DIA Blog 007 - 7 Simple (But Important) Tips For Traveling To Japan by H8R

by H8R

Japan is quickly becoming a must visit destination for many travelers. Tourists are dying to see the famous cities like Tokyo and Osaka as well as Japan's natural marvels like cherry blossoms, autumn colors, and Mt. Fuji.

There has never been a better time to come to Japan! But the prospect can be a little daunting for first timers.

Don't trip, I'm here to hook you up with what you need to know about how to travel to Japan and have a good time!

If you haven't already, check out our episode on traveling in Japan!

Know your visa

No, I'm not talking about your credit card that's almost maxed out, I'm talking about your travel visa.

If you're coming from the States, you get 3 months straight up. Other countries, like the UK, get 6 months.

Whenever you travel, you should always look into the visa situation for your passport and the country you want to visit. It would suck to be shipped out when you arrive!

Getting in

Next, you've gotta decide where you want to fly to in the country. Most travelers come in through the big two cities, Tokyo or Osaka.

Tokyo has two airports, Haneda (HND) and Narita (NRT).

HND is closer and easier to get to from the city center. NRT is farther away in Chiba but is still pretty easy to get to by train.

Your choice between the two will depend on where you're coming from and how much you want to spend

Osaka also has two international airports. They are Itami (ITM) and Kansai International Airport (KIX).

Like Haneda in Tokyo, ITM is closer to the city center. KIX is farther away and can be accessed by train.

Other cities where people enter Japan are Nagoya, Fukuoka, Hokkaido (Sapporo), and Okinawa.

There is also a ferry that travels between Busan and Kyushu.

Get a ticket

There are tons of websites that sell tickets. I'd recommend doing a search for some of the best places to buy tickets. I came across this list here.

Some airports might be cheaper at other times than others depending on where you're coming from and when you're traveling.

It helps to check them on a few sites with flexible dates to get a good deal.

Prices from the US can be anywhere from $500 at the cheapest up to about $2,000 on the high end. Usually, they go for about $1,000.

Packing

Now that you've got your transportation set up, it's time to get packing!

Be sure to check out what the weather's like where you're going to be traveling.

Japan can be hot and humid in the summer and cold and frigid in the winter. June is the rainy season and we can get typhoons in the summer. Spring and fall are pretty nice

The more I travel, the more I believe in packing light. I use a packing list from Rick Steves and I swear by it!

Using this method, you'll be able to get all of your stuff into one carry-on bag. This really helps out when you're trying to get around town.

If you're on a train, you'll have to be able to lift your luggage up over your head. It's also harder to find big lockers for your stuff in train stations during busy travel seasons.

If you do need to check a bag, I suggest checking one bag and having another bag in it for hauling stuff home on the way back. That way you can buy a bunch of souvenirs and not have to pay a fee for an extra or over-weight bag.

Where do you wanna go?

Now it's time to plan where you want to go. Most people go to the big 3: Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka.

These are pretty safe bets for a first trip and you'll get a slice of what Japanese life is like in the most iconic settings.

I highly recommend that you take some day trips outside of these places. Each region of Japan is really different and the experiences are quite nice.

Other places you may want to visit are Hiroshima, Fukuoka, Shikoku, Tohoku, Niigata, Kanazawa, and Hokkaido.

It helps to do some research to find what's out there!

To rail pass, or not to rail pass?

Japan's trains are awesome. If you're going to be traveling all over Japan, the JR pass is a good deal!

Prices for train tickets in Japan are based on distance. The farther you travel, the more it'll cost.

If you're only going to be sticking around in Tokyo, the rail pass isn't really worth it.

When it comes to finding deals, most places sell the rail pass for the same price. The only way you save money is based on how much the company selling the pass charges for shipping.

Willer Travel has a bus pass that will get you 3 rides for about $100. I've used it before to go from Tokyo to Hiroshima, Hiroshima to Osaka, and Kyoto to Tokyo. Now that's a deal!

Traveling by plane is another option, but it can be time consuming with security checks and what not. Check the prices and see if it's worth your time.

Getting around town

Once you're in the city of your choice, you're gonna to have to figure out how you're gonna get around.

Buying paper train tickets is the default method. You have to look at a map (or use Google) to figure out how much your ticket will cost. This can get tricky when dealing with different train companies and distances. If you lose the ticket, you'll really be screwed!

If you by an IC card, you can load it up with money and not have to worry about how much each ticket costs. While it's not required, it's a very good investment (and it makes a nice souvenir).

As I stated before, lots of companies have local transportation passes. Some are good for one day, others are good for many days.

Plan out where you wanna go, look at the cost, and see if a transportation pass makes sense for you!

That's it!

Do you have more questions? I have more answers! Drop a comment with your questions or travel tips below!