8 Helpful Japan Travel Tips for a Smooth Experience

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After four trips to Japan, it’s probably WELL overdue that I write up a post about my tried-and-true Japan travel tips that have helped we navigate the near two months I’ve collectively spent in the country.

And not all of these tips were learned the easy way…🙃

I wouldn’t call myself an expert, by ANY means, but I do feel fairly confident in my ability to navigate Japan. It has become one of my favorite countries in the world, tied with Mexico, and one day I’d love to experience living there.

Which will present its own unique set of challenges. Living somewhere and traveling somewhere are two VERY different perspectives. Sometimes even locals and residents overlook information that might be crucial to a traveler. But I digress, I’m getting ahead of myself. You’ve come here for travel tips, so let’s jump right in!

Japan Travel Tips

Okay, one more delay. These Japan travel tips are based on my own personal experiences, which are shaped by me being a young Black American woman. I haven’t had passport/visa issues and am visibly a foreigner. At the same time, I am also thin-framed and (for the most part) physically able-bodied.

These all have played a part in my experience, but for this post I’ll also try to keep in mind other perspectives that may differ from my own. That said, my experiences in Japan have been overwhelmingly positive, but by no means is Japan perfect (nor any other country for that matter). Even with all the Japan travel tips in the world, mishaps of varying degrees can happen to anyone anytime anywhere.

No matter how much you plan and prepare, things happen. Hopefully these Japan travel tips help, but the world has a funny way of humbling even the most meticulous of us. Travel should be fun, or at the very least not that serious.

OKAY NOW FRFR, onto the tips.

1. Know Your Season

Honestly, this could probably be a blog post all on its own, but Japan REALLY varies based on the season you visit. I’ll keep it short here, but basically:

• Spring: the most popular time to visit, largely due to cherry blossom season. Expect denser crowds, higher prices, and more competitive reservation slots. Avoid Golden Week (usually last week April-first week May) if at all possible. Comfortable weather though!
• Summer: UNCOMFORTABLE weather. Probably more expensive than you would expect, and as Japan’s rainy season, expect rain and wind. Still high crowds due to school breaks, but lots of cultural and entertainment festivals.
• Fall: My personal favorite, less crowds and slightly lower prices. Pretty foliage and comfortable weather.
• Winter: Japan’s slowest tourism season (outside of snow cities). Lowest prices and less competition for reservations, however some outdoor attractions may be closed for the season. Avoid Chinese/Lunar New Year if at all possible.

Depending on what you want to do/see/experience in Japan, you may want to adjust when you visit. For example, if you really want to go to the beach or participate in festivals, summer might be the season for you. Likewise, if you hate crowds, I wouldn’t recommend spring. For winter sport enthusiasts, I can verify that Japan really does have some of the BEST snow in the world so winter is your time frame.

Etc etc etc.

That said, if your travel availability doesn’t let you pick the season that most interests you, no worries. Japan isn’t the biggest country, but things do vary depending on where you go. You can still find less-busy cities during spring. You can head south in the winter for warmer weather, or north in the summer to cool down.

2. Plan Your Itinerary Based on -YOU-

Safe to say, Japan is NOT an underrated destination by ANY means. In fact, the government is actually trying to DOUBLE it’s tourism numbers. So…yeah, there’s a LOT of travel guides and recommendations and travel compilation blogs, vlogs, and every iteration of short form content all about THINGS TO DO IN JAPAN.

As a blogger myself, I create travel guides and share my experience so that readers who stumble upon the post can help make their own itinerary. However, since there’s just an OVERWHELMING amount of suggestions when it comes to Japan, I just want to reassure and remind you to curate your itinerary based on your own interests. I don’t care if 511 million people say to do xyz in Japan, if you KNOW that you don’t like xyz…you don’t have to do it!

And don’t feel like you’re missing out if you don’t.

Traveling is YOUR experience, not to just do what everyone else is doing. If that’s the only Japan travel tip you take away from this, then I’ve done my job.

If you don’t like overly chaotic and stimulating stores, you don’t have to shop at Don Quijote. If you’re terrified of deer, feel free to skip the day trip to Nara. If you hate seafood…well, okay Japan is kinda known for that, BUT you don’t have to go to a fish market. Dip your toe in at a conveyor belt sushi restaurant where you can pick and choose what you’re comfortable with, or stick to land and plant based proteins.

You’ve got options!!

On the other edge of the sword, because there is SO MUCH information out there about Japan, if you do a little bit of deeper searching, there’s a good chance you can find something that’s pretty closely tailored to your interests. I’m currently putting together a few myself, but I promise you that Japan has something for you!

