Mr B and I had Japan on our bucket list for years and we regularly talked ourselves out of it.
The trains looked complicated, the language barrier felt daunting, and everything I read online seemed designed to make me feel like I needed a degree in logistics just to survive a fortnight in Tokyo.
I didn’t. And neither do you.
Here is everything I wish someone had told me before I went – practical, honest, and hard won from two weeks of figuring it out as we went along.
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Sort Your Connectivity Before You Fly
eSIM or pocket WiFi — pick one, just don’t skip this step. Japan’s public WiFi is genuinely excellent and widely available, but having your own data for things like live train times is a complete game changer. Mr B and I had zero phone stress for the entire trip.
eSIMs aren’t even that expensive and you can sort one before you leave home. It’s one of those small decisions that makes a disproportionately large difference. Do it.
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Money: What Nobody Tells You But I Am
First, ignore the outdated advice that Japan is still a cash-only economy. It simply isn’t true anymore. Yes, some smaller places and rural spots still prefer cash, but in cities you’ll be absolutely fine with a card the vast majority of the time.
We used a credit card with zero foreign transaction fees and our Monzo cards. If you need cash, 7-Eleven ATMs are widely considered the cheapest option for withdrawals and there is a 7-Eleven on practically every corner, so you’ll never be far from one.
The single most important money tip I can give you: whenever you are offered a choice of currency at a payment terminal, always choose YEN. Always. Never choose GBP. Dynamic currency conversion — which is what happens when you choose your home currency — will cost you more. Let your bank handle the conversion instead. Every time.
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Build Your Japan Folder Before You Leave Home
This was one of the best things I did and it cost nothing but ten minutes of organisation before we flew.
I made a dedicated album on my phone and a folder for apps. Into the album went photos of our passports (you are legally required to carry your passport at all times in Japan, but having a photo as backup is just sensible), screenshots of our hotel addresses in both English and Japanese, and any QR codes we needed quick access to.
Into the folder went the XE currency converter app — genuinely one of the most used apps of the whole trip — along with everything else I knew I’d be fumbling for at an inconvenient moment. One folder, everything in it, no stress.
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Download Visit Japan Web Before You Land — Seriously
I cannot stress this enough. Visit Japan Web is the official app for your immigration and customs QR codes and you need to complete it before your plane touches down.
Mr B and I cleared customs in around 15 minutes. Meanwhile, I watched a steady stream of people being turned away from the fast queue to go and physically complete paper immigration forms instead. In a busy international airport, after a long flight, that is nobody’s idea of a good time.
Download it, complete it, save the QR code to your Japan folder. Done. We felt smug with this one ☺️
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The Trains Are Not As Scary As You Think
We worried about this more than anything else before we went. The network looked enormous and complicated and we’d read approximately one thousand conflicting pieces of advice online. Here is the truth: once you’re there, it makes sense. You’ll be absolutely fine.
The first thing to do is get the SUICA app loaded onto your phone before you start exploring. It works exactly like an Oyster card on the London Underground — tap in, tap out, job done. Top it up as you go. Mr B and I used ours on local trains, buses, trams, in supermarkets and even at vending machines. It is one of the most useful things about travelling around Japan and it will save you an enormous amount of time queuing at ticket machines.
The one thing I will say: know your exit before you arrive at a station. This sounds like a small thing until you are standing in Shinjuku Station, which has – I am not exaggerating – yes – 200 exits. A quick check of Google Maps before you descend underground will save you a lot of confused wandering. And one more thing that made such a difference – every station on the carriage maps is both named AND numbered. So even if the Japanese place names feel unfamiliar, you can simply follow the numbers. Genuinely one of those small things that makes the whole network feel so much less intimidating.
Speaking of which, Google Maps is your best friend in Japan. Most of the time. Underground, in some of the newer districts, it can go a bit unreliable. Don’t panic though the shopping mall directory maps are everywhere, they’re clear, and they actually work.
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The Shinkansen: Just Book It
If you’re travelling between cities, a Japan Rail Pass for the Shinkansen bullet trains is absolutely worth it. The trains are fast, clean, punctual to a degree that will make you want to weep compared to British rail, and there is plenty of room for luggage with none of the anxiety-inducing overhead scramble you might be used to.
Mr B and I mostly used the unreserved carriages so we weren’t tied to a specific departure time. As long as you avoid very early morning rush hour they were never uncomfortably busy. It gave us complete flexibility and we never once had a problem.
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On Luggage Forwarding
You’ll read a lot about luggage forwarding services in Japan, and they are genuinely brilliant in theory. The catch is that if you’re only spending one or two nights somewhere, your bag will arrive after you do. We decided to just travel light instead. I took 18kg out of an allowed 23kg. Plenty. Pack less than you think you need and you’ll thank yourself.
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Learn a Few Basic Phrases
Your Japanese will not be good. That is absolutely fine. It doesn’t need to be.
A handful of words and phrases like Sumimasen (excuse me or sorry), Arigatou gozaimasu (thank you), Onegaishimasu (please) will get you further than you think. Not because people expect fluency, but because the effort is noticed and genuinely appreciated every single time. The smiles Mr B and I got for attempting even a few words were some of the warmest moments of the whole trip. 🙏
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Three Etiquette Rules. Just Three.
Japan has a rich culture of etiquette and respect and honestly most of it is intuitive once you’re there. But if you remember nothing else, remember these:
No tipping ever, anywhere, for anything. It can actually cause offence.
No eating while walking. Sit down, find a bench, enjoy it properly.
Quiet on trains. This one is non-negotiable and very much observed.
That’s it. Respect the culture and it will reward you in ways you won’t expect.
The Apps We Actually Used
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Visit Japan Web — customs and immigration QR codes
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SUICA — tap in and out on public transport
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XE Currency Converter — quick and reliable
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Google Maps — essential, mostly infallible
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Klook and Get Your Guide — for booking experiences in advance
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One Last Thing
Most signage in Japan is in both Japanese and English. As UK visitors we are extraordinarily lucky in that regard and it’s worth acknowledging so that we don’t take it for granted.
And honestly? Relax. Japan is one of the most welcoming, organised, beautiful and surprising countries I have ever visited. It will delight you in ways you don’t see coming. It will probably ruin every other holiday for you.
In the best possible way 🌸🇯🇵
One More Thing …
If you’re in the UK there is a brilliant series worth watching on BBC iPlayer: Great Japanese Railway Journeys. We’ve been reliving our trip by watching it 🎌
One really last, last thing and this one’s personal.
I said to Mr B just last night that apart from the occasional sensory assault of a Don Quixote mega store, Japan stressed this AuDHD bod so little for such a full-on trip. Everything is organised, logical, clearly signposted and considered. For those of us whose nervous systems don’t always play nicely with chaos, Japan is, unexpectedly one of the most manageable travel destinations I’ve ever visited. I wasn’t expecting that. It was one of the loveliest surprises of the whole trip 😊
Found this useful? Share it with anyone who has Japan on their list and let me know in the comments if you have tips I missed!