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01. Bad timing (Summer, Japanese holidays) 02. Not dressing properly (no athlesure) 03. Not getting tickets early 04. Not having rest time 05. Not realizing how small hotel rooms are 06. Worrying about the language 07. Having a large group 08. Not getting a VPN 09. Not planning rural transportation 10. Not considering your flight time 11. Overdoing your arrival day 12. Going to Mt Fuji 13. Buying the JR Pass 14. Not getting a SUICA Card 15. Not planning meals 16. Not planning for dietary restrictions 17. Not knowing how to order/pay 18. Coming with a full suitcase 19. Overplanning
Best advice for Japan. Just wing it, go day by day and you’ll have a blast. My first time going was filled with plans and didn’t get to see much and now I just wing it with no plans
My fondest memories from my first trip in Japan were the tiny shops, restaurants, shrines, etc. that I stumbled upon, not the big touristy things swarmed with people. I recommend planning one major attraction a day and then leaving the rest up to chance.
When it comes to shopping, I bring a foldable duffel bag in my main suitcase. I use the duffel bag to hold all my clothes when I return and my suitcase for all my important purchases.
I have a few more: 1. If you don't walk a lot in your home country, DO NOT underestimate the necessity of comfy walking shoes, even if they aren't as cute. 2. If you are overweight or tall with a medium build, do not get your hopes very high for clothes shopping. 3. Same goes for shoe shopping if you're a woman with feet larger than a US size 8. 4. If you have a large suitcase and can afford the taxi ride to your hotel from the airport, I recommend it. Half of the escalators were out of service in the train stations so we were lugging heavy bags up and down stairs, and it's just a bit embarrassing to be on a super crowded train with huge suitcases. 5. To end on a positive note - if you love nice stationery or cute socks, Japan will be your heaven. Stock up!
I'd say don't get your hopes up for shoe shopping regardless. Popular sizes tend to sell out, depending what you're looking for. However, Onitsuka Tiger is generally well stocked with comfy shoes and I would guess New Balance is as well, although I only browsed there. The shops that carry multiple brands like ABC Mart did not have size 8 in anything I looked at. Both OT and NB have shoe styles that you can wear brand new without killing your feet. Also I'd recommend not taking a cab to the airport if you can help it and use luggage forwarding services instead. I had to take a cab a couple times, it took 2 hours vs. 35 mins on the train from where I was at.
Nice list! I would like to point out that many escalators in Japan are automated and will shut off if no-one approaches for a while. If you see an escalator not running, don't assume it's not working. There is a sensor you need to trip, so walk up to it and it should be running by the time you get to the first step.
Another tip: Instead of taxi you can use luggage delivery service. Relatively cheap and easy even if you don't speak Japanese. Depending on where you going its likely cheaper than taxi.
The Burnout tip is real... My brother an I were in Tokyo a year go and by the 2nd day we had walked around 30miles.. My foot was literally bleeding and i didn't realize it lol.. I got extremely burned out to the point i got sick and ended up leaving to go home early.. I literally lost 14lbs in 4 days from being so dehydrated... I'm going back to redeem my self next year!
Very good tips all of them! Especially the "Traveling too much" part can not be overstated. Changing cities means changing hotel means walking to and from train stations means carrying luggage around, possibly in hot humid weather. And all that just consumes SO much time, energy and mental load. Each time you move to another place, that's basically half a day wasted that could have been spent on just exploring the area with no plan or time table. It's the one mistake I regret the most.
These are great! My tip is don't lock yourself in to just Japanese food. Some of the best wood fired pizza I've ever had (outside of Naples) has been in Japan. They have a lot of Italian trained chefs over there. Da Michele, Freys, Pizzeria Ciro, Salvatore Cuomo etc. Other foods like pastries, sandwiches, and family restaurants are also all very good. Obviously you wanna eat Japanese food because its freaking delicious, but there are SO many varieties of food that Japan does well, you don't need to lock yourself in to it exclusively. Other tip is to book off peak stuff-- don't book Ghibli, Disney etc on weekends or on holidays. In the same vein, things cost more in cherry blossom season including hotels. Beware typhoon season. Summer humidity lasts forever. (We booked at the end of September one year and it was humid af for 5 days and we were so shocked lol. Since then I always book closer to the end of the year). You don't need to book the bullet train in advance necessarily (there are enough trains every day that you can book at the train station a few days before) but for peace of mind its easier to do so using the EX app. Get there early because the Bullet train leaves on the dot. If you have big luggage get the luggage seats for the Tokaido line. If you want a faster route use the Nozomi train, if you want scenic use the other trains.
I spent March and April of this yr in Japan and had absolutely no issues at all, I did book my trains in advance, and a few things I really wanted to see. I did order YEN from my bank before I left the states, it was just 1 less thing I needed to do. I do enjoy your channel, I'm returning again March of 2025
The flights I get to Haneda usually land in the evening and return early morning, so usually just stay at the airport hotel on the first and last days of a trip. Just drop suitcase in room, grab a meal then just crash out and deal with Tokyo / onward travel the next day
Picking the good seats on the shinkansen bullet train is really easy: the side of the aisle with 2 seats is always on the Mt. Fuji side. (The side with 3 seats is the opposite side).
I love summer in Japan. You can head outside and see places and there are far fewer people around. You don't need to take heavy clothing. There are great swimming pools and you're never too far from somewhere with airconditioning.
My sister and I are planning a trip to Japan for next spring and your videos have been very reassuring. It’ll be our first time leaving the country! All your advice has brought me so much comfort so please do make more videos with advice! :)
Thanks for the tips. Going for my second time to Japan, but first non-tour group trip. Looking forward to doing somethings that I did not on my first 2019 visit.
