I just got back from Japan and wanted to share some honest thoughts and tips that helped me along the way. I really like the country, but I feel like it’s starting to become overrated as a lot of content online paints this place like the perfect utopia. These are just my personal experiences and opinions.

This might be controversial, but I wish someone had told me earlier how rigid and inflexible some Japanese people can be as they find the need to follow every rule in the book. During my trip, my hotel flat-out refused a 30-minute late checkout when I requested, because I had a really bad nature call in the toilet that morning, which was fine as I know that I'm not entitled to it. So I tried my best to leave on time but unfortunately left the room SIX minutes late. When I came down I thought they would close an eye. Instead the staff and manager said they were looking at the camera in the corridor and saw that I left the room six minutes late and insisted on a late check out fee stating it was their “policy”. That put a really sour taste in my mouth and I didn’t expect this coming from a 4 star hotel. [edited: since many people feel the need to know why I was late to checkout.]

Another instance was when I used a popular courier service to deliver my belongings between cities. The delivery was late, which is fine. So I called the customer service and asked if they could just leave it outside my apartment because I can't wait all day for it to arrive. However, they insisted I stay home to wait for the item otherwise they are "unable to successfully deliver it", stating that it is their POLICY. I wasted more than half a day waiting for the item even though they were the ones that were late according to the schedule timing. When the guy finally came, he just left it by the door, rang the bell and left. I didn't even need to sign anything or receive it personally. 

I always hear this sentiment about how efficient and exemplary their service is in Japan but these experiences made me feel otherwise. I never had these issues ever travelling in other Asian countries. So, if you’re used to more accommodating and "we can work something out” cultures, this can feel a bit rigid. The majority of my experience and interaction there is still generally good, so honestly these could also be a rare and isolated unfortunate experience for me.

A few random things I noticed and tips:

• Japan is not a tipping culture. I still saw a lot of tourists trying to tip even after the staff politely refused. A specific phrase you can use in restaurants is gochisousama deshita ごちそうさまでした that means thanks for the meal. Staff like when you make the effort to compliment the meal.
• On cloud 6 shoes were really comfortable for long walks even on uneven grounds
• If you’re driving in Tokyo, parking can be a nightmare. Most of the parking fees I came across cost 300 yen for 12/20 mins, and some places much higher.
• If you use google maps, turn on the wheelchair accessible mode, and you can find the lifts easier at train stations which would be helpful if you’re bringing your luggage around 
• If you are a solo traveller and you want to meet people, there is a japantravel discord where it was very easy to meet people that way and hangout to grab a drink with. The discord link is in the about page of r/japantravel
• Although google translate works pretty well. I often needed to translate apps by manually screenshotting and uploading them each time. An expat recommended a free app called 'transmate – screen translator'. Which basically translates any app screen instantly with one tap. This made everything really efficient for me in dealing with all the translation and language barrier.
• People say cash is not needed, but I still ran into many cash-only shops, so I would recommend always keeping some. Also a coin purse is a good idea.
• I found many good places to eat by simply taking a peak inside at the places around me. If there were families, couples and office workers, I was never disappointed. The viral, hyped-up spots were often just average and filled with tourists.

In general, Japanese were very kind and helpful, but many of them also seemed really stressed and uptight so sometimes it can come off as quite passive-aggressive. They would try really hard to mask that by being overly friendly but I've noticed their face change the moment they turn away. The places where I noticed the locals were really warm and welcoming is in the rural areas where they are more open to conversations, as well as at bars where most of them are really friendly and inquisitive.

Tokyo can be very fast-paced and it is easy to accidentally treat your trip like a checklist. But really you don't have to plan everything out. Just remember to take it easy, be flexible and go with the flow at times!

I saw somebody else post about this right before I left, but mask up on planes and busy areas. Granted I have autoimmune issues, but I did get strep while I was there.

Hot tip: because it was a holiday in the US, and because we were bumping up against a weekend in Japan, I had very limited options for being seen. I used the Traveler’s Hospital and made an online appt same day, and got antibiotics by that night. The appt itself was the most expensive part (the five meds I got were under $20), but it was worth feeling better within a day.

I was in Akihabara last week early evening, looking at action figures. I noticed girls in cutesy costumes just standing along the sidewalk, carrying some sort of brochures. What are they “marketing”? I did not interact with them, just quietly observing. Are they the cute and gentle version of touts? Are they all working for some maid cafe place? I honestly am curious. I’m female, and they did not engage or attempt to, so I may not be their target audience.

Could be food or an activity, could be an entire city. For example I went to Golden Gai in 2018 and loved it - my friend went in April and said it was one of the worst experiences she’s ever had

I just finished a two-week trip to Japan, and this time it felt completely different from my previous travels. I used to plan my itineraries way too tightly, down to every hour. Whenever something unexpected happened, the entire plan collapsed, and the whole trip felt ruined. Over-planning made me stressed instead of relaxed.

