This is everything I thought about and did before visiting Japan for the first time. It was also my introduction to Asia and for whatever reason, I felt extremely overwhelmed trying to organize all of the details. I wanted to feel as prepared as possible to be somewhere so different and get the most out of traveling so far. I felt pressure to do the food justice, explore all the right neighborhoods, honor their history through experiencing the temples and shrines, and walk away with a good sense of their culture.
I did a lot of pre-trip research to make sure things went as smoothly as possible once I landed. Having this information all in one place will be very helpful to anyone trying to plan their first visit to Japan! 🙂
Getting to Japan
Most visitors will find themselves flying into Japan via Tokyo. However, realize that there are two main airports in Tokyo: NRT or HND. Keep close eye on that detail to prevent any avoidable travel mishaps.
Visas needed to enter Japan
US citizens do not require a visa as long as you have a valid in-date passport, one free passport page, outgoing flights booked, and are staying less than 90 days. They didn’t ask to see my outgoing flight when I went through customs, but I had the information available just in case.
Traveling within Japan
Almost everyone traveling around Japan will need to pre-buy a JR Rail Pass. The pass comes as 7, 14, or 21 days. We were there for 9-10 days total so we bought the 7 day pass and made sure not to activate it right when we got there (it starts counting down days once you activate it, so we didn’t use it at all for the first 3 days we were in the country). This is the website I used to purchase my exchange pass. They mail it to your home in the US. Once you get to Japan you visit a JR Rail office and take the exchange pass along with your temporary visitor stamp in your passport to get the physical JR Rail Pass you can use to travel within Japan. I did the math on the cost of the JR Rail Pass. It basically pays itself off if you take a bullet train more than two times during your visit. Use the JR Rail Pass for expensive intercity travel. Don’t forget to get your passport stamped upon arrival–you need the temporary visitor stamp to retrieve the JR pass.
For getting around Tokyo (this includes getting from the airport into the city), I recommend taking the subway and other trains (not JR trains). To pay for the subway, buy a Suica card that you can load money onto. Here’s a great website to reference for getting around Tokyo.
Money in Japan
This site was helpful in planning my first trip to Japan: Money in Japan. I did decide to take out yen from my bank in the US. It only took a couple business days to order in. I wanted to avoid the stress of needing cash in a pinch and not being confident with where to find it or how to navigate their ATMs. I took $293 US dollars worth of yen to give myself about $30 US per day. I ended up using more cash than that, but I probably could have gotten away with using my credit card more if I wanted to. There are definitely some places that only took cash payments and I liked being prepared for that.
What time of year to visit Japan
The seasons in Japan mimic those in the US (summer around July, winter around January). Each season will have pros and cons, so plan accordingly. There are, however, a couple important events during the year I wanted to point out. Cherry blossom season peaks in early April in Tokyo and Kyoto. I didn’t plan my trip around cherry blossom season, but the timing of it worked out so we were able to see a lot of cherry blossoms. Being there for that was such a treat and it’s definitely a prime time to visit Japan. Many visitors will also plan their trip to Japan during a Sumo wrestling tournament, one of the most iconic cultural events you can attend. They occur in January, May, and September in Tokyo and 3 other times throughout the year in smaller cities.
Electronics and Wifi in Japan
Is it worth it to rent a portable wifi device for a trip to Japan? I wanted to do it for the peace of mind, and I think it was 100% worth it. More experienced travelers would most likely do fine without constant wifi access, but I loved having Google Maps available to me at all times in the sprawling metropolis of Tokyo and in Kyoto as well. I booked a device via this website. They send it to your first accommodation and then you drop it in the post at the end of your trip (all included in the price). I didn’t want to add any stress to my 10 days off work, and we got turned around quite easily so having it paid off. It cost about $70 for 9 days, but it can be used with up to 5 devices so that’s not bad, especially if you are splitting the cost. Alternatively, my phone company would have charged me $10 a day to use my phone and internet there. I saved about $20 doing it this way, but it would have been a lot less if I had a group to split the cost.
Do you need an adapter to use your electronics in Japan? If you’re from the US you do not. They use the same plugs as in the United States.
Movies/TV to watch prior to visiting Japan
I turned to film and tv to get Japan vibes going before my trip.
Lost in Translation: This film prepared me for how culturally different Japan would feel–how it’s a place you’ll never really understand and how it feels to be a traveler in a very foreign place.
Tampopo: a mostly sweet and light hearted story centered around ramen. It’s a good introduction to the dish if you know nothing about it. I say a mostly cute story because a couple parts were strange and disgusting ha. If you watch I’m sure you’ll know what I’m talking about.
Departures: this is the only Japanese film to win an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. It didn’t give me any super specific insights into what traveling to Japan might be like, but it’s a beautiful story and is quite moving. I really enjoyed it.
Parts Unknown Japan episodes: RIP Anthony Bourdain. Each episode had me looking into the chefs he followed and the restaurants he went to. They got me really excited to experience the food in Japan.
I also watched a Chef’s Table episode about ramen, again, just to get some more insight on the food scene and go in with a sense of appreciation.
Finally, I watched Jiro Dreams of Sushi on Netflix, which I highly recommend, but most people won’t be able to dish out $300 to eat there while in Japan. It was incredible to learn how much training goes into preparing sushi. Senior sushi chefs are truly artists and experts of their craft.
Safety in Japan
I felt extremely safe while traveling around Japan, and currently, there are no US travel restrictions to visiting. It’s a first world country–many times being in Tokyo felt like being in New York City (except the people are more polite and considerate of others in Japan haha). Many people speak English and are willing to help you. The transportation is reliable. Japan is a great option for every kind of traveler, even solo female travelers.
Planning an introductory itinerary for Japan
This will really depend on what type of traveler you are, how much you want to cram in, and what budget you’re working with. We were interested in having more time in fewer places and splurging on one really nice hotel. This took us to Tokyo for 5 days, Kyoto for 3 days, and Beniya Mukayu in Kagaonsen for 1 day. You can see my posts from those locations below!
Exploring the World’s Biggest City: Tokyo Photo Diary
Staying at Beniya Mukayu: Culture and Luxury Combined
Tokyo Highlights (all pictured in my Tokyo blog post)
- Senso-ji Shrine
- checking out grocery store for Japanese products
- shopping in Ginza district
- Rainbow Bridge
- Tokyo Tower
- Ueno Park strolls
- Shibuya Crossing
- Totti Candy Factory for cotton candy bigger than your head
- Harajuku area in general was amazing for shopping
- Animal cafe: we went to a cat cafe but they have SO many options around
- Shinjuku at night
- Golden Gai bar hopping
- Robot Restaurant
- Meiji-Jingu Shrine
- New York Bar
- karaoke bar
Kyoto Highlights (all pictured in my Kyoto blog post)
- Pontocho Alley
- Fushimi Inari Shrine
- Nijo Castle
- Golden Pavilion (Kinkakuji)
- Arishiyama Bamboo Grove
- Kiyomizu-dera Temple
- Kennin-ji Temple
- Gion district wandering
Beniya Mukayu Highlighs
- getting to wear kimonos
- traditional matcha tea ceremony
- morning yoga
- beautiful 8 course dinner included in price
- private hot spring tub
- gorgeous, clean-line design
So that’s all my Japan information compiled into one place! I hope you found it helpful or at least got your fill of wanderlust in for the day 🙂 Feel free to reach out to me in the comments section with any questions.
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