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--- japan [2025/06/02 12:55] – [日本 🇯🇵] particles
+++ japan [2025/10/14 20:02] (current) – [日本 🇯🇵] 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]]
+  * [[osaka_expo_notes|Expo 2025 notes]] -- Now that EXPO 2025 is over, this is less useful and more of an archival item.
+  * [[summer_comike|Summer Comic Market guide]]
 ===== Advice for visitors to Japan =====
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     * In terms of practicalities, there are fashion related faux pas that foreign visitors are not judged for. But you might find yourself being self-conscious if you're the only one on a train wearing shorts or something.
     * People wear masks in Japan for fashion as much as they do protection from germs or because they're sick. Fashion related masking is probably more prevalent, in all honesty.
-  * 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.
+      * [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmzPEAc9izk|Mask-Wearing in Japan Explained]] from a Japanese native perspective
+  * You should wear your backpack on your front on a train. If you must have it on your back, be extremely conscious of people around you and behind you((I once saw a foreigner's backpack get a hard punch out of the way from a salaryman who got his phone bumped by a carelessly huge backpack.)).
+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.
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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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 ==== Apple Accounts for visitors ====
-For various reasons, you might desire having an Apple Account / App Store account in Japan. Doing this can be relatively straight forward: create a new account and sign in. You can use a [[PayPay]] account for your payment method, and you can use an arbitrary billing address of a location in Japan. Generally speaking, Apple does not send regular mail, so the billing address can be arbitrary.
+For various reasons, you might desire having an Apple Account / App Store account in Japan. Doing this can be relatively straight forward: create a new account and sign in while being physically located in Japan. You can use a [[PayPay]] account for your payment method, and you can use an arbitrary billing address of a location in Japan. Generally speaking, Apple does not send regular mail, so the billing address can be arbitrary.
 You don't need a phone number, either. The main thing you need is a payment method. Or, if you prefer, you can setup a new device from scratch in Japan, which will allow you to bypass the payment method requirement.
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 ==== Can I buy from Yahoo! Japan Auctions or Mercari as a visitor? ====
-Yes, provided that you have a phone number, you can use these services and opt for コンビニ/Convenience Store payment. These payment methods allow you to exchange cash at a convenience store to pay for goods on Mercari and Yahoo! Japan Auctions. Please use caution: You do need an address that will actually accept your packages. Always check in-advance with your hotel if you can use their address to get a package. If you're staying at an Airbnb, you might also be able to get packages.
+Maybe, provided that you have a phone number, you can use these services and opt for コンビニ/Convenience Store payment. These payment methods allow you to exchange cash at a convenience store to pay for goods on Mercari and Yahoo! Japan Auctions. Please use caution: You do need an address that will actually accept your packages. Always check in-advance with your hotel if you can use their address to get a package. If you're staying at an Airbnb, you might also be able to get packages.
-In the past, I used [[https://blackship.com/|Blackship]] with the [[https://help.blackship.com/l/en/article/ppw2zerfxp-pickup|Pick up from Blackship]] shipping method to accept packages I ordered from Yahoo! Japan Auctions while in Japan temporarily. This method does work, but requires a bit of time for things to arrive and work.
+In the past, I used [[https://blackship.com/|Blackship]] with the [[https://help.blackship.com/en/articles/5347329|Pick up from Blackship]] shipping method to accept packages I ordered from Yahoo! Japan Auctions while in Japan temporarily. This method does work, but requires a bit of time for things to arrive and work.
 You can, of course, always just ship to a forwarder and have the forwarder ship your package home. That works too! I've used both [[https://www.tenso.com/|Tenso]] and Blackship with success.
+Note that Mercari recently started introducing mandatory identity verification. If you get flagged, you need a 在留カード to buy things, which is impossible as a temporary visitor.