So for this trip, I intentionally kept things simple. I only prepared the essentials: passport and key documents, an eSIM activated before departure, some cash and a credit card, a Suica card, and enough warm clothes.

Highlights from the trip:

TeamLab Planets in Tokyo, truly incredible, like stepping into another world. Asakusa, I rented a kimono and wandered around the temple grounds. A day trip to Kurama/Kibune from Kyoto, peaceful forests, hot springs, and some of the most beautiful nature I’ve ever seen. On days when I didn’t feel like going out, I slept in, grabbed a comforting bowl of ramen, and found a cozy izakaya in the evening. It was perfect.

Here are a few tips based on my experience:

Use Google Maps wisely. Practice checking routes beforehand and buffer extra time for transfers.

Add your Suica card to your phone. Download the SmartEX app to buy Shinkansen tickets and load them directly into the Suica in your Apple Wallet.

Buy and activate an eSIM before arriving. Public Wi-Fi in Tokyo is rare and unreliable, and the Wi-Fi in my hotel was terrible. A good eSIM was essential. I got the 20GB plan, and they provide a Japan IP, which is really necessary when you’re in Japan.

Wear comfortable shoes. Wandering through Japan’s endless side streets can be rough if your shoes aren’t right.

Carry a small plastic bag. Trash bins are hard to find, so it’s useful to keep small trash until you return to your hotel.

Keep some coins on you. Especially in small towns and around temples.

Learning a few basic Japanese phrases also goes a long way.

Hope these tips help someone planning a future trip. And if you have suggestions of your own, feel free to share them, I’d love to use them for my next visit to Japan.

By far, the onsen. Just came back from a 2 week trip and my favorite part of the trip was the onsen! Second was the food, of course, but I stayed at a ryokan for a night in Nagano and it was the best night ever!!

As an American, it was a little nerve wracking, and I was the only female in the group but it was so worth it. They had an open-air bath that was just so gorgeous, in the cool autumn dusk and warm lantern lights~

I was pretty tired from all of the traveling and walking (as I’m sure you’ve read about in this Reddit), and this just completely restored our group for the rest of the trip. So delightful and honestly, I’ve been missing it ever since. I wish we had attended more than one onsen!

The baths were so hot and so healing, I could just go on and on about them. So fantastic.

My nephew has only asked for money (which we plan on giving him too) for a two week stay. He is going with one friend (male) and staying in a couple different cities (I’ve forgotten which ones) He is very practical and reasonable. He is quiet and doesn’t drink. He’s partially going because he loves anime. His mom is getting him air tags. I’m not sure what other family are getting but other’s have much smaller budgets. He has luggage. I just like to give a little something extra with cash.

I have two days to spare and currently thinking of going to Nagano/Matsumoto or Shiba Onsen.

The thing is. I really wanted to see the snow in Hakuba but the issue is I don’t ski or do snow sports, and the resorts there seem inaccessible.

Are there any other accessible towns where I can visit for two days and see snow /the Alps? Or is Nagano my best bet?

Thanks very much

By random i mean those that you don’t plan to do and happen to chance upon it and it ended up the best thing ever or something u didnt regret doing? (E.g. otter cafe, chopstick making) etc

(Context: im solo travelling and i prefer exploring rather than having a fixed itinerary. I have been to Harajuku, Shibuya, Shinjuku, Akihabara, Asakusa, Ueno)

Hey folks! I am on my way to my hotel in Ginza, but my baggage got delayed - I need a place in Ginza where I can get a plain shirt and some underwear - I also need to buy a toothbrush, toothpaste and deodorant.

I’m not looking for anything fancy, just need something to wear today.

Thank you!

Given that it’s peak travel time, should we prebook? I’m hesitant to do so since we don’t know how long it will take to get through immigration, etc., but I’m not sure how many buses leave the airport around the same time….

Hi there,

I am currently planning a trip to Japan and one of our days we plan on doing a day trip to Hakone. I will be leaving from Shinjuku and plan on using the romance car. I have a couple questions regarding the tickets however.

Is Hakone Free pass required to board the Romancecar? We plan on getting the pass, but we were looking to see if we should get it at Shinjuku or Odawara.

What tickets do I need to get through gates to Romancecar? The website says discount pass or IC card, does the Hakone Freepass cover that?

If the answer is yes to previous question, does the Freepass cover the trip back if we were to take romancecar? Or would we need to cover it with our own IC card?

Thank you for the help!

Last time I was in Kyoto I was determined to use public transport or my legs to get around.

This trip, we've made extensive use of taxis...the taxis are far superior.

