Reflections on Japan

Sean and I have always wanted to visit Japan. For our 10th anniversary, we were able to do so. And it exceeded all our expectations and has become one of our favourite places that we’ve traveled to. I would love to go back some day to explore more.

Japan is a country of bemusing contrasts – incredibly modern, while at the same time, holding on to its traditions. Food, culture, history, architecture, technological accomplishments, anime, pop culture or whatever you’re into, Japan has it all.

And for the short 10 days that we were there, we got to experience the tip of the iceberg. We didn’t experience too much of a culture shock, but I can imagine some people might.

If you’re a first time visitor planning and researching Japan, you might be intimidated by the plethora of information out there.

Here are some of our tips + observation on what to expect on your first trip to Japan:

Language barrier problems? For us, not so much.

Other than at hotels, airports and some tourist destinations, not a lot of people speak English. Funnily enough, it wasn’t too hard for us to get by. Train stations, subways, and street signs, as well as, ticket machines are posted in English, so it was easy to navigate. Japanese people are very polite, friendly and helpful. If they see you struggling (eg. trying to figure out your train stop), they will happily help you out.

To train pass or not to train pass?

A Japan Rail Pass is worth it if you’re doing a lot of traveling to lots of places, with stops far away from each other. In our case, it was not a good value.

We went to Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, and Nara and when we crunched the numbers, point to point worked out $30 CDN cheaper than buying a 7 day JR pass. Because of the close proximity. This also happened when I traveled 6 weeks to central Europe (Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Czech Republic) and point to point turned out cheaper than getting a Eurail pass.

Check for schedules and prices on hyperdia.com and do the math. Because we didn’t need a JR pass, we were able to ride the Nozumi (the fastest bullet train) which is not covered with a JR pass.

The ride on the high speed shinkansen (bullet train) was smooth and enjoyable. It moves so fast that looking out the window for an extended time will likely make your eyes go all squirrel-y.

What if I run out of yen?

For a country that is so highly developed, there are some things that feels stuck in the past.

While credit cards are accepted in hotels, train stations, taxis, department stores, and chain restaurants, Japan is largely a cash-based society. But don’t fear if you find yourself with not enough cash. We were able to withdraw money with our bank cards without any issues from convenience store ATMs like 7-Elevens and Family Mart. (you can find them all over Japan!)

Heads up: ATMs > currency exchange services. It’s less of a hit to your pocket book.

No tipping is required or expected in Japan. Don’t even think of haggling – it’s just not the Japanese way. Also when you pay, put your money on the tray by the cash register, instead of handing it to the cashier.

Shop and get your money back.

Purchasing something that’s 5,000 yen or more at a licensed retailer? Take advantage of tax refunds where you can. Tax free shops are marked with tax-free stickers.

Pay for your item at the cashier, proceed to the tax refund counter, whip out your passport and receipt, fill out the tax-exemption form and get your refund. Or at a place I shopped at, the salesperson did it in-store for us at the time of purchase.

Heads up: items may not be opened while in Japan.

Being a pescetarian in Japan. How will I eat?

Sean and I are lacto-ovo-pescetarians, so we thought we had it in the bag going to Japan. We’d eat sushi, ramen, tempura – all our favourite Japanese foods. In Japan! To our surprise (!) Japanese restaurants don’t understand the concept of “no meat please.” In fact, restaurants we encountered were rather meat-heavy.

We went into a ramen shop in Kyoto, ordered a dish and told them not to put any meat in it, and they came back with 2 slices of pork on the ramen. We pointed out to them that we did not want the pork slices, they took it off but gave us back the same dish. (they did not whip us up a new dish) Turns out that Japanese people don’t consider pork or chicken to be “meat.”

We learned to be specific and clear by whipping out our Google translation app and typing: “no chicken, no beef, no pork, no meat please” when ordering.

Convenience stores like 7-Eleven, Lawson and Family Mart sell quick meals, pastries and other cheap and cheerful foods. We ate there on the fly – grabbing tuna or egg salad sandwiches in between meals and sweets, ice cream, and dessert for end of night treats. Compared to our convenience stores back home, the quality and variety of the food here is very high.

