This was our second trip to Japan in two years and we just love the place. It is fast becoming one of the most popular tourist destinations and an absolute fantastic place to visit with kids. BUT coming from a Western culture, there is HEAPS to learn before you go that will make travelling to Japan that little bit easier and ensure you get the most out of your trip.
1.English is not widely spoken
English is not as common as you might expect in Japan and it can be hard to communicate more than a few sentences of English with the Japanese locals. It is always best to speak slowly and be polite when asking for help. Also, learning some basic Japanese is respectful but also helpful for when you need to say “excuse me” or “can you help me”.
In saying this however, there will usually be English version of everything, whether it be a train map or a menu. Ask for it. For the moments you do not have these, Google translator is your friend. Download it before you go. Especially on public transport when needed to figure out if you are on the right bus or train platform! It also has a scan option where you can place it on Japanese writing and it will convert it as best as it can for you (this is particularly helpful with food you have no idea what the heck it is!). We used it all the time.
There are English speaking staff at the bigger train stations and they walk around offering help so be sure to ask them the directions or route to anywhere you are going. This is not a place to be afraid to ask for help and the Japanese are usually very accommodating when helping people.
2. Always carry cash
Plenty of places accept credit card but you will find a lot of the smaller places for food will only accept cash. This is the same for busses and you must have the correct amount. Always have some cash on you so you don’t get stuck in a pickle.
Also, most of the ATMs we found would not accept international credit/debit cards. If you need cash out, look for a 7 Eleven (usually found everywhere) as their ATMs will take all cards.
3. The public transport is excellent
The trains in Japan would have to be the most efficient in the world. They run on time without fail and most of the regular lines will come every few minutes so you very rarely need to worry about missing one because there’s always another. The train stations can often be overwhelming as well because there are a lot of people. Always stick close to each other and if you have a pram, there is always a lift option. Don’t be afraid to take the busses either! We took them to a few places and they were great as well as very cheap. If you are travelling to different cities, check out the JR pass before you go and calculate your travel costs to work out if it is worth getting one. We have used them both times because although it may seem expensive at first, it works out to be much cheaper in the long run when travelling to different places.
4. You can eat breakfast, lunch and dinner at convenience stores.
This has got to be one of our favourite things about Japan. 7 Eleven, Family Mart and Lawrence convenience stores literally have almost everything you could possible want. This is where we stocked up on our snacks for the kids every day. Their favourite things were the bags of pop corn, Ritz crackers, sushi rolls from the fridge and the very popular egg sandwich (these are famous amongst tourists who visit!). In the bread section, they LOVED the fruit buns and the maple syrup pancakes are a must try! Everything is SO cheap. They also have pre-made dinners like pasta, pizza, Ramen and curry that you can take home and microwave if you are in an apartment. The kids adored the carbonara and Chance said it was the best he had tried. I myself love their green smoothies in the drinks section and they are great for when you need some fruit and vege!
TIP: Ask them to heat any meal up for you and they will do it on the spot!
5. Good espresso coffee is hard to come by
I feel like Japan have stepped up their game in coffee since we first visited but it is still very hard to find Espresso coffee which is the only coffee I drink, so maybe that’s just my own issue. HA! They do a lot of instant/black coffee and every now and then you’ll find a place that will do an espresso. Starbucks was my go-to and luckily they are pretty popular at train stations and tourist areas so you should find one in your travels.
The other great coffee shop I found was at our accommodation in Shinjuku, The Knot. They had an awesome barista downstairs making my espresso’s every morning!
TIP: Soy milk is the only alternative you’re most likely to come across. No almond or coconut.
TIP 2: You can order hot coffee from a vending machine for 100 Yen (like $1.50 AUD) and Chance loved them! It is crazy when you do it for the first time and feel how steaming hot they are. Japan is awesome!
6. Fruit & Veges are also not as prevalent as you may think
Every time I go to Japan, I crave fruit and vegetables because they can be hard to come across. You will find them in Japanese supermarkets but usually there is very few variety and they are often extremely expensive. I paid around $2.50 for one apple because I desperately needed it! Bananas were slightly cheaper so we would get those for the kids. Strawberries, melon etc were about $10 each for a small punnet. You won’t normally find them at the convenience stores either so you’ll rely on the supermarkets which aren’t as frequent. I would say if you have a buffet breakfast with your accommodation, load up on that fruit! Also, things like salads are minimal which leads me to my next point.
