Japan is an East Asian country with a very mature tourism industry. Whether it is Tokyo, which is visited by the most tourists; Fukuoka, which is full of yatai; Kyoto, where you can experience authentic Japanese culture; or the seasonal Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route, each city and region has different characteristics. The tourism industry is very developed, new tourist attractions are often born. However, before departure, we also need to study what to look out for locally to make the trip go smoothly.
Time Zone: UTC+9
Climate Preference
Japan is an island country comprising 14,125 islands extending along the Pacific coast of Asia. The country’s five main islands, from north to south, are Hokkaido, Honshu (as known as main island), Shikoku, Kyushu, and Okinawa. Except for Okinawa, where temperatures are warm and hot all year round, temperatures in other areas vary depending on the month of departure. There is a chance of encountering typhoons in summer and heavy snowfall in winter. It is particularly important to note that the whole of Japan is in earthquake zones, and you need to pay attention to local special warnings when traveling there.
Visa
Please visit the JAPAN eVISA website for details, and you can also send me a private message if necessary.
https://www.mofa.go.jp/j_info/visit/visa/index.html
Power Plugs / Sockets
Power voltage in Japan is Type A 100V / 50HZ 60HZ. Hotels in Japan are very innovative and usually have universal plugs and USB plugs.
SIM Card & Transportation card
Although electronic payment is not yet popular in Japan, it is still recommended to purchase a SIM card before departure to facilitate receiving special information from the Japan Meteorological Agency. In addition, there are usually two popular transportation cards in Japan, namely the Suica Card and the ICOCA Card. The cards that are popular in different regions are also different. Therefore, I will tell you what kind of cards are used in that region in the guide for individual regions.
Japan SoftBank Docomo 4G/5G eSIM｜Daily+Total｜1-30 days｜QR code
eSIM Japan with a high-speed and stable Internet connection
Money Exchange / Cash
You can exchange Japanese yen at foreign currency exchange machines, chain exchange stores, and tourist information centers. Tourist information centers usually have foreign currency exchange machines and chain exchange stores. Here are some of the redemption points.
Foreign Currency Exchange Machine
SMART EXCHANGE
Locations: Convenience stores, stations, Skytree and other tourist hotspots
Pocket Change
Locations: Tokyo Station, Sapporo Station, Narita Airport, Haneda Airport and other tourist hotspots
https://www.pocket-change.jp/en
Chain Exchange Store
Travelex
This store accepts credit cards for purchasing foreign currency
Branch network: Shinjuku, Tokyo, Akihabara, Shibuya, Osaka, Kyoto, Naha, Fukuoka and other tourist hotspots
Business hours: 11:00～19:00 (varies by store)
Applications
Google Maps and Google Translate are indispensable.
Japan Transit Planner
A convenient app for using railways in Japan. It can check the route, the fare, and the required time easily when you input the departure station and the destination station.
食べログ Tabelog
Gurunavi ぐるなび
The restaurant has complete information and both apps supports reservation agency service in English. Please note that reservations are very important in Japan, so please be on time and attend as required.
tenki.JP
Detailed weather reports are provided subdivided into regions. Tenki.JP will also provide weather warnings and disaster information about things such as typhoons and earthquakes.
Safety
Japan is a country with good public security. There is no need to worry about safety issues before going into the dark. At night, you need to be careful entering slums, such as the notorious Nishinari Ward in Osaka. When choosing a hotel, it is also recommended not to choose remote areas because of the cheap prices.
Some famous attractions have poor security from a Japanese perspective, such as Shinjuku Kabukicho. However, these areas are generally friendly to foreigners, so if you don’t go there alone at midnight, there is no need to worry.
Simple Japanese for traveling
Since Japanese pronunciation is different from English, we try to translate it into English.
Hello = こんにちは kon ni chi wa
Thank you = ありがとう a li ga tall + ございます gall zai yi ma su (+more polite)
Great = 素晴らしい su ba ra shī
Delicious / Yummy = おいしい oi shi / 美味い ou mai yi
How much is it = いくらですか yi ku la that su ka
How to go this place = どこですか dall kall that su ka
Tax Refund
At present, tourists in Japan can enjoy tax-free discounts in stores if they spend 5,000 yen or more to get a consumption tax refund, just show your passport. However, the Japanese government plans to implement a new tax-free system in the second half of 2026. Tourists need to pay the consumption tax first and bring the tax with them when leaving the country. Tax refunds may no longer be limited to cash. It is also planned to remove the tax-free upper limit of 500,000 yen. Since this policy has not yet been implemented, the latest information will be updated.
Emergency Number: 110
the Metropolitan Police in Tokyo has an English helpline available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Dial 03-3501-0110 for this service.
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