How-to Tokyo
久しぶりです (hisashiburi desu) long time no see.
Soon i will travel my sixth time to Japan and since im having a wedding party there and some of my folks comming too i finally found motivation to write a short How-to Tokyo!
This How-To is highly based on my personal experiences and my way of doing things, so keep in mind there are probalby different ways of handling things.
At the end of the article is a small summary with some main tipps. So far i hope you enjoy my tipps and i will write soon from again from japan!
Its wise to not stay near to the airport. Which part of the city depends a little on your intressts but anyway from every part you can easily visit the other districts with the train.
For me i liked the area around korakuen near tokyo dome the most couse of easy access and many restaurants but there are severel other places like that in tokyo. So far i stayed most times in cheap hotels and my experience was that even the cheap ones have more service than a cheap german one. The only problem are the room sizes. So expect a room where you can turn around, if your luggage is not on the ground...
Also there are western style rooms in most hotels. If you like something more japanese style than you should check for a ryokan.
Personaly every Japanese and most other person thinks im crazy couse i prefer japanese summer. Its so incredible hot, i really like that. But im strange in that case couse i need very high tempuratures until i start to sweat. If you cant stay at a hot humidid place then better avoid japanese summer. But still take a coat with you couse some stores are really cold in summer thanks to the air conditioner :-(
In Tokyo are two Airports, Narita and Haneda. Both are possible to fly to. Haneda is more near to the city so its faster and easier to travel to Tokyo (for example with the Subway). But if your nearest Airport flys to Narita then dont worry, its easy too. Just add some time until you actually arrive at your Hotel. Actually i like Narita couse i was so often there its easy to handle for me :D
One additional advice from me: I have problems with the dry air in planes and easy get sick couse of the air conditioner, so i use a face mask while flying. Since japanese people consider that normal its no problem in a japanese airline ;-)
Normally you get two Immigration Cards to fill out in the airplane (if you missed that you can also find the cards before the immigration at the airport). One is for your immigration and the other is for toll or if you carrry illegal things. By the way illegal contents can also be any animal products, so leave your soussages and chesse at home. (once i forgot that and ate a bunch of salami befor landing to get rid of that :D)
Important to know is those cards are only in japanese or english (maybe there is also a chinese version if you come from there but i dont know) so if your not a native english speaker than take an english dictonary with you. At my fist trip i didnt think of that and was fucked at the word "occupation" :D but the immigration stuff was nice and helped me out, i never forget that word again.
Also Important is to have the adress and telephone number from your hotel. You will need that for filling out. You can enter the telephone number of your hotel in the section for contacting you in japan.
At the Airport you have to follow the path for immigration. If you are unlucky its full of tourist from china (happened to me 4 out of 5 times and i waited one hour in the line. the 5th time i waitet 5 minutes.) You will pass the cards you filled out to the staff and they will make a picture from your face and take fingerprints. Maybe they ask additional informations (like if your a funny guy and write you visit your girlfriend as reason for entering they want her name too....) . After that you can pass and go pick up your luggage.
Then the last chalenge is to pass the toll staff people. My luggage got checked 2 out of 5 times. It would have been 3 times but last time he saw my wife waiting and then said its ok. They also like asking questions why are you there and how long etc.... But in generel they were friendly so dont worry :-)
At Narita:.I prefer the Keise Skyliner train, its the fastest way and the price is ok. The catch is you have to exchange to a subway at some point to reach your hotel. Another choice is the Narita Express train if its more near to your prefered stations (i personaly never tried that option). The next option is the friendly limosine bus. They are a really good option if you have a big hotel, couse the stop at big hotels. So you can just buy a ticket and get delivered direct to the hotel (at my first trip i took them and was really satisfied with that service). But the bus is a little bit slow and more expensiv than the Skyliner. So far i heared that there are now new bus services at the Airports wich are cheaper, but i have no experience with them. Maybe someday i can write about them too.
The last option is the normal train, its supposed to be cheap but takes very long from Narita.
