Japan Notes
I'm collecting here some notes about traveling in Japan, starting with some general
observations and then listing info I've gathered about particular locations. This is a work in
progress and I intend to enhance it gradually.
MY FAVORITE WEBSITES AND APPS
Google Maps is fabulous in Japan. It provides detailed transit directions with subway
schedules, walking directions, and the like. You'll need a data connection. Free wi-fi is
available at the airport, some train stations, and various other places. You can now download
maps for Japan for offline use.
I also use maps.me (link for iOS app, also available for other platforms) for getting around.
You can download maps for Japan before you go and get full GPS use without a data
connection. I highly recommend it.
My favorite tourist info website is tsunagujapan.com, loaded with great advice and interesting
articles like "7 junk foods you can eat in Tokyo."
Another app you might find useful is NAVITIME for Japan Travel. It provides transit guides,
train route maps, wi-fi searching, and opportunities to purchase paid wi-fi plans.
YouTube VIDEOS
There are tons of YouTube videos on visiting Japan and just about every aspect of Japanese
culture. Here are links to a few that I find useful.
- 100 Things to do in TOKYO. It very quickly goes through 100 recommendations for
Tokyo. They are all good. Not much detail, but you can get good ideas and look up
details later.
- 50 things to do in OSAKA. Another very quick list of ideas for your Osaka visit.
MONEY
Your U.S. ATM card should work at some machines around Japan. Although ATMs are not as
ubiquitous as they are here, you can almost certainly find a U.S.-friendly ATM at any Post
Office or 7-11 store (which are very common all over Japan). It's up to your bank how nice
they are with regard to exchange rates and fees, but I have found ATMs to be much better
(and more convenient) than using currency exchanges. As I write this, the exchange rate is
about 113 yen to a U.S. dollar.
The smallest paper currency is a 1000 yen bill (a little under $10). Anything less is in coins.
At Narita, you will find a bank of ATMs (no pun intended) to the left when you exit customs. Go
all the way to end of the hall, past two sets of escalators, and you will see them on the far wall.
[UPDATE: I think the ATMs have been moved. Turn right when you exit customs and go down
that hallway a long way.]
Tipping is not usual in Japan. Some (mostly higher-end) places may include a 10% service
fee in the tab. If you try to tip, you may create some confusion. When I first started visiting
Japan, I had waiters chase me outside restaurants to return tips.
GETTING FROM THE AIRPORT
Tokyo has two international airports.
Narita (NRT), the larger one, is about an hour from the city by train. Don't take a cab unless
you have $200 to blow. The train is fast and inexpensive. It's the Narita Express. When you
exit customs head downstairs. You'll find ticket offices nearby and trains run about every half
hour. They'll take you to Tokyo, Shinagawa, Shibuya, or Shinjuku station (or a few others) in
the city of Tokyo. Other train lines are also accessible. Google Maps can help you plan your
train travel into the city.
Haneda (HND), the other airport, is much closer in to the city; about 15 minutes on the
subway. Not an unreasonable twenty minute cab ride either, especially if you're headed to the
southern part of Tokyo.
Osaka also has two international airports.
Kansai International Airport (KIX), the larger one, is also about an hour away from the city
by train. When you exit customs, you'll go up the escalator, turn right and head for the
"Trains". The ticket agents will speak English and can help you find your way. You'll have
several options including the Haruka Express (a bit more expensive, but roomier and you'll
get a seat) and local trains.
Itami Airport (ITM), is smaller and much nearer to the city. It handles mostly domestic flights.
It's an easy subway or cab ride into the city.
SUBWAYS
The subways in Japan are terrific. Clean, safe, efficient, and inexpensive. They will get you
just about anywhere you want to go around Tokyo or the Kansai region (Osaka/Kobe/Kyoto).
Signs and announcements are in Japanese and English. Google Maps is fantastic for
providing routes and schedules.
You'll want to get a SUICA card, a prepaid, rechargeable smart card available from kiosks in
most train stations. Put some cash on the card and you just swipe the card at turnstiles as
you enter and leave subway stations. You can also use it to pay for goods at many
convenience stores. Here's a short video about how to get and use a SUICA card.
Sometimes there are multiple stations with apparently the same name!