Coming soon are my Tokyo itineraries for:

• shopping
• foodies
• art enthusiasts
• anime lovers
• kid-friendly activities
• cultural immersion

3. Book Reservations ASAP!

Now that you’ve got your tickets and roughly know the kind of activities and attractions you want to do…it’s time to get booking.

Like…YESTERDAY.

Japan is a HEAVY reservation country. They love a good queue. It’s one of the most frustrating parts of traveling to Japan for me, but you just gotta roll with it. That’s why I’m dedicating an entire Japan travel tip on reservations.

Attractions often sell out months in advance, especially for popular and/or new attractions like Tokyo Disneyland/Disneyland Sea, the Ghibli Museum, teamLab Planets/Borderless/Forest/etc, and the newly opened Nintendo Museum. Again, I’ve been to Japan four times now and have YET to get reservations to the Pokémon Cafe in Tokyo.

If there are specific attractions you know you want to visit on your trip, my biggest Japan travel tip is to book them AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. Like, as soon as you book your tickets, before you book anything else, book those attractions. The day you buy your ticket, and maybe even before, you should be looking up when reservations open for that attraction. Many reservations open 90ish days before the admission date, so if it’s not open to book yet, then mark it on your calendar and set a ton of alarms.

Clear your schedule.

You’re going to need complete focus.

However, if you don’t manage to snag a reservation, don’t close the tab just yet. Some folks have been lucky with last minute reservations. A few attractions also offer same-day in person reservations if you arrive early enough.

For restaurant reservations, or recommendations in general, use the platform Tabelog. Along with Klook, Tabelog is one of my go-to apps for traveling in Japan. It’s like Japan’s version of Yelp. One insider Japan travel tip is that Japanese diners and reviewers are notoriously “harsh” critics (or maybe Americans are too generous), so anything 3.5/5 or above will be solid picks.

There’s a ton of food recommendations out there, so to make your job a bit easier, I also have a list of budget restaurants in Tokyo, and a list of what to eat in Japan if you want to hit up iconic Japanese dishes. Again, if you don’t snag the restaurant reservations you want, it’s also not the end of the world. You can’t really go TOO wrong in Japan. Look up something nearby or wander into whatever shop smells good.

4. But Also Be Spontaneous

I know, first I say to book reservations ASAP no Rocky and now I’m like BUT NOT TOO MUCH!!! Hear me out on this one.

I’m a very type A traveler, complete with spreadsheets and Pinterest boards and saved maps galore. I LOVE planning, and I’m a double Virgo. But even with all that in mind, I still recommend leaving some time un-solidified. Because Japan has so much going on, and is a country that is OBSESSED with pop-up events, you will inevitably come across some random thing that will peak your interest.

Give yourself time to explore and stumble upon these surprise pop-ups, or if you get really into an area or attraction, you’ll want the flexibility to extend your time or come back on another day.

Trust me on this one.

5. Google Maps for Navigation

Now that you know what you’re doing (or not doing), how the heck do you get there??

Rest assured travelers, Google Maps works AMAZINGLY in Japan. Like, incredibly accurate, especially when it comes to the public transportation – so let’s start with that first.

You can enter your destination in either English or Japanese, and Google Maps will show you how to get there, right like at home. Except it will also tell you which metro entrance to use, what train to get on (and the platform number), which train car has the least amount of people, and which exit to use to ensure the least amount of walking to your destination.

It’s pretty much the best thing ever.

For this next insider Japan travel tip, those who are used to traveling with a wheelchair probably already know this Google Maps feature, but it is also useful to everyone else too!

If you are traveling to Japan with a lot of luggage (or pick up a lot of luggage along the way – it happens), get tired from walking, or have little ones with you, turn on your “avoid stairs” option in Google Maps and it will give you directions to elevators and stair-free options along the route, which is super helpful.

See, accessibility benefits everyone!!

6. Stay Connected

On that note, my next Japan travel tip is to stay connected. Yes, you can download an offline map of your destinations within Japan, but I’d recommend staying connected during your trip so you can maintain the most up-to-date navigation instructions in the event there is no public WiFi.

One option is to use whatever home network you have and pay their travel fee. It’s usually between $8-$10 USD a day depending on your plan. That is the “easiest” option in that you don’t have to do anything extra, but it can add up and get expensive FAST.

The second option is to use an eSIM or pocket WiFi device. You can either set this up before you leave or get one on arrival (at the destination airport or in town), but either way it’ll keep you connected while you’re on the go.

