Hints for first time visitors to Japan
Aug 10, 2021, 9:16 pm
#211
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Aug 11, 2021, 10:20 am
#212
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: LAX
Programs: UA-˝K
Posts: 153
I am a little surprised at some of the chain restaurants on this list. Denny's isn't that common in Tokyo? Saizeriya may have a few less outlets than Denny's. It's a fun list for those who like slice of life anime featuring high school. I kept seeing the Soup Stock store underground near larger subway exits and First Kitchens which seem more ubiquitous and budget friendly.
Possibly the issue is with places like these located on the 2nd or 3rd floor of some nondescript building off the street where the only clue is a sign in one of the windows.. In some cases, it's not obvious (to a foreigner) which small entrance to squeeze through to get to the restaurant?
Another type of place I forgot to mention are the fantastic bread stores. Each item is reasonably cheap enough, but it will add up quickly. Lots of places have English/Japanese signs describing the item, but if no English, be prepared to play roulette with your random purchase. In most cases you'll win.
Other anecdotes: any place that seems popular or crowded usually is so for a reason. Either convenient, trendy, fast, cheap, or good. Japanese are price-conscious like everyone else, but they are much more likely to spend money to get a good quality meal. Speaking of queues: When eating and there's a line out the door - eat and get out. Don't hog the table and sit and chat after the food is done, or you will be the topic of conversation among the people in the queue and the restaurant. Other things: Conversations in restaurants tend to be quiet. Don't be loud. Good price can also be had for the daily recommendation, or おすすめ. Most restaurants will have this in the menu and in a sign out front with the price displayed. Typically it is in Japanese though.
Lots of places bring the bill with the last food item delivered to the table. If you want to pick up the check, this is where you can do it - as the bill is offered/placed on the table after the last dish goes down. Once you have it, take it to the register in the front of the restaurant and pay there when you leave. No tipping of course.
If staying for a few weeks, it may be worthwhile to get a SUICA card. You can get one at any JR station in the Tokyo area (other metropolitan areas have cards with different names). These are useful for not only holding train fare, but everyday purchases can be made using this card too - just look for the penguin logo or the SUICA logo that looks sorta like a greenish version of the MasterCard logo. These are cash balance cards and you can recharge them at the station or convenience store with cash.
If you have an iPhone, you can add an electronic SUICA card directly on it (see Internet for guides on how to do this). Bonus with this is if you have a credit card in Apple Pay that has no foreign transaction fees, you can recharge the SUICA with the credit card directly on your phone. This is the only way I know of to do a CC recharge without having a co-branded Japanese CC. It saves a ton of time getting local currency and makes what currency you have last a lot longer. Lots of places take this: public transport, lots of stores, many restaurants. If in doubt, look for the logo or card reader at a register. Otherwise remember cash is still king in Japan, and most family owned places are typically cash-only.
Aug 29, 2021, 1:27 pm
#213
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Aug 30, 2021, 6:01 pm
#214
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Sep 3, 2021, 9:04 pm
#215
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Kobe, Japan
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Really nice lunch sets are usually Ą1,000-Ą2,000 (tax included and no tip). Of course, the quantities are not what overfed Americans might expect (1,000kal rather than 3,000kal).
For cheap sushi/sashimi, supermarkets after 7pm are usually marking things down 20-50%. They get snapped up fast though.
Sep 7, 2021, 8:47 am
#216
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: LAX
Programs: UA-˝K
Posts: 153
That it is. It also reminds me of how old ladies are over there. Going into a crowded supermarket, you'll see these very small old ladies with canes shuffling along at a much slower than normal pace as the crowd flows around them. Whenever one of these markdowns occur, they are the fastest ones there, somehow always ahead of you and grabbing the best of the leftovers. Even more odd, is you never actually see them moving from one place to another - they are JUST THERE.
Oct 18, 2022, 4:27 pm
#217
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Join Date: Jul 2022
Posts: 39
For all practical purposes, Pasmo and Suica are the same in the greater Tokyo area, but Suica is valid in more parts of Japan. (The list has expanded a lot in the past couple of years.) Having a card eliminates the guesswork in transit fares, because the fare is automatically deducted as you swipe the card going onto and leaving the platform.
I'm of the opinion that first-time visitors to Japan should not fly domestically unless they have to cover huge distances in a short time. High-speed rail is one of the quintessential Japanese experiences, and it gives you a glimpse of what Japan looks like between major cities. Even landing in Tokyo one afternoon and making a noon-time meeting in Hiroshima the next day is no problem on the Shinkansen, even if you have a JR Pass, can't ride the Nozomi, and have to change trains at Shin-Osaka.