At Haneda: I never arrived at the International Gate, only at the Nationals Gate. I traveled with the subway couse the time and price were both ok. But from there also busses are driving so if you have a big hotel and its your first time in tokyo maybe the bus is your best option.
The next option is to rent a Wifi Module. I never tried that but the staff said its already set up and you just need to know how to connect to your wifi module. If you are traveling with two persons all the time and never split up maybe thats a good choice for sharing the data costs. The catch is that you have to bring it back at the and of the trip.
One more option is to rent a japanese smartphone. Same catch like the wifi module, you have to bring it back. I dont know if its possilble to call with the sim card in those phones. If that is what you need maybe ask the staff.
Probably the most expensive option is to pay for using data in a foreign country at your own provider. For me it was sensless. For one day using this i could afford a 7 days data sim card...
The last option is only use Wifi. There are severell free wifis in japan, like at your hotel or at starbucks or at malls. Also there are apps for using more free wifi. Besides that there are also services for paid wifi. I know some people who lived just like that. Its possible but for me as an it-guy to uncomfortable. I was glad at some points when i was lost to have some internet to find out where the hell i am :D also i like to use an app for the subway which is pretty convinient.(JapanTravel) but its your choice ;-)
So how to travel with train and subway: PASMO or SUICA. These are some prepaid cards for train and subway also for some stores, vending machines and i even paid a taxi once with that. Dont try to figure out which is better, i tried that several hours and there was no answer. Both can be used the same way at the same machines in whole tokyo. The only differnce is the company and the logo. The SUICA has a cute penguin and the PASMO has a train and a bus. Maybe at some small citys there is one advantage for the other but like i said dont waste your time, just buy the one you come across first. I have a PASMO now but at my first trip i had a SUICA and actually were going to the trouble to get my deposit money back. The PASMO i allwas keep now couseof regulary visiting.
You can buy the Card at severel machines at the train stations. They have a deposit of 500 yen which you can get back if you give your card back. (But in fact you pay a little service charge for getting your money back). You can load the card on the same maschine and on severel other machines at the stations. Those machines can speak english.
The using is simple: Hold the card at the gate while enter the plattform and when leaving the plattform you hold the card again at the gate. It will automaticily calculate how far you drove and use the money from the card. If the card has not enough money to pay then a little barrier will appear and you have to go to a machine to charge the card to get out of the station. Thats it!
If you are cheap on money and know you want to travel really a lot at one day then its also possible to buy a day ticket at the counter machines. But then you have to calculate beforhand how much you travel and if the one day ticket is really worth it... for me in my holiday i like it as simple as possible so if i pay sometimes 100 yen more couse i spontanously traveled more, than i dont care couse on other days i pay way less then a daily ticket.
One more option as a foreigner is the Japan Railway Pass. You have to order that pass beforehand in the internet and pick it up in Japan. The clue about this one is you can travel to whole japan with all JR trains with no extra cost. Even the shinkansen (the fast train) except the fastest shinkansen version. But this pass costs actually much money and if you stay in and around tokyo its probably not woth it. But if you travel to many citys through japan this one can be your best friend.
One important thing to know is that trainin Tokyo dont drive at night. The last train will drive around 23 o clock. After that you need a taxi, an hotel or you party till the morning.
Like the street musicians at the bridge at shinjuku station at night. You dont find that at a travel book couse they are actually not allowed to play there. I never saw so many good street musicians before.
Still there are some tourists spots which i think are really impressive if you see them the first time. Like the Shibuya cross. Its really amazing how so many people can walk in different directions without constantly bumping into each other. I once walked there with eyes closed and no one touched me.
If you like shrines then the meijin shrine should be yours also check the yoyogi park nearby and the harajuku street if you like lolita clothes. If you like animes and mangas or electronic things or maids then Akihabara will be your dreamland.
