5 Japan Travel Tips you MUST Know in 2024! | That Only a Japanese Guy Can Teach You
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 28 มิ.ย. 2024
- Rent your own wifi and stay connected during your Japan trip here on Sakura mobile!
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Since so many of you loved my 5 Things You NEED to Know Before Coming to Japan video, I decided to make a part two!
The borders to Japan finally opened late last year so I’m sure many of you are thinking of visiting Japan.
So I’ll share part two of my SPECIAL list of 5 things you need to know before you come to Japan - all TOTALLY useful … trust me.
From the constant questions of tattoos and onsens, to reading the air - there’s still so much you don’t know about Japan yet!
00:00 Intro
00:39 Tattoos and Onsens
01:56 Choosing the Right Time
03:52 Renting a Car
06:03 Sakura Mobile WiFi
06:54 Typhoons, Rainy Season and Earthquakes
08:43 Reading the Air
Watch part one here! • 5 Things You NEED to K...
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Editor: Barry Chen
Hey guys! I hope you enjoyed the second part of my Top 5 things you need to know before coming to Japan!
If you want to get your pocket wifi or sim card, check the link here!
www.sakuramobile.jp/ryotarosjapan-top
Really good and informative video! The voice audio could be better though (microphone). No hate, just a suggestion!
Can you please share the link of the part 1?
Do most things have a Japanese/English info?
Earthquake season starts in January and generally extends to December.
That is damn correct.
Generally they will occur btween 2am to 4am just to check if you are asleep or not...lol...😜
@@christopheryoung3850 The two major earthquakes I've experienced were in that window, but earthquakes are not supposed to be effected by time. ☺
I have been unlucky to feel no earthquake in past year. There was often a little shake in Tokyo while I was in appartment, but checking for them online, there was none recorded. I do not know whether a passing truck was causing it or specific train setup on train bridge, but that was 150m away!
@@mhx47 Unlucky?
I felt a 5.1 yesterday, and a 3.1 last week.
"Planning to come to Japan in summer? DON'T!"
Words to live by. I've had to go twice in the summertime due to some events happening in Okinawa with my martial arts association and it was awful. Just incredibly hot and humid, and to make matters worse, everything is crowded and expensive in the summertime. Even the northern prefectures are only mildly less uncomfortable. Unless there is a specific event you want to see that only happens in the summer (like some of the festivals), go at literally any other time of year.
I loved the heat!
No worst than any other part of Asia during summer
if u think summer in Japan is bad, pls dont go to Thailand and Singapore (im from Singapore)
I had a month in Guam to prepare, so it wasn't too bad, but if you're coming from a cooler climate, get ready. If you're from the Southern US, you're ready.
I first visited Japan in the summer, and then in subsequent years lived in Japan across two summers. The humidity is crazy, but I enjoy the heat.
My main concern is the crowds and my ability to enjoy the atmosphere. I can have that experience whatever the season as long as it’s not raining! 😆
Pocket wi-fi is a must, I'd say. Seriously, save yourself some major stress by being able to consult google maps at any time. Can't imagine traveling japan without it.
Wow! Can't wait to do a full roadtrip across Japan once it's 2115!
maybe if america had 100 dollar tolls wed have public transportation
@@pebkac1245 idk about the US. in UK motorways are free, however you must pay tax on your vehicle each year, and part of that tax goes towards road maintenance
@@UnimportantAcc so in the us, you have to register your car yearly, which is a state tax. there are also tollways that are under 5 dollars per toll, but youll probably go through 5-10 to get anywhere. also all of this is supposed to go back into the roads or dmv or secretary of state, but instead disappears into politicians pockets.
@@pebkac1245 I see, I suppose that's not too bad of a toll tbh.
Don't worry, I'm very sure about 98% of all the taxes we pay here disappear into politicians pockets too, road tax being no exception!
@@UnimportantAcc lol car tax hasn't gone towards the roads for years now, people have tried to get it ring fenced but have failed. It's Vehicle Excise Duty which has nothing to do with the roads.
I did use Sakura in January(2023) and my card was waiting for me right after coming out in Kansai International, it was hard to find the store, because it did not have any large "Sakura Mobile" signs... it was where the map instructed, mind you, but so small and subdued compared to other stores in the airport, you would easily miss it... that said, staff was wonderful, everything was ready, they helped me install the sim and configure, I walked out of the airport with my cell phone with a Japanese sim, phone number and internet package. So... I'll second the recomendation.