7. Western food isn’t easy to find
I absolutely love Sushi and Ramen but there’s only so much I can handle in one hit and there is a point on a two week holiday where you just crave some eggs on toast or a good burger. Apparently they are getting bigger on the Western food scene and I believe in the major cities it would be quite easy to find a pizza or burger joint within a close vicinity ( we walked about 20 mins for ours). However, if you’re looking for a Western style brunch/breakfast then you will find it hard. We bought muesli and cornflakes from the supermarket, yoghurt and milk for the kids because as much as they also love Japanese food, we can’t stomach sushi for breakfast. Some of the hotels also had complimentary breakfasts that had scrambled eggs and bacon which was heaven sent (The Knot, Shinjuku) so if you know your kids are fussy eaters I would research places close to where you are staying that offer a Western breakfast or look for hotels with add-on breakfasts so you don’t have to leave!
Also, if you’re vegetarian-good luck! After becoming like 95% vegetarian (it’s a process guys!) roughly 6 months ago, I knew it was going to be a tough task to stick to in Japan after visiting previously. There is literally food everywhere you go in Japan, but it will usually always contain meat, fish or a meat broth. Do your research before going. Look for soy and miso ramen broths on menus rather than pork based. There will usually be a vegetarian version of sushi at convenience stores but that’s as far as I got.
8. You will love the toilets
Ok so the first time I tried a Japenese toilet, I was apprehensive despite my husband telling me it was the best thing ever. However, they truly are the greatest things for hygeine.
The toilets have multiple different functions, including cleaning (spraying water) on your bottoms after you have gone, singing music, deodorising AND my favourite part, the seat is ALWAYS warm!!!!! You can even choose your temperature. Their toilets are always clean and so are you after the experience! Beware though, there are still traditional squatting toilets around but you will usually find a Western toilet close by if you’re not comfortable.
TIP: Carry hand sanitiser as some toilets do not have hand soap.
9. Do not eat when walking
You will often see signs but you should know that the Japanese find it very disrespectful if you walk and eat food at the same time (this is different for drinks I believe). If you purchase something to eat, and need to eat it right away then you will need to find a spot to stop and finish eating before walking again. This is also why there is very little litter as they eat food where they buy it and dispose of rubbish immediately.
10. Rubbish bins are scarce
Japan is one of the cleanest places in the world and the Japanese pride themselves for this, yet rubbish bins are absolutely no-where! If you read a little history on this, most articles will tell you that many public rubbish bins were removed after a terrorist attack in 1995 as they posed a threat of hiding suspicious items. They are still around, just not as frequently as you might expect in a big city.
If you’re travelling with kids then have rubbish bags in your backpack so you can store dirty rubbish until you do find a bin.
11. Be quiet on public transport
Again with regards to respect in Japan, it is considered very rude to talk loudly and especially on your phone on public transport (trains especially) and you will cop some dirty looks if your children start having a tantrum because they can’t watch something on your phone…The Japanese people are just quiet in general. This also applies in restaurants and hotels.
12. Tipping is not required
If you try to tip someone in Japan, they will look confused (possibly even offended) and hand the money back to you. The Japanese people are very honest and tipping is just not a part of their culture. They will give you every last cent back so just pay what is required.
13. Accommodation is generally small
Whether it is an Air Bnb or a hotel room, you will find accommodation in Japan is generally small and they don’t usually offer double rooms so the kids will be in the same room. The first time we visited we used Air Bnb’s but I much preferred hotels this time around for ease of access and help. We stayed at the Miramu in Kyoto (they have them in most big cities) and they were the most spacious apartments we have come across. Do lots of research and read reviews about room sizes for all hotels as photos can be quite deceiving. Also, the televisions in hotels are in Japanese and we could not find English versions of anything. Have some movies ready to go on an iPad or laptop for those early nights or downtime with the kids.
14. Take a good pair of shoes
I think this is obvious for any time you travel but I always feel like we walk a lot in Japan because of the sights you will see. Most of the temples and tourist attractions usually require a walk and if you don’t have a good pair of shoes , you will feel it.
15. Car seats in Taxis are not a law
We were surprised to see that Taxis do not require car seats for children in Japan. At first we were a little apprehensive but because we only caught taxis when we absolutely needed too (to airports, train stations with luggage) we accepted it. Children can sit beside you with a seat belt on or on your lap under your seat belt. However, if you hire a car you will require a car seat.
Do you want to know anything else? leave a comment and I will be sure to answer it for you as best as I can.
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