Japan is on Everyone's Bucket List for a Reason (1/4)
I've been to Japan three times. I've visited Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto and Nagakute. Spring cherry blossoms and fall leaves are two of the most beautiful things I've seen in the world and it's both here in Japan. Fingers crossed for a fourth trip next year.
First, some basics. You can fly into Japan through Tokyo or Osaka. There are many flights from the west coast (and probably east coast too). Japan Airlines is one my favorite airlines. (You can read about it in my airlines post.) As of right now, you do not need a visa to visit Japan from the US. There are no required vaccines.
Once you are in Japan, you can go ANYWHERE in the country via their train system. I will boldly declare the Japanese train system is the most advanced in the world. There are bullet trains, local regional trains, trans-country trains, inner city trains. The first time I saw the Tokyo metro map, my jaw dropped. I realized everyone in Japan must be a genius because you basically need a degree in mechanical engineering to decipher the transit map.
Google
Maps is synced with the train system so it will tell you what train,
what time, what platform. It makes it easy enough that anyone can travel
on the train system. You can download the Japan transit cards (e.g. Suica, PASMO, or ICOCA) directly into Apple Wallet so you don't need to buy a physical card. The only difference between the cards is the region you're using them but they're basically good throughout the country. There is a different ticket for bullet trains. You can easily add money in Apple wallet. Using Apple Wallet means you can tap your phone or watch to get on and off the trains.
There are a couple of etiquette things I picked up on my trips that I wanted to share.
*Eating and drinking on local trains is strongly frowned upon. You can eat on long distance trains, they even sell food on some of them.
*Talking loudly, especially on the phone, should be avoided on the trains and in public areas.
*DO NOT eat and walk. Even if you bought something on the street. Stand to the side and eat it. My mom and sister actually got scolded by the lady they bought food from not to eat it while walking. I wouldn't even drink while walking. I see people standing next to vending machines to drink instead of carrying it.
*Be prepared to take off your shoes at shines, temples, and some restaurants. This means do not wear spiritual (aka holey) socks. And you may want to invest in shoes you can take off and put on easily.
It
can be overwhelming trying to plan a trip to Japan because there's so
much. My advice is to filter it by what interests you. Are you there to
see cherry blossoms or fall leaves or nature? Look for parks. Are you a history
buff? Look for museums. Do you want to see Japanese culture? Look for
shrines, temples and castles. Are you there to eat? Literally every restaurant is good and Japan has the second most Michelin star restaurants in the world. Check out the convenience stores! They have an incredible selection of ready to eat meals, snacks and drinks.
You cannot see it all. Even if you spend a
month in Japan. I really dislike the lists that say you must see or eat this one thing or you didn't travel to that place. That's stupid. See what interests you. Do what you like. Eat what you want. And do not over schedule your days. I understand the urge to cram in as much as possible. But it's better to pick a couple of things you can spend time enjoying instead of running around like a crazy chicken to see more things. This is also why I dislike tours. If you didn't get to see everything you wanted, plan a trip back.
So that's all of my sagely advice. This is part one of four of the Japan series. Stay tuned!
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