So glad your back, Chris needs to go
Chris can’t read the air
You're
@@alexanderstefanov6474 thanks, ur an ass doe
You’re* 👌
+1 on not coming during summer. Even a guy from Southeast Asia like me would complain about the intense heat coupled with high humidity levels. I remember visiting during August, and fell a sigh of relief when I arrived back in Manila and felt the "cool" winds
I visited in June 2019. Our first full day in Japan was 1st June and we were there for 10 days. We got lucky and only had two days of rain, one while in Kyoto and then our last day in Tokyo before flying home. The heat on the others days however, was crazy! Especially in Kyoto. It seemed to be bearable in Tokyo and Osaka but for some reason it was just crazy in Kyoto!
For anyone wanting to visiting in Summer, do not underestimate the heat!
Great tips i hope to visit one day, Chris should be well aware of the English phrase "Read the Room" same meaning as "Read the Air"
Went to Beppu in May and visited Hyotan. They allow you in with tattoos.
We also rented a car while we were there and explored more of Kyushu. It was my favourite part of our trip and am planning to go back again.
Great to see you back again Ryotaro 👏
I’ll be visiting for the first time in November.
I chose then as I wanted to spend my birthday in Japan.
Just so happens ClariS(one of my absolute favorite groups). Are having a show on my birthday and somehow I won the ticket lottery to go see them.
I’m beyond excited to finally see your country and can’t wait to get there.
Thanks Ryotaro!
I went in March it was beautiful, we loved japan so much we are going again next March!!
Concerning the onsen and tattoos issue, i did a month-long trip in 2019 from Tokyo to Nagasaki (mostly by motorcycle) and was refused only twice. Once in an upscale onsen in Hida-Takayama, and the other at a Sento in Osaka (apparently tattoo prohibition is by law there).
Otherwise i was always allowed in, even at the famous Dogo onsen. I have several tattoos on both arms and shoulders but the most heard comment was ‘you are a foreigner so don’t worry’.
Also, i went in October, which many people agree is the best time of the year to visit.
I appreciate the sakuramobile link! Visiting in november and most list i've found are older and didn't include this. Unlimited data is great!
Thanks for the Sakura Mobile tip!
I'm so glad to see u again ryotaro San..
Presentation and edit is the best so far.
Absolutely very useful. Ty very much!!
Got my trip booked for 2115. Can't wait!
Yay! It’s the better half of abroad in japan!
I think that summer tip would be. If you feel too hot in Tokyo. Take the train to Sapporo as it is at the height of Oslo, Stockholm, and Helsinki in Europe. This means its temps are much better if you can't handle Tokyo temps.
Awesome video!
Lol I really love your videos, you make me laugh in a good way lol
i think I got amused more than I should xD but this is very informative 🙏
Wow, a sponsorship that's actually useful and relevant!
I have tattoos that are scattered, i have one on each arm, my collar bone, spine, ribs, and thigh so i was really worried about being able to use the onsens but I honestly never had a problem! The Ryokan that I stayed in had private onsens, but they didnt mind tattoos in the public one I was just too chicken to be naked in front of strangers ar that point. The one that shocked me the most with being OK with tattoos was when I stayed at Ekoin in Koyasan since its the 1000 year old Buddhist temple, but they were totally fine and didnt care about the tattoos at all! I was happy to be able to use the public onsen there. My boyfriend had one of the Munks join in the male onsen, which was pretty cool for him as the Monk and him talked for a while!
I was there from end of Feb - end of March and was sooooo happy to see all the cherry blossoms and all the other beautiful blossoms that come out around then! I want to go see the leaves change in the fall next!
Much love from Arizona 💜💜
Summer brings lots of firework festivals though. And just festivals in general. During these events, you'll see lots of kimonos and yukatas. It's the best way to see traditional Japanese wear on the streets. And the mountains and forests are at its lushest and greenest and just so full of life (but that also means lots of bugs, so that's the con). Hiking around in temples mean that you'll hear cicadas and birds... Also, I find that a lot of Japanese and westerners are sensitive and complain a lot about the heat. If you're south east asian or from a tropical country, going to Japan during summer is fine. Trains and buses have AC. I've had worse summer in other countries.
Agreed. I'm American, but I hate being cold so I don't mind hot weather. I was there July through September and it was hot, but not unbearable. I saw fireworks, went to multiple festivals, went to a water park, went to a beautiful beach and swam among other things.
