Differences

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

--- japan [2025/09/04 14:54] – particles
+++ japan [2026/03/22 06:18] (current) – [Phone numbers for visitors] 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]]
+  * [[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]]
+  * [[comike_guide|Summer Comic Market guide]]
+  * [[shrine_guide|Shinto shrine guide from Fushimi Inari Shrine]]
 ===== Advice for visitors to Japan =====
@@ Line 48: / Line 49: @@
     * 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.
+      * [[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.)).
@@ Line 96: / Line 98: @@
 ==== 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]], 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.
+See [[jp_numbers|my article on phone numbers for visitors]].
-  * Mobal service is more expensive than other types of service.
-  * If you want to use ticketing services like Lawson Ticket or e-plus, you really need to consider getting a long-term plan with Mobal, not a short-term plan. You can get a long-term plan even if you do not have a Japanese Residence Card / you're on a tourism visa. The catch is that you basically need to pay for it forever. You can downgrade to cheap plans to park your number. **I just do not suggest that you get a SIM card with a Japanese phone number unless you plan to maintain the number in the long term.**
-  * Even if you have a Japanese phone number from Mobal, you still cannot use Mobal's service outside of the country.
-It is valuable to keep a Japanese phone number, though. You can register on Yahoo! Japan and other Japanese only services and keep an account for when you're in Japan. You can also bootstrap a [[PayPay]] account without identity verification, which you can then use to buy apps and in-app purchases from the Japanese App Store. PayPay is also convenient as a QR code payment method in-general. You can pay back friends in Japan with it, and you can buy things with it, and top-up without identity verification.
-Effectively, Japanese systems do not expect foreign tourists to have phone numbers that route SMS. This means that if you can do this, you can sign up for more services than you would be able to otherwise. The caveat is that it's more expensive to maintain the number, and you might find yourself in a situation where you wish you could access it outside of the country. This is currently not possible, however.
-If you get a number from Mobal, due to Mobile Number Portability regulations, you can port your number to a different provider if you become a resident.
-Finally, note that the process of verifying your identity will take a period of time. Usually this is 2-3 days maximum of ID verification time before your phone number will route calls and SMS. If you try to perform the registration process around a holiday or weekend, it will take longer.
-**Transferring a phone number to another person is a crime in Japan, so don't do that.**
 ==== Apple Accounts for visitors ====
@@ Line 139: / Line 127: @@
 ==== 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/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.
@@ Line 145: / Line 133: @@
 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 =====
@@ Line 157: / Line 146: @@
   * [[http://hitomidental.com/|Hitomi Dental Office]] for dental cleaning / general dentistry with English speaking service. **Japanese Health Insurance coverage accepted**. I have not used their services without Japanese health insurance.
-  * [[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.
@@ Line 167: / Line 155: @@
 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 =====
@@ Line 176: / Line 186: @@
   * [[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.
+===== Anti-foreigner sentiment =====
+It is an extremely common issue to hear, particularly lately, about how Japan has a rise in anti-foreigner sentiment. I think it is important to view it in the perspective of Japanese people, and I refer you to the following videos on this topic:
+  * [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNHR9lnGS3A|Golden Rule of Japanese Society]]
+  * [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ULKPS8gNk7A|On the Rise of Anti-Foreigner Sentiment in Japan]]
+  * [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WpkQTtHUyg|On Overtourism in Japan and the Country's New Leaders]]
+**Q: If I visit Japan, will I be looked down upon for being a foreigner?**
+**A: No.** But to give you a more nuanced answer, the there are two very important elements to this:
+  - Read the air. In English, it would be better said as "read the room". In a society where politeness is paramount and not being a nuisance is regarded as a valuable trait, you should endeavor to not be a nuisance. There are many ways to not be a nuisance, and probably my single best piece of advice is to pay attention to your surroundings and copy people. If you board a train and everyone is being quiet, it is not your job to disturb the peace. Line up in lines. Be cognizant of what's going on around you and you will be fine.
+  - If you don't speak Japanese, learn at least basic phrases or be extremely humble. Don't force English into people's daily lives unless they speak it or they offer it to you. Assume Japanese. Ask if they speak English. "Ano, sumimasen, ego wakarimasuka?"
+If you didn't watch the above videos, the overwhelming negative sentiment that people have is not towards foreign tourists who don't break the rules, it's people who have no observational awareness or people who knowingly break the rules. Just because you can get drunk on the train platform at 2pm doesn't mean you should. Yeah, NewDays will sell you a beer, but no, it's not socially acceptable to drink it on the train unless it's 23:30 and you're not making a scene.
+The vast majority of Japanese people only care about disruptive people. There are exceptions as there are in any society. Some people are racist. But this is true in all countries.
+==== "There's no law against it" ====
+Many societal norms in Japan exist but have no laws against breaking them. You shouldn't eat and drink convenience store food while walking. But Japanese people will always say there is no law against it, while also observing that you're walking and eating and that's not really ideal.
+This extends to everything, including to foreigners who apply for statuses of residence and other forms of treatment from the government. "The letter of the law" in Japan is not the law. Some cultures believe that the law is written such that loopholes intentionally exist. In Japan, they may or may not intentionally exist. If they do exist, knowing whether or not they are intentional or not requires reading the air.
+Lately, a lot of anti-foreigner sentiment comes from this disconnect. Many parts of Japanese law are circuitous or seemingly impossible, but these are meant to be wrangled by lawyers who know not just the law, but the intent behind the law. But at the same time, when people can read the law and technically understand it, they can apply for things and change things without reading the air. So the system functions as designed, but produces an incorrect result in-practice.
+That is, fundamentally, why immigration and other forms of laws related to it have changed. Social insurance was always required, but now evidence is required that it's actually being paid. Business managers must now actually prove their businesses have merit.
+The fact of the matter is that Japanese law has always had loopholes, but they were rarely exploited. Now, they are. This has led to a rise in scrutiny of these laws to fix loopholes and ensure that there aren't any gaps in the legislation.
+Again, the intent was always that one of Japan's hundreds of thousands of administrative scriveners or lawyers would parse the law, and that these people would be ethical. Now, amateurs read the law and also apply. LLMs help this. The result? Now stricter laws are required. Foreigners who previously exploited loopholes are admonished, unsurprisingly.
+"You should have known the rules" even when those rules even when the rules were never written down.