Need To Know Before You Go-Japan 🇯🇵
- hayleymareebridget
- Sep 21
- 3 min read
Japan is such a hot spot for tourism right now and for good reason! It’s a fave for our fam. It is such a family friendly location but still required us to manage expectations with our 4 children as we live very differently in Australia. Today I am going to share with you a collection of information about travelling to Japan that everyone needs to know before they go!
Japan is a very respectful society. The people are polite and friendly and the place itself is very clean and organised. Eating and walking is a no-no. It is expected you sit to eat or stand off to the side after purchasing food from a convenience store etc. There is no eating on public transport with the Shinkansen as an exception (the bullet train). Public rubbish bins are scarce and you are required to take your rubbish with you. We would always carry a bag which would become our ‘rubbish bag’ on days out. There is no rowdy or loud behaviour. No-one talks on their phone on public transport, people are silent or speak in whispers only. Music through headphones is not able to be heard by other patrons. We had to really remind our children of this in order to be respectful and fit in.
It is a bustling and busy place and with peak tourism, major attractions get super busy. I would warn anyone travelling to be prepared for large crowds. Also to be mindful of booking attractions in advance as these do book out. The Japanese are patient people and queuing is very orderly and well managed. Visiting popular places early can help to eliminate some crowds but even this is becoming more common. Look for other hidden gems to avoid the masses! There are often similar places nearby which are less well known.
When using public transport, the easiest thing to do is to get an IC (integrated circuit) card and top this up with money as required. As an adult, you can have a physical card or a digital card in your phone wallet. Child fares are 50% cheaper but can only be organised at a JR office or customer service desk at major stations where you have to show their passport and their card is generated with their name on. It’s a super cute keepsake. Under 6’s are free so they don’t need one. Different regions have different brands of card but these can all be used across Japan. Adult cards expire after 10 years of last use and child cards expire once they hit 12 years of age so it’s super handy for multiple trips over the years. Alternatively you can get a ‘welcome card’ which are geared towards tourists but expire after 28 days and have various terms and conditions. You can also use these cards as payment cards when shopping at convenience stores and vending machines. Keep in mind though that cash is still widely used across Japan and smaller vendors sometimes do not accept any form of card payment. Ensure you are always carrying cash.
Another somewhat surprising thing in Japan is the lack of paper towels in public restrooms. You will often see the Japanese carrying their own little hand towel to dry their hands after using the facilities. These are readily available to purchase everywhere!
We quickly bought a few to bring along with us to avoid being caught out.
And the absolute game changer for your Japan adventure- luggage forwarding! Do it! This is a beyond brilliant idea and worth every cent. Don’t be that annoying person trying to cart your luggage on the trains and across regions. You can pay to have your luggage forwarded across all of Japan and it is such a fantastic service. So great checking into your accommodation and having all your luggage in the room waiting for you! So easy.
Knowing these simple things before you go will hopefully make your Japan trip so much easier. Any other ‘must knows’ before you go? Let me know below! And be sure to share this with anyone travelling to Japan! Subscribe for more valuable travel tips! 📌
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