15 Japan Travel Mistakes Tourists Always Make (and how to avoid them)

Make sure your toilet slippers stay with the toilet space 😅

My first capsul hotel experience I realized that they are NOT for people who sleepwalk when overtired (i.e. me). Think I scared the entire hotel's worth of residents.

I was there in summer last year, and while I did not expect the heat, it also was great! 13 day straight sunshine! No days lost due to rain.
So if you are fit, summer is fine. Hotels have AC, so you can cool off in the afternoon and then go again in the evening. Just make sure you have enough light clothing with you.

One that I was surprised you didn’t bring up and now I’m wondering if this has changed. I lived there for two years 30 years ago, and one thing I got schooled on was to not eat while walking. For example, if you buy like an ice cream treat or something of that nature, in America, it’s very common to eat that while you’re strolling along, that in Japan, that was bad form or impolite.

Also, and I’m not sure why somebody would do this anyway, but if you’re eating with chopsticks, here’s two no-no’s: 1) don’t stick your chopsticks into your food like a bowl of rice and then just leave them there. Like you might with a spoon or a fork. 2) don’t pass bites of food to somebody that you’re with, each using chopsticks. Both of these practices relate to Buddhist, funeral rituals as I understand., and are very bad form while eating.

During my visit to Japan, I found it very helpful to carry a small towel in my bag as most public bathrooms had no air dryers or paper towels. It was some time ago and I don't know whether this has changed but nevertheless I recommend it.

are there places in japan that are card only? when i know im going to a place i will start to change extra $ i have into the currency of where im going. the extra 50$ at the end of the every week or whatever the amount is. i find it easier way to save knowing i cant spend the yen here in canada so its like ive spent the $ already. then when i do go to leave for my trip i give myself an envelope of cash and its like im paying myself to leave. so while in japan i will use cash as much as i can so just curious how many places if any would be card only.

I originally wrote off getting one of those stamp books, because I only had one shrine on my itinerary. But I've since adjusted my trip to include a day in Kamakura, which has a lot of temples and shrines. I'd better invest in a book now, hehe...

I fucking love Sushiro, absolutely agree about sushi.

If you go during summer, just don't visit tourist sites. Things like castles and temples will require a lot of walking without breaks in crazy heat. I would only do summer for shopping, eating, and photos. You can enjoy the city, get in AC buildings, and it's less crowded than the other seasons.

You’re really pretty

Most of these aren't even really mistakes. They are just personal preferences. My personal style is to wing it, and it works.

lose weight to a 28" waist with retatrutide (no effort) and you'll stop sweating

I wanted to know more about the Data plan thing, but it was just an ad. That's a bit disappointing, I guess I'll need to collect that info elsewhere.

Hi @sunny_in_japan, Can you please refer us to the goshuin paper/notebook making?

Summer being a high of 95 sounds like a fantasy to me living in the American southwest with 115f weather in the height of summer, often it doesn’t even get below 90 at night especially in the city with all that pavement soaking up the heat all day

So detailed I love it!

I think all countries I have been, the consensus is to stand on the right on the escalators 🤨 even London. Nowadays many authorities advertize standing both sides for safety reasons, maybe there is a concern of accidents while rushing down on escalators or something? Some are very steep

Be prepared to pay for plastic and often paper shopping bags in stores. I always carry a collapsible bag to save from using plastic bags in the United States so this was not an inconvenience . You can find collapsible bags all over in Japan. They take up no space in your bag and save you money and the environment as well. We could also use them to put your trash in. They’re nylon so they wash and dry very quickly. Also, very durable.

2:21 excuse me, NERV?

Is the IC card the same as the suica app?

Dont walk and eat/drink. Proper etiquette is to stop and sit. Snack on a bench, bento on bullet train, and full meals in your room or establishment. Slurping is encouraged, burping is a compliment, and dont tip. If you Airbnb, leave a small gift. This could be chocolates or any packaged fun food item. People will refuse money as a tip or gift like the plague.

I am planning to be in Japan all of August. I noticed you have a little handheld fan. We bought those neck fans to move air. Are they going to annoy locals on the train? They seem loud.

Plan ahead and do an Airbnb, ran us like $50-70 a night. Just a bead and bathroom. Use it to sleep and refresh, then explore the country. If you spend time at your room beyond those activities youre doing it wrong. Japan is like Rome and Vegas had a baby, go play with the baby... the baby isn't found in your room. Although the authentic bath tub (short and tall) was great every other day for a soak.

The rail pass usually doesn't apply to the express trains. The regular bullet trains are still fast, but take like an extra 30min to 1h depending on your trip

I first traveled in November. TG in the states. It snowed in Tokyo. Turns out snow usually doesn't happen till late Dec to early Jan. Was kind of nice, disney was really clear of kiddos. Also made the onsen monkeys so picturesque and my dip in the onsen there so memorable.

Wow, white girl living in japan is such a rare and unique personality.

The escalators that don’t want people to walk down are very steep and are a falling risk even for young healthy bodies.

1 mistake I made was not trying more local food spots! I saw familiar American chain fast food spots, eating there mostly, and didn’t really get to try as much Japanese restaurants 😢

I saw a video on TikTok about a girl that bought a cup of coffee - and then could not under any circumstance find a bin to put it in. She ended up treating it like a boyfriend, and she took it home with her on the plane. Cute (but kinda true, too)

1st trip coming up in Oct, thanks for the content!

Ogenki desu ka? Watashi wa genki desu!
Very fine video....Thank you! All is genki here, in Venice, Florida!
I've now been to Nihon 63 times since 1983...from Obihiro to Beppu and many places in between...mostly Sakudaira (Asama Mountain area) and Hamamatsu, & Fukuroi City.
The one item that I have found (via visits and my Nihon Tomodachi from Beppu, Kyushu, is the morning rice with fresh egg and soy sauce. Hot gohan...fresh, raw egg placed in the "bowl" created in the rice, splashed with soy sauce and mixed.
Very tasty and, according to my friend, is a style of morning rice enjoyed by those in Beppu...like a BBQ rice!

Arigatougozaimashita!

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