My Favorite Websites and Apps
Google Maps
I consider Google Maps to be an essential aid, not just for getting around but also for discovering new
places. It provides accurate train and subway schedules, detailed information about routes and stations
(more about train stations below), street view images, walking directions, restaurant reviews (Note that
Japanese reviewers tend to be a bit more stingy in their ratings than those in the U.S.; not so many 5's. I
have found lots of restaurants rated below 4.0 that were wonderful.), and much more. I often walk around
an area in street view to get a sense of a place and to help me find interesting places in the area. I do this
before booking a hotel or AirBnB.
You can download maps for any region in advance and save them on your phone so you won't need to
always be using your data. Note that downloaded maps won't give you transit directions or restaurant
details without turning on your data.
I often find that when going to a new place, the last 100 meters may be the toughest to navigate. Make
note of what floor your destination is on; often you will have to look up to see a sign. Sometimes the
entrance is on a different side of the building from what you expect.
searching for wi-fi hot spots, and opportunities to purchase paid wi-fi plans.
YouTube
There are tons of YouTube videos with info on just about any aspect of visiting Japan.
A lot of the videos are either not very helpful or repetitive, suggesting the same few touristy places. If you
search within YouTube for specific information, say for a neighborhood or train station or how-to advice,
you can probably find something. I have been keeping track of some videos that I thought were more
Getting around within Japan — Trains, Buses,
and Automobiles
The train system in Japan is absolutely wonderful. Trains are plentiful, frequent, on-time, clean, safe, and
inexpensive. In larger cities, most announcement and signs are in English and Japanese. There are
several train companies and it can be confusing if you don't keep this in mind. Sometimes there are
multiple trains stations with the same or similar names in near proximity to each other. For example, in
Umeda you will find the Osaka-Umeda Station (Hankyu Railway), the Osaka-Umeda Station (Hanshin
Railway), and just Umeda Station (Osaka City Midosuji Line). Within a single station you may find several
different train lines. It's always a good idea to keep in mind which train line you want and to keep an eye on
Riding the Train
You can buy tickets at the station. The ticket machines have an "English" option. The price or a ride
usually depends on how far you're going - check the maps above the ticket machines or enter your
destination when buying a ticket. Much more convenient than buying individual tickets is to get an IC
Card (details here) which you can load with cash and then simply swipe your way in and out of the station
gates. I use the Suica card, but there are many similar offerings. If you have an iPhone, you can get a
Suica Card via an app on your phone and then simply swipe your phone to enter or exit a station. The
Suica Card works for most trains (but see Shinkansen bullet train info below) and buses, and can be used
to pay at many vending machines and convenience stores. Most subway lines stop running around
midnight! If you miss the last train, you'll end up needing a cab or somewhere to spend time until the
next morning. The last couple of runs of the night can be quite crowded.
Getting Around the Station
To get around a station, pay attention to the various entrances and exits and to the ticket gates. The
entrances and exits just get you into the station area and the ticket gates get you into and out of the
platforms area.
A train station may have multiple entrances and exits and also multiple ticket gates. Paying attention to
the entrance, exit, and ticket gate you want (like from Google Maps directions) can save you some time
and walking around.
Most stations have bathrooms but they are usually located inside the ticket gates and so are for paying
travelers only.
If you swipe through a ticket gate but then change your mind or discover that you made a mistake, stop
by the attendant near the ticket gate before leaving so they can clear up your IC card. If you don't do
that, you may find that your IC card stops working. In general, if you have any issues with your IC card,
the ticket agents can be very helpful.
Boarding the Train
Most platforms have indictions either on the gates to the tracks or, more commonly, on the ground at the
edge of the platform to show where the train car doors will be when the train stops. This is where you
should line up to board a train. When the train arrives, passengers then line up at either side of the door,
leaving the middle open, and wait until everyone who wants to exits the train. Then they board. Be
aware of your surroundings after boarding. If you have a backpack, you should probably switch it
around and wear it on your chest to avoid bumping into others. If you have roller luggage, try to find a
spot that doesn't block the flow of people on to and off of the train.
