10 Things You Should Know Before Traveling to Japan
Japan is an amazing country, and it’s hard not fall in love with it after visiting even once. However, its culture is so different and unique, it’s better to come prepared so you’ll enjoy your visit even more. So here are some 10 things you should know before visiting Japan:
1. Trash cans are a rare sight
Japan is probably the most hygiene obsessed nation in the world. This means that unlike other countries, you should never worry about getting sick from street food or an unfamiliar restaurant. This is also the reason for the most clean streets I've ever seen in my life. It’s simply amazing how the asphalt in almost any place I've visited, looked like it was paved yesterday!
With that being said, trash cans are nearly impossible to locate. It’s not that they’re nonexistent, but they can be hard to locate. So my advise is — take a plastic bag with you in your backpack, and use it until you do locate a trash can.
2. No Tips!
Japanese people are diligent workers and believe that giving a good service is part of their job. So leaving a tip in a restaurant (aside for some exceptions) will not be received well, and might end up with an embarrassed waiter chasing you to return the money. Just avoid it whatsoever.
3. Japanese toilets are awesome. And confusing.
Prepare yourself to be shocked by Japanese toilets. No matter where you find one, be it a museum, the train or in an hotel room, the toilet will have some “extra” features such as toilet seat heating, bidet, and even a button playing flushing sounds for those embarrassed about their natural sounds.
Since not all toilets have their buttons translated into English, and some will have you playing guesses with which one is the flush button, just remember its symbol:
Speaking of toilets, crouching toilets are a thing in Japan, but in most cases, you’ll find at least one cabin with a western toilet, so don’t worry (though crouching toilets are supposed to be healthier).
4. Taking off your shoes
In Japan it’s a custom to take off your shoes before entering someone’s house, when vising shrines, some museums, traditional hotels and more. So bring a conformable pair of shoes you can easily take off, and some clean pairs of socks with no holes ;)
5. Finding a good WI-FI is like catching a unicorn
Japan is known for it’s advanced technology. However for some reason, finding a good wi-fi connection is kinda hard. Even in hotels, you might have one, but it’ll be so slow that Skyping your grandma, or uploading the awesome photos you took during the day to Instagram, will prove to be challenging. Since using the internet these days is an essential part of travelling (For planning your public transport routes, checking out the weather and so on), I recommend you to purchase an oversees internet package from your mobile phone provider, or just rent a pocket wi-fi modem in Japan. These can last many hours without charging, and have multiple devices connected to them.
6. Prepare the cash
In Japan there are many places such as restaurants and souvenir stores that receive only cash as payment. So prepare your cash beforehand to avoid inconvenience.
Also on that note, crime is rather rare in japan (it does exist, but for the most part Japan is a very safe country) and pick-pocketing is not an issue. You obviously shouldn't have your banknotes dangling from your pockets, but no need to hide them in your socks as well..
7. Communication issues
Most Japanese people don’t speak English so well, or are just too shy to speak it. This is more apparent the further away you travel from the large cities. They are however very friendly and keen to help, so installing Google Translate might prove to be very useful. You can download the Japanese translation package before your trip, and this way you won’t even need an internet connection to use it! Another neat feature of this app, allows you to easily translate signs or restaurant menus just by taking a photo of the text!
8. Everything for 100 Yen
Japan is known for its 100 Yen stores (especially Daiso, but there are many others). These stores contain anything — From art supply, to fluffy hats, small gadgets, cosmetics, and basically anything that comes to mind for the price of 100 Yen (currently less than a dollar). This is a great place to bulk buy some small souvenirs.
Speaking of souvenirs (or Omiyage as they’re called in Japanese), they are mostly cheap in comparison to other counties. This is probably because In-country tourism is very popular in Japan, and it’s a custom to bring Omiyage to friends, family and co-workers, so the prices are very affordable.
9. The food is amazing
Japanese food is amazing, especially if you enjoy raw fish and sea food. There is a non-ending variety of all sorts of dishes, and different varieties of the same dish depending on the part of Japan you’re visiting. So if you want to truly experience Japan, I recommend you to try as much as possible!
Some dishes I personally recommend:
- Chirashi — a bowl full of rice and all sorts of raw fish and salmon eggs on top.
- Takoyaki — a savory ball-shaped pancake, typically filled with minced or diced octopus.
- Okonomiyaki — a savory pancake containing a variety of ingredients (such as bacon, peanuts, cabbage and more).
- Unagi — A japanese style eel, lacquered with a sweet barbecue sauce.
- Yakitori — Japanese type of skewered chicken.
- Kobe beef — if you love red meat, you’ll thank me later.
10. Any special requests? Write it down.
As said above in section 7, Japanese people don’t really speak English. So what happens if you have some sort of allergy/medical condition/you’re vagan/keep kosher/halal etc? Prepare a written note in Japanese! But don’t rely on Google Translate for this one — find a native speaker in person or online, and ask nicely to help you with that note!
Have fun with your trip to Japan!