Japan is quite affordable if you don't need a luxury hotel and gourmet meals. Stay in business hotels in the cities (US$100 or less, as little as US$50 in the smaller cities, for a bare-bones single, sometimes with breakfast) and minshuku (low-cost ryokan-style rooms in family homes) in the country. Eat in the countless mom-and-pop, hole-in-the-wall restaurants that line the streets of every city.
Yes, you can drink the tap water.
That yellowish-tan liquid that some restaurants will serve you in the summer is iced mugi-cha, or barley tea. It's kind of bitter but refreshing if you can develop a taste for it.
Don't order coffee or black tea in a restaurant unless it's specifically advertised as part of the meal. It will cost you. For a quick caffeine pick-me-up, go to a fast food outlet, a real coffee shop, or a vending machine (hot canned coffee in the winter, cold canned coffee in the summer).
If you go sightseeing in the winter, wear thick socks. You have to take your shoes off to visit temples, and you will be sorry if you do this while wearing thin socks.
Nowadays, washrooms in the cities usually offer a choice between Asian-style and Western-style toilets, but small towns and minshuku or ryokan may have only the Asian style. Fortunately, the aging of Japan's population has prompted the installation of handrails in the Asian-style stalls, so that Western visitors who have not perfected their deep knee bend techniques can do what needs to be done without falling over.
However, it is rare to find a washroom that has hot water AND soap AND paper towels. Carrying moist wipes (wetto tisshuu) or hand sanitizer is a good idea.
Above all, if you land at NRT, do NOT take a cab to the central city unless you do not flinch at the price of a 5-star hotel room. The airport is 60km (40 miles) out of town. Take one of the rail options or, if one goes to or near your hotel, the Limousine Bus, for US$30 max.
The luggage-forwarding service is one of my favorite things about Japan.
Japan is only about the size of California. You can take easy day trips from both Tokyo and Kyoto, so you can go several days without changing hotels. Osaka, Kyoto, Nara, and Kobe are all within day trip distance of one another (e.g. Nara is 30 minutes from Kyoto), and you can range even farther afield. I once took a group of students on a day trip to Hida-Takayama from Kyoto.
Read up on Japanese culture and history before you go. Otherwise, all the shrines, temples, and castles will look alike. See if you can find a copy of Gateway to Japan. Its descriptions of hotels and restaurants and prices in general are ridiculously out of date, but no book that I know of provides a better overview of things like who all those Buddhist statues are or why the Tokugawas are important historical figures.
I'm of the opinion that first-time visitors to Japan should not fly domestically unless they have to cover huge distances in a short time. High-speed rail is one of the quintessential Japanese experiences, and it gives you a glimpse of what Japan looks like between major cities. Even landing in Tokyo one afternoon and making a noon-time meeting in Hiroshima the next day is no problem on the Shinkansen, even if you have a JR Pass, can't ride the Nozomi, and have to change trains at Shin-Osaka.
Japan is quite affordable if you don't need a luxury hotel and gourmet meals. Stay in business hotels in the cities (US$100 or less, as little as US$50 in the smaller cities, for a bare-bones single, sometimes with breakfast) and minshuku (low-cost ryokan-style rooms in family homes) in the country. Eat in the countless mom-and-pop, hole-in-the-wall restaurants that line the streets of every city.
Yes, you can drink the tap water.
That yellowish-tan liquid that some restaurants will serve you in the summer is iced mugi-cha, or barley tea. It's kind of bitter but refreshing if you can develop a taste for it.
Don't order coffee or black tea in a restaurant unless it's specifically advertised as part of the meal. It will cost you. For a quick caffeine pick-me-up, go to a fast food outlet, a real coffee shop, or a vending machine (hot canned coffee in the winter, cold canned coffee in the summer).
If you go sightseeing in the winter, wear thick socks. You have to take your shoes off to visit temples, and you will be sorry if you do this while wearing thin socks.
Nowadays, washrooms in the cities usually offer a choice between Asian-style and Western-style toilets, but small towns and minshuku or ryokan may have only the Asian style. Fortunately, the aging of Japan's population has prompted the installation of handrails in the Asian-style stalls, so that Western visitors who have not perfected their deep knee bend techniques can do what needs to be done without falling over.
However, it is rare to find a washroom that has hot water AND soap AND paper towels. Carrying moist wipes (wetto tisshuu) or hand sanitizer is a good idea.
Above all, if you land at NRT, do NOT take a cab to the central city unless you do not flinch at the price of a 5-star hotel room. The airport is 60km (40 miles) out of town. Take one of the rail options or, if one goes to or near your hotel, the Limousine Bus, for US$30 max.
The luggage-forwarding service is one of my favorite things about Japan.
