Japan Travel Guides ~ The Historian Traveller

If I had to eat only in one city for the rest of my life, Tokyo would be it.

______ Antony Bourdain

Japan. A place at the centre of my bucket list for half of my life. The trip I had to cancel twice in the past six years, and the one that was probably more challenging to organise from both financial and logistical perspective. I’m not sure what dragged me to Japan all these years. But I always felt a kind of unexplainable connection to this country. A place and feeling that I wanted to explore more than anything else. I finally made it and it still feels surreal. Japan is probably one of the most special places I ever been. If you are reading this words, you are probably considering a visit too. Therefore, let me tell you something. The Japan travel guides that you will find in this blog, are the result of years of research and meticulous planning.

I poured my entire soul (and wallet) in the planning of this trip that is probably one of the best ones I ever organised.

Because I had to cancel my voyage to Japan not once, but twice (thanks Covid) in the past 5 years, I cumulated a knowledge I probably wouldn’t have had if only started planning six months ago. Indeed, I firstly started researching my trip in 2018. Of course, many things changed from that time. Including the fact that my original trip was an entire season and now (with a family and a full time job) I had to reduce it to two weeks. Nevertheless, I expanded my knowledge to craft the most amazing trip and now I will unleash that expertise into all my travel guides.

Japan, a land of contrasts

I longer asked myself what drifted me to Japan so much that I tried to visit this country for years, regardless of all the difficulties I faced to plan this trip. Honestly, this last time I said loudly “If the third time doesn’t go well. I won’t visit anymore!!”. Maybe the universe listened to my frustration and decided to not taste my anger anymore. In any case, I believe that Japan fascinates me a lot because of his sharp contrasts that harmoniously live together. Indeed, you can literally see a country that is 100 years in the future compared to the rest of the world, but still the same country has people who pay homages to a dragon god in a island in the coast of Kamakura. And the best thing is that this feels perfectly normal once you are there.

As a historian, I loved to discover the core of Japan’s traditions, many of which still untouched by the contemporary world. However, at the same time, I’ve been incredibly happy to see the lights, technology and all the crazies sides that Japan has as well. It’s kind of a perfect match. One side can’t probably exists without the other and it’s perfect like this.

Prepare for Japan

Whether you are going for a week or a month, I firmly believe that a trip to Japan requires extensive preparation. While a had a good training with my trip to South Korea, this is really nothing compared to Japan! Indeed, from navigating Japan train system to understand how to book (and when is the case to book) attractions, to even figure it out a decent itinerary, all of this takes time. A LOT of time.

I won’t tell you to spend like me five years in the planning, because this was more an unfortunate circumstance than a desired scenario. However, I would say that a good six months are probably necessary to figure out your plans. Particularly if you work and have only a few hours a day to dedicate to your trip. If you are an absolute first timer, keep in mind this time and cost saving tips below.

Stick to the basic

Japan has a billions of things to see and do. This will block you in a state of overwhelm for sometime before you’ll jump to the conclusion that no matter how hard you try, you can’t do it all. It’s your first time? Stick to the basic. Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Hiroshima (if you have time). Don’t listen to those tiktokers who say “oh, but you must go to less crowded places or off the beaten path destinations”. Really? Who goes to Japan for the first time and skip Tokyo because is crowded??? I care a lot about destinations and I am the first who says that overtourism is killing certain locations and we all need to act on this. However, if you want to be a responsible tourist, is better to visit off season rather than skipping an highlight because of the “hidden gems trend”.

Of course, if you have visited Japan other five times or if you have a longer trip, it’s right and normal to go off the beaten path away from the usual spots. Nevertheless, if you are a first timer, don’t get influenced and go visit all the best spots! In the end, they are famous for a reason.

Book your attractions tickets in advance

Something that could potentially ruin your trip to Japan is not doing your homework. With this I mean that most places in Japan tend to be excessively crowded. Particularly during peak seasons (Spring, Autumn). Therefore, if you are that easygoing type of person that goes with the flow and don’t think about reservations until last minute, you will miss out on some of Japan’s main attractions.

Tickets for places such as Shibuya Sky, Team Planets, Nintendo Museum etc. they are notably hard to get. Indeed, they are always almost sold out minutes after they come out. The only way to secure your access to these places is booking in advance. Precisely, the minute the tickets are released. Some tickets are released a month before, some others need a lottery to access them and for certain attractions tickets are released on a weekly basis. So go do your homework! It’s a little time consuming, but you will be thankful at the end.

