Differences

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

--- japan [2025/04/17 17:07] – particles
+++ japan [2025/07/17 04:41] (current) – [Tokyo is not a city] particles
@@ Line 8: / Line 8: @@
   * [[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 =====
@@ Line 49: / Line 49: @@
   * 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 ====
@@ Line 67: / Line 76: @@
 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 ====
@@ Line 79: / Line 93: @@
 ==== 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.
@@ Line 111: / Line 125: @@
 ==== 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? ====
@@ Line 155: / Line 169: @@
     * 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.