Traveling to Japan?

 

It is middle of the summer in Japan right now, it’s probably one of the hottest times of the year. I am not too crazy about the summer heat with humidity in Japan myself, but others prefer sunnier and hot weather. The other day, I met up with my friend who is traveling to Japan in a week or so. She is traveling to Japan with her friends and sounded like she was very excited about it. As we were talking about traveling to Japan, some of the topics below came up, and I thought I would share with you as well, so I can give you some type of idea on what to expect before traveling to Japan.

 

1.No tipping in Japan.

The best part of spending money in Japan is “no tipping”. You never have to worry about tipping to anyone unless you really want to pay extra. We do often say “keep your change (Otsuri wa iranai desu. おつりは　いらないです。Otsuri wa irimasen. おつりは　いりません。) if the change is not much, but it will be your choice!

 

2.  No space between people

By this, I mean people don’t keep much distance between each other. If you have ever experienced taking a train during rush hour, you are literally standing side by side with strangers with no space. This is hard to get used to if you live in a country like U.S., where people keep some distance between each other. Also, if you run into someone, I am used to say at least, “Excuse me, or sorry”, but in Japan, not always and not everyone apologizes, or say anything. So, if this happens to you, don’t get upset.

 

3. Don’t like Sashimi? No problem.

Some people think if you don’t eat raw fish, you have nothing to eat in Japan. Of course, this is not true. There are varieties of food you can enjoy including some international food.  Even if you are to walk into a sushi restaurant, you can find some cooked dishes you can enjoy.

 

4. Chargers, what do we do?

For most of the charges we use for iPhone and computers, they are made universal (unless noted) so you will be able to use them anywhere in Japan. However, there is no 3 pronged plugs in Japan. So, depending on the type of your charger, you might need to carry the adapter to be able to plug into 2 pronged plugs over there.

 

5. Why do people wear masks in Japan?

Yes, it’s true, people in Japan often wear masks and you will see people with mask much more often there (perhaps in other Asian countries as well) than in western countries. Well, masks, as you know work both ways, to prevent spreading your virus as well as to prevent getting inflected with virus out there. So, it’s everyone’s choice to wear them anytime they like. It’s just that you will be able to wear masks more easily in Japan just because you see many others wearing them!

 

6.How much cash do I need to bring?

Cash is the major method of payment for your service or goods in Japan. Yes, you can use your credit card as well, but I would make sure to carry enough cash for your travel. Not all places accept credit cards, especially smaller restaurants or minor temples and shrines. Not sure how much you would be shopping and eating, but make sure to carry enough cash! You can always exchange them back to your currency. Remember to carry your passport if you are visiting Japan, some stores waive local tax by showing them your passport.

 

7. Is it worth going to see Imperial Palace??

Imperial Place (Kokyo,　こうきょ、皇居 ) is basically the imperial residence, meaning emperor’s residence where there used to a Edo castle.  It’s surrounding is a very peaceful area, perhaps the best time to travel is spring time when you can enjoy the cherry blossoms.  Unless it’s spring, I might choose to go to a different garden to enjoy Japanese garden, such as Rikugien or Kiyosumi gardens. You can check it out here for many others.

 

If you would like to enjoy sightseeing to cover as many places as possible while you are in Japan, especially in major cities, I would suggest getting a ticket for one of the daily bus tours. They will take you to major spots you can’t miss while you are there.