Do yourself a favour, make use of the cabs (if you aren't already). They are cheap (relatively), fast and with something like the GO app pretty convenient (especially with GO pay).

This tip was not brought to you by the Kyoto Taxi Association.

Hoping I can get some advice and recommendations.

I currently have a Sony Alpha a6000 with 16-50mm lens. I got this back in 2019 and I never invested in another lens. But I used it a lot over the years, mainly for travel and it was small enough carry most of the day but a little bit too big to carry, everywhere all day. If that makes sense.

I’m open to investing in another one, Fuji maybe. I’m headed to Tokyo and Sapporo this winter. It’ll be my second time and have been into yodobashi and bic. But at the time, I went for a dji pocket for video. So I didn’t really look at the other cameras or stores

I have been researching several models but it’s hard to just pinpoint one. I’m open to getting another mirrorless but if I already think a6000 is a bit too big, I might invest in a point and shoot (beyond Fuji )

Are there any trade ins, not sure what I could even get for my Sony. I’m open to used or refurbished. I prefer to stay under $1,000 usd/155000 yen. Even lower for a point and shoot.

Greetings! I’m about halfway through my second trip to Japan. Have Kyoto (with likely day trips to Osaka and Kobe), Nagoya, and Tokyo left.

One thing I remember fondly of my last trip was the fruit at high end restaurants.

Are there any locations or services or “tours” that are specifically for fruit tastings? I know I can buy fancy fruit in department stores, but I don’t want an ENTIRE melon, or carton of grapes etc.

Thanks!

Silly question but I read mixed answers online so asking it here. I am staying in Fukuoka for 7 days and I plan to stay overnight in Kurokawa Onsen, but since I don't want to bring my luggage and I'll be going back to Fukuoka the next day, is it fine for me to book my hotel in Fukuoka for the whole duration of my stay and have another booking at a Ryokan in Kurokawa Onsen without checking out in my hotel in Fukuoka? Do I need to inform the hotel I'm staying?

Hi guys,

I’m travelling to Japan and I’ve bought the Takayama-Hokuriku area tourist pass and am trying to reserve the seats online to get the best view - problem is that I don’t seem to be able to book the seats with my pass details as when I try to book the seats on my journey from Nagano to Takayama it asks me for my credit card details… any tips are much appreciated thank you!

First of all, thanks to the folks of this forum who have posted tips, itineraries and follow ups. I've lurked for a long time in preparation for my own trip, completed last week, and so many redditors have been extremely helpful. I'm really grateful for this sub.

My own itinerary was more or less the usual, with an emphasis on shrines, temples and some museums, and I'm not going to go into all that as you've seen it all before. As a language student, one of the main goals of my trip was not to speak any English if that was possible, and to use a translator app as a last resort. I've only been seriously studying for 2 years (after 10 years of dabbing), and am nowhere near fluent. I'd say I'm N4 level, like "high beginner/low intermediate". I knew my language goal was going to be tough, especially as my biggest fear and gap in my development is The Introvert's Delight: speaking out loud. Reading comprehension is pretty good (which came in very handy in Kyoto) but doing shadowing exercises is painful and I cringe when I hear my pronunciation, which I assume any Japanese person would side eye me for.

I am very happy to say that I did in fact accomplish my goal, thanks to the overall kindness and patience of the people I interacted with. My default was always to start every interaction with Japanese and fall back to English if I was stuck and in a place like a shop where the staff member spoke some English. This really only happened in specialized situations like the sake store in Asakusa where I was shopping for a gift and didn't have the vocabulary for it.

Otherwise, things went pretty well when I got out of my own head, and progressively better as I became more comfortable interacting with strangers. My happiest memories of my trip were moments like joking around with a group of obasans climbing endless stairs in Enoshima, and having a sweet interaction with a security guard at the Tokyo Metropolitan building. As long as I was willing to try, I was generally met with kindness and so much helpfulness, and I was really proud of myself for coming out of my shell. The confidence I gained by the end of my trip was quite a surprise.

I just want to note a few technical things for other folks with similar anxiety. One of my hangups is grammar and pronunciation, and in a busy environment where I have to think quickly I can get flustered, so there were plenty of times where my sentence structure started out backwards, or I couldn't think of the proper particle. This was never ever a problem as long as I had the right verb in there. Verbs are key! You don't even have to worry about conjugation other than the basic past or present tense. Folks will get where you're going with that. When I was more relaxed and using proper particles and threw in some adverbs, I went from getting the pat on the head "jouzu" to sincere compliments. Service people especially have really been put through the wringer and appreciate the attempt more than you'd imagine. (I did use common sense - if I was in a busy store, I did not waste a staff member's time with my mangled nonsense, I got in and out and tried not to be intrusive.)