Totally agree with you. As long as you are equipped with those ice scarfs and ice forehead plaster sold at convenience stores, you will enjoy festivals happening all over Japan, including lots of fireworks such as Nebuta in Aomori and Kanto in Akita.
In the states " read the air" is " read the room" so the two sayings are very close!
Going next week, thanks !!
We went this year during tsuyu and it was actually lovely. It was relatively mild in the Tokyo/Southern Tohoku region. The rain we encountered was mostly a consistent, light drizzle rather than full on soaking rain. We handled it easily with a raincoat and umbrella. Nikko and the mountains were beautiful. We did keep an open schedule though so we could retreat to Hokkaido if it ended up getting too wet though.
With the JR Pass I found the convenience to a bigger selling point than the actual savings. I could just get on or off most trains without having to buy a separate ticket, all I had to do was check whether a train needed a reservation or not. Of course that was when the Pass still cost ~47k yen for two weeks, with the new prices I think I'd rather just stick with buying separate tickets and relying on the Suica Card.
The convenience of the pass was helpful and timesaving in regards to singe tickets, especially now it's an actual ticket rather than having to find the gate attendent to show the pass to let you through. On the other hand it means you have to be very careful to keep it in good condition when using it so it doesn't risk getting caught in the machines after so many uses.
Does feel rather overkill that the pass is getting such a huge price increase, and I'd second the Suica or other IC card idea to keep the convenience aspect if you skip on it. Even before the price increase though, it was better to get a rough idea of how many trains you'd likely be using to see whether the pass was worth the price. If you plan on getting quite a few bullet trains to see many places, the pass quickly pays for itself.
iC cards solve this
I'd rather have to change a few times than having to take care of s piece of paper for a week or two
Thanks Ryotaro, going back to Japan for the 6th time next year, I'll use some of these tips I srill haven't tried
I visited a fair few years ago when three typhoons converged on Japan at the same time and...yeah. It certainly was an experience seeing how terrible a typhoon is up close.
My first trip to Japan was timed just right for the Sakura in Tokyo. It was great. On the second trip we had to go thru a typhoon.
That was great Ryotaru. Thank you
Our guy is active!
Informational and still entertaining
I agree with most of the tips. Having said that, I love summer in Japan. In fact, it’s my favorite season. Summer festivals are something that you can’t experience anywhere else in the world. Also go and watch a ball game! The energy will give you a new perspective to life. And in terms of reading the air, don’t get too caught upon it. Japanese people are kind and relaxed enough to understand where you’re coming from. I personally wouldn’t think that Chris screwed up somehow. The best thing about Japan is that the Japanese simply want you to feel relaxed and be welcomed. Not buying it? Understandable, but just experience it. I guarantee that you’ll be amazed.
thank you!!
Very helpful. If I run into you in Tokyo in November I'll buy you a beer.
I‘m from Germany and we also have a ”Cherry-Blossom-Forecast“ in Upper Frankonia, a region with a long tradition of 🍒 cultivation and cherry-blossom-tourism. Love from Germany and thank you so much for your wonderful videos and traveling tips! 🍒♥️😁
I love you content. I feel sad you weren't at the abroad and Japan meetup last winter would've loved to meet you 😢
went to japan for the first time this spring. didnt have any issues with my tattoo in onsens.
9:41 A timeless timepiece if I say so myself!
Ryotaro you have your own channel!!!!!! Wow man I thought your just chrises friend and you just joined him in his adventures..... But good to see you do your own thing man.. well done 😂😂😂
Ryotaro saving my plans once again 🙏
After living in Japan for almost five years and travelling there several other times, I finally discovered the business that delivers your luggage to your accommodation. I told my Japanese friends about our discovery and they were surprised that we didn't know. Please make a video on this to help tourists and people moving to Japan.
What’s it called??
@@1Godspeed_45 Yamato Transport. They have a website in English.
@@1Godspeed_45 Try searching yamato transport Convenient Leisure Services
Yamato Transport@@1Godspeed_45
@@1Godspeed_45 I always use it when I'm in Japan. Pretty sure it's called "Takuhaibin"
As an Aussie I'll be there in Winter which will be fascinating for me but I'll handle summer no worries. Far north Queensland runs 300% humidity in the wet season and they get 150mm of rain a day. I'll spend a week in Hokkaido on your recommendation Ryotaro.
