Your First Trip to Japan

A first-timer's route through the questions every visitor hits, in the order you'll hit them.

1. 1Before you fly

   Sort these out at home and the trip gets much easier.

   • eSIM for Japan: Setup Guide and Common Pitfalls How to choose and set up an eSIM for Japan, compared with physical SIM and pocket Wi-Fi, plus common pitfalls.
   • Pocket WiFi vs eSIM for Japan: Which Fits Your Trip? Pocket WiFi or eSIM for your Japan trip? Compare cost, number of devices, battery, and setup so you can pick the right data option.
   • Bringing Medicine into Japan: Customs Allowances How much medicine you can bring into Japan without a permit: OTC up to 2 months, prescription up to 1 month, plus rules for controlled drugs (as of June 2026).
   • Do You Need Travel Insurance for Japan? Real Cost Examples What medical care costs without insurance in Japan, what travel insurance covers, and how to read a policy.
   • Is the JR Pass Still Worth It? Price Break-Even Tables Is the Japan Rail Pass worth it after the price rise? Break-even tables for common routes and a simple decision flow.
   • A Realistic Daily Budget for Japan (Typical Costs) A realistic daily budget for traveling in Japan by category, with typical costs for food, transport, lodging, and sightseeing for tourists.
   • Climbing Mount Fuji in 2026: Fees, Registration, and Gate Rules The 2026 Mount Fuji fee, trail dates, Yoshida daily cap, Shizuoka registration, hut rules, and a route-by-route checklist before you climb.
   • Japan's Crowd Calendar: Golden Week, Obon, and New Year When to avoid travelling in Japan: the Golden Week, Obon, and New Year peak dates for 2026-27, why they're crowded, and how to plan around them.

2. 2Arrival day

   From the airport gate to your hotel.

   • Narita, Haneda, KIX to City: Airport Transfer Comparison Routes from Narita, Haneda, and Kansai airports to the city, with time and fare tables plus late-night options.
   • Narita Express vs Skyliner: Which Train to Tokyo? Compare the Narita Express (N'EX) and Keisei Skyliner from Narita Airport: travel time, fare, stations, and rail-pass fit, so you pick the right train.
   • Suica & Pasmo for Tourists: How to Get and Use IC Cards How tourists get a Suica or Pasmo in Japan, how to charge it, and how to use it on trains, buses, and at shops.
   • Exchanging Money in Japan Without Bad Rates Where to exchange currency in Japan and how to avoid bad rates. ATM withdrawals, exchange counters, and airport booths compared for travelers.
   • Luggage Forwarding (Takkyubin): Send Bags Ahead in Japan How to send your suitcase ahead to your next hotel or airport in Japan, with costs, timing, and instructions.
   • Coin Lockers and Luggage Storage in Japan: Sizes and Costs Where to store your luggage in Japan: coin locker sizes and prices, how to pay, and what to do when lockers are full.

3. 3Getting around

   Trains do most of the work — once you know their rules.