I was in Tokyo and Kyoto in August (yes, the worst time weather wise, record number of foreign visitors, plus the start of Japan's summer holiday travels) so the highways especially in rush hours were totally clogged, adding hours to highway travel. My advice is prepare for tourist bus and road delays due to overcrowding. Have a fallback to-do tactic, like eating quick foods from convenience stores and small cafes to cool down. Another is restaurants: don't expect western rapid service speed as Japanese dining is more careful and detailed in food prep. Learn Japanese dining manners. Respect the train or bus people trying to enforce safety rules (one foreigner i stood next to at Arashiyama forest park was making fun of a safety announcer by hopping over the yellow safety painted lines after clear and polite warnings to stay back--not good when the train is coming and the platform is narrow).
Great video. Went in 2015 for 3 weeks with one carry-on bag. Some hotels have laundry and mail services. You can have clothes cleaned so you don`t need to pack as much and mail souvenirs home saving you lugging around all that stuff.
My very first trip to Japan in 2006, I took a shuttle bus from Narita Airport to a nearby hotel. When I got off I handed the guy ¥200. He looked at it, then he looked at me, and he handed it back. I thought “Was that not enough”? LOL
So to have a smooth trip to Japan you need to search and plan like your life depend on it 😂 sometimes i just wanna have a solo trip and stay there for 6 months cuz this country have a lot of thing to discover and try . Anyway thanks a lot Allison you are the best ❤
Haha just depends on how smooth you want it to go if you have 0 knowledge!! Honestly coming over with just a vague idea of the trains and a hotel booking would work too for chill solo trips 😂
Went in mid September. Still BRUTALLY hot. Summer is no joke in Japan. Had decent footwear. But my feet swelled due to the heat, thus blisters. Pretty miserable walking experience.
I'm heading for Tokyo for the first time ever after 30 years of world travel and videos like this are a big help. I'm a dinosaur from the world of paper and travel no phone, cash only, so this will be interesting. Thanks for the tips.
Great video, lots of useful tips! As an aside, for anyone who doesn't mind very hot and humid weather, I recommend the 'sweet spot' in mid to late July. The wet rainy season has usually ended and the crowded holiday/festival season hasn't started yet, so it can be a really great time to visit. But only if you can withstand the weather, it seems that not many people can. 😁
Thanks for the tips. Unfortunately we are going in late July 2025 only because wife is a teacher and that is the time we can get away. The tips and comments from the viewers and yourself will help us prepare to survive the heat. Thank you Allison and your viewers!
Had no idea about the allergy cards. I learned how to let them know in Japanese, but this is also helpful always good to have both. Thanks for the info. Keep up the great work.
I learned about them because one of my family members has a lot of allergies! Yes, always good I think to have it even if you learn the phrase just in case 🤞
I was already planning to make an allergy card before I saw this video. I bought some badge holders and I'll create a kawaii version and attach it to a lanyard.
Spent two hours today trying to get Gibli tickets using three devices and failed anyway. I was 3000 in the queue, got through with loads of choices left. The website just stopped working during my data grab and timed out, losing the tickets. By the time the other devices caught up (11,000 and 17,000 even though they were joined at the same time), all the spots were gone. It was one of the few things I was super excited about, so it's hard to not be disappointed.
For other people reading this. This happened to me as well during my trials trying to obtain tickets. At first I thought there was no way of recovering from a complete page crash. I tried refreshing and going back some pages but all resulted in a crashed page. However, when i went back to the "home" page of the ticket service i could immediately select to shop for the tickets without having to re-enter the queue. I did "lose" the tickets i had selected but was still able to go for a different timeslot. So even if the site is throwing errors in your face don't give up hope, keep trying on that same device/browser while waiting for your other devices to catch up in the queue
I might get to visit Tokyo with friends soon staying near Ikebukuro. Thanks for the tips & I enjoy your ability to talk understandably to the camera (us likewise humans), very nice - well done - gracias
Really great advice and so useful, thank you. We spent the last week of June and first 2 weeks of July starting in Tokyo and travelling west. We loved the climate with only 2 days of rain and would return at the same time of year (we live in the UK). As you say, definitely research a regional pass as just tweaking our itinerary by one day and purchasing the JR West Kansai/Hiroshima 5 day pass (¥17,000) we saved more than twice this by forward planning. I’ll definitely be directing people who ask me for advice on Japan to this video!
As I understand it, that suica/passmo e-card option only really works for iPhones. Android phones have to be from Japan for it to work because they support "Osaifu-Keitai". If your Android phone was not purchased in Japan, it is unlikely you will be able to use it for this purpose. Regarding the physical cards, everything I read online (including the JR website) says they're not available in most stations and advise a "welcome suica" for tourists. I'm very confused by hearing you say they're easily/readily available. Could you please clarify if you have updated information?
From what I understand Suica (and Pasmo and any IC card) have been in short supply due to a parts shortage, so the sale of them was suspended in most places, except for the "Welcome" temporary tourist cards. It's only very recently that they've become more widely available again.
If you don't plan on going back to Japan in less than 10 years get the "Welcome Card," which has a 30 day expiration. If you are not landing in Tokyo first, other regions also have IC cards
We just went to Japan a month ago. We only planned the stays, and winged the rest. We had no problem being English only. We stayed only 1 or 2 days in each place, so there was a lot of train travel and some taxi. The trains were great. However, it is tricky to find your train in a hurry. The trick is to find out what track your train is going to be on. You have to ask. The message boards are in English and Japanese, but only show the next 3 trains or so. Most stations have agents that can speak English, and can give you the track number for you train.
