Differences

This shows you the differences between two versions of the page.

--- japan [2025/02/20 21:11] – [Advice for visitors to Japan] particles
+++ japan [2025/07/17 04:41] (current) – [Tokyo is not a city] particles
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   * [[journal:令和7年2月02日|令和7年2月02日]]
   * [[Suica reactivation]] - a report I wrote about reactivating a Suica that supposedly had expired using the JR Central workaround.
+  * [[osaka_expo_notes|Expo 2025 notes]]
 ===== Advice for visitors to Japan =====
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   * Use [[https://www.vjw.digital.go.jp|Visit Japan Web]] to fill out immigration and customs forms and get a QR to pass through customs/immigration quickly. **Screenshot the QR code and information so that when you land, it's available even if your phone has trouble connecting to cell service.**
-  * For an introduction to Japanese language that’s practical and relevant to complete beginners traveling to Japan for the first time, watch [[https://youtu.be/CCGO6kbtfM4|Japanese for Zero Level]], which includes basic Japanese phrases that are practical and useful.
+  * **For an introduction to Japanese language that’s practical and relevant to complete beginners traveling to Japan for the first time, watch [[https://youtu.be/CCGO6kbtfM4|Japanese for Zero Level]], which includes basic Japanese phrases that are practical and useful.**
+  * **For restaurants specifically, there is a complementary video to the above video called [[https://youtu.be/ltgeVWxaV0c|Zero Level Japanese at the Restaurant]] which is specifically geared towards ordering food and eating in Japan, which is like, a cornerstone activity.**
   * Install [[https://nerv.app/en|NERV Disaster Prevention]] and configure it to send notifications. Tap and hold the “Map” button to show the Strong Motion Monitor, which shows the realtime ground sensor data in Japan, and enable notifications. NERV provides English disaster preparedness information, which is critical in Japan. If you’re from an earthquake prone area and you’re used to them, this is not as important. Earthquake Early Warnings issued by the government are sent to mobile phones without any app installed—but NERV will provide information on less severe earthquakes, tsunami, and other severe weather.
   * Carry a minimum of ¥10,000 in cash at all times. The odds of you running into a shop that takes only cash are relatively low, but if your cards aren’t accepted for some reason, you want to have cash for a taxi or similar uses.
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   * If you see an area map near your hotel, take a picture of it, especially if it includes evacuation location or emergency information. In Tokyo and areas close to the ocean or Sea of Japan, you should have a general idea of where you're staying relative to the water, in case of disaster.
   * Eat food that you buy at the place you bought it from, or outside of a convenience store. Do not walk while eating food.
-  * As one of my friends put it, it is "not the meta" to carry a reusable water bottle. You can use [[https://www.mymizu.co/home-en#app-en|my mizu]] to find places to refill your water bottle, but most people buy and recycle water from vending machines or convenience stores.
+  * You can use [[https://www.mymizu.co/home-en#app-en|my mizu]] to find places to refill your water bottle, but most people buy and recycle water from vending machines or convenience stores.
   * Ignore the signs that say not to walk on escalators. The left side in Kanto/Tokyo is for standing, the right is for walking. **If every Japanese person is ignoring a rule**, you should ignore the rule. In Osaka, people usually walk on the right instead of the left and stand on the right on escalators.
     * [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaywalking|Jaywalking]] is a notable contra to this, and similarly, seeing just a couple Japanese breaking the rules doesn't give you the right to. No country is perfect -- not even Japan. Even if 1-2 people jaywalk, you should not. //Break the rules only if it would be beneficial to everyone to do so. If it would be selfish to do so, do not break the rules.//
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   * In all practical terms, these are tips, not rules. Depending on the type of person you are, you may or may not care, but these may help you in situations that are otherwise undocumented.
+==== Tourism spot advice ====
+  * The best places to visit are not well-traveled by tourists. If you want to experience the best parts of Japan, try to go off the beaten path. If you've seen a place mentioned in a travel guide or even as a "best kept secret", it might be a suboptimal experience. Kawagoe was mentioned on a few articles in the English speaking world and the town had no idea why they were getting so many visitors, for example.
+  * [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVftn6ys2X8|The Japan Destinations Locals Laugh At]] is a great video that describes common pitfalls for where to go and why you might not like them. Again, you might have a different experience, or you might tolerate crowds, but think about it first.
+  * [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBsNFJggtek|I Spent a Day at Japan's Worst Tourist Trap]] is another great video to watch.
+  * If you watch anime or play games or generally enjoy Japanese media, you should consider going on a pilgrimage to your favorite spots. There are guides for prominent media works available. [[https://animetourism88.com/en/|Anime Tourism 88]] keeps a list of the 88 most highly voted places to visit and many locations also have stamps you can get and stamp in a book or other printed work.
+    * More recent properties that are on the list have more prominent spots.
+    * You can use this as a jumping off point to explore or an excuse to go to a region you wouldn't normally have planned to go to.
 ==== Other useful resources ====
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   * [[https://atadistance.net/all-about-suica-app|All About Suica app]] covers using the Suica app when you have Mobile Suica on iPhone, including how to enable features like "Touch and Go! Shinkansen", low-fare balance audible alerts, your Suica number, etc.
   * Patrick McKenzie's [[https://www.kalzumeus.com/japan-recommendations/|Japan Travel Recommendations]], which includes various suggestions for more fun travel things.