   • Google Maps in Japan: Transit Quirks to Know Why Google Maps confuses tourists in Japan: reading transit routes, station exit numbers, transfer walks, and the gate traps that cost you time.
   • Japan Toll Roads: ETC Cards, Rental Cars, and Toll Gates How Japanese expressway toll gates work with a rental ETC card, cash, or credit card, including lane signs, tickets, and what to do if the barrier stays shut.
   • Can I Use My Suica Everywhere in Japan? Nationwide IC Card Guide Whether your Suica or Pasmo works in Osaka, Kyoto, and other cities, plus the regional exceptions where IC cards are not accepted.
   • Shinkansen Seat Types: Reserved, Non-Reserved, and Green Car Reserved vs non-reserved vs Green Car seats on the Shinkansen, when to book, JR Pass rules, and peak-season advice.
   • Buying Shinkansen Tickets at a Machine: Step by Step How to use an English ticket machine for Shinkansen travel: choose the route and seat, understand the two ticket parts, pay, and use the gates.
   • Shinkansen Luggage Rules by Line: 160cm Limit and Tohoku Difference The 160cm reservation rule applies on Tokaido, Sanyo, Kyushu, and West Kyushu Shinkansen—not Tohoku. Measure your bag and find the right storage.
   • Women-Only Train Cars in Japan: Hours, Signs, and Who Can Ride How Japan's women-only train cars work: when the rule applies, how to read platform signs, who may use the car, and what to do if you board by mistake.
   • How to Ride Local Buses in Japan (Front or Back Door?) How to pay on Japanese local buses: front or back door, flat fare or distance fare, IC cards, and the regional differences that confuse tourists.
   • Avoiding Rush Hour on Japanese Trains When rush hour happens in Japan, which trains and lines to avoid, and how to handle large luggage during peak commuting times.
   • Japanese Train Etiquette: The Rules That Actually Matter A simple guide to Japanese train etiquette for tourists: phone calls, priority seats, eating, backpacks, and the rules that actually matter (as of June 2026).

4. 4Money & shopping

   Where cash still wins, and how tax-free actually works.

   • Cash or Card in Japan: Where You Still Need Yen Do you need cash in Japan? Where cards work, where only yen is accepted, and how much cash to carry as a tourist, with a scene-by-scene guide.
   • Which Credit Cards Work in Japan? Visa, Amex, JCB, and More Which credit and debit cards are accepted in Japan, where each brand works best, and what to do when your card is declined.
   • ATMs That Accept Foreign Cards in Japan (7-Eleven, Post Office) Foreign-card ATMs in Japan, with official withdrawal limits, possible local fees, currency-choice guidance, hours, and a practical decline checklist.
   • Japan's Coins and Notes: A Quick Visual Guide A visual guide to Japan's coins and banknotes: every denomination, what each looks like, the holed and bicolor quirks, and what vending machines accept.
   • Why Two Prices? Japan's 8% and 10% Consumption Tax Explained Why Japanese receipts show two prices, when the 8% reduced tax rate applies, and how to read tax-included pricing as a tourist.
   • Tax-Free Shopping in Japan: 2026 Rules and the November Refund Change Japan tax-free shopping rules through October 2026, plus the confirmed November 1 refund system, 90-day export deadline and airport process.

5. 5Staying connected

   When the data plan meets reality.

   • Free WiFi in Japan: Where It Actually Works Where to find free WiFi in Japan as a tourist: convenience stores, stations, cafes, and city networks, plus the limits and how to connect safely.
   • Do You Need a VPN in Japan? Public Wi-Fi, Work, and Streaming Japan does not require tourists to use a VPN. See when one helps on public Wi-Fi, when work access requires it, and why streaming may still fail.
   • eSIM Not Working in Japan: Diagnostic Checklist A step-by-step checklist to fix a Japan eSIM that will not connect: roaming, data line, APN, and network selection.
   • eSIM Data Ran Out in Japan: What to Do Right Now Out of eSIM data in Japan? How to add more data fast, buy a new plan, use free Wi-Fi as a stopgap, and pick the right data size next time.
   • Translation Apps for Japan (Including Offline Use) The best way to translate Japanese on your trip — camera, voice, and offline translation — and how to download languages before you go.
   • Will My Charger Work in Japan? Outlets, Plugs, and Voltage Whether you need a plug adapter or voltage converter for Japan: the Type A outlet, 100V power, and how to read your device's voltage rating.

6. 6Eating

   From konbini runs to your first izakaya.

