Traveling to Tokyo & Osaka, Japan
1) If you need a personal bubble, Japan is not for you. Because of the population, and busyness, you will be rubbing shoulders with people around you. Whether on the train, or waiting to cross the street, people will be directly next, and most likely touching you.
2) The Japanese drive on the left side of the road, so you would think that they would walk the same way. Most of the time this is true, but sometimes they throw you for a loop and change it up. Just follow others, and you will be good.
3) I read on other blogs that you can find pretty much any type of food in vending machines. This is false. I have only found a few types. Toys, drinks, and the very occasional ice cream, alcohol, and cigarettes.
4) Google maps is a life-saver for planning your train/ subway commute. It tells you which platform to be on, which exits and entrance numbers, when the train will arrive, and where to walk to the next station.
5) In my opinion, T-mobile is the best mobile company for overseas travel, and Japan is no exception. You get free texting, and wifi (slower speeds, but it works), and calls are 25 cents a minute.
6) 7 Eleven is your best friend for food, coffee, and ATMs. There's no need to exchange money at a kiosk at the airport or anywhere else, you can just use an ATM the same way you do in the states. I have found that Starbucks and other coffee shops don't open until 10:30 am, so I bought all my coffee drinks at 7-Eleven.
7) You'll need to get two types of train/subway passes. One is called a Passmo, and the other is a JR pass. The Passmo is one that you load up a card with money (one for each person, you can not share) and use for the underground subways. You can also use the Passmo for some vending machines instead of cash. The JR pass is very expensive, but you can use it as much as you want for the duration of your stay, and it includes the above-ground trains and Bullet Train. The above-ground train works the same way as subways, first come first serve. But for the Bullet Train, you will need to reserve your seat a couple of days in advance.
8) Rush hour on the trains lasts from 7 am until 9:30 am. But the Japanese work very late, so the evening is hit or miss.
9) Traveling from city to city, or anywhere for that matter, takes A LOT longer than you think. The Japanese rail system is nearly always on time, but that doesn't mean it's fast. Between connections, walking from station to station, and fighting crowds, it will be a long commute.
10) Signage is done very well here. They also typically have everything in English as well as Japanese, and when announcing in terminals and trains, they speak in both as well.
11) Don't use taxis (unless you want to pay an exorbitant amount of money) or Uber. The only way to get around is by public transportation and walking.
12) They are very clean, and you rarely see litter, however, trash cans are very hard to find. We typically bring plastic bags with us, and haul our trash around all day until we finally find a trash can, or arrive back at the hotel.
13) If you want to see Japanese Cherry Blossoms, come at the end of March, the beginning of April.
14) Japanese are very clean, however, you rarely see soap in the restrooms, and the hand-dryers blow cold air.
15) Restaurants usually close around 3 pm and don't open again until 5 pm.
16) Japanese prefer people to whisper or have silence in public areas, especially in trains and other public transportation. Restaurants are quieter than western ones but louder than trains. Especially in the evenings when alcohol is served.
