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First trip to Japan! Traditional culture, historical streetscapes, unique pop culture and authentic Japanese cuisine, it is full of new experiences and interesting events. So, you are definitely wanting to fully utilize you time and funds to enjoy your stay in Japan without wasting any single second. Other than searching for travel information on the web or guide books, there are many more things you can prepare to make your travel easier before you set to Japan, like special fare train tickets or useful smartphone apps. So, this columns will review the handy items and helpful information for travelers in Japan that have introduced in this page in the past.
Purchase an Exchange Order for the JAPAN RAIL PASS
If you intend to travel around, Shinkansen and local train networks will be the most dominant means of travelling within Japan. One downside is, accumulated amount of train fares can be unexpectedly expensive as you keep actively traveling around. If you wish to visit as many places as possible without spending too much, purchase an exchange order for the JAPAN RAIL PASS. JAPAN RAIL PASS is a special fare ticket only available for foreign tourists who enter Japan with a Temporary Visitor visa. A 7-days-pass, the most popular ticket, costs only 30000yen, and the more you use trains, the more train fares you save. Make sure to purchase an exchange order before you depart your country as it is not available in Japan.
Super saver train & bus tickets only for foreign tourists
Get an International Driving Permit
If you have a driver license issued by a member country of the convention at Geneva, you will be permitted to drive in Japan by getting an International Driving Permit. To drive on International Driving Permit in Japan, you must bring both IDP and your original driver license with you.
Three options for foreigners to drive a motor vehicle in Japan
Traveling to Japan? Be aware of rush hour
Download useful smartphone apps
Safety Tips
“Safety Tips” is the first app you want to download on your phone before traveling to Japan. Earth quake, tsunami, typhoons and floods are major natural disasters in Japan. They can be really serious sometimes, and making an appropriate behavior is crucial to survive in such cases. “Safety Tips” is designed to provide useful information in 4 languages in a time of disaster. Make sure to have this app in your phone before coming to Japan.
“Safety Tips” – an application helping you to survive a disaster
Translation/interpretation apps
Sadly, the language barrier is the most common complaint about Japan among foreign tourists. They seem to have no significant trouble at major airports or railway stations, but communicating with local people in general places like stores or casual diners become such a hard task once they are out in the town as most of the Japanese speaks only Japanese. To solve this common issue, download translation and interpretation apps on your smartphones and tablets.
No more Lost in Translation: 7 best translation apps for smartphone
Other useful apps
Generally speaking, traveling is often accompanied with lots of research about things like train maps, currency rate or train transit. Travelers used to carry a bagful of tools including maps, calculator and train time tables all the time decades ago, but you no longer have to do so as smartphone apps have replaced all those little tools. Make sure to download useful apps before you leave your country as you may need some of them right after your arrival in Japan.
Best 7 Mobile Apps to Enjoy Your Stay in Japan
Research Free WiFi hotspot and prepaid SIM
The poor public internet service was another common issue for foreign tourists traveling in Japan. But it has been considerably improved thanks to great efforts by local governments and companies. A few apps are also available to unify a number of free Wifi hotspots all over Japan. If you are happy to spend a little money to have stable internet connection, getting prepaid SIM is the right option for you. Many types of SIMs are available from shops in major airport such as Narita, Haneda and Kansai to meet different needs from tourists.
【2017 Version】Stay Connected! A Guide to Japan’s Free Wi-Fi Spots
【2017 Version】Comparison of Short-term Prepaid SIM
Check how to transfer travel funds
Credit cards are getting more accepted in Japan, though, cash is still the most dominant mean of payment. But carrying a large amount of cash is not practical. Cashing out from ATM by using overseas bank card is the best way, but there are always other issues like expensive transaction fees, or you may not be able to use your bank card at ATM in the first place. Anyway, it is not practical to take just your credit card with no cash on you. It is recommended to check which way you want to use to transfer your money. If you want to use a prepaid travel card, you need to purchase it before going to Japan.
Read this before your trip to Japan! How to use foreign credit cards at Japanese ATMs
How to transfer funds to Japan other than bank transfer
Other useful information
Emergency contacts
Revise emergency contact numbers and helpline numbers in case of unexpected illness or emergency situations such as fire in your accommodation.
List of English Speaking Emergency / Helpline Numbers for Foreigners
Special diet
While Japan has multi-national food culture, people who are on special diet such as vegetarian food and halal food still have great difficulties to find place to dine in. If you have special requirement on your diet, it is a good idea to search the web to find places that provide appropriate ingredients for your diet.
A list of searching tools for halal foods and restaurants in Japan
Restaurants searching websites for vegetarians
Duty free shopping
Until a few years ago, duty free shops in airports and cities were the only places to buy items without paying tax. But now, you can purchase items tax free from major department stores, large home-electronics stores and many more retailers. There are some criteria for items you can purchase without tax and eligibility to purchase.
Be privileged and pay 8% less: Consumption tax exemption for tourists
Volunteer guide
Of course, it is fun to look at a guide book and follow whatever introduced on it, but the nest way to know places is to ask local people. Volunteer guides are local people who are willing to guide tourists around their cities. There are many volunteer groups and individuals who can guide you. Just make sure to book beforehand.
Traveling on a Budget? Explore Japan with a Volunteer Guide
Prevention is better than cure
Thousands of people visit Japan from overseas every year and many of them say they have encountered some unexpected surprises during their stay in Japan. They can be the old fashioned manners or language barrier that cause them some minor trouble. Having a little trouble can be transformed into a good memory in later time of course, but you never want too many of them. So, be well prepared before you head to Japan!