Same go for experiences and restaurant reservations. Want to see the geisha show. BOOK IT IN ADVANCE. Want to do a tea ceremony in historic house in Kyoto? BOOK IT IN ADVANCE. Because overtourism is a thing, and we all know that, demand is unfortunately way much more than the offer. Therefore, the limited number of spaces available for certain experiences or even top restaurants vanish very quickly. To avoid missing out on something you really want to do, check if this require a booking a few months before and sign the booking release date on your calendar.

Pack light and bring an extra luggage

Japan Travel Guides – Sacred Barrels at Meiji Jingu

This is a tip that I always wish to follow myself and ending up never doing. However, don’t be like me and bringing 340 outfits. Pack light and bring an extra empty luggage. You will be surprised on how quickly that luggage will fill up once you are in Japan. We ended up buying an additional luggage at Don Quijote because, as expected, I was a little carried around with shopping.

Even if you don’t pack light, make sure to have an extra luggage for the shopping you’ll do.

Mind your budget

From one that had to buy an extra 23kg luggage, I can tell you that spending in Japan is way too easy. You probably see cute things that seem cheap and you’ll feel the urgency to buy them: “oh a gachapon ¥300, oh! look at that cute purse ¥500, what about that torriden face masks pack for ¥1000!!!”. Add 15 days like this and you will end up spending 3 months of your salary without even noticing. That’s me ladies and gentlemen. As much as I love Japan, it can be a real attempt to your savings if you are into manga/kawaii/games/Japanese brands etc. Therefore, make a plan for your spending, particularly if you are on a budget. This will help you figure it out if you can splurge on gachapons or is better to direct your savings towards something more meaningful. When I travel, I use an app called Trabee Pocket that helps me to track my spending. It automatically converts the local currency in your currency. So it’s quite convenient!

Travel information about Japan

Japan’s capital is Tokyo. It’s one of the most densely populated cities in the world with slightly less than 14 millions people living in it. Tokyo itself is composed of 23 wards that are like smaller cities themselves with their own history and main attractions. Visiting all 23 on a first visit is not recommended as people mostly focus on the main famous ones like Shinjuku, Shibuya or Asakusa.

Local currency

The local currency of Japan is the Japanese Yen (¥). Differently from Egypt or Morocco, you can pre-order Japanese Yen before your trip. I would recommend having some cash with you on arrival because you will need these to buy a Suica Card (cash only machine). If by chance you can’t get any money in advance, I recommend you to withdraw some from the airport on arrival. Be aware that not all the ATM machines in Japan accept foreign cards. Indeed, we discovered that UK credit/debit card are accepted only in the ATMs of 7/11 konbini. This was a little annoying but, there is no shortage of 7/11 in Japan so we were fine most of the time.

Moreover, despite being mostly a cashless country, temples and small shops are still heavily cash based. Therefore, is always better to have some cash with you.

Language in Japan

Japanese is the main language of Japan. There are sub-varieties of Japanese dialects spoken all over the country but standard Japanese remain the main language nationwide. English is not really spoken or understood and I would recommend having Google Translator or Papago at hand when getting around because you can literally get lost in translation. Big hotels and famous restaurants might have English speaking staff or even foreigners working there. Nevertheless, if you go slightly off path or in small restaurants language barriers are a serious thing.

There are still even places (mostly restaurants/izakaya) adopting a “no gaijin 外人policy” meaning that no foreigners are allowed in. Most of the time this is due to the staff not speaking English at all.

Plugs type in Japan

In Japan the most common plugs types are A and B. Type A are the most diffused ones and are exactly as the North American ones. Therefore, an American adapter will do its job without problems.

Booking Hotels

Booking your hotel in advance is essential to avoid higher fares and stay at your preferred accommodation. I always get the best rates on Booking.com and I booked here most of my stays in Japan.

Safety in Japan

Japan is one of the safest countries in the world. Indeed, violence crimes are very uncommon and there is no danger of pickpockets or lose your stuff in a cafe. Nevertheless, is better to remain vigilant at night in very popular areas such as Shinjuku/Kabuchiko as these places are famous for touts luring tourists into drinking scams and spiked drinks misadventures.

Driving in Japan

Driving in Japan is possible as long as you have an International Driving Permit. If you live in the UK, you’ll need to have the permit 1949 (same as for South Korea). We only driven in the area of Mt. Fuji with no particular major roads or crowded intersections. It was a pretty safe drive and I really recommend it. However, driving in Tokyo must be really nerve-wrecking so I’m not sure this is something I would do as a tourist unless no other choice is available.