So, you’re preparing your trip to Japan? I can imagine you might be quite overwhelmed with the how, what and where of things. Many people ask me about all kinds of things related to their Japan trip, so I thought why not put it all in a blog post with one quick and easy list for you to cover the basics. Have a read and get the stress out of the way so you can just focus on the fun things! Get your checklist and tick off those boxes with this short blog on 7 essential tips for preparing your trip to Japan.

1. Visa

The first thing you have to think about when preparing your trip to Japan is whether you need a visa. This is a difficult one for me to answer since it depends on the country and can change any time. The best way to check is to go to your national embassy website and check there. Or go to the Japanese ministry of foreign affairs website and look up your country.

In any case it can be wise to have a ticket out of the country. If you’re just going on holiday this is usually not a problem as you probably already have one, but if you’re on a longer trip and not sure yet about your next plans it can be wise to get an Onward Ticket reservation. This is a legitimate ticket reservation valid for a certain amount of time that you buy for only about 16 dollar. They are verifiable, easy to get and cheap, and it will give you the option to keep your plans open.

I even used this method for my working holiday visa application as I didn’t know when I would leave Japan yet.

2. Sim card

One of the first things you might be thinking is that you might need internet to navigate the maze of Japan. . It’s nice to have access to Internet everywhere as it might help you to navigate the country more easily. Not just in terms of public transportation, but also to navigate the language barrier. In terms of sim cards there are several options:

• You can buy one at the airport from a shop or a vending machine (yes, really).
• Buy one in the city at Yodobashi Camera or Bic Camera shops
• Get one online (beforehand or while in the country), like a mobal sim.

The first two options I would recommend if you’re only in Japan for about 1-6 weeks. Just buy a card with the amount of data that you need and if necessary, get a new one. The last option is my favourite as it is good and cheaper for longer travel and in some cases provides you with a phone number (which can be very useful in Japan for booking bustickets, flight tickets and ordering things). After a lot of research I ended up with Mobal, a trustworthy online provider that provides sim cards with a phone number (which I haven’t found anywhere else) and Esims. Pros:

• Phone number
• Cancellation anytime
• Possible to change your plan any time
• Helpdesk
• Keep internet access after passing your limit
• Even if you pass your limit, you still have Internet access (just really slow)
• Pick up same day, both sim and Esim

If you want to support my blog please use one of my links to get your sim (I hardly work with affiliate links and wouldn’t recommend anything I’m not 100% behind):

Sim: https://www.mobal.com/japan-sim-card/?t=st&source=3480

Esim: https://www.mobal.com/japan-esims/?source=3480

3. How to get around

There are several ways to travel between tourist destinations in Japan; shinkansen, local trains, busses and flights (for longer distances mainly) and for those on a strict budget – hitchhiking. This last option I won’t go into detail about in this blog, but keep an eye out because I might write one soon!

Shinkansen/JR trains

The most expensive option right now is the JR pass. With last year’s price increase, the JR pass is only worth it if you plan to visit A LOT of places, or cover very long distances in a short amount of time. To calculate if you should get one, and to find all the different options check out this super useful website by Japan Guide. And if it’s worth it, book it through the official website (and use my link to help me out :)).

Local trains

Local trains are mainly useful for shorter distances. You can use Google Maps with the “lowest price” option to see local trains, as well as the app Japan Travel by Navitime. For longer distances it will take a lot of time and is sometimes more expensive and difficult than just taking an express bus. But, during certain months of the year you can get the Seishun 18 kippu, a ticket which allows you to travel for 5 days, for only 12000 yen, and as far as you want. If you are not in a rush this could be a good option, and will take you through beautiful countryside. But be aware that you can only travel on local trains and it will take you a long time. This ticket is available during the Japanese holiday time around March – April, end of July – August – Sept, and Dec – Jan and can be bought at the trainstations.

