Amazing Japan: Five Insider Survival Tips
Japan has one of the world’s most fascinating cultures to explore. Our daughter Carlee has spent the last few years living in Asia, much of that time in Japan. We were able to visit her there recently, and her experience made our trip so much easier. Here are some of her insider survival tips to make your visit to amazing Japan even better.
1. Follow Japanese etiquette.
This isn’t really survival but just to avoid annoyed glances, as foreigners may not be aware of many Japanese customs.
- Stand on the left when riding the escalator so people can pass.
- Don’t eat while walking on the street and certainly not on the train.
- It is considered very rude to talk on the phone on the train and there are signs everywhere saying not to do it.
- Don’t leave your chopsticks sticking upright in your rice, and never pass food directly from chopstick to chopstick.
2. Ask the police…for anything. Seriously.
I wanted to get my hair cut in Shinjuku so my Japanese friend and I walked around for a while but couldn’t find anything affordable. I thought he was joking when he said “let’s ask the police!” I thought they would be offended that I am wasting their time with my hair dilemma. But he ran up to ask and right away the police officer led us down a street to a quaint little hair shop. Perfect price and they did a great job on my hair. There are little police boxes all over the city and if you are ever lost or need to find anything, they are, in my experience, super friendly and helpful.
3. “Service” food.
While there is no need to tip at restaurants and pubs in Japan, you might notice an extra charge added to your bill. Usually a server brings you a small side dish and may say it is a ‘service’, but you will be charged for it. This is called a “tsukidashi (つきだし)”. This is very common when going out to a restaurant or izakaya so just expect to pay a little extra on top of your order.
4. Express vs. Super Express trains.
Download a map. Especially coming from the airport or other longer routes, there are some trains that stop at every single stop while others skip most stops and just stop at the main hubs. It’s a brilliant idea for those who are commuting to work but can be confusing for a tourist. As someone who is directionally challenged already, I took the wrong train three times last time I was in Tokyo. Basically, the super express shows up in red on the overhead board and express is in orange or yellow. Make sure the super express will stop at your destination before boarding that train. If you aren’t sure, ask the train attendant to double check.
5. Learn Katakana
I know a lot of Japan-bound travelers have studied Japanese or at least watched their share of anime, so getting around in Japan won’t be a problem. However, if you can’t read any Japanese it can be quite difficult to navigate your way in Tokyo independently, and even more so the smaller towns. Even many train station signs do not have an English translation.
The best way I can suggest to help you find your way around is to learn Katakana. Katakana is the phonetic writing system that is used for English words. Yes, even English words are written in Japanese. Many signs around Japan are in fact English words, written with Japanese characters. For example, gelato is ジェラート (je raa to), pizza is ピザ (pi za), spaghetti is スパゲティ (su pa ge tei) etc. (apparently I’m craving Italian). There are only 48 characters and it can be learned in an afternoon or two. If you learn Katakana a whole world of opportunities opens up and you will be much more independent and aware in Japan.
What a great post! A must-read for anyone traveling to Japan. You are so lucky to have had a daughter who could share her experiences and insider knowledge.
Irene S Levine recently posted…Housesitting: A fun way to travel the world on a dime
Thanks Irene!
I just skipped a trip to China, but I would love to visit Japan. I will need chop stick lessons because asking for a fork in the states is embarrassing enough 😉 I appreciate and thank you for all of your tips even though I know that learning Katakana would be challenging for me.
Michelle recently posted…Visiting the Magical Village of Oia on Santorini
They will not be surprised if you ask for a fork, but may be surprised and compliment you on your chopstick skills if you use them 🙂
Shelley recently posted…Amazing Japan: Five Insider Survival Tips
We only spent a couple of days in Japan so we didn’t learn much about the culture, but thanks for the great tips for when we go back.
The Gypsynesters recently posted…Ewok-ing Through the Redwood Forest
Thanks Gypsynesters! We would love to return and see more of Japan ourselves.
Shelley recently posted…Amazing Japan: Five Insider Survival Tips
Good tips. Sounds like you had an interesting trip!
adrienne recently posted…Alessandra Ambrosio’s Jetsetting Style
Thanks Adrienne! Japan’s a interesting place for sure.
Shelley recently posted…Amazing Japan: Five Insider Survival Tips
I lived in Japan for four years and never knew that tip about asking Police for anything. Well done!
Thanks for your comment Jody 🙂
Shelley recently posted…Amazing Japan: Five Insider Survival Tips
I’m not sure I could learn katakana that rapidly. Impressive that you did! Interesting how the police are so helpful, too. Good tips!
Betsy Wuebker | PassingThru recently posted…Packing for Our RTW Trip
Thanks Betsy. In general, I found everyone to be so helpful. We became reluctant to ask for directions because some people would go so much out of their way to help us.
Shelley recently posted…Amazing Japan: Five Insider Survival Tips
Learn Katakana in 2 afternoons? I wish. Your first point about not eating while walking is one I’d point out too. There are not a lot of public trash receptacles around because people.do.not.eat.on.the.street. Even if you buy an ice cream cone in a park at an outside stand, you are expected to consume it right there.
I’ve removed my Comment Luv link so I can add this one which is closer to your top—my take on religion in Japan:
http://www.boomeresque.com/religion-in-japan/
The many little differences in etiquette and lifestyle make Japan such a fascinating place.
Shelley recently posted…Amazing Japan: Five Insider Survival Tips
I’m not sure I can learn Katakana, but I can certainly adhere to the rest of your advice!! Thank you for an excellent article!
Thanks Marilyn! I’m really hopeless at languages. I couldn’t even attempt to learn the Kanji and Hiragana parts of Japanese. Katakana characters are phonetic and used for foreign words (mostly English) and often company names so it’s easier than it sounds.
Shelley recently posted…Amazing Japan: Five Insider Survival Tips
Do I ever like the tips you’ve provided. None I knew of and I do have Japan on my radar.
Lucky you having a daughter to help show you around.
Leigh recently posted…A Canoe Trip to Hidden Lake Territorial Park, Northwest Territories
Having a daughter in Asia motivated us to visit Japan sooner than we would have, and was great having her as our guide.
Shelley recently posted…Amazing Japan: Five Insider Survival Tips
Great tips for visiting Japan. Nice to know you ask the police for anything. I’ve not been to Japan but my husband and daughter have and they loved it.
Donna Janke recently posted…Bucket Lists
Thanks Donna. Nice to hear your husband and daughter loved Japan too.
Shelley recently posted…Amazing Japan: Five Insider Survival Tips