There are also many Towers in Tokyo. I visited the Tokyo Tower it is a replica of the Eiffel Tower. The biggest one in Toyko is the Tokyo Sky Tree. But there its wise to buy the ticket beforhand. I couldnt get up once couse it was full. But my favourite Tower is the landmark tower in Yokohama. Yokohama is not so far from Tokyo and there is also a small theme park which can be visited for free (riding rollor coaster of couse costs money).
Also one day trip from Toyko you can find fuji san.
One other place i can recommend is the area around Tokyo Dome. There is also a little theme park and many restaurants.
Intressting for tourists is also to go into one of the DonQuijote (Donki) Look out for the penguin logo. You can literaly buy everything there. I often buy my tea for home there.
If you like drinking then maybe a Hub is nice for you, its like a pub and there are often japanese people who want to talk to foreigners.
Near Shinjuku Station is Kabukicho. Its the one of the night and the red light district in Tokyo. In the night take a little bit care of guys who want to intresst you in some strange clubs(just dont go with them). But in generell its not more dangeurous than going to a europe nightlife district.
So far for my traveling tipps, the best is to check a guide and just explore things that you are intressted in. In generell its more safe to travel in Japan than anywhere else. But still you shouldnt trust everyone!
Also there are some other Banks were you can get your money. Maybe some of them have a lower price for getting money. The only reason i use the 7-eleven much is its easy to find and use for tourists.
Sometimes i also used my credit cards at stores, but only at bigger amounts, there i only paid the 1%. The Japanese by themself prefer to buy many things with paper money or small things with the PASMO/SUICA.
Also its wise to have your hotel adress in japanese and latin letters on a letter to get home with a taxi even if the driver cant understand english.
On the other hand many people will try to help you and some actually want to try out there english on you.
There are nearly no public trash cans in Tokyo. So do like the japanese and take your trash with you. Sometimes you can find trash cans near vending machines or at convinient stores.
In the most japanese restaurants the staff will guide you to your table and you pay while going out. If you need the staff you can say "sumimasen" which means sorry and they will come to you. Sometimes there is also a bell which you can ring if you want to order something.
Some cheap restaurants instead have some machines in the entry where you choose your menu and pay and then give the receipt to the staff.
Sometimes its even more subtile but they will alway smile which can be confusing couse their meaning is serious.
Also Japanese people listen active when someone is talking, it can be a "はい" (Hai = yes) or an simple "うん" (un = yes). You can confuse them when you dont do those actions and they repeat their saings until you nod or something couse for them its like you dont understand if you do nothing.
Japanese like to bow instead of shaking hands. Dont be afraid of that, they will forgive you if you bow to much or to less. couse you look like a tourist. They only give you the hand couse they want to be friendly to you.
Dont be noisy. In japan its considered very rude to talk on the phone in the train. Most japanese have there smartphones on vibration or silent mode and like to text.
Thats why there are woman trains at rush hour.
On the other hand its no problem to sleep in a train. Getting robbed while sleeping in a train is nearly no topic in japan. You actually will get used to your 5 minutes train naps :D
Emergency numbers are 110 for police and 119 for ambulance/fire. Also there are many Police Boxes (Koban) in Japan where you will find a police officer. The official symbol to mark a Koban on a Japanese map is an cross like "X".
Soon i will travel my sixth time to Japan and since im having a wedding party there and some of my folks comming too i finally found motivation to write a short How-to Tokyo!
This How-To is highly based on my personal experiences and my way of doing things, so keep in mind there are probalby different ways of handling things.
At the end of the article is a small summary with some main tipps. So far i hope you enjoy my tipps and i will write soon from again from japan!
Where to stay
There are several Hotels in Tokyo. Still its wise to book beforhand. Sometimes there are busy seasons especialy when the students apply for universitys many hotels are booked out.Its wise to not stay near to the airport. Which part of the city depends a little on your intressts but anyway from every part you can easily visit the other districts with the train.