Express bus

The express bus is my favorite option when on a budget. You can take nightbusses (no sleeper busses in Japan unfortunately) and save on time and accommocation, or day busses. They are quite comfortable and affordable, especially if you book on time. Whereas the shinkansen between Tokyo and Osaka costs 13.000 yen, a bus ticket can cost as little as 2300 yen if you’re lucky. The best websites to book a bus are Kosokubus.com and Willerexpress.com. They are foreigner friendly and easy to use.

If you plan to travel several times by bus to specific tourist destinations also check out the Willer Express bus pass. It saved me a lot of money, much more than the JR bus pass which is quite expensive.

Helpful planning apps are: Google Maps and Japan Travel by Navitime.

4. Budget

This is something I cannot really help with, apart from sharing my own experience. How much money you need depends on your travel style, itinerary and priorities. Staying in the cheapest hostels will cost you around 15-30 euro’s per night depending on the location, whereas hotelrooms generally range from 30 to hundreds of euro’s per night. Food can cost you as little as 10 euro’s per day with one meal out and konbini food, but can also cost you 100 euro’s per day if you eat fancy. Travelling between cities will probably cost you the most, depending on whether you take trains or busses or hitchhike.

So yes, it all depends on how you spend your time and what your priorities are. I generally spend around 30 euro’s per day, but sometimes more and sometimes less. But it all depends on how much you’re willing to give up comfort, live adventurous and immerse yourself in the culture. For tips on how to travel on a budget check out this blog.

Oh and the best way to take money out are usually the 7-eleven atm’s. They don’t charge extra whereas many other machines do.

5. Things you need

There are several things you might need when in Japan. Check out my blog Ten things you absolutely need for your trip to Japan to find out what and help you prepare.

6. Language

There’s still quite a big language barrier when coming to Japan. Not many people speak English, and some people that do are often shy. Occasionally you’ll meet the outlier who’s actually excited to speak and practice their English with you, but that’s quite rare. So to prepare for that, here are some tips:

• Don’t be afraid to ask. Just start a conversation, ask a question and see how far you get. This is also part of the fun on travelling and a good way to get to know people and their culture.
• If this doesn’t work, you can always call in the help of Google Translate. An incredibly useful app that helps you to translate sentences, but also to translate from pictures in case you need to check an ingredient list for example.
• Last but not least, prepare by learning some sentences before you go. Check out these 12 basic Japanese phrases you need in Japan for example!

7. Diets

Being on a diet can be quite a challenge while in Japan. I’m vegan, which is not much harder than being vegetarian, and I’m not familiar with allergies, but here are some general tips from my experience.

• Bring a printed Japanese card stating what you are allergic to. It’s always easier to say you are allergic than to say you don’t eat it. And you can also add how serious it is (but be aware, the Japanese are very strict so if they can’t 100% guarantee something they will not).
• Use Google translate to translate ingredientlists on food items.
• Listen to the experienced, for example for gluten-free info check out this guide by Legal Nomads, for vegan advice check out my How to eat vegan in Japan blog, and for other allergies use Google and you’ll find a plethora of resources!

7. Booking accommodation

Many people ask for advice on how to book accommodation. There are several ways and first and foremost I want to emphasise that the most sustainable way to book accommodation is to book it through the accommodation website/phone number itself (you can find this information through Google maps, Google search engine, Instagram, Facebook etc. Unfortunately this is not always an option, especially in Japan due to the language barrier, so there are some other options too:

• Check out homestay.com. This website is full of beautiful homestays and the money mostly goes to the owners. You’ll not only have a unique experience, you can also often save money compared to other booking platforms especially if you don’t travel solo.
• Airbnb.com is another option for a more original experience, although I feel like nowadays it’s become rather commercial. There are still some really cool and unique options on there, so just filter out the commercial one and find your nice apartment, treehouse, tiny house or even tent! 🙂
• Use websites like booking.com, agoda.com and hostelworld.com. I cannot say which one is best, since it depends on the day, the location and probably the algorithm too. I would recommend this as the last option. Even though it is often the cheapest, it is not great for local businesses since these websites take quite a lot of commission.

Hopefully these 7 essential tips helped you in preparing your next trip to Japan. If anything is missing that you would like to know more about, please let me know in the comments 🙂 Have fun!

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