Not having a japanese translation app on your phone (smt like mazii, gg translate) when not knowing japanese can be a problem when travelling to japanese when you are unsure of your japanese skill
Excellent list! I did make the foolish decision to visit Japan for three weeks in summer. Just got back last week, actually. I don't regret it, but the heat, coupled with Japan's humidity, WAS oppressive. I'd lived in Japan several years ago, so I figured I could handle it. I was fine, ultimately, but Allison is right, do not underestimate just how hot it can get. I used to take at least two showers a day in summer when I lived there before. I had good pair of Skechers for walking, and they slipped off and on pretty easily. But the summer heat made my feet swell to the point where my toes were cramped and I ended up getting blisters. I basically needed to go a half size up (American) for a more manageable fit. I didn't anticipate that. So, something to keep in mind if you go to Japan in summer.
After visiting a few times here’s a couple other tips. Pack light- for a 2-3 week visit I’ll take about 3-4 outfits and just interchange the pieces. I also book rooms with a W/D a couple times during my trip. Small roller suitcase- I take a pretty small roller bag that’s not too heavy to carry should I need to. I don’t care for using a backpack as my primary travel bag. It’ll be heavy and hot. Japan tends to be humid and I don’t want a sweaty back, talking from experience. A daypack- handy for carrying water, umbrella, shopping.. Then it will hold all my purchases when I head back to the US.
Please, please, please do a video about which prescribed (i.e., from a medical doctor) are banned or illegal to bring into Japan. I am aware of at least two instances where someone visiting from the US and Canada were arrested for bringing their ADHAD medication with them. Thanks for the great videos, Allison. This is an awesome wealth of information.🥰🥰🥰
I think it's best to send an e mail to the relevant instance way in advance. I was looking into this myself as I take ritalin (not liked in japan at ALL) and it's a little confusing.
Another tip to add: consider getting a flat wallet to carry your cash. Folding your paper money in Japan as we do in the States is considered disrespectful.
Another one would be: "Pay attention to what other people are doing and follow suit" Whether it be standing on a particular side of an escalator, no one talking on a bus/train, or people not throwing out cigarette butts. This will help a lot. My wife is from Japan, and she was getting pretty upset at foreigners talking on the bus, especially if they were loud. She would also get riled up by anyone throwing any form of trash on the ground, as I do too. The thing is, no one ever says anything to you. They will give you looks, though.
For Golden Week, Silver Week, and Obon, it's the inter-city trains that are crowded at the beginning and end of the holiday. In cities, trains would be like a typical Sunday. Weekends are also busier with local city-people taking weekend trips. Whoa... a K-On screenshot!
Pretty much bang on there Allison with your tips. I’m on my last night of a four week trip to Japan so I’m probably watching this too late. I can’t believe how hot it was in the 2nd half of September. I would say avoid September too these days unless you’re flying into Sapporo. You’re dead right about how smart they dress. As a Kiwi I have felt under-dressed most of my holiday lol.
This is where ill but in with my 2 cents as somebody who walks 25K step a day sometimes into the mid 30K steps all while wearing converse... yes converse my feet never really hurt. It amazes me from the time at looking at comments of all people saying walking 10k steps is a lot for them and expect to walk a lot in Japan which naturally of coarse a county that is vert transit focused you would expect to walk a lot. I also say that as somebody who will be there in less then 2 weeks and i fully expect to be walking a lot and walking uo a lot of stairs which i am very much also use to as i live in Montreal and were kind known for walking and having some of the deepest transit stations not in just north america but in all the world. So to me personally walking in japan will just be like why other day to me.
Suica on your phone only works for iPhone, I believe. I think they are making an app that will make it android compatible but it won’t be available until 2025
I lived there 20 years ago for 9 months. Planning to visit again with my family next year. Wondering what has changed now. English was none existent those days and I was able to survive with a bare minimum vocabulary, so in one hand I'm confident, but now I'm travelling with kids (which will be their first time in Japan) so I'm nervous on the other.
Agree and disagree with the first one. Just got back and yeah it was damn hot and humid, but it was really the only time of year we would been able to take the time to go to Japan. I would really rather go say in autumn but hot August Japan is better than no Japan.
I literally JUST canceled my trip to Tokyo because it’s unseasonably HOT🔥right now . I felt like a maybe I was overreacting, but Tokyo is one of my bucket list places to visit . I’m gonna totally Geek-Out when I’m there 🤓 I just don’t want it to be miserable 🤷🏻♂️… Then I go to TH-cam and the first video I pick is yours, and the first thing you say is “ Avoid coming at the wrong time “ ‼️ YOU’RE FRIGGIN AWESOME 💋🫶🏻💋🫶🏻❗️❗️❗️ Stay Cool Allison and THANK YOU - you really made my day ‼️ ( cause I was sad ☹️ )
Hello Allison, very good video very helpful. I will be headed to Tokyo for the first time in my life May 2025. Super excited and find this and other of your videos so very helpful. Keep up the awesome job.
6:30 I got burned on my return flight. Google Maps put me on an express train to the airport that was NOT express. We arrived two hours later than we expected. Thank God for Air Canada's incompetence boarding buying us time.
@@katemostreicherI flew Air Canada to Hong Kong and my 14 hour flight seat had no padding! I felt like I was sitting on metal with some cloth over it. The return flight was better because we were able to upgrade to Premium Economy. Good luck.