For me i liked the area around korakuen near tokyo dome the most couse of easy access and many restaurants but there are severel other places like that in tokyo. So far i stayed most times in cheap hotels and my experience was that even the cheap ones have more service than a cheap german one. The only problem are the room sizes. So expect a room where you can turn around, if your luggage is not on the ground...
Also there are western style rooms in most hotels. If you like something more japanese style than you should check for a ryokan.
When to fly
I would say for most people autumn and spring are the recommended seasons. Especially spring around hanami (cherry blossom) is considered nice. The problem about the winter is that most japanese houses in japan have no heating system like in europe only air conditioners which can be changed to hot. But at hotels it was not so much of a big problem for me when i was in Japan in winter.Personaly every Japanese and most other person thinks im crazy couse i prefer japanese summer. Its so incredible hot, i really like that. But im strange in that case couse i need very high tempuratures until i start to sweat. If you cant stay at a hot humidid place then better avoid japanese summer. But still take a coat with you couse some stores are really cold in summer thanks to the air conditioner :-(
Flying to Japan
How to fly depends much were you come from. I prefer a nonstop flight with a Japanese Airline (ANA) from Düsseldorf to Narita, couse for me time is more important than the money. But if you have more time than money, then you should check out other directions and do some stop in dubai or wherever.In Tokyo are two Airports, Narita and Haneda. Both are possible to fly to. Haneda is more near to the city so its faster and easier to travel to Tokyo (for example with the Subway). But if your nearest Airport flys to Narita then dont worry, its easy too. Just add some time until you actually arrive at your Hotel. Actually i like Narita couse i was so often there its easy to handle for me :D
One additional advice from me: I have problems with the dry air in planes and easy get sick couse of the air conditioner, so i use a face mask while flying. Since japanese people consider that normal its no problem in a japanese airline ;-)
Entering Japan
So Japan is an Island and they like to know who is coming to their country. As a German i dont need a to apply beforehand for a visa if i stay less then 3 months. But you have to pass the Immigration. Other countries might have different rules for entering japan! Anyway you need your passport!Normally you get two Immigration Cards to fill out in the airplane (if you missed that you can also find the cards before the immigration at the airport). One is for your immigration and the other is for toll or if you carrry illegal things. By the way illegal contents can also be any animal products, so leave your soussages and chesse at home. (once i forgot that and ate a bunch of salami befor landing to get rid of that :D)
Important to know is those cards are only in japanese or english (maybe there is also a chinese version if you come from there but i dont know) so if your not a native english speaker than take an english dictonary with you. At my fist trip i didnt think of that and was fucked at the word "occupation" :D but the immigration stuff was nice and helped me out, i never forget that word again.
Also Important is to have the adress and telephone number from your hotel. You will need that for filling out. You can enter the telephone number of your hotel in the section for contacting you in japan.
At the Airport you have to follow the path for immigration. If you are unlucky its full of tourist from china (happened to me 4 out of 5 times and i waited one hour in the line. the 5th time i waitet 5 minutes.) You will pass the cards you filled out to the staff and they will make a picture from your face and take fingerprints. Maybe they ask additional informations (like if your a funny guy and write you visit your girlfriend as reason for entering they want her name too....) . After that you can pass and go pick up your luggage.
Then the last chalenge is to pass the toll staff people. My luggage got checked 2 out of 5 times. It would have been 3 times but last time he saw my wife waiting and then said its ok. They also like asking questions why are you there and how long etc.... But in generel they were friendly so dont worry :-)
Travel from the Airport to the Hotel
There are severel ways to reach your hotel.At Narita:.I prefer the Keise Skyliner train, its the fastest way and the price is ok. The catch is you have to exchange to a subway at some point to reach your hotel. Another choice is the Narita Express train if its more near to your prefered stations (i personaly never tried that option). The next option is the friendly limosine bus. They are a really good option if you have a big hotel, couse the stop at big hotels. So you can just buy a ticket and get delivered direct to the hotel (at my first trip i took them and was really satisfied with that service). But the bus is a little bit slow and more expensiv than the Skyliner. So far i heared that there are now new bus services at the Airports wich are cheaper, but i have no experience with them. Maybe someday i can write about them too.
