating.
There’s also the option of getting a pocket wifi, but we opted for the convenience of downloading the Ubigi app and purchasing data.
Give yourself time and patience to adapt to the train transportation
Japan’s train system is probably one of my favorite aspects of our trip. This is because it was incredibly easy to get around the country. After all, we did 6 cities in 13 days.
That being said, the train stations can get overwhelming to navigate really quickly. Between the number of people, number of trains, and number of lines, this was probably the thing that gave me the most anxiety before the trip.
We could not figure out how to get the Suica card and opted to buy each train ticket individually at the train station. This was challenging at times, depending on your route. The train station workers were very kind and more than willing to help if you couldn’t figure out which ticket to buy.
I switched between GoogleMaps and AppleMaps. I know some people hate AppleMaps, but I generally have good luck with it when abroad. I also used the JapanOfficialTravel App to help with navigation as well. Unfortunately, this app is no longer in service, but research other apps that may be helpful with navigation.
Remember the trains arrive ON TIME. We made the mistake of hopping on the wrong train thinking it arrived early. The trains generally run on schedule, so it’s important to cross reference the train time table and check the train number to make sure you’re on the right train (especially on the Shinkansen - bullet trains).
Here’s a helpful link: Shinkansen Train Schedule
After the first few days of train travel, the trains became a lot easier to navigate.
Learn a few basic phrases/words in Japanese
When asking for directions or help, we often encountered more people who couldn’t speak English than people who could speak English. Regardless, we found that everyone was extremely friendly and willing to help. It was important to know some basic phrases to start a conversation with someone and ask for help.
Hello/good morning/good evening
Excuse me.
Do you speak English?
Where is…..
Is credit card ok?
Thank you
Sorry
Yes
No
Helpful Apps to download are:
-Camera Translator
-Google Translate
Having the camera translator was extremely useful, especially when ordering at a local restaurant. They won’t have an English menu everywhere you go, so this app was a lifesaver.
If you’re getting a taxi, pull up the address in Japanese. There are no letters in the Japanese language, but our phones tend to automatically translate the address with English letters.
Bring Cash
Cash is necessary to carry around in Japan. We used cash to buy train tickets, pay for taxis, buy food from street vendors, and some restaurants only took cash.
If you didn’t bring enough cash, you can easily go to a 7-Eleven and make a withdrawal. Keep in mind that there may be fees with your bank at home.