The JR Pass has been a bit too harshly called dead by a lot of TH-camrs. Sure, it's not as big of a value as it used to be but even just traveling TokyoKyoto with the usual stops like Hakone and Nara and throwing in bigger daytrips like Hiroshima or Niigata for example, and you quickly break even or save money. Not to mention, the convinience and freedom it offers. Like, on your way to Kyoto from Tokyo, just getting off in Nagoya on a whim for a couple of hours and take a later train. Impossible with pre-booked connections and dealing with purchasing new tickets whenever you wanna jump off of the beaten path gets annoying quickly. It's not the "save purchase" it used to be but it is still well priced and a deal in the right cases.
Definitely weeks or even months if you have a specific time slot you want! I’d check how it is today to judge how far in advance you may want to reserve (weekends and holidays, definitely sooner)
Hi Allison, thank you for the great tips. I will be arriving in Japan a few days before Chinese New Year in January next year. As you have been living in Japan for quite some time, how is Japan during Chinese New Year in terms of crowds in tourist spots and Shinkansen? Is it considered a major holiday too in Japan (as in they get several days off), or just a one small holiday for people there? Thank you in advance!
Alison can you do a video on the best time to use the train? I’ll be flying in Nov 1st but staying in Yokosuka for the week and would like to travel not during rush hour.
I’ve lived here 8 months and I still am so embarrassed to say “すみません” to get a waiters attention. I know it’s not rude it’s just hard to change that perspective.
Did you know with the suica app on the phone, you charged a fee when you add funds from your credit card? Something people don't realize. Get the card 😊
I was hoping to learn about a mistake, but these 19 mistakes I don't do, and first day always starts/ends with a concert (like every day) if I arrive at noon, then go to the hotel drop luggage and go to the venue. Why waste a day in Japan with doing nothing?
While there are some things you can avoid doing, don’t worry too much about it. You have a gaijen pass when you come to japan so as long as you arnt trying to cause trouble and as long as you are polite then you have no worries. Learn as you go and don’t worry about it just enjoy the adventure as you go.
Which side of the train is the right vs left side please? Is that if you're facing in the direction of forward movement? Do all the seats face forward?
Airports are 24/7 but as you said transport access to and from them is limited Osaka airport in particular can very problematic as its on an island and taxis in Japan are notoriously expensive be mindful that our voices carry, its best to dial down the volume especially in a public place
I'm going in December. This was beyond helpful! Like a master class in travel to Japan. Thank you. I tried to download the Suica card app to my 14Pro but its only in japanese?
So ove been debating what to do for ky trip in March. I arrive at 9.30pm and was wondering if i should stay the night in tokyo then travel or get a night bus to osaka\hiroshima ans then work my way back to Haneda 7\8 days later
Thanks for the info Allison! I'll be honest, coming from New Jersey and being used to some very, VERY small hotel rooms in NYC, I'm rather curious just how small the smaller Japanese rooms are by comparison. 😆 Again, thank you for the informative video. 👍
Hi Allison, my name is Hans and I’m from England the U.K. 🇬🇧🏴 I love watching your videos of Japan. 🇯🇵 Your videos really do help me relax and chill out ☺️❤
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01. Bad timing (Summer, Japanese holidays)
02. Not dressing properly (no athlesure)
03. Not getting tickets early
04. Not having rest time
05. Not realizing how small hotel rooms are
06. Worrying about the language
07. Having a large group
08. Not getting a VPN
09. Not planning rural transportation
10. Not considering your flight time
11. Overdoing your arrival day
12. Going to Mt Fuji
13. Buying the JR Pass
14. Not getting a SUICA Card
15. Not planning meals
16. Not planning for dietary restrictions
17. Not knowing how to order/pay
18. Coming with a full suitcase
19. Overplanning
Best advice for Japan. Just wing it, go day by day and you’ll have a blast. My first time going was filled with plans and didn’t get to see much and now I just wing it with no plans
My fondest memories from my first trip in Japan were the tiny shops, restaurants, shrines, etc. that I stumbled upon, not the big touristy things swarmed with people. I recommend planning one major attraction a day and then leaving the rest up to chance.
When it comes to shopping, I bring a foldable duffel bag in my main suitcase. I use the duffel bag to hold all my clothes when I return and my suitcase for all my important purchases.
I do this too even for domestic trips 😆😆
Im a big shopper in Japan, I go to atleast 5 big Bookoffs. I also make a list of all the stuff I want to buy as I see them on TH-cam. @AllisoninTokyo
yep, doing the same strategy! it works great !
SAME! Been doing this for years.
So do we!! Great reminder. Obrigado
I have a few more:
1. If you don't walk a lot in your home country, DO NOT underestimate the necessity of comfy walking shoes, even if they aren't as cute.
2. If you are overweight or tall with a medium build, do not get your hopes very high for clothes shopping.
3. Same goes for shoe shopping if you're a woman with feet larger than a US size 8.
4. If you have a large suitcase and can afford the taxi ride to your hotel from the airport, I recommend it. Half of the escalators were out of service in the train stations so we were lugging heavy bags up and down stairs, and it's just a bit embarrassing to be on a super crowded train with huge suitcases.
5. To end on a positive note - if you love nice stationery or cute socks, Japan will be your heaven. Stock up!
I'd say don't get your hopes up for shoe shopping regardless. Popular sizes tend to sell out, depending what you're looking for. However, Onitsuka Tiger is generally well stocked with comfy shoes and I would guess New Balance is as well, although I only browsed there. The shops that carry multiple brands like ABC Mart did not have size 8 in anything I looked at. Both OT and NB have shoe styles that you can wear brand new without killing your feet.