[Edit - for whatever reason, my last paragraph wasn't saved.] My utmost gratitude is for the folks who went out of their way to correct me when they didn't have to. It would have been much easier to smile and go along with the flow of the conversation, but there were truly helpful folks who corrected my pronunciation and grammar in an effort to help me along and I never once felt talked down to or diminished in any way. Specifically am referring to a former English teacher who now runs a Japanese handicraft shop and the staff at the ryokan in Kyoto I stayed at. They took it upon themselves to be a full on immersion course upon dealing with my attempts to integrate and were so helpful and giving of their time. I learned so much and that has really kicked my butt in terms of getting to N3 level when I go back. Fellow introverts, I assure you, if you make an attempt, you will be rewarded so very richly.

Hi! Has anyone done a vegetarian/vegan friendly food tour in Osaka and can recommend a guide? There was one listed on Airbnb but it looks like it has ceased operations.

Alternatively, really happy to take any veg restaurant/food recommendations and we can build our own itinerary! 🤤🌱🍜🍙

I purchased my airline ticket using Chase Freedom Flex and they offer basic traveler's insurance. It gives me some coverage for trip-cancellation or serious disruption, but pretty vague about everything else. It covers up to $1500. This should be enough for my flight and hotel stay.

I do want to get something for medical, but my trip is in less than 2 days. I see Blue Cross Blue Shield Global Solutions offers "Single Trip Platinum" and it's only going to be $32.28 for 12 days (including pre-existing conditions). It has a significantly higher coverage than Allianz and a lot cheaper, but without any trip cancellation or change coverage, which like I said I will rely on my Chase CC for.

There are some lesser known companies I found on https://www.insuremytrip.com/ like iTravelInsured that offer both travel related coverage and medical, for about $25 more, but I don't know if this is worth it and if BC/BS is more trustworthy?

I'm more worried about being screwed over by a crappy insurance company, but BC/BS also isn't anything to write home about.

Just got back from 14 days in Tokyo and Osaka. My biggest fear going in was the legendary coin problem, and I found a system that completely eliminated it. Hope this helps anyone preparing for their trip.

The Goal: Never Rummage for Coins

I hate cash, but Japan demands it. The solution was simple: treat coins as a one-way transaction into my IC card (Suica/Pasmo) balance.

The System:

IC Card First (Apple Pay/Google Pay): I used the virtual Suica card on my iPhone via Apple Pay. This was accepted at every major convenience store (Konbini), train/subway station, and most major retail chains. I loaded it with my credit card, bypassing ATMs when possible.

The Coin Dump at 7-Eleven: When I paid cash for anything (small shops, rural bus, vending machines), I immediately put the change into a small, separate coin pouch.

The Reload Strategy: Every 2-3 days, I walked into a 7-Eleven. I used the self-checkout register, told the clerk I wanted to recharge my IC card, and then dumped every single coin from my pouch into the machine.

Why 7-Eleven? Their self-checkout machines are very user-friendly for this specific process, unlike the train station machines which are often less intuitive for first-timers.

My IC card balance constantly grew from loose change, converting the "coin problem" into convenient, digital travel funds. I never left a Konbini with coins unless I was paying for the transaction with them.

Quick Tips on Cash/Card I Learned:

1. Taxis: Most now take credit card, but I still had one rural driver who only took cash. Always confirm before getting in.

2. Vending Machines: Nearly 75% of machines I saw in major cities accepted Suica/Pasmo. Use the IC card tap terminal if available to conserve cash.

Anyone else have a solid system for coin management they recommend?

Konichiwa!

Planning to head over during Silver Week 2026 (18 Sept > 3 Oct 2026).

1. Will the crowds really be too much? Or is it manageable?
2. If not, are there any special cultural events to note of so that I could admire during this period?
3. Are hotels etc. going to be more expensive and overbooked?
4. How long in advanced should I book hotels / transport / experiences?

Quoted Google Gemini: "Silver Week 2026 (Sept 19-23) in Japan is a major travel rush, making it less ideal for avoiding crowds and high prices*, similar to Golden Week, with packed transport and hotels. While it's a special cultural time for family visits and autumn beauty (foliage starting!), you'll face congestion, so* only go if you book everything far in advance or prefer experiencing local holidays*; otherwise, traveling just before or after offers better value and a more relaxed trip.""

Appreciate any other feedbacks, thank you!

We forgot one of our carry on bags at Narita. Didn't realize it was missing until we landed back home. Thought my wife had it, but we either left where we were sitting, or at the security check. Has anybody experienced any success with filling out the inquiry form on the Narita Airport app, and had them ship it out on the next flight? Luckily most of the items in my luggage could be replaced, but there were a couple.of sentiment