The last option is the normal train, its supposed to be cheap but takes very long from Narita.
At Haneda: I never arrived at the International Gate, only at the Nationals Gate. I traveled with the subway couse the time and price were both ok. But from there also busses are driving so if you have a big hotel and its your first time in tokyo maybe the bus is your best option.
Internet and Telephone
Like always there is more than one option. I prefer to by a Data Sim Card at the Airport. They are available for 7 / 14 or more days from severall companys. For that your smartphone has to be unlocked (normally that it the case for german prepaid users if you bought your smartphone not together with the contract). Then you need to know your sim card size (normal, micro or nano). With the normal size i experienced trouble to get cards at one year couse there are a little bit outdated but at the end it was possible. The manual how to activate the sim card is normally in english. The catch is you cant phone with that sim card. But if your not perfect at japanese you cant call anyone anyway... and the home you can contact with your favourite messenger (whatsapp, line, skype, facebook, whatever).The next option is to rent a Wifi Module. I never tried that but the staff said its already set up and you just need to know how to connect to your wifi module. If you are traveling with two persons all the time and never split up maybe thats a good choice for sharing the data costs. The catch is that you have to bring it back at the and of the trip.
One more option is to rent a japanese smartphone. Same catch like the wifi module, you have to bring it back. I dont know if its possilble to call with the sim card in those phones. If that is what you need maybe ask the staff.
Probably the most expensive option is to pay for using data in a foreign country at your own provider. For me it was sensless. For one day using this i could afford a 7 days data sim card...
The last option is only use Wifi. There are severell free wifis in japan, like at your hotel or at starbucks or at malls. Also there are apps for using more free wifi. Besides that there are also services for paid wifi. I know some people who lived just like that. Its possible but for me as an it-guy to uncomfortable. I was glad at some points when i was lost to have some internet to find out where the hell i am :D also i like to use an app for the subway which is pretty convinient.(JapanTravel) but its your choice ;-)
How-to travel in Tokyo
The answer is: Subway and train! Dont rent a car, you dont want to drive in that city. Taxi is possible for short rides the prices are ok and not much more like in germany. The taxis i used so far were clean and safe.So how to travel with train and subway: PASMO or SUICA. These are some prepaid cards for train and subway also for some stores, vending machines and i even paid a taxi once with that. Dont try to figure out which is better, i tried that several hours and there was no answer. Both can be used the same way at the same machines in whole tokyo. The only differnce is the company and the logo. The SUICA has a cute penguin and the PASMO has a train and a bus. Maybe at some small citys there is one advantage for the other but like i said dont waste your time, just buy the one you come across first. I have a PASMO now but at my first trip i had a SUICA and actually were going to the trouble to get my deposit money back. The PASMO i allwas keep now couseof regulary visiting.
You can buy the Card at severel machines at the train stations. They have a deposit of 500 yen which you can get back if you give your card back. (But in fact you pay a little service charge for getting your money back). You can load the card on the same maschine and on severel other machines at the stations. Those machines can speak english.
The using is simple: Hold the card at the gate while enter the plattform and when leaving the plattform you hold the card again at the gate. It will automaticily calculate how far you drove and use the money from the card. If the card has not enough money to pay then a little barrier will appear and you have to go to a machine to charge the card to get out of the station. Thats it!
If you are cheap on money and know you want to travel really a lot at one day then its also possible to buy a day ticket at the counter machines. But then you have to calculate beforhand how much you travel and if the one day ticket is really worth it... for me in my holiday i like it as simple as possible so if i pay sometimes 100 yen more couse i spontanously traveled more, than i dont care couse on other days i pay way less then a daily ticket.
One more option as a foreigner is the Japan Railway Pass. You have to order that pass beforehand in the internet and pick it up in Japan. The clue about this one is you can travel to whole japan with all JR trains with no extra cost. Even the shinkansen (the fast train) except the fastest shinkansen version. But this pass costs actually much money and if you stay in and around tokyo its probably not woth it. But if you travel to many citys through japan this one can be your best friend.