Also I'd recommend not taking a cab to the airport if you can help it and use luggage forwarding services instead. I had to take a cab a couple times, it took 2 hours vs. 35 mins on the train from where I was at.
Nice list! I would like to point out that many escalators in Japan are automated and will shut off if no-one approaches for a while. If you see an escalator not running, don't assume it's not working. There is a sensor you need to trip, so walk up to it and it should be running by the time you get to the first step.
Another tip: Instead of taxi you can use luggage delivery service. Relatively cheap and easy even if you don't speak Japanese. Depending on where you going its likely cheaper than taxi.
The Burnout tip is real... My brother an I were in Tokyo a year go and by the 2nd day we had walked around 30miles.. My foot was literally bleeding and i didn't realize it lol.. I got extremely burned out to the point i got sick and ended up leaving to go home early.. I literally lost 14lbs in 4 days from being so dehydrated...
I'm going back to redeem my self next year!
We lost no weight and kept sipping on alcohol to numb the foot pain 😅
Just drink heaps of asahi beer to stay hydrated
Very good tips all of them!
Especially the "Traveling too much" part can not be overstated. Changing cities means changing hotel means walking to and from train stations means carrying luggage around, possibly in hot humid weather. And all that just consumes SO much time, energy and mental load. Each time you move to another place, that's basically half a day wasted that could have been spent on just exploring the area with no plan or time table. It's the one mistake I regret the most.
These are great! My tip is don't lock yourself in to just Japanese food. Some of the best wood fired pizza I've ever had (outside of Naples) has been in Japan. They have a lot of Italian trained chefs over there. Da Michele, Freys, Pizzeria Ciro, Salvatore Cuomo etc. Other foods like pastries, sandwiches, and family restaurants are also all very good. Obviously you wanna eat Japanese food because its freaking delicious, but there are SO many varieties of food that Japan does well, you don't need to lock yourself in to it exclusively.
Other tip is to book off peak stuff-- don't book Ghibli, Disney etc on weekends or on holidays. In the same vein, things cost more in cherry blossom season including hotels. Beware typhoon season. Summer humidity lasts forever. (We booked at the end of September one year and it was humid af for 5 days and we were so shocked lol. Since then I always book closer to the end of the year).
You don't need to book the bullet train in advance necessarily (there are enough trains every day that you can book at the train station a few days before) but for peace of mind its easier to do so using the EX app. Get there early because the Bullet train leaves on the dot. If you have big luggage get the luggage seats for the Tokaido line. If you want a faster route use the Nozomi train, if you want scenic use the other trains.
Ty!! I was just looking info about seat booking for the shinkansen
ive seen a few videos and yours is my fav until now:) you just simply and directly said what is and thats it, i appreciate it:)
I spent March and April of this yr in Japan and had absolutely no issues at all, I did book my trains in advance, and a few things I really wanted to see. I did order YEN from my bank before I left the states, it was just 1 less thing I needed to do. I do enjoy your channel, I'm returning again March of 2025
Hi we are planning to come in end of September now
What types of tickets should I book in advance in Tokyo and Japan?
I'm also planning to go to Japan in March 2025. I might pass you in the street and not know it. 😅
The flights I get to Haneda usually land in the evening and return early morning, so usually just stay at the airport hotel on the first and last days of a trip. Just drop suitcase in room, grab a meal then just crash out and deal with Tokyo / onward travel the next day
good idea
Picking the good seats on the shinkansen bullet train is really easy: the side of the aisle with 2 seats is always on the Mt. Fuji side. (The side with 3 seats is the opposite side).
Would it not depend on the direction you are traveling?
I love summer in Japan. You can head outside and see places and there are far fewer people around. You don't need to take heavy clothing. There are great swimming pools and you're never too far from somewhere with airconditioning.
Going to Tokio in about three weeks, super excited and this kind of videos really helps a lot, thank you!
Allison, each video you make is a gem , a mine of information! Thank you!
My daughter and I visited Japan in August,absolutely loved it we want to go back,so much to see and do
My sister and I are planning a trip to Japan for next spring and your videos have been very reassuring. It’ll be our first time leaving the country! All your advice has brought me so much comfort so please do make more videos with advice! :)
🥰
Omg you are so well-organized that you plan far in advance
Just wanted to say thank you for your amazing videos about Japan. We just back from our trip to Tokyo and Kyoto and your advice and tips we so handy!
Thank you for your helpful videos! Going to Japan for the first time in October…celebrating my 40th 😅
Thanks for the tips. Going for my second time to Japan, but first non-tour group trip. Looking forward to doing somethings that I did not on my first 2019 visit.
I was in Tokyo and Kyoto in August (yes, the worst time weather wise, record number of foreign visitors, plus the start of Japan's summer holiday travels) so the highways especially in rush hours were totally clogged, adding hours to highway travel. My advice is prepare for tourist bus and road delays due to overcrowding. Have a fallback to-do tactic, like eating quick foods from convenience stores and small cafes to cool down. Another is restaurants: don't expect western rapid service speed as Japanese dining is more careful and detailed in food prep. Learn Japanese dining manners. Respect the train or bus people trying to enforce safety rules (one foreigner i stood next to at Arashiyama forest park was making fun of a safety announcer by hopping over the yellow safety painted lines after clear and polite warnings to stay back--not good when the train is coming and the platform is narrow).
Great video. Went in 2015 for 3 weeks with one carry-on bag. Some hotels have laundry and mail services. You can have clothes cleaned so you don`t need to pack as much and mail souvenirs home saving you lugging around all that stuff.