Making Connections
When connecting from one train to another along your trip, you may only have to change platforms (this
happens usually when the two train lines are from the same company) or you may need to exit one
ticket gate and enter another, possibly in a nearby station (this happens mostly when the connecting
train is from a different train complany). Google maps should provide the details you need. As always,
pay attention to the recommended ticket gates and exits.
Shinkansen - Bullet Train
The Shinkansen is a great option for traveling between cities that are far apart and I mostly prefer it to
domestic flights. You don't need to spen time goin through security like at the airport; just show up at the
track at your designated time. The trains are extraordinarily punctual.
You don't generally need to purchase tickets in advance. You can just stop by the Shinkansen Ticket
Office at the station to buy tickets. Buying tickets in advance can provide peace of mind and may
improve seat selection, especially during busy travel times. You can buy tickets in advance at any ticket
office, or even more convenient, use the SmartEX app for your phone you can purchase tickets online.
Note that to buy tickets in the app, your credit card needs to conform to certain security protocols. My
AmEx works fine. If you try your card and it doesn't work, try another card.
If you have the Suica card on your phone, you can designate your Shinkansen ticket to that card and
then just swipe in and out of the Shinkansen gates with your phone. If you do that, you will get a seat
receipt when you swipe in. If you don't designate to a IC card, you will pick up your tickets at the station
by following the instructions in the app.
One huge advantage of using the SmartEX app is that you can make last minute changes to your ticket
before entering the station.
Similar to Business Class on airplanes, the Shinkansen has Green Cars. The additional cost isn't much
and the seats are roomier.
If you have large luggage (bigger than carry-on size) you will want to pay a little bit extra and get a seat
in the last row of a car and thus have reserved space behind your seat for the bags.
Buses
Buses can be very convenient and there's no reason to fear riding them. Google Maps does a good job
of directing you to bus stops. At larger areas, there may be many bus stops in the same area. Just look
for your bus number. In many cities, you enter the bus from the middle side door and exit from the front.
You may need to swipe your IC card on entry (just look for a card reader just inside the side door), and
when exiting. If you want detailed instructions on the procedure, a web search should provide them.
Taxis
Taxis in Japan are generally spotless and comfortable but can be a bit expensive. The drivers are
honest and you don't need to worry about taxi scams like you may find in many countries (and in many
cities in the U.S.). When entering or exiting a cab, don't handle the door. The driver will open and close
the door using device inside the car.
Addresses in Japan may seem 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 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 Maps might not understand that format.
Most taxis in Tokyo and Osaka will accept credit cards but some will not. If you need to use a credit
card, look for a decal on the window or check with the driver before entering.
Money
Although credit cards are fairly widely accepted, you will run into more places that only take cash in Japan
than you might be used to. These include restaurants, especially smaller or family run shops, and some
cabs. So it's a good idea to always have some cash on hand. Japan is incredibly safe so I don't worry about
carrying around a wad of cash.
ATMs are everywhere these days. The ATMs in convenience stores usually work with international debit
cards. The fees are usually quite small (¥220, around $1.50 at 7-11 stores, some other convenience store
chains charge higher fees). When given the choice, choose to denominate your withdrawal in Yen rather
than Dollars so that you get your bank's exchange rate which is likely to be better than the ATM's exchange
rate. DO NOT use the currency exchange at the airport unless you want to pay very high fees. Even if you
arrive with no Japanese currency, you can usually find an ATM at the airport.
Currency The exchange rate for Japanese Yen ¥ is at around ¥145 to $1 as I write this. For the past year,
the rate has fluctuated between around 140-160 per dollar. When I first started visiting Japan (in 2012) it
was arout ¥80 per dollar. The smallest paper currency is a ¥1000 bill, a bit under $7 today. Most ATMs
dispense ¥10,000 bills and ¥5000 bills are common. So, when using cash expect to deal with a lot of coins.
A good coin purse will come in very handy.
Tipping is not typical in Japan. If you try to tip, you can create some confusion. Some, mostly higher-end,
places incude a service charge in the bill.