Advice for first timer to Japan
 

Hi, I will be traveling to Japan from ORD. Planning on going to Hilton Bay Disney after I land in Toyko, spending 1.5 days in Disney, then going to Kobe for business for a couple of days.
What is a good way to get from the airport (sorry, I don't know yet which airport in Tokyo) to the Hilton?
Also what advice would you give to an American visiting Japan for the first time? I've researched MiFi's. But a little unsure about anything else I need to know.
Thanks!
P.S. The only Japanese I know is Hello and Thank you. Also, I don't eat fish/seafood which I feel could be challenging.

Take the Limo bus

https://www.limousinebus.co.jp/en/platform_searches/index/2/83

I dislike fish and noodles. I usually survive on gyoza, beer (the two even for breakfast) and steak. In Tokyo at least there are a lot of "Italian" restaurants.

In Kobe, try real Kobe beef. Don't listen to people who say the stuff they serve for lunch at a fraction of the price is as good as Kobe. It isn't.

I've survived 3 trips to Japan. It's one of my favorite countries despite the fact that I really don't like the food. (And I'm a foodie)

There is plenty of non-seafood dishes to be found without any real preparation, especially in the big cities. That said, if your avoidance of seafood is absolute, then it can be tricky as ingredients from the sea can sneak into a lot of things.

I've never been to Disney in Tokyo so I can't advise specifically on that, but I have to expect that it will be very english and american friendly. It's pretty easy to get by in Tokyo with only english, a little trickier in the rest of the country, but should be manageable.

My biggest advice for first time visitors from America is to plan extra time getting from place to place, and to "relax". I was always used to having my guard way, way up when visiting a foreign country until I first visited Japan. On the first day of my first visit, I met a canadian guy that literally laughed at me for using a pickpocket-resistant wallet.

Have a good time! Learning a little more japanese will get you a long way with the locals...good morning, good afternoon, good evening, excuse me, "go ahead"/"you first", english, I understand, yes, no...It seems like the standing expectation for the behavior of foreigners is so low that a little attempt at politeness impresses.

speaking of politeness, all the rules of etiquette are too much to cover in brief, but if you just pay attention to how your actions are impacting the people around you, and you try to blend in, you'll do well enough.

Thanks everyone for the replies so far! I'm really looking forward to my trip!

It won't be challenging at all. Lots of amazing Japanese food that doesn't come from the sea - Ramen (noodles, normally in pork and/or chicken broths, and usually topped with pork), Beef rice bowl, yakitori (grilled meat skewers, primarily chicken and pork), yakiniku and shabu shabu (grilled and steamboat respectively, primarily beef), tonkatsu (breaded deep fried pork cutlet on rice), etc etc ...

... unless you have seafood allergies. That might be a bit tricky.

Try this in Kindle e-book format:

https://www.amazon.com/Dictionary-Co...Cheap+in+Japan

Or, see if you can find a used copy of the book Eating Cheap in Japan, which was my food guide when I first went there. It contains photos of the various foods, and since there are no prices listed, the information is still good.

Thanks ksandness! That book looks perfect and I've ordered it. I used a similar book for France, so this will be extremely helpful.

And I don't have seafood allergies. Just strong aversion to the taste. So thanks to all for putting my mind (and tastebuds) at ease.

If you look on the third page of posts, I posted a lot of tips from our recent trip - they may be helpful. Top 3: get a pocket wifi, buy stuff for in-room picnic "breakfast" for when you are awake at 3am, use 7-11 cash machines with US ATM card.

Absolutely no issues with finding food - plenty of non-fish options are available, but also plenty of non-Japanese restaurants in Tokyo (we had good Thai, Indian and Italian).

Have a great trip!

Thanks for the write-up. That tip about get 49,000 yen is good and I wouldn't have thought about that.

We arrived at Kansai with no Yen in our wallet and headed to the Japan Post ATM on the 2nd(?)floor - the ATM has English directions. I took out Y50,000 and the spent about Y450 at the neighboring Family Mart on drinks. They didn't bat an eyelid when I proffered the Y10,000 note. The 7-11 ATMS also are great and really easy to use - Due to the maximum Y50,000 withdrawal limit, the ATM costs start mounting up. I bank with USA bank and it cost around $15 in fees to use their card in both the Japan Post and 7-11 ATM. I did find credit cards were more accepted than in previous visits, but check first! Exchange rates for my Chase issued card were the same as the exchange rate on the Currency XE converter. Have a great trip!

Get a Schwab card.

Yes, I second the advice about using ATMs at 7-11s. Most ATMs in Japan won't take foreign cards, the ATMs at the 7-11s and the Japan Post ATMs (often found in post offices) will. Other than that, airports and major train stations are a good bet for foreign-friendly ATMs.

Try to visit Kyoto, or at least Nikko! You can find a different side of Japan there...

Sadly my time in Japan is limited as I have to be in Shanghai later that week.