Summer has arrived, and travelers are heading to their favorite destinations. We are sure that Japan is among the most popular ones for many reasons. Not only because the Japanese yen is now cheaper, but also because of all the advantages any visitor can find here: nice landscapes, security, cleanness, exceptional customer service, nice bathrooms, and incredible food that has a huge amount of fans all over the world.
The increasing popularity of anime and manga has another significant percentage of people interested in visiting Japan, both young and not-so-young people. No matter what attracts you to come, we want to share some basic advice, so you can have a better experience during your trip.
Here you have 10 recommendations compiled by our team members living in Japaan:
1. Always take your garbage with you.
There are not many garbage bins on the streets, so everybody has to take back home any residue or garbage. There are some bins to throw away pet bottles and cans, usually beside the vending machines. But other garbage than that, you should just put it in your bag or purse, and throw it in your accommodation’s bins.
2. Be mindful of your voice tone.
Sometimes we don’t realize how loud we talk, but in Japan, people are aware of their voice tone, especially after 10pm in residential neighborhoods or even in hotels. Try not to speak loudly at night. The Japanese have the idea that we foreigners are noisy people and being actually noisy confirms that prejudice.
3. Respect lines, no matter what
A Japanese friend used to joke about the Japanese people’s love for waiting in line. He said that even if they don’t know what the line is for, if they see one, they’ll end up lining up. Of course, this is not true, but in reality, you will find yourself making many lines in Japan, especially in the most crowded places. So, be careful and ask where the line ends to respect other’s turn.
4. Avoid talking on your cell phone while on public transportation
Even if it is not prohibited, refraining from talking on your cell phone on a bus, train, or subway is considered a good manner in Japan. And this is an unspoken rule that everybody respects. There are even train’s wagons where signals ask the passengers to refrain from even using their phones due to problems for people with pacemakers.
5. Cross the street only in the zebra stripes or pedestrian bridges.
In general, Japan has pedestrian-friendly streets, you will have crosses well marked and drivers are respectful. Because everyone usually follows the transit rules, the drivers also expect pedestrians to use the marked crosses. Sometimes, on small streets where many people are walking and not so many cars pass by, you can cross anywhere, but on the major avenues and bigger streets pay attention to the designated crosses to avoid unnecessary accidents.
6. Try to learn some basic words so you can interact with locals.
Even if it’s only “arigato” and “sumimasen”, making an effort to connect with local people in their language is a plus; you’ll be well received by everybody. Nowadays, there are so many practical tools that are quite easy to use, like language apps and online translation services, so give them a try and “ganbatte”.
7. Be on time.
Japan is famous for its punctuality. Almost always, the public transportation will be on time. Nevertheless, in recent years trains and buses are admitting some short delays, which nowadays are more common to elude traffic accidents, but in general, you have to be on time to any kind of appointment. Keep in mind that it is not uncommon to see Japanese people arriving some minutes in advance.
8. Don’t forget to have enough cash.
Even though Japan has the fame of being a modern country, you cannot use your credit card that often, so it is mandatory to keep enough cash with you or have a card that you can use on an ATM to withdraw money. ATMs are located in banks (until 4pm) and convenience stores, which are open 24 hours. Even though you have to take some precautions, generally you can carry safely your money on the streets because robbery is scarce.
9. Refrain from taking pictures of people without asking first.
This is something that applies to trips to any country. But especially in Japan, where they are having a overtourism issues this year, there have been some rules adopted to prevent people from taking pictures, for example, in Gion, the Geishas’ district located in Kioto, because of complaints they made to the authorities.
10. Plan your trip in advance.
As we mentioned, Japan is having a huge amount of visitors this summer, that’s why it is better to make any reservation in advance since most of the hotels and restaurants will be full. Until May 2024, Japan received 14.5 million travelers, which is 70% more than the same period last year. According to The Japan Times, 2024 will be the year with the most visitors in Japan’s history, beating the 31 million tourists’ record of 2019.
We hope you have a nice trip. Thanks for reading.
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