One important thing to know is that trainin Tokyo dont drive at night. The last train will drive around 23 o clock. After that you need a taxi, an hotel or you party till the morning.
How-To Navigate the traveling
If you are old fashioned or rely on just free wifi than you can use those printed subway maps. Each train has its own collour, so its not too complicates to use them. But i prefer to use my smartphone together with the app Japan Travel from NAVITIME. Its the best and it works for subway, trains bus and it even says how much a taxi would cost. There is also one app just for the subway (Tokyosubway) but that was missing the JR trains in Tokyo so i stopped using that.Where to Travel
Thats an intressting question couse there is no fixed answer for that. Where to travel depends much on your individual intressts. The fact is before my first trip to japan i planed some things and at the end i did nearly none of them. In fact i was most time just running around somewehre and exploring, then checked my travel guide for a spot i spontanously want to drive and drove there. I really got bussy like that and discoveres some things i didnt thought of before.Like the street musicians at the bridge at shinjuku station at night. You dont find that at a travel book couse they are actually not allowed to play there. I never saw so many good street musicians before.
Still there are some tourists spots which i think are really impressive if you see them the first time. Like the Shibuya cross. Its really amazing how so many people can walk in different directions without constantly bumping into each other. I once walked there with eyes closed and no one touched me.
If you like shrines then the meijin shrine should be yours also check the yoyogi park nearby and the harajuku street if you like lolita clothes. If you like animes and mangas or electronic things or maids then Akihabara will be your dreamland.
There are also many Towers in Tokyo. I visited the Tokyo Tower it is a replica of the Eiffel Tower. The biggest one in Toyko is the Tokyo Sky Tree. But there its wise to buy the ticket beforhand. I couldnt get up once couse it was full. But my favourite Tower is the landmark tower in Yokohama. Yokohama is not so far from Tokyo and there is also a small theme park which can be visited for free (riding rollor coaster of couse costs money).
Also one day trip from Toyko you can find fuji san.
One other place i can recommend is the area around Tokyo Dome. There is also a little theme park and many restaurants.
Intressting for tourists is also to go into one of the DonQuijote (Donki) Look out for the penguin logo. You can literaly buy everything there. I often buy my tea for home there.
If you like drinking then maybe a Hub is nice for you, its like a pub and there are often japanese people who want to talk to foreigners.
Near Shinjuku Station is Kabukicho. Its the one of the night and the red light district in Tokyo. In the night take a little bit care of guys who want to intresst you in some strange clubs(just dont go with them). But in generell its not more dangeurous than going to a europe nightlife district.
So far for my traveling tipps, the best is to check a guide and just explore things that you are intressted in. In generell its more safe to travel in Japan than anywhere else. But still you shouldnt trust everyone!
Which is the best travel guide
I dont know. Before my first trip i found an official site for Tokyo visitors and ordered a free Travel Guide from them. That was the one i used the most couse it was small and there wasnt to many informations. But i dont find any more where to order that. I think the site was http://www.gotokyo.org even if i dont find the guide any more they still have many nice informations online. Also there are many other guides in your favourite book store like from Marco Polo or someone else. I actually prefere a paper guide couse its quicker to browse than a whole website when you are on the road.Money
In japan the currency is yen. Probably its wise to get beforehand some money. I only did that at my first trip and got the money at a travel bank (reisebank). Now i just use the rest money from the last trip for the start and then i go to a 7-eleven. These are convinient stores and nearly everywhere in tokyo. They usully have an ATM machine u can use with your credit card. The ATM machines at 7-eleven are already prepared for olympic 2020 and speak several languages (even german). But you have to pay money to use them. For me it was around 5€ for 7-eleven and then i paid 1% of the summ i collected for my credit card company.Also there are some other Banks were you can get your money. Maybe some of them have a lower price for getting money. The only reason i use the 7-eleven much is its easy to find and use for tourists.