My very first trip to Japan in 2006, I took a shuttle bus from Narita Airport to a nearby hotel. When I got off I handed the guy ¥200. He looked at it, then he looked at me, and he handed it back. I thought “Was that not enough”? LOL
So to have a smooth trip to Japan you need to search and plan like your life depend on it 😂 sometimes i just wanna have a solo trip and stay there for 6 months cuz this country have a lot of thing to discover and try . Anyway thanks a lot Allison you are the best ❤
Haha just depends on how smooth you want it to go if you have 0 knowledge!! Honestly coming over with just a vague idea of the trains and a hotel booking would work too for chill solo trips 😂
Allison, congrats! I love your videos. My dream is to visit Japan next year and you help a lot. I am a Brazilian middle aged woman living in Sāo Paulo
🥰🥰
Went in mid September. Still BRUTALLY hot. Summer is no joke in Japan. Had decent footwear. But my feet swelled due to the heat, thus blisters. Pretty miserable walking experience.
This list is PERFECT!! Thank you thank you thank you. Appreciate the tips
I'm heading for Tokyo for the first time ever after 30 years of world travel and videos like this are a big help. I'm a dinosaur from the world of paper and travel no phone, cash only, so this will be interesting. Thanks for the tips.
Great video, lots of useful tips!
As an aside, for anyone who doesn't mind very hot and humid weather, I recommend the 'sweet spot' in mid to late July. The wet rainy season has usually ended and the crowded holiday/festival season hasn't started yet, so it can be a really great time to visit. But only if you can withstand the weather, it seems that not many people can. 😁
Hey, thanks for the tips! This was a really helpful video
Super helpful, thank you
Thank youuuu
Thanks for the tips. Unfortunately we are going in late July 2025 only because wife is a teacher and that is the time we can get away. The tips and comments from the viewers and yourself will help us prepare to survive the heat. Thank you Allison and your viewers!
Had no idea about the allergy cards. I learned how to let them know in Japanese, but this is also helpful always good to have both. Thanks for the info. Keep up the great work.
I learned about them because one of my family members has a lot of allergies! Yes, always good I think to have it even if you learn the phrase just in case 🤞
I was already planning to make an allergy card before I saw this video. I bought some badge holders and I'll create a kawaii version and attach it to a lanyard.
Spent two hours today trying to get Gibli tickets using three devices and failed anyway. I was 3000 in the queue, got through with loads of choices left. The website just stopped working during my data grab and timed out, losing the tickets. By the time the other devices caught up (11,000 and 17,000 even though they were joined at the same time), all the spots were gone. It was one of the few things I was super excited about, so it's hard to not be disappointed.
For other people reading this. This happened to me as well during my trials trying to obtain tickets. At first I thought there was no way of recovering from a complete page crash. I tried refreshing and going back some pages but all resulted in a crashed page. However, when i went back to the "home" page of the ticket service i could immediately select to shop for the tickets without having to re-enter the queue. I did "lose" the tickets i had selected but was still able to go for a different timeslot.
So even if the site is throwing errors in your face don't give up hope, keep trying on that same device/browser while waiting for your other devices to catch up in the queue
To me the Ghibli Museum isn't worth the ticket fuss. Sounds like a complicated mess for an overhyped tourist attraction.
I might get to visit Tokyo with friends soon staying near Ikebukuro. Thanks for the tips & I enjoy your ability to talk understandably to the camera (us likewise humans), very nice - well done - gracias
Gonna try and move there from the US at the end of the month. Your videos are really informative. I appreciate it
Really great advice and so useful, thank you. We spent the last week of June and first 2 weeks of July starting in Tokyo and travelling west. We loved the climate with only 2 days of rain and would return at the same time of year (we live in the UK). As you say, definitely research a regional pass as just tweaking our itinerary by one day and purchasing the JR West Kansai/Hiroshima 5 day pass (¥17,000) we saved more than twice this by forward planning. I’ll definitely be directing people who ask me for advice on Japan to this video!
Thanks!!
Hi, what temperature was in Tokyo during July? I’m planning to go 3rd week July next year and I’m from UK too, thanks!
As I understand it, that suica/passmo e-card option only really works for iPhones. Android phones have to be from Japan for it to work because they support "Osaifu-Keitai". If your Android phone was not purchased in Japan, it is unlikely you will be able to use it for this purpose.
Regarding the physical cards, everything I read online (including the JR website) says they're not available in most stations and advise a "welcome suica" for tourists. I'm very confused by hearing you say they're easily/readily available. Could you please clarify if you have updated information?
Pasmo cards are readily available at Haneda currently , I got one on monday
From what I understand Suica (and Pasmo and any IC card) have been in short supply due to a parts shortage, so the sale of them was suspended in most places, except for the "Welcome" temporary tourist cards. It's only very recently that they've become more widely available again.
If you don't plan on going back to Japan in less than 10 years get the "Welcome Card," which has a 30 day expiration. If you are not landing in Tokyo first, other regions also have IC cards
Mistake number six is legit XD
I've recently passed JLPT N2, and am still stressing out about the language barrier!
We just went to Japan a month ago. We only planned the stays, and winged the rest. We had no problem being English only. We stayed only 1 or 2 days in each place, so there was a lot of train travel and some taxi. The trains were great. However, it is tricky to find your train in a hurry. The trick is to find out what track your train is going to be on. You have to ask. The message boards are in English and Japanese, but only show the next 3 trains or so. Most stations have agents that can speak English, and can give you the track number for you train.