Japan is only about the size of California. You can take easy day trips from both Tokyo and Kyoto, so you can go several days without changing hotels. Osaka, Kyoto, Nara, and Kobe are all within day trip distance of one another (e.g. Nara is 30 minutes from Kyoto), and you can range even farther afield. I once took a group of students on a day trip to Hida-Takayama from Kyoto.
Read up on Japanese culture and history before you go. Otherwise, all the shrines, temples, and castles will look alike. See if you can find a copy of Gateway to Japan. Its descriptions of hotels and restaurants and prices in general are ridiculously out of date, but no book that I know of provides a better overview of things like who all those Buddhist statues are or why the Tokugawas are important historical figures.
Oct 19, 2022, 3:16 am
#218
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: bay area, ca
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Not a first time visitor but surprised at more acceptance of credit cards. Daiso IIRC was a die hard cash only place but now takes a variety of digital payments (altho the price has gone up from 100 to 110 yen). Although the dollar is very strong I've found that prices on some food items have increased dramatically (compared to pre-covid) but not all. Pasmo cards still have to be topped up with cash.
Oct 25, 2022, 10:02 pm
#220
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: bay area, ca
Programs: UA plat, , aa plat, marriott LT titanium
Posts: 4,833
This may have been said before but 2 differences that surprised me
1) hard to find anti-perspirant/deodorant - apparently Japanese don't have the same odor glands so there isn't much need/demand
2) another hard to find - artifical sweetner - no hotels or restaurants have it IME - may be able to purchase in store but hotel desk wasn't sure.
1) hard to find anti-perspirant/deodorant - apparently Japanese don't have the same odor glands so there isn't much need/demand
2) another hard to find - artifical sweetner - no hotels or restaurants have it IME - may be able to purchase in store but hotel desk wasn't sure.
Oct 25, 2022, 10:54 pm
#221
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Perth, Australia
Programs: Hilton Diamond, QFF WP, Velocity Gold
Posts: 647
This may have been said before but 2 differences that surprised me
1) hard to find anti-perspirant/deodorant - apparently Japanese don't have the same odor glands so there isn't much need/demand
2) another hard to find - artifical sweetner - no hotels or restaurants have it IME - may be able to purchase in store but hotel desk wasn't sure.
1) hard to find anti-perspirant/deodorant - apparently Japanese don't have the same odor glands so there isn't much need/demand
2) another hard to find - artifical sweetner - no hotels or restaurants have it IME - may be able to purchase in store but hotel desk wasn't sure.
Don't be fooled, the train commute on the way home after work is filled with BO pleasantries.
Re:2, that's a good point. I don't see much around, however you can buy stuff like https://www.ajinomoto.co.jp/lcr/lineup/pal/ at supermarkets. The Japanese I know prefer no artificial sweeteners...
Oct 26, 2022, 2:39 am
#222
Join Date: Dec 2000
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Posts: 4,833
Re:1, roll on is the preferred deodorant - e.g. this is popular and odourless https://www.amazon.co.jp/%E3%83%87%E.../dp/B000RLWF7S
Don't be fooled, the train commute on the way home after work is filled with BO pleasantries.
Re:2, that's a good point. I don't see much around, however you can buy stuff like https://www.ajinomoto.co.jp/lcr/lineup/pal/ at supermarkets. The Japanese I know prefer no artificial sweeteners...
Don't be fooled, the train commute on the way home after work is filled with BO pleasantries.
Re:2, that's a good point. I don't see much around, however you can buy stuff like https://www.ajinomoto.co.jp/lcr/lineup/pal/ at supermarkets. The Japanese I know prefer no artificial sweeteners...
Oct 27, 2022, 6:58 pm
#223
Join Date: Mar 2015
Posts: 483
I spent a lot of time trying to find anti-perspirant on my last visit (b/c I forgot to pack it) and they kept showing me cleaning wipes and stuff like that and seemed very puzzled when I used google translate to ask for it - there were very expensive imported brands in a few stores. When I looked it up that was the explanation I found -
https://www.amazon.co.jp/-/en/Premiu.../dp/B0845GVBBL
Oct 31, 2022, 2:03 pm
#225
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: SEA
Posts: 311
Can we buy SUICA/IC or any transit card from the machine using a US-issued credit card? Or do we have to use a debit card? We are leaving in 3 days - and we thought we had a stash of yen bank notes but we do not. We could get some out of ATM when we land at NRT - but we have tight rail connection to make, and the flight of SEA tends to get late lately.
I recalled trying to buy N'EX ticket at Tokyo Station using the machine w/ my credit card and could not proceed bc the machine asked for a PIN, ended up queuing and buying from the counter.
I recalled trying to buy N'EX ticket at Tokyo Station using the machine w/ my credit card and could not proceed bc the machine asked for a PIN, ended up queuing and buying from the counter.