It’s worth noting there is also a discount Road toll pass available in different regions for foreigners (like the JR pass for trains). For example in Tohoku Google Tohoku Expressway pass 👍
When I went to Japan back in 2019 I went in mid-October. I thought I'd be able to avoid heavy tourist season and it would be out of typhoon season. So, what happened? Worst typhoon in Japan's history. Aimed right at my hotel. It was an experience to say the least. That trip was still the best time of my life.
Noted! Don't be like Chris - and you will be fine in Japan. :-)
Thanks for the informative video. Only wished i had known sooner!
I’m going to visit Tokyo, Ishigaki, Hiroshima and Naha eight weeks from now. Thanks for reminding me of buying some face masks for the trip. 👍
Thank you for the tips, a lot of youtubers on Japan are saying hiring a car is a big no no. I think one can get around a lot faster with a car.
Kyoto 'politeness' is next level lol
Hahaha the watch thing is SO Chris 😆
The temperature has peaked at 42 degrees the last two days here in Iwate, and it has been moderately humid. At this temperature, a 5 minute walk to the grocery store is uncomfortable. That said, all the summer festivals seem to be going on next week - fireworks, parades, and food. I guess it depends what you want to see, and what you want to do.
My advice to travelers: Go during a time when Japanese people aren't traveling in droves (there are a few times a year when it seems like everyone in Japan is traveling), and the cherry blossoms, while nice, are overrated. Avoid Golden Week, New Years, and late August/bon odori season.
Around Halloween time was fun in Tokyo!
Nuh JR pass is the best option AND can become free if you use the sleeper trains for accommodation
Nice work sir 😀👍
I'm looking forward to my trip in September/October.
I'm glad my name isn't Chris, imagine how awkward that would be. 😉
I wont be surprise if when mr affable goes live people will spam the chat with " read the air " or " nice watch you got there chris " 😅😅😅 its the ryotaro effect hahahha
That 40 degree Celsius edit looks like it was done by Chris out of spite 😂 👏
autumn is still the best season.....
I'm going to Japan tomorrow and the weather forecast doesn't seem promising haha, hope I'll be able to survive!
MY HERO.
Legit heard the expressway becoming free and got hard…just as a side note the toll price changes so traveling late at night or early hours in the morning can be cheaper however truck drivers can be crazy MFs at times. I also personally enjoy taking the ferry, if you’ve got some time to spare it’s a good way to travel between two major destinations and catch a nights sleep. I believe currently you can get a ‘ferry pass’ for only $200-300 which gets you 7 trips which may be useful for some longer stays.
Notification Squad
Thanks for these info, they'll be usefull °w° I'll come to Japan in late September, for two years, to enroll at Kyushu Institute of Technology for my master's degree. I'm a bit sad for the trais' price increase, it will be more difficult to travel during my week-ends or during the week breaks between two quarters of lessons and exams. At least there is still the airplane, which is less expensive and faster, to arrive at Tokyo or northern areas. But to visit southern cities or nearer cities like Osaka, Kyoto, Hiroshima etc., it will be a big pain. I'll need to wait for some price occasion, or go with lower prices (but slower) trains.
lol when you said "INNIT"
I know that March ish (spring) and around October (autumn) are best, but I may try to go in June 2024 and turn 30 on holiday.
I will not rent a car in a country driving on the left, after not having driven for years on the right side of the road... 😵💫
And I will make the route between Osaka-Tokyo 2 times, sooo yes, I will buy the JR Pass, and luckily for the old prices..
Looking forward to the autumn coloures!
Thank you!😊
Driving long distance isn't recommended because those toll fees rack up massively and the expressway is quite slow. If you really want to explore off the beaten path, take the shinkansen and then rent a car near there, don't do what I did and rent a car in Tokyo and drive up to Gunma and then back down to Tokyo.
I also want to make it clear that getting the Japan Rail Pass is not a requirement to use the shinkansen, and the proposed price hike just means it's better to use public transport the same as the rest of Japan, which also means you're more likely to use non-JR railways, some of which offer incredible views you can't get by car at a fraction of the price.
As for mobile sim cards, if you have a phone with eSIM support, you can get ones like Ubigi where you can get a single payment data plan set up before you even arrive in Japan without needing to rent a pocket WiFi or spend ages finding and then queuing at the airport kiosk.
I always believe in reading the air. I think everyone should do it.
R.I.P. Chris. 😂
When are you going to do more videos of you being mean to @Abroadinjapan?