There are tons of vending machines everywhere – dispensing pop, juices, coffees, hot or cold tea, beer, and snacks. We loved this idea. So convenient! I imagine this wouldn’t work in any other country except Japan.

Getting around and seeing things.

For train and city bus travel, get a pre-loadable Pasmo or Suica card. These contactless cards work in other cities too, so no need to buy a new one at each place you visit. Remember to return it for a refund when you leave or keep it as a souvenir like we did.

In retrospect we should’ve taken advantage of Tokyo subway tickets – unlimited rides for 24hrs (800 yen), 48hrs (1200 yen), or 72hrs (1,500 yen). We walked so much that we didn’t know if it would be worth it or not. We ended up paying more than if we had purchased it. Definitely for next time.

Heads up: Tokyo subway tickets are for tourists only. You will need to show your passport to buy one.

Want to go to teamLab borderless? teamlab Planets Tokyo? Ghibli Museum? You best book it in advance or risk not being able to go. I was told you had to buy tickets to Ghibli Museum three months out.

The cleanest country in the world.

There are no trash cans anywhere. While it may not be convenient, it makes for spotless streets. Bring a baggie and take your garbage with you until you find a receptacle (at a convenience store) or when you’re back at your hotel.

And another reason why streets are so clean? Eating while walking is frowned upon.

Most importantly…

Get yourself a pocket router! Public WIFI in Japan is sketchy. At best. In most cases, you can’t easily hop on and it’s not available everywhere. A pocket router is a lifesaver, especially when you need to Google map and Google translate. We used Google Maps ALOT. It’s an essential item and worth every penny.

You can pick up and drop off the pocket router at the airport. We reserved ours through Ninja WIFI.

We heart Japan.

This trip for us was just a drop in the bucket. A trip to orient ourselves with what to expect. We had only experienced the tip of the iceberg in all that Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka have to offer. 10 days was not enough. So much to see and do, it’s no surprise that our trip went by in a blur.

When we were in Kyoto and Osaka, we went on side trips to Arashiyama and Nara, so we feel we didn’t get to explore both cities as much as we’d like. We did venture out at night after our side trips. Still it would be a much more different flava in the day and that’s one thing I’d love to go back and experience. It’s kinda like a tourist visiting a city but only hitting the nightlife and not seeing what the city offers in the day time when things are open.

Speaking of night time, we naively thought we’d have the energy after a long day of touristing to hit up some of the clubs. That did not happen. After 12+ hours out, all we had the energy for was to eat our dessert in bed before passing out.

Next time we go to Tokyo, we have to hit up:

• Ueno Park, Yoyogi Park (rockabilly dance crew on Sunday afternoons!), Golden Gai, Kabukicho at night, Sengaku-ji Buddhist Temple (where the 47 Ronin are buried), Tokyo Tower and Skytree (exterior, of course), and Ghibli Museum.

For food, drinks and kitsch factors:

• Eggs N’ Things, Kawaii Monster Cafe, Cafe Aaliya, Temari no Ouchi Cat Cafe, Iron Fairies, Vampire Cafe, Penguin Bar, and any of the Alice in Wonderland themed cafes (Alice in a Labyrinth, Alice on Wednesday, Alice in an Old Castle, Alice in a Fantasy Book, Alice in Magical Land).

Next time we’re in Kyoto, we’ve got to go see some temples:

• Kyoto Imperial Palace, Kinkakuji (Golden Pavilion), Kenninji Temple, Kiyomizu-dera, Philosopher’s Path and the Starbucks with tatami mats.

Places we need to see next time we’re in Osaka:

• Shinsekai and Tsutenkaku Tower, Osaka Castle, Umeda Sky Building, Sumiyoshi Shrine, and Namba Yasaka Shrine.

What did I tell ya? So much more to see and do in Japan!

PS: You might be wondering about those high-tech western toilets in our hotel rooms? TMI alert! I did not try out any of the features (read: bum spray). However, I did really, really loved the heated seat option.

View photos of my trip to Japan on my Flickr album. Enjoy!