   • Japanese Convenience Stores: A Tourist Power Guide What you can actually do at a Japanese konbini: withdraw cash, buy tickets, print, drop off luggage, find a toilet, and pay for almost anything.
   • Heating and Eating Konbini Bento: The Unwritten Rules How to ask Japanese convenience-store staff to heat a bento, read the microwave label, use an eat-in area, and handle utensils and trash.
   • Ordering at a Japanese Ramen Shop How to order ramen in Japan: use the ticket machine, pick your style, learn topping words, and master rules like extra noodles and soup dilution.
   • Conveyor Belt Sushi (Kaiten-zushi): How It Works A simple guide to conveyor belt sushi in Japan: how to enter, take plates, order on the touch panel, read plate-color prices, and pay.
   • Eating Out in Japan: Izakaya and Sushi Basics How to order and behave at a Japanese izakaya or sushi counter, from the otoshi seating charge to chopstick rules and how to pay at the end.
   • Alcohol Rules in Japan: Drinking Age, Public Drinking, and Vending Machines Japan's drinking age, ID checks, street-drinking limits, alcohol vending machines, late-night sales, and the rules for cars and bicycles.
   • Restaurant Reservations in Japan: Booking, Lateness, and Cancellation Fees Which Japan restaurants need bookings, how to reserve in English, what to check before paying, and what to do if you are late or must cancel.
   • Can You Drink Tap Water in Japan? Yes — tap water in Japan is safe to drink almost everywhere. Here are the facts on water quality standards, taste, and the few exceptions to know.

7. 7Where you stay

   Hotels, ryokan, capsules — each with its own script.

   • Hotel Checkout in Japan: Late Checkout, Holds, and Receipts How hotel checkout works in Japan: checkout times, card pre-authorization holds explained, receipts you can ask for, and requesting late checkout (July 2026).
   • Hotel Cancellation Rules in Japan: When You Get Charged How hotel cancellation rules work in Japan, when fees start, and how to cancel by phone or through a booking site to avoid charges.
   • Staying at a Ryokan: A First-Timer's Guide How a Japanese ryokan works step by step, from check-in and yukata to the shared bath, kaiseki dinner, and futon bedding, with simple do and avoid tips.
   • Onsen Etiquette: A Step-by-Step First-Timer Guide How to use a Japanese onsen correctly: wash before bathing, no swimsuits, keep the small towel out of the water, and other simple rules.
   • Capsule Hotels in Japan: Rules and What to Expect How capsule hotels in Japan work for tourists: check-in steps, gender-separated floors, luggage rules, curfews, and what is and isn't allowed.
   • Airbnb in Japan: Why Listings Look Different (Minpaku Law) Why Airbnb and short-term rentals are limited in Japan, how the minpaku law works, and how to check a listing's registration number before booking.
   • Noise Rules at Japanese Minpaku and Apartments (Airbnb Stays) There is no single national quiet hour for every Japan stay. Use your property's house rules, plus this noise and complaint guide for minpaku and apartments.

8. 8Daily life & manners

   The small stuff that keeps the day smooth.

   • How to Find a Toilet in Japan Fast: Stations, Stores, and Konbini Need a toilet in Japan right now? Where to look in priority order, how reliable each spot is, phone tricks to find one, and what to expect inside.
   • Why No Trash Cans? Handling Garbage as a Tourist in Japan Where tourists can dispose of trash in Japan, what vending-machine collection boxes accept, and what to carry back to a hotel instead.
   • Where You Must Take Off Your Shoes in Japan A place-by-place guide to shoes in Japan: homes, ryokan, tatami, temples, fitting rooms, toilets, and the floor clues that tell you what to do.
   • Queueing in Japan: Escalators, Trains, and Taxi Stands How lining up works in Japan: train platform queues, which side to stand on an escalator, taxi stands, and cashier lines. Simple do and don't rules.
   • Shrine and Temple Manners (Without Overthinking It) Simple manners for Japanese shrines and temples: how to bow, purify your hands, pray, and tell when photos are not allowed.
   • Where You Can't Take Photos in Japan Where photography is restricted in Japan: private streets in Gion, temple inner halls, shops, people, and stations, plus how to check before you shoot.
   • Smoking in Japan: Street Bans and Where It's Legal Where you can and cannot smoke in Japan as a tourist. Street smoking bans, designated smoking areas, indoor rules, and how heated tobacco is treated.
   • Tipping in Japan: The Short Answer for Travelers Do you tip in Japan? The short answer is no. How to handle restaurants, taxis, hotels, and the few exceptions where a gesture is welcome.