Thanks 😅
Not having a japanese translation app on your phone (smt like mazii, gg translate) when not knowing japanese can be a problem when travelling to japanese when you are unsure of your japanese skill
Excellent list! I did make the foolish decision to visit Japan for three weeks in summer. Just got back last week, actually. I don't regret it, but the heat, coupled with Japan's humidity, WAS oppressive. I'd lived in Japan several years ago, so I figured I could handle it. I was fine, ultimately, but Allison is right, do not underestimate just how hot it can get. I used to take at least two showers a day in summer when I lived there before.
I had good pair of Skechers for walking, and they slipped off and on pretty easily. But the summer heat made my feet swell to the point where my toes were cramped and I ended up getting blisters. I basically needed to go a half size up (American) for a more manageable fit. I didn't anticipate that. So, something to keep in mind if you go to Japan in summer.
After visiting a few times here’s a couple other tips.
Pack light- for a 2-3 week visit I’ll take about 3-4 outfits and just interchange the pieces. I also book rooms with a W/D a couple times during my trip.
Small roller suitcase- I take a pretty small roller bag that’s not too heavy to carry should I need to. I don’t care for using a backpack as my primary travel bag. It’ll be heavy and hot. Japan tends to be humid and I don’t want a sweaty back, talking from experience.
A daypack- handy for carrying water, umbrella, shopping.. Then it will hold all my purchases when I head back to the US.
September has been a hell fire 🔥, but still very cool country and culture
Your video is very helpful!! Thanks for sharing all this useful information!😊
This is a great video with relatable tips that aren't generic ❤ going this October!
Please, please, please do a video about which prescribed (i.e., from a medical doctor) are banned or illegal to bring into Japan. I am aware of at least two instances where someone visiting from the US and Canada were arrested for bringing their ADHAD medication with them. Thanks for the great videos, Allison. This is an awesome wealth of information.🥰🥰🥰
I think it's best to send an e mail to the relevant instance way in advance. I was looking into this myself as I take ritalin (not liked in japan at ALL) and it's a little confusing.
I would email to your Japanese embassy if you can't find info about your specific medication online!
Thank you for this video, lots of good information! I'd love to watch more of these types of videos.
Another tip to add: consider getting a flat wallet to carry your cash. Folding your paper money in Japan as we do in the States is considered disrespectful.
Huh? 😂
Thank you!!
Very helpful
Another one would be: "Pay attention to what other people are doing and follow suit"
Whether it be standing on a particular side of an escalator, no one talking on a bus/train, or people not throwing out cigarette butts. This will help a lot.
My wife is from Japan, and she was getting pretty upset at foreigners talking on the bus, especially if they were loud. She would also get riled up by anyone throwing any form of trash on the ground, as I do too. The thing is, no one ever says anything to you. They will give you looks, though.
Thank you, this was very helpful! :)
The jet lag is real. If you dont plan for it, it will kick your butt.
3:14 "Hotel rooms here can be very tiny..."
::proceeds to show screenshot of the EXACT APA Hotel room I reserved::
Me: F*CK 😅
Great information. We will be in japan 12 days in March/April. Good tips for our trip
For Golden Week, Silver Week, and Obon, it's the inter-city trains that are crowded at the beginning and end of the holiday. In cities, trains would be like a typical Sunday. Weekends are also busier with local city-people taking weekend trips.
Whoa... a K-On screenshot!
Pretty much bang on there Allison with your tips. I’m on my last night of a four week trip to Japan so I’m probably watching this too late. I can’t believe how hot it was in the 2nd half of September. I would say avoid September too these days unless you’re flying into Sapporo. You’re dead right about how smart they dress. As a Kiwi I have felt under-dressed most of my holiday lol.
This is where ill but in with my 2 cents as somebody who walks 25K step a day sometimes into the mid 30K steps all while wearing converse... yes converse my feet never really hurt. It amazes me from the time at looking at comments of all people saying walking 10k steps is a lot for them and expect to walk a lot in Japan which naturally of coarse a county that is vert transit focused you would expect to walk a lot.
I also say that as somebody who will be there in less then 2 weeks and i fully expect to be walking a lot and walking uo a lot of stairs which i am very much also use to as i live in Montreal and were kind known for walking and having some of the deepest transit stations not in just north america but in all the world. So to me personally walking in japan will just be like why other day to me.
Suica on your phone only works for iPhone, I believe. I think they are making an app that will make it android compatible but it won’t be available until 2025
Thank you for sharing ❤
Thanks Allison, Erwin from Holland
I lived there 20 years ago for 9 months. Planning to visit again with my family next year. Wondering what has changed now.
English was none existent those days and I was able to survive with a bare minimum vocabulary, so in one hand I'm confident, but now I'm travelling with kids (which will be their first time in Japan) so I'm nervous on the other.
Agree and disagree with the first one. Just got back and yeah it was damn hot and humid, but it was really the only time of year we would been able to take the time to go to Japan. I would really rather go say in autumn but hot August Japan is better than no Japan.
I literally JUST canceled my trip to Tokyo because it’s unseasonably HOT🔥right now .
I felt like a maybe I was overreacting, but Tokyo is one of my bucket list places to visit .
I’m gonna totally Geek-Out when I’m there 🤓 I just don’t want it to be miserable 🤷🏻♂️…
Then I go to TH-cam and the first video I pick is yours, and the first thing you say is “ Avoid coming at the wrong time “ ‼️
YOU’RE FRIGGIN AWESOME 💋🫶🏻💋🫶🏻❗️❗️❗️
Stay Cool Allison and THANK YOU - you really made my day ‼️ ( cause I was sad ☹️ )
Hello Allison, very good video very helpful. I will be headed to Tokyo for the first time in my life May 2025. Super excited and find this and other of your videos so very helpful. Keep up the awesome job.
