Entry

If you live in most western countries, you do not need a visa.  A regular passport will give you 90 days in the country.  You’ll be asked where you are staying, so use one of the addresses for any hotel or Airbnb in which you’ll be staying.  Prior to arriving, go to the “Visit Japan Web” site.  This is not a downloadable app, but a website operated by the Japan Customs and Imigration    https://vjw-lp.digital.go.jp/en/

Airports

There are three primary international airports, most visitors use.  Narita outside Tokyo; Haneda that is closer in to Tokyo, and Kansai that is in Osaka Bay.  Narita is about an hour’s train ride into central Tokyo, but the train ride on the Narita Express is very comfortable and the train cars have plenty of room for luggage, so if you’re bringing several checked bags or large bags with you, this will make your entry more comfortable.

Haneda is actually our favorite as it is smaller and the international terminal (Terminal 3) has a short monorail trip in to central Tokyo.  However, the monorail has limited space for large bags, but if you’re coming with one or two roll on bags, then this will be fine.  In either case, you can’t get lost because you board the train/monorail at either airport, then get off at Tokyo Station or one of the others on the way in to town.

Kansai International is built on a manmade island in Osaka Bay.   Like Narita, it has its own dedicated and generously sized train called the Haruka Express.  Just get on at Terminal 1 and it will take you to central Osaka.  Or if you want, you can take it all the way to Kyoto, and if you have a JR Pass, its included.

Culture Notes

Japan is a nation of rules, most of which are unwritten.  As a foreigner or “gaijin”, you’ll be given a tremendous amount of grace, so long as you don’t abuse it.  The Japanese know you won’t know their protocols, but if you make a little effort to understand and respect them, you’ll get along great.  For the sake of brevity, I’ll skip the reasons behind these cultural norms, but trust me.  Obey them and you’ll make a better impression than most loud foreigners.  Here are a few of the basics.

• Be discrete when taking photos and videos.
• Keep a plastic bag with you at all times in which to carry your trash with you back to your overnight accommodation
• Never talk loudly on a train or subway, especially on your phone. Remember, you’re representing all of us who are foreign visitors.
• Take your shoes off when entering a home. Some museums and most castle museums require visitors to remove their shoes.
• Never leave a tip at a restaurant. Its very awkward for the Japanese, and they may even follow you out the restaurant to return it to you.
• Don’t try opening or closing the rear passenger door of a taxi. (the driver will open and close it remotely) This is one you may easily forget until the driver says something.
• When checking out of a store or restaurant, place your money in the little tray next to the register rather than handing the cashier the money.
• When entering a convenience store in a crowded area such as at a major train station, ensure you are walking in the entrance and not the exit, and wait in line at the proper spot as identified by foot prints on the floor.
• When given a warm or cold cloth in a restaurant, don’t wipe your sweaty forehead or neck with it. (its for wiping your hands)
• When purchasing food in the amazing basement food halls of department stores, make sure you’re not cutting in line. Look on the floor for footprints.
• When getting onto a train or subway train or elevator, wait to the side of the door to let passengers off.
• Don’t walk down the street eating or drinking. Find a quiet corner somewhere.
• Do not cross the yellow line on the edge of a train platform until the doors open.
• Wait for all crosswalk lights to turn green, even at small streets and with no traffic in sight. Just wait for your green signal.
• Don’t stick your chopsticks into a bowl of rice. That’s equated to funerals.
• If in a public bath at a hotel or onsen, soap up and totally rinse off at the shower area before getting into the bath. Never let the soaking water get sudsy.

  There are many more such rules, but these will help you gain the respect of the Japanese.

Seasons

Japan’s geography covers a great deal of latitude and with the topography (coastline to mountaintops), you may experience a wide range of weather conditions.

Summers in central Tokyo can be brutally hot such as in Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto and Hiroshima.  Further north toward Sendai, Aomori and Sapporo on the northernmost island of Hokkaido, you can get a little break.  But the best way to do Japan in the summer (in terms of weather) is to head to the mountains north of Tokyo.