The one confusing thing about the subways is that there are multiple operators of the train
lines including JR (Japan Railway, the national line), municipal lines, and privately owned rail
lines (like Hankyu, Hanshin, and many others). You'll want to pay attention to which line you
will be riding. Sometimes the different lines share a station and transferring from one line to
another is as simple as changing platforms. However, in many cases, you'll need to walk a
short way from one station to another to transfer lines. For example, at Umeda Station in
Osaka, you'll need to know whether you're looking for a Hanshin line, a Hankyu line, or the
Osaka Municipal Subway. Each has a separate entrance. Some of the larger stations (e.g.,
Shinjuku in Tokyo, Umeda in Osaka) are part of a huge web of underground tunnels with
shopping and dining. Easy to get lost down there, but there are plenty of signs and maps to
direct you.
The subways may get quite crowded at rush hour and, especially, on the last run or two of the
evening. This has never been a problem, but it can be a bit uncomfortable. Most lines stop
running not long after midnight. After that, you'll be walking or cabbing it home.
You can find apps for your smartphone with offline subway maps for the various systems.
They can come in very handy, especially if you don't have a data connection.
CABS
Cabs are ubiquitous in the big cities. You can hail one almost anywhere anytime. They are
generally spotless and comfortable, and expensive. The drivers are honest, so you don't
need to worry about being "taken for a ride." Tips are not expected.
Note that the driver will open the door using a device from inside the car for you to enter and
when you exit. Don't handle the door yourself; wait for the driver.
Addresses in Japan may seem a pretty arcane. There's no guarantee that your driver will
speak English. If possible, have the address written in Japanese (or on your cell phone)
ready to show the driver. Many streets don't have names. Full addresses contain a
prefecture, municipality, district (called chōme, 丁目in Japanese), block number, and building
number. The buildings are usually numbered chronologically (i.e., by when they were built)
rather than geographically. Google maps will show you the chome number and the block
numbers if you zoom in close enough. Here's an example of an address in a form that Google
Maps understands: 1 Chome-4-9 Higashigotanda, Shinagawa, Tokyo, Japan Note the
space before "Chome" and the hyphens; Maps is fussy about that. You probably don't need
anything after "Higashigotanda", but include more if there's any ambiguity. You might see that
address written as "Higashigotanda 1-4-9" in places, but GM might not understand that format.
Most cabs in Tokyo and many in Osaka will accept credit cards, but it's best to have some
cash on hand just in case.
INTERNET ACCESS
Check your cell phone provider regarding plans and coverage for Japan. It's not available to
me, so I use the following options.
SIM CARDS for data (voice SIMs are not available to foreigners) can be bought at most
airports and at Yodobashi camera stores. Make sure to buy the right size (micro, nano) for
your device. Here's a great website for prepaid SIM info. I have had good luck with them and
prefer it to trying to find free wi-fi. E-SIMs are becoming available. Here's a link where you can
find e SIM providers.
Physical SIM Cards: On a couple recent trips, I used Zen Sim by eConnect Japan. I was
completely happy with it. I bought the SIM card from Amazon a couple of weeks before my trip.
I downloaded their iPhone app and had no problem setting up and using the SIM. I stayed
more than a month and it was super easy to top off my data. You will need to be on a Wi-Fi
connection to activate the SIM.
E-SIMs: are becoming available. If you have an iPhone X or later, you can use e-SIMs. You
just download it to your phone and you're ready to go. Here's a link where you can find e SIM
providers. I used GigSky on a recent trip and it was great. Super convenient and you can get
plans for one country, all of Asia, or worldwide.
WI-FI free spots can be found occasionally, but perhaps not as common as in the U.S. You
can purchase prepaid wi-fi plans (see e.g., NAVITIME above) but they still require you to find
a hotspot.
JAZZ
Jazz is extremely popular in Japan and jazz clubs abound. You'll find a great many small,
intimate clubs that seat 20-40 patrons as well as larger venues. Vocalists singing standards
are particularly favored. Here is a link to a long list of Jazz Clubs with links to their websites
and to Google Maps directions. Note that most of the websites are in Japanese. If you use the
Chrome browser, you can automatically translate most pages.
The Japanese word for "schedule" is "スケジュール". You can usually find a button or link on
the club's homepage with that label.