Quick note : If you rent a car, the process is fairly easy, however, you may be required to provide an official japanese translation of your international/country's drivers license. I had that surprise and rushed to the swiss embassy to get said translation. Not too expensive and fairly quick to get (within 48h, at least for the swiss embassy who kindly provided it for me within 24h since I was leaving the next day...). Not sure if all rental companies are asking for this but, just in case, be prepared.
When I road tripped across southern Japan with a rental car, and I went to return the rental. The tolls in total costed me about 300,000 yen.
tattoos and onsens, even with tattoos I'd want to book a private one because it would be less awkward and more enjoyable for me.
I wanted to get tattoo… but not sure how it would be… maybe try to cover it up as you mentioned
About the tattoos: I have a small heart tattoo on my shoulder. When we were in Japan it was often not a problem. All I had to do was wear a pavement over the tattoo and then I was always allowed to go to the onsens.
Off to get some air glasses
Damn im there this year frommend auf august till mid september. But no other travel time allows to climb up fuji. So i hope the temperatures will be fine somehow.
i got the earthquake alert on my second last night around 3 am. i didnt realize its not my alarm to wake up so turned it off and slept for the next 4 hours.
Greetings, thank you for your recommendations… My wife and I are both seniors who have traveled a lot in europe… We are thinking about taking a 12 day tour of Japan; however, our only opportunity will be June 22-July 5, 2024…Should we blow this trip off because it is the rainy season?
Legend 👌
Soon visit Japan 🇯🇵 ❤ love from Pakistan 🇵🇰
Oh, that "Watch"-thing is Kyoto very strongly and appointed...
Glad I'm getting there under the wire before the JR Pass price hike kicks in - I don't think I'll be free in 2115 to realize the cost savings.
Mate, I'm planning a trip in the second half of October, mostly the last week. Is it a good time to visit, you know weather wise?
"Planning to come to Japan in summer? DON'T."
But Comiket is in Summer! There's no getting around that!
...What, winter Comiket? Everything is closed after New Year, so that's a no-go.
geiger counter∶here we go
editing cracked me up as usual
Also, only rent a car if your really confident in adapting to the road rules here. Driving on the opposite side if you’re from the west, small narrow roads and a bunch more things..
It’s definitely not for everyone.
Renting a car in Japan is tricky. Japan only accepts IDP (international driving permit) from countries of Geneva convention signatories but not Vienna convention signatories. I really hope there's a solution about this matter. I need a road trip in Japan before I die. 😂 FYI, Vienna IDP is acknowledged in EU, UK, and USA.
Probably will do my 6th trip late this year or early next ( January or something ) because I need to save up for business class. I am getting to old to be squeezed in economy. And indeed stay away in the summer. I was sweating my balls off in late may / early June.
Consider flying Premium-Economy. It's more affordable than business class, but offers more space and amenities than economy.
Also, I personally recommend flying Japan's carriers (ANA/JAL) over just about anyone else. The service is top notch.
6th time?!? Wow what do you do for a living?
oh I was just rewatching Neon Genesis Evangelion and saw that your intro is just like one of the production company intros. Toei it seems?
Which mouth in autumn do you recommend? I would love to come to Japan soon ❤
September is still essentially summer (may not be the case for higher north and at altitude)
October is overall the best, but there's still some potential for typhoon, especially in the first half. Rare even then, but one of their most recent bad ones was Oct ~12 or so. West side gets hit a lot more often / a lot worse than Tokyo and up.
November is a bit chillier and the daylight starts to get too short IMO, but I consider it very safe in terms of weather
Fall leaves will be based on many factors but overall late October to late November or so seems prime. The timeline for them is much more lenient than sakura, but most of the prime spots are farther out of the cities with relatively little lodging nearby for the influx.
I'm starting to think maybe it is Ryotaro who is the bully and not Chris. Nah, it's definitely Chris.
O feel like japan dont have clue we have same weather, we surprise surprise have spring, summer, autumn and winter...like yea and you can see all those colorful leafs, visit czech republic, we have it too :D
back up a second...Gacha rent a car?? Where!? How!?
Also I was planning on going in June/July time....the heat should be fun!
Am I a British guy holidaying in Japan right now? Yes 😅. But it was the only time of year I could get here that would fit with work.
I’m just getting to the outdoor cultural stuff early in the morning and hitting museums and restaurants around the middle of the day. (Also please moan at Chris since his audiobook has been delayed until well after I get back home!)
have fun in japan