Fall is our favorite time of year in Japan. Why?  There is less rainfall on average and the temperatures start coming down.  Evenings can be cool (in the 40’s) while daytime temps will be in the low 60’s.  Additionally, if you come late in the year (November to early December), you can usually enjoy the incredible changing colors of the leaves.  The Ginko (yellow) and Japanese Maple (red) Trees are simply stunning and offer Instagram worthy photo ops.

Winter for those who love to ski doesn’t get any better anywhere else in the world.  Japan’s snow and ski conditions are often regarded as simply the best.  This is in part due to the heavily moisture laden air coming up from the Pacific meeting the cold temperatures coming off Siberia.  Add the high elevations of the Japan Alps, and you have the perfect conditions for snowfall and this results in the highest snowfall on average in the world.  The world famous Hokkaido Snow Festival is one result that is totally unique to Japan.

But you can still enjoy mild temperatures in Japan if you venture to the southern end Japan to the island of Kyushu or perhaps Okinawa or one of the many smaller tropical islands south of the mainland.  We aren’t skiers, therefore, we enjoy heading south during the winter months.

Spring is our other favorite of the year.  You run the risk of encountering more rainfall, but temperatures tend to be mild and everything is fresh.  Of course Japan is known for its Cherry Blossoms and this results in huge numbers of tourists at the most famous spots.

But honestly, any time of year is a great time of year to be in Japan.

Major Holidays

One thing to consider in your travel planning is that of national holidays.  It will be very disappointing if you plan something or an entire trip only to find the entire country is on holiday while you’re there.  This can result in shops, restaurants and attractions being closed or extremely over crowded.  The Japanese take enjoying their holidays very seriously and they like to get out.

New Year on January 1^st is a huge national holiday and most businesses and many restaurants and shops are closed through the 3^rd.  On New Year’s Day, the shrines will be overrun with Japanese folks praying and asking for blessings for the new year.  Best to steer clear of these sites at this time.

“Golden Week”.  Golden Week is a period of time in which four national holidays occur in quick succession with the result being most Japanese and many businesses will shut down for a full week or more from April 29^th to May 5^th.  Resorts, onsen towns and such will be sold out, so its best to avoid visiting Japan during Golden Week.

“Obon”  Though not technically a national holiday, Obon is a Buddhist celebration and since Japanese consider being Buddhist and Shinto as almost the same as being Japanese, they celebrate it in a big way.  This is a festival of remembrance of one’s ancestors and many Japanese will travel to their hometowns.  The result is very crowded trains and villages.

Our advice is to google holidays in Japan and plan accordingly.  Keep in mind that many museums and attractions are closed at least one day of the week and that can be affected by a national holiday occurring the day before.  Always check the opening dates for any museum or attraction you specifically wish to visit and don’t trust the times you see on Google Maps. They have been known to be wrong. Best to check the website of the attraction you wish to visit.

WIFI

In recent years, free wifi has become pretty prevalent throughout all major cities, and of course most cafes offer the service.  Even the JR Shinkansen have free wifi which works rather well.  I take my rail time on the Shinkansen to surf, plan ahead and recharge all my devices.

But even without wifi, you can still search and use GPS for getting around in most of the country.  There is typically ample cell phone coverage throughout Japan.  Just check with your carrier at home to ensure you’ll be able to text and make calls as needed.

If you want added reassurance, you can rent a pocket wifi service to carry with you.  I’ve used these before with varying success and they work pretty well.  Its like having your own private wifi router wherever you go.

Currency

Until just before COVID, Japan was still largely a cash transaction economy.  Surprising for most people, given Japan’s incredible technological prowess.  But until recently, most restaurants and most traditional Japanese inns (ryokan) did not accept credit cards. That has somewhat changed today although most small shops and street food stands still only accept cash. However, in most cities and most attractions you won’t have trouble using credit cards, except possibly in the smaller towns and countryside.  But always carry an ample amount of yen with you just in case.  Cash is especially good to have for taxis.  If you need cash while in Japan, the easiest way to obtain it is to use an ATM.  There will be the usual convenience fee, but the exchange rates are pretty competitive with that of banks, and you can’t beat the convenience.  Fortunately, nearly every ATM has a multi-lingual screen.