I’m going to publish a more in-depth blog post on this soon, but my usual go to is to handle it at the airport because I’m generally lazy and running behind on tasks the days leading up to my trip. Unlike currency exchanging, which we’ll touch on in a second, getting a local SIM or eSIM on arrival is cheaper than doing it in advance, but slightly less convenient so it’s really up to you.

7. Digital Suica Card

Speaking of convenience….your GO-TO for all things convenient will be the handy-dandy Suica card. It’s essentially a transportation card, so you’ll use it on the public metro and whatnot, but it can also be used to buy snacks from vending machines, at convenience stores, and even some restaurants. It’s amazing.

And, sure, usually if a place accepts a Suica card, usually you can also just use a credit card to pay, including SOME (but not all!!) metro lines. But again, it’s not universal, especially on the metro. Plus, it’s helpful for budgeting, so I highly recommend getting a Suica card for a one stop shop.

In years prior, that would mean getting a physical Suica card from the metro and manually inserting money (or your card) on a machine to reload the balance. Thankfully, technology has advanced and you can now get a digital card! Simply add it to your digital wallet on your phone and you can tap to pay as well as refill your balance on the go.

Some people still get a physical card as a memento, but honestly the digital card is the way to go. If your phone dies, your digital Suica card will still work when you tap it at the station!

8. Get Cash from 7-11 ATMs

Okay on the same side of convenience, I have to get into 7-11s. A literal CONVENIENCE store, and lemme tell you, they take that title seriously in Japan. Along with Lawson’s and Family Mart, 7-11 will basically be your go-to for most quick fixes. They have easy (and tasty!) meals when you need to eat in a hurry, snacks for back at the hotel, umbrellas, chargers, and residents even pay their bills at convenience store.

Specifically for these Japan travel tips though, the true shining star here are the 7-11 ATMs. Remember what I said about money earlier? Well, you will need some cash on hand in Japan, especially for smaller restaurants and attractions that don’t take credit cards. However, do NOT exchange your currency at the airport. In fact, don’t exchange your currency at home either.

Do it at 7-11.

When you withdraw from an ATM at your destination, you generally get a better conversion rate, and low-and-behold, I’ve found the 7-11 ATMs to have the best of the best conversion rate. It’s one of my favorite of these Japan travel tips. In terms of HOW MUCH, that really depends on you.

And how much cash you have, I suppose.

But I’d recommend starting with about ¥10,000 (~$70 USD) per week of your trip. The withdrawal fee is about ¥110 (~$1.00 USD) for every ¥10,000 withdrawn, so not bad at all. That amount should hold you over unless you pay in cash for a particularly expensive meal, though I’ve never gone to an expensive restaurant that didn’t take card. Feel free to take out more if you want, Japan is fairly safe so I don’t think you’d be at risk of being mugged, but in my opinion it’s just not necessary.

If you do need more, then there’s probably a 7-11 right on the corner waiting for ya.

9. Keep That Thang on Ya

And last, for now, but certainly not least – my most underrated Japan travel tip. You might have heard that it is notoriously difficult to find a trash can in Japan.

That is…true.

Yah, not a lot of public trash cans. So it’s helpful to bring a bag (save one from your daily convenience store trip) to hold onto your odds-n-ends trash until you can properly dispose of it. That’s part one of this Japan travel tip.

The second part is one that NO ONE told me about.

You should also carry along a handkerchief because SURPRISE, often times public restrooms won’t have towels to dry your hands after washing. I’m assuming it leads back to the whole lack of trash cans/not wanting litter. Personally, I don’t carry around handkerchief in my day-to-day life, so I was a little caught off guard. Thankfully, since it’s Japanese people are accustomed to this, most shops sell cute handkerchiefs so you can pick one up for a great price.

I got a Peanuts one!

Conclusion: Japan Travel Tips

And there ya have it folks! My top 9 Japan travel tips for first time travelers and beyond. There’s probably more that I’m forgetting at the moment, but those are Japan travel tips off the top of my head. If you have any more that are absolutely crucial, please drop them in the comments below so we can all learn from each other!

I’ve got lots more Japan content coming, so keep an eye out for the blog and definitely check out my other posts that have a few specific Japan travel tips sprinkled into them. And if you have any specific Japan travel tips or questions, please feel free to drop them in the comments and I’ll do my best to answer – or even write a focused post, depending on how nuanced the answer is!

Thanks for reading and who knows, maybe I’ll see you in Japan!

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