How to plan for a trip to Japan… including what to do for food sensitivities
Airport: If you have the option of flying into Narita or Haneda, choose Haneda. Much faster to get in and out of Tokyo.
If you don’t take the train into Tokyo, there’s an airport shuttle bus running every 10 minutes going into Tokyo called the Airport Limousine Bus. Its more like a Greyhound and is inexpensive. It runs from either airport into the city.
Alternative option: hire a private driver through Tokyo Airporter. This cost me 29000 yen, tip and tolls included ($189) from Narita. The driver met me right outside of customs with a placard with my name on it, carried my luggage, and helped navigate the busy airport. Van was also very spacious, comfortable, and clean.
Customs: Pre-fill your immigration clearance and customs declaration form online with Visit Japan Web to get a QR to scan through Customs. No paperwork needed if you do this. You can also use your QR code to get taxes back in certain stores like Don Quijote, although its probably better to still carry around your passport with you just in case.
Wifi: If you don’t have an international plan, order an eSim card before you leave for Japan and activate it on the plane when you still have Wifi. My friends used eSim World.
Download the Google Translate app and Google Lens and use often. You can also take photos of labels or menus and it will translate the ingredients.
Etiquette. It's a big deal. Read up on how to behave (in restaurants, bathhouses, etc.) and learn a few useful phrases, e.g. “itadakimasu” (loosely “I humbly accept this meal”) before digging into a meal and "gochisousama deshita" (“thank you for the food and drink) when you leave a restaurant. It will go a long way. Also, saying the food was “oishi” (delicious), always got a smile out of the restaurant staff and showed our gratitude, which they appreciated. Other etiquette tips: receive things (like receipts, checks, business cards, change) with two hands. No one tips in Japan – they like exact change. Taxi doors open automatically for you to get in and out (don’t go for the handle). Drivers drive on the opposite side of the road. Pedestrians pass on the opposite side of the road (slow on left; fast on right). In bath houses, you undress and cover the front of your body with a small towel. You shower before entering the onsen (hot tub) in the public space and then put the small towel on your head when you enter the bath. When you walk out of the tub, take it off your head to cover yourself. Shower again after leaving the tub.
If you plan on traveling outside Tokyo and will be using trains a lot during your trip, it may be worth it to purchase a JR pass. You must do this before you leave for Japan. Google Maps is solidly reliable now (make sure to download offline maps). We bought JR tickets and Shinkansen tickets either the day of travel at the station or the night prior and had no issues with reserving seats.
Download the Suica card from Apple Pay to tap in and out of the trains. Also, it can be used as a credit card in most local restaurants and shops. Its like a debit card and you can add money directly on it from your phone. Very useful!
Speaking of cash: it may be helpful to have some yen on hand if you’re traveling out to the countryside. Tipping is frowned upon. In the city, lots of places accept contactless payments, so Google Pay or Apple Pay are good options.
Taxis: can be ordered through the app “Go Taxi.” I found this very useful to have (its like their Uber). Enter through the rear left door - the driver will open and close it. No touch!
Japan has an amazing baggage forwarding service called Yamato Transport, which will let you ship your suitcases from one place to another (e.g. your next hotel) in <24 hours. Really useful if you want to take just a backpack to go hiking for a day or two. Would bring a smaller carry-on bag to keep with you and recommend sending big luggage the day before departure so it arrives to the next destination same day as you. I put an Apple Airtag in my luggage to track it, even though it got to every destination safely and reliably. This cost about $16 and I used it from Tokyo to Hakone, Hakone to Kyoto, and Kyoto to Osaka.
Lockers: Of note, train stations and airports have lockers for you to secure your luggage if you are doing a day trip.
Most neighborhoods and towns will have a Shinto shrine and/or Buddhist temple. Look out for these on maps - they're peaceful places to enjoy some quiet time, read, or people watch. Learn more about the different kinds of shrines here. If you will be visiting lots of temples, consider picking up a goshuincho, a special book to collect goshuin (temple signatures).
Check to see if there are any national or local festivals during your travel dates.
Trash Cans are very hard to find in Japan. Bring plastic bags (I brought roll of doggie bags) to carry your personal trash.
Hand Soap sheets: Packed a small box of these with me, which are useful as some public places do not have hand soap (although I found most do). Bring Purell.
Food allergies: If you have dietary restrictions, it will be helpful to download/print out a food card like the one below or a check off list included below that to show restaurant staff. There is also one you can buy online for gluten free, which explains all the ingredients you cannot eat in Japanese (and other languages). Findmeglutenfree was helpful too.
