None of these mistakes are going to be earth shattering… by any means …but I hear about and see these things happening many times over so I thought it may be worth sharing.
Here are some little errors that I see some travellers make in Japan.
*OH! And if you like this kind of post, I think you’ll also like my post where I talk about the biggest Tokyo accommodation mistakes I see people make.
1. Not checking the station exit
In big city Japanese stations, there are sooo many exits that you can pop up , not only in the wrong direction, but even as far as a kilometre from where you wanted to be.
Japanese people are very used to dealing with this issue and, for that reason, restaurant and shop websites will almost always list their closest station and exit. For eg. 4 minutes walk from Shinsaibashi Exit A4.
Here is an example of Chanel Ginza – as I’m clearly shopping here everyday .
2. Only exploring flights into Narita
Did you know that Narita International Airport is 1.5 hours away from the centre of Tokyo? (By car, limousine airport bus or the Narita Express Train.)
Narita does have the most options for international flights but it is worth also looking into Haneda Airport too. It’s only 30 minutes from the city and costs about 6000-7000 yen in a taxi (to Narita, in a taxi, will cost at least 20,000 yen.).
Oh… and one tip … or a mistake to learn from that I’ve made twice – if you’re flying out of Haneda Airport, the International Terminal is often on an eticket as “I” and… if you’re a goofball like me you’ll make the mistake of assuming that means “1/ ONE” and have to run to the next terminal instead.
3. Not getting the accommodation / distance from the station right
I write a whole post about this here and a another for those travelling with children here.
Japan will require a lot more walking than you may be used to so its important to be near the station but also near eateries (or parks) when you are really tired at the end of the day.
4. Assuming that Japanese rules can be bent
One of the first things everyone notices in Japan are the orderly queues, how all the vending machines work – all the systems are put in place and run smoothly. It’s a lovely thing.
Something that doesn’t always work well is trying to bend the rules.
It is frustrating. I get it. But …it is also why the other rules work too.
So … no… this isn’t the place for bartering … for just asking your 98 cms little boy to ride on the 100 cm + waterslide… or to submit the red file in the blue envelope instead….
I mean… you can try? But … well… I gave you a heads up, okay?
(I wrote about my adjustment to Japanese life and experience with culture shock here if you’re interested.)
5. Not being prepared/ packing accordingly
For clothing you’ll need lots of layers (inside is often the extreme opposite of the temperature outside in Japan) and you’ll need the easily slippy on-and-off shoes. I write about what to pack here.
6. Not working out if domestic travel will be cheaper with a JR Pass, ahead of time
If you’re unsure what a JR pass is, read here – but either way – it must be purchased before entering Japan .. so do your research first.
7. Getting too obsessive about avoiding the crowds
If you read lots of my area guides you’ll often see my tips about avoiding the crowds – but, the truth is, if you’re going to be sightseeing in the big spots – you’ll be unable to escape the crowds all of the time. And why should you? It’s meant to be part of the experience (even just a small slice of it if the idea really freaks you out.
A few years ago we caught up with older friends of friends who were visiting. I asked them if they did Harajuku, Shibuya Crossing etc… and they said no because they thought it was going to be too crowded. I get what they mean but they also admitted that they didn’t feel like they had manage to capture the full vibe of Tokyo during their visit. And that made me feel a bit sad for them.
If you want to do the busy areas but with a little emergency escape button in your pocket? I wrote a post here about little quiet sections of some of Tokyo’s busiest spots.
8. Assuming things will be mostly be the same as you expect them to be (or as they have been at home.)
I got a message from another Mummy at the end of her Tokyo trip last year. She was really sad because, travelling with her husband and very small baby, she assumed that they would get lots of take away Japanese chicken Katsu and takeaway ramen to eat together in the evenings once the baby was asleep. As they stayed in some beautiful, tiny, Japanese country towns she was really sad when none of the local restaurants did take away like her favourite restaurants in LA always do.
I felt really upset for her.
Because I’ve been her. Not as a Mum in Japan but as a young woman in Japan where I had a little picture in my head of how something was going to work out.
Now, I wasn’t going to be nasty enough to message back and tell her what some alternative options would have been.* Or that real Japanese ramen is perhaps different to what she thought ramen actually is – its in a deep soup that would be almost impossible to transport either way.
Travel is about keeping your mind open. It’s different, and that’s what you came for… but our brains are funny things and stretching out expectations is a trickier exercise than we imagine.
*Oh, and if you were wondering what I would have gone back and told her if I could have got in a time machine and helped this Mummy plan her trip ahead of time, I would have suggested ryokan accommodation while in remote areas. That way she would have got to eat real Japanese home cooking, in her own room while baby slept soundly next to her on a futon. Like a glamorous date every night.
Or… if she was watching her budget very strictly? I would have recommended hitting up the basement of a large department store for a full range of delicious Japanese home cooked treats to take back to her hotel – and to try a different type of food every single night -while baby snoozed in between them .
9. Not worrying ENOUGH about the tattoo issue
It’s old fashioned and its going to ( I mean , it will HAVE to change in order for Japan for be more international. )
But, in the meantime, you will need to do your research if you are going to the onsen, health spa or even swimming pool thing.
if your tattoo is too big to be covered by a flesh coloured plaster ? I recommend visiting this site here ahead of time.
A way to get around this issue is to look for Ryokans (Japanese style hotels) that have private family bathing facilities.
10. Assuming that Tokyo will wake up early
This city keeps everything open later but most shops don’t open until 11am. For some early morning options, see my Tokyo before 10AM post here.
11. Thinking that you can buy electricals, computers, appliances cheaply in Japan
I know Japan is often considered as at the height of technology and innovation but when it comes to buying the latest models of anything… if you do find something cool, it won’t be cheap – probably way more expensive even. In Japan it is even difficult to purchase a tv that is more than a year old as many of the big electrical stores just update , update, update. So you’ll pay top dollar (yen?)
Also, if you purchase here, your manual will be in Japanese.. the keypad of a computer might be in Japanese… the accessories for your item might not be available outside of Japan… your warranty may not be valid outside of Japan.
Also? Will the voltage match that of your home country?
Just some things to think about.