 ===== Articles related to Japan =====
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   * [[https://yaesugai-medical.com/english|Yaesugai Medical Office]] for a walk-in general practitioner. Again, I've only visited with **Japanese Health Insurance**, but the website includes instructions for easy navigation, and more practically speaking, seems to be accessible to tourists. There is a pharmacy right below the doctor's office, which can easily serve you after visiting. No appointment necessary. I believe the pharmacy below is an associated pharmacy with Sakura Pharmacy, but it's not exactly an uncommon name, so maybe?
   * [[https://en.tokyo-midtown.com/shop/1546/|Sakura Pharmacy Tokyo Midtown]] is great for OTC drugs, general pharmacy needs, and COVID-19 tests in English. However, there is a caveat: sometimes there is no English speaking staff available. If you're in or near Roppongi, it's worth a visit I guess if you need a pharmacy. I have not visited Tokyo Midtown Clinic, but they're in the same building, and they seem to advertise English speaking services.
+    * Multiple people I've seen and trust attest to [[https://www.tokyomidtown-mc.jp/en/|Tokyo Midtown Clinic]]. I suggest calling ahead to verify your condition before visiting.
   * I have never been to [[https://www.international-clinic.tokyo/message/|Tokyo Station International Clinic]] but they have upfront pricing and seemed to be geared towards tourists who do not have Japanese health insurance. I've heard they're expensive for routine care for residents, but maybe it's okay for a one-off visit for a non-resident.
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 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.
+You can also call the (Tokyo Metropolitan) government operated advice line in multiple languages, at +81 03-5285-8181, from 9am to 8pm every day. Supported languages include English, Chinese, Korean, Thai, and Spanish. They can help provide guidance for institutions and what to do if you need medical assistance (non-emergency).
+===== Where to stay in a pinch? =====
+Sometimes, you find yourself stranded in an area without a hotel for the night. Here are some tangible suggestions for places to stay:
+  * [[https://www.toyoko-inn.com/eng/campaign/tonight/|Toyoko-inn midnight deals]] -- only available after 23:00 on the same day, you can reserve rooms for up to 50% off if they're still vacant, until 4:30.
+  * [[https://www.kaikatsu.jp/guide/|快活CLUB]] is an internet cafe that has night plans / packs. Do note that this is definitely not the place for more than one person to stay, but if you're an adult staying with another adult, you can get two private rooms. If none of this brand are around, any internet cafe or manga cafe will have a night plan and probably a place to sleep.
+    * [[kaikatsu_club|What to expect if you stay at 快活CLUB]]
+  * [[https://www.round1.co.jp/service/karaoke/|Round1 Karaoke]] or any other karaoke place will offer plans that are hourly, and probably have a nightly rate. You can definitely sleep in a karaoke booth, but it's not the most ideal spot.
+  * Public bath / hot spring facilities like [[https://tokyo-toyosu.manyo.co.jp/languages/en/#pc_stay|toyosu manyo]] often have overnight plans. These do not have private rooms, or if they do, they charge extra, but you can typically stay the night.
+Note that for all non-hotel accommodations, you usually have a separate night pack or plan fee. Typically this is determined by how long you're there (i.e., 8 hours or more) and may have separate requirements. Like a hotel, you will need your passport on checkin for longer periods of time.
+Public baths do require you to not have tattoos or have very strict tattoo policies. For example, some of them will permit tattoos that can be covered by bandages or similar, but may restrict even these for foreign residents.
+My friends have had the most success booking hotels using Toyoko-inn's midnight deals, using 快活CLUB, or karaoke booths for short-term stays.
+It used to be the case that capsule hotels were good to stay in a pinch, but in Tokyo especially, they're now priced almost the same as normal hotels, due to the tourism appeal.
+==== Love hotels? ====
+You can try to stay at a love hotel too! I don't have any suggestions for these, and some of them do require two people. Usually love hotels are well-equipped with food / dining services, so this is not a bad idea. Do note that some love hotels "lock you in your room" until you pay, or you may not be able to leave your room unless you have an overnight stay pack.
 ===== Topics for foreign residents of Japan =====