-    * Do note that he mentions the [[https://japanrailpass.net/en/|Japan Rail Pass]] being more of a calculation these days. [[https://www.japan-guide.com/railpass/|Japan Guide]] has a helpful calculator that will allow you to figure out if the Japan Rail Pass is actually economically worth it when in Japan.
+    * Do note that he mentions the [[https://japanrailpass.net/en/|Japan Rail Pass]] being more of a calculation these days. [[https://www.japan-guide.com/railpass/|Japan Guide]] has a helpful calculator that will allow you to figure out if the Japan Rail Pass is actually economically worth it when in Japan. [[https://japantravel.navitime.com/en/area/jp/route/calculator/|NAVITIME Japan also has a convenient calculator]].
       * The Japan Rail Pass is also slightly more annoying to use than Suica or transportation IC cards in-general, because it's limited to JR lines, but IC cards work on private rail networks too (including Tokyo Disney's own on-island/park transit system).
   * [[https://youtu.be/i_kYN7f8qUg|Unspoken rules not to break in Japan]] video from Abroad in Japan, which is also a great channel and reference.
+  * [[https://japantravel.navitime.com/en/area/jp/guide/NTJhowto0061-en/|How to use a taxi]] is a really good guide on taxi hailing in Japan, and in-particular, the symbols that are used to indicate availability. This is an article from NAVITIME, a popular mapping app in Japan, so it does have upsells to their service. However, it is still quite useful.
 ==== Advice on where to stay in Tokyo ====
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 If you are traveling with young children, I strongly suggest you avoid the areas in the safety tips section for hotel stays entirely. Around these stations at night, it is typical to encounter drunk salarymen or tourists and things of that nature.
+==== Tokyo is not a city ====
+It is helpful to know that Tokyo is not a city. Tokyo Metropolis consists of 23 special wards, all of which call themselves cities, as well as other cities that aren't special wards. If you arrive in Tokyo, the laws slightly change between ward (like smoking outside). You may be surprised to find that a destination "in Tokyo" is significantly farther away than you expect. For example, Tokyo Disneyland is a significant distance away from Tachikawa City, Tokyo, home to Showa Memorial Park, the largest park by land area in Tokyo. Tokyo Disneyland is not, in fact, in Tokyo. It’s in Chiba.
+Also, "Tokyo Narita International Airport" is in Chiba, not Tokyo. It's about 1 hour and 30 minutes away from Tokyo by train. It's also about $150 by taxi to Tokyo from Chiba.
 ==== Data plans ====
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 ==== Phone numbers for visitors ====
-If you're a visitor to Japan, you may be tempted to go down the rabbit hole and try to get a phone number that can send send/receive phone calls and SMS. In Japan, unlike some other countries (namely, the US), you need to provide photo ID to get service that includes these features. The best provider for this is [[https://www.mobal.com/|Mobal]].
+If you're a visitor to Japan, you may be tempted to go down the rabbit hole and try to get a phone number that can send send/receive phone calls and SMS. In Japan, unlike some other countries (namely, the US), you need to provide photo ID to get service that includes these features. The best provider for this is [[https://www.mobal.com/|Mobal]], in my opinion. You may also consider [[https://www.hanacell.com/japan |HanaCell]], which was suggested by a friend at a suggested cost of $8 a year.
   * Mobal service is more expensive than other types of service.
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 ==== Can I get a bank account as a visitor? ====
-No.
+No((It is a crime to sell or buy bank accounts in Japan. Only long-term residents can have real bank accounts, which means that they can accept and transfer money and do a lot of other things. You absolutely need a Residence Card for this. You cannot get a Residence Card if you have "temporary visitor" status, or the digital nomad visa. If you have a Residence Card, it must have at least 3 months remaining, for you to get a bank account.)).
 ==== Can I get a Japanese Visa/iD payment method as a visitor? ====
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 See also: [[https://tabunka.tokyo-tsunagari.or.jp/useful/guide_eng/disease/01.html|TIPS for Tokyo Life: Seeking Medical Attention]]. This is a really useful resource that describes the available medical systems in Japan and tips for using them. This site is geared towards foreign residents, but this particular page is also extremely useful for visitors experiencing medical emergencies. Also useful: [[https://tabunka.tokyo-tsunagari.or.jp/useful/guide_eng/disease/02.html|TIPS for Tokyo Life: Buying Medicine]].
+The [[https://www.hokeniryo.metro.tokyo.lg.jp/iryo/iryo_hoken/medical_info_eng|Tokyo Metropolitan Government guide to medical care for tourists and foreign residents]] is also worth a read.
 ===== Topics for foreign residents of Japan =====
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   * [[advice coe holders|Advice for Certificate of Eligibility (COE) holders]] who are actively moving to Japan or in the process of moving, or have just moved.
     * I've put my advice related to administrative procedures, disaster preparedness, and other bureaucratic matters that are unrelated to tourism here.
+  * [[pet bottle recycling|The specific recycling bin I use to store PET bottles ready for recycling before group collection day]] is, imho, a must-buy if you get a lot of PET bottles.
+  * [[mobile_networks_foreign_residents|Mobile networks for foreign residents of Japan]] focuses specifically on which mobile carrier to get and/or my experiences.