9. 9When something goes wrong

   Bookmark this section — you'll hopefully never need it.

   • Is #7119 Nationwide? Japan Emergency Numbers: 110, 119 and 118 When to call 110, 119, 118, #7119, or #8000 in Japan, how to check local #7119 coverage, and what to do if the advice line does not connect.
   • Lost Passport in Japan: Step-by-Step Recovery for Tourists Lost your passport in Japan? The order of steps: police report, your embassy, and the document you need to fly home.
   • Lost Something in Japan? How the Koban Lost-and-Found System Works How to recover a lost wallet, phone, or bag in Japan using the koban police box system, plus how to contact trains and taxis about lost items.
   • My Bag Was Stolen in Japan: What to Do Stolen wallet, phone, or passport in Japan: the step-by-step plan — police box (koban), the crime report you need for insurance, and who to call.
   • Missed the Last Train in Japan: Your Real Options What to do when you miss the last train in Japan: compare taxi, late-night bus, net cafe, capsule hotel, karaoke, and waiting for the first train.
   • I Missed My Reserved Shinkansen: Do I Buy a New Ticket? Missed your reserved Shinkansen? The JR rule that lets you ride a later train's non-reserved seat for free, and the fare types where it does not apply.
   • Earthquake in Japan: What Tourists Should Do Simple steps for tourists during and after an earthquake in Japan, how to read alerts, and official channels to follow.
   • After an Earthquake in Japan: What Should I Do Tonight? A calm first-night plan for travelers after an earthquake in Japan: when to leave, where to sleep, what to keep nearby, and which alerts to follow.
   • Train Stopped After an Earthquake in Japan: Should I Wait or Walk? What to do when an earthquake stops your train in Japan: follow crew instructions, check official status, avoid a risky walk, and find temporary shelter.
   • A Typhoon Warning Just Hit Your Phone: What to Do as a Tourist A typhoon warning in Japan explained for tourists: what each warning level means, how to check planned train suspensions, and staying safe at your hotel.

10. 10Before you leave

    The last-day checklist.

    • Getting Your IC Card Deposit Back Before You Leave Japan How to refund a Suica, Pasmo, or other IC card and get your 500 yen deposit and balance back before flying home from Japan.
    • Airport Duty-Free vs In-Store Tax-Free Shopping in Japan Airport duty-free and in-store tax-free shopping in Japan are not the same. Compare location, limits, documents, and which one saves you more money.
    • Tax-Free Shopping Mistakes That Get You Charged at the Airport Why customs can charge tax on a tax-free purchase when you leave Japan, the mistakes that trigger it, and how to pass the departure check smoothly.
    • Shipping Souvenirs Home from Japan: Post Office Options and Customs How to mail souvenirs from Japan: compare EMS, air and surface parcels, prepare an online label, list contents for customs, and avoid prohibited goods.
    • Printing Documents at Japanese Convenience Stores Print a boarding pass or PDF at a Japanese convenience store by QR code, upload code, USB drive, or phone, with a step-by-step troubleshooting table.
    • Overweight Baggage at Japanese Airports: Fees and Fast Fixes Suitcase over the airline limit in Japan? Check the exact rule, repack safely, compare another checked bag with the overweight fee, and find airport scales.
    • Domestic Flight Baggage Rules in Japan (ANA, JAL, and LCCs) Carry-on and checked baggage limits for domestic flights in Japan, comparing full-service airlines and low-cost carriers, with fees.

Different kind of trip? See the other scenarios or browse all guides.