Sometimes i also used my credit cards at stores, but only at bigger amounts, there i only paid the 1%. The Japanese by themself prefer to buy many things with paper money or small things with the PASMO/SUICA.
What else...
Many japanese dont speak english couse of lack of skills or couse they are embarrased to make mistakes. So it can happen to you that even buying the number one at KFC can be a challenge.Also its wise to have your hotel adress in japanese and latin letters on a letter to get home with a taxi even if the driver cant understand english.
On the other hand many people will try to help you and some actually want to try out there english on you.
There are nearly no public trash cans in Tokyo. So do like the japanese and take your trash with you. Sometimes you can find trash cans near vending machines or at convinient stores.
Foods and drinks
At nearly every corner in Tokyo there is a 7-eleven, a family mart or a Lawson. Sometimes all three of them and they are always open. Besides that there are even more vending machines where you can buy water and such things. Probably your hotel also have one of those.In the most japanese restaurants the staff will guide you to your table and you pay while going out. If you need the staff you can say "sumimasen" which means sorry and they will come to you. Sometimes there is also a bell which you can ring if you want to order something.
Some cheap restaurants instead have some machines in the entry where you choose your menu and pay and then give the receipt to the staff.
Electric
probalby you need an adapter for your electric devices. In Japan they have the same sockets like in the USA.some culture things:
Japanese people tend to say no without saying no. They can be very friendly in sending you away. Like once i entered a nice looking building (i thought its a museum or something) and the staff informed me that this building is for "working people" its the japanese version of "please go"Sometimes its even more subtile but they will alway smile which can be confusing couse their meaning is serious.
Also Japanese people listen active when someone is talking, it can be a "はい" (Hai = yes) or an simple "うん" (un = yes). You can confuse them when you dont do those actions and they repeat their saings until you nod or something couse for them its like you dont understand if you do nothing.
Japanese like to bow instead of shaking hands. Dont be afraid of that, they will forgive you if you bow to much or to less. couse you look like a tourist. They only give you the hand couse they want to be friendly to you.
Dont be noisy. In japan its considered very rude to talk on the phone in the train. Most japanese have there smartphones on vibration or silent mode and like to text.
safety things
In most cases Japan is very safe. If feels much safer to drive home with the last train at 23 o clock then anywhere else. And you acutally can see people saving seats at starbucks with there iphone... Still dont be stupid. Also as a woman take care in full trains, some guys may take advantage.Thats why there are woman trains at rush hour.
On the other hand its no problem to sleep in a train. Getting robbed while sleeping in a train is nearly no topic in japan. You actually will get used to your 5 minutes train naps :D
Emergency numbers are 110 for police and 119 for ambulance/fire. Also there are many Police Boxes (Koban) in Japan where you will find a police officer. The official symbol to mark a Koban on a Japanese map is an cross like "X".
Short Tipps
- Prepare a letter with the adress of your hotel in both Japanese Letters and latin Letters, that way if you really get lost you can get home by taxi even if the driver cant speak english.
- use the app JapanTravel from NAVITIME for traveling
- Buy a PASMO or SUICA for traveling
- The last train drives around 23 o clock
- Buy a data sim card or a wifi module at the airport
- check http://www.gotokyo.org for many informations about tokyo
- Think of an english dictonary for the immigration
- Know your hotels adress and telphone number for immigration
- Check which way to your hotel is the easiest for you (skyliner, subway, bus)
- you can get money at every 7-Eleven store at an ATM machine with a creditcard
- buy an adapter for your electric devices (Japan has the same system sockets like the USA)
- Body language is your best friend if no one understands you
- The next police officer is at a Koban
- 110 for Police, 119 for fire/ambulance
- take a nap in the train is ok
- set your smartphone on silent or vibration mode in the train
- its ok to use a mask to prevent getting sick
- dont bring animal product to japan or back to your country
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