Thanks again for more of these helpful tips in Japan Allison I’ll be sure to keep this video in mind and make good notes of 👍👍👍👍👍👍
Well, if you want to climb up the Fuji Yama, which is only possible for tourists in the summer, then this is only the right time.
What delivery service do you recommend? Or do you have a video for this to foreign travellers?
6:30 I got burned on my return flight. Google Maps put me on an express train to the airport that was NOT express. We arrived two hours later than we expected. Thank God for Air Canada's incompetence boarding buying us time.
How was the air canada seats? I’ve considered taking a flight with them before but heard it’s not very comfortable
@@katemostreicherI flew Air Canada to Hong Kong and my 14 hour flight seat had no padding! I felt like I was sitting on metal with some cloth over it. The return flight was better because we were able to upgrade to Premium Economy. Good luck.
The JR Pass has been a bit too harshly called dead by a lot of TH-camrs. Sure, it's not as big of a value as it used to be but even just traveling TokyoKyoto with the usual stops like Hakone and Nara and throwing in bigger daytrips like Hiroshima or Niigata for example, and you quickly break even or save money. Not to mention, the convinience and freedom it offers. Like, on your way to Kyoto from Tokyo, just getting off in Nagoya on a whim for a couple of hours and take a later train. Impossible with pre-booked connections and dealing with purchasing new tickets whenever you wanna jump off of the beaten path gets annoying quickly. It's not the "save purchase" it used to be but it is still well priced and a deal in the right cases.
Love this video! Do you have any info on transporting luggage from city to city?
Arigatou gozaimasu. Great tips. Especially like the one about scheduling breaks/down time. ; )
In teamlab and shibuya sky, would it be ideal to buy days, weeks or months in advance?
Definitely weeks or even months if you have a specific time slot you want! I’d check how it is today to judge how far in advance you may want to reserve (weekends and holidays, definitely sooner)
Hi Allison, thank you for the great tips. I will be arriving in Japan a few days before Chinese New Year in January next year. As you have been living in Japan for quite some time, how is Japan during Chinese New Year in terms of crowds in tourist spots and Shinkansen? Is it considered a major holiday too in Japan (as in they get several days off), or just a one small holiday for people there? Thank you in advance!
Alison can you do a video on the best time to use the train? I’ll be flying in Nov 1st but staying in Yokosuka for the week and would like to travel not during rush hour.
I'm hoping to go again in February 2026.
Went last year end of March.
I agree to the right walking shoes.
I’ve lived here 8 months and I still am so embarrassed to say “すみません” to get a waiters attention. I know it’s not rude it’s just hard to change that perspective.
Did you know with the suica app on the phone, you charged a fee when you add funds from your credit card? Something people don't realize. Get the card 😊
I didn’t know that! I have a passmo card that I use, but heard the mobile version is popular. Interesting
Mobile Suica only works for iPhones, most Android phones don't work
Android won’t be able to until 2025 sometime.
Yeah I forgot to mention that this time 😂 I don’t get why it still doesn’t exist 😭
Thanks for all the tips❤️
These are great tips!
I was hoping to learn about a mistake, but these 19 mistakes I don't do, and first day always starts/ends with a concert (like every day) if I arrive at noon, then go to the hotel drop luggage and go to the venue. Why waste a day in Japan with doing nothing?
While there are some things you can avoid doing, don’t worry too much about it. You have a gaijen pass when you come to japan so as long as you arnt trying to cause trouble and as long as you are polite then you have no worries. Learn as you go and don’t worry about it just enjoy the adventure as you go.
Yes that’s most important! 🥰
How about a video on what you should do, all I ever see is the negative side. What makes a positive impression?
I was reading that the Suica app for Android won't work unless the phone is purchased in Japan
Some great tips again. And I saw Sumimasen 😆😃. BTW I had my Suica card from 2018 and It is still valid 😀
Which side of the train is the right vs left side please? Is that if you're facing in the direction of forward movement? Do all the seats face forward?
We just came back from Japan and truly! It was very humid and hot 🥵
Great Advice 👍
If you don’t mind me asking, what camera do you use for your vlogs?😊
Airports are 24/7 but as you said transport access to and from them is limited
Osaka airport in particular can very problematic as its on an island and taxis in Japan are notoriously expensive
be mindful that our voices carry, its best to dial down the volume especially in a public place
I'm going in December. This was beyond helpful! Like a master class in travel to Japan. Thank you. I tried to download the Suica card app to my 14Pro but its only in japanese?
So ove been debating what to do for ky trip in March. I arrive at 9.30pm and was wondering if i should stay the night in tokyo then travel or get a night bus to osaka\hiroshima ans then work my way back to Haneda 7\8 days later
Thanks for the info Allison! I'll be honest, coming from New Jersey and being used to some very, VERY small hotel rooms in NYC, I'm rather curious just how small the smaller Japanese rooms are by comparison. 😆
Again, thank you for the informative video. 👍
I will be over there on September 20th and the weather report shows Tokyo still being 90+.
Hi Allison, my name is Hans and I’m from England the U.K. 🇬🇧🏴 I love watching your videos of Japan. 🇯🇵 Your videos really do help me relax and chill out ☺️❤
Thanks ☀️ Sorry if this one isn’t too relaxing 😆
@@AllisoninTokyo oh it’s alright. ❤️😊. I didn’t mean all of your videos are relaxing but meant most of your videos are relaxing ❤️😊
@@AllisoninTokyo I still loved watching this video. It’s very informative and is well important that you do these videos ❤️😊
Any tips just in case you get sick and need to see a doctor but not hospital for emergency, like stomach flu or high fever