Ah Japan.
It definitely should be on everybody’s bucket list. The
country, the food and the people will leave you wanting to go back right away.
This has been a long time overdue but I thought I would
share with you my experiences on my last trip to the Land of the Rising Sun.
PEOPLE
Apart from the spectacle of it all, what really struck me
was how the Japanese are so honest, polite and helpful.
These character traits cross through the language barrier.
We took a cab from the train station to the hotel and the
driver following his GPS took us to the back of the hotel. He got out of the
cab to check that we can indeed go through the gate and the backdoor of the
hotel. I don’t know about you but I don’t really remember taxi drivers anywhere
else in the world that would get out of their comfortably controlled cab, into
the cold weather to make sure his passengers are going to be ok.
On our way back, we had to take another cab. Like before, I
would show the driver our destination written in Japanese… About halfway through the trip, he was
speaking to me in Japanese and pointing at the taxi meter while he turned it
off… In my head, I’m thinking “Oh no, he
is going to tell us he is going to have to have us either catch another cab or
tell us to walk the rest of the way…. Or charge us off-the-meter” But lo and behold, he took us to our
destination. I think what happened was
that he missed a turn and didn’t want to charge us for his mistake! I was in
awe.
Oh by the way, in Japan, the taxi drivers wear a black suit
and gloves. The taxi doors open and close by a switch operated by the driver.
You do not need to open or close it. The driver does it for you.
We did not join any organized tour on this trip. That means
we were at the mercy of Google maps. It worked 80 percent of the time. But when
it does not work, it made me sweat bullets.
The look of being lost in such a huge city is probably
familiar to many Japanese when they see tourists. No less than 4 people helped
me find my bearings.
One older lady came up to me at the train station when it
looked like I was confused about which train to take and where I needed to go.
She approached me and asked me if I needed help.
She waited till I was able to figure out how to buy my Suica
card and made sure I was confident about where I was going.
Another lady, again on her own, asked if I needed help.
Google maps was spinning like crazy and I probably looked both frustrated and
helpless. She ended up walking out of her way for 6 blocks to show me where the
Skytree Building was. I expressed my thanks to her. But at that moment I made a
commitment to go out of my way to help any tourist, especially Japanese
tourists, if I ever spot any of them here in California.
When I walked the streets of Tokyo (there was one day we
walked for 10 miles!) or any Japanese city for that matter, you never have this
feeling of being unsafe, of being robbed or taken advantage of. To think that
this is one of the world’s most crowded cities. I saw unlocked bicycles on the
street but what really impressed me was that I saw people ‘reserving’ their
seats in cafes by playing their iPhones on the table while going to order at
the counter.
Some attribute this to Japanese culture and ethics education.
I read that Japanese schools offer classes for ethics and
morality, and students learn to imagine the feelings of those who lost their
own goods or money. So it’s not rare to see kids bringing a 10-yen coin to a
police office."
There are also rules and rewards. Japan’s Lost Goods Law
states that anyone who finds money must give it to the police, and has the
right to receive a reward of 5 percent to 20 percent if the owner claims it —
and all of the money if no one claims it within three months.
Hey that should be practiced everywhere in the world!
CLEANLINESS
The Japanese toilet seat is something to behold. Sitting on
a standard commode
will feel like going back to the Stone Age. The seat is
heated, temperature controlled wash, a choice of background sounds to mask
nature’s sounds…. “you left the lid up” squabbles need never take place (the
seat lifts and closes automatically in many models).
Oh, Japanese bathrooms don’t usually have paper towels. They
usually have air hand dryers. Most Japanese always carry with them a
handkerchief or a small towel.
The streets of Japan are trash-free. You would hardly find
the Japanese eating while walking. Probably because there are no trash cans in
sight. People carry their personal trash back home with them.
TIPS
If there's a choice, fly into Haneda, not Narita. Haneda
Airport is a lot more convenient for most travelers to fly into than Narita
International Airport owing to the distance from Tokyo for both. It is not
always an option or sometimes it is more expensive. But if you had a choice…
choose Haneda.
If you have never been and are planning to go, Best tip I
got was to get a Pupuru Pocket Wifi. You can get them at any Japanese airport.
You can order them online. (https://pupuruwifi.com/en).
Wifi isn’t as easy to come by in Japan as in the States. And
if you are going to be using Google maps and Google Translate, you will need a
good internet connection. They will deliver it to your hotel or you can pick up
at their airport counter. Once you are done, they supply you with a stamped envelope
and you can mail it back before you get on your plane out of Japan.
About hotels, if you are going around Tokyo, get one that is
walking distance to a train station. If
it is your first time, get one in Shinjuku. You would then be at the heart of
the action. Also, print your hotel address in Japanese. Actually, print all the
places you may need to take a cab to or ask for directions in Japanese.
Another important tip is to have Japanese yen. Japan is very
much a cash society. You’d be surprised that not every shop takes credit cards.
So make sure you have cash on hand. For trains, vending machines, etc.
Skip the money changers, go to 7-11. Use your debit card.
Call your bank to make sure it will work in Japan. Do the same for your credit
card. Make sure that they do not charge foreign transaction fees. Capital One
Venture has really good exchange rates!
About 7-11. In Japan
goes beyond what we are accustomed to here in the States. When I was there I
ate all my breakfast from 7-11. Oh and Japanese snacks and soda! Yum. https://www.odigo.jp/articles/1566-must-try-foods-from-7-eleven
Not the soggy and
questionable hotdogs we have find at American 7-11s.
But please do not get all your meals at 7-11. Tokyo, Japan’s
capital has more Michelin stars than any other city in the world — and it’s not
even close. In 2017, Tokyo has 12
restaurants with three stars; meanwhile, there are 54 two-star restaurants, and
161 with a single star each.
Not all Michelin-recognized restaurants are
super-pricey but you can bet there will be lines on the ones that are cheap. So
plan ahead.
Read up on Japanese culture and do’s and don’ts. You don’t want
to be THAT dude who is ignorant of the local customs. While you are at it.
Learn a few Japanese phrases. It goes a long way.
ticket gate and the fare is automatically deducted from your Suica. The Suica can be used not only for JR East trains, but subways and buses as well.
Oh, on the trains, you will notice that most Japanese sit
quietly. They usually text each other rather than talk. Zen. So don’t yell out
at the top of your voice and call attention to your stupid self.
If you have tattoos, there are a few types of
institutions that may refuse you admittance if they notice you have any
tattoos, though, including onsen, public baths, and public pools. I know… it’s
a Japan thing. Don’t take it personal.
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| Japanese Onsen |
Check the weather, when it is cold it can get colder than
Southern California… when it is hot it can be hot. When it is cold, be warned that department
stores and malls blast their heaters so you’d have to take your coat off
indoors because you would be blistering hot inside. The opposite is true in the summer months, it
may be 90 degrees F (32 C) outside but they will turn on their AC on fullblast
inside that you’ll need a light sweater to be comfortable.
If you are going to be doing a lot walking, you obviously
need comfortable shoes. Wear nice socks in case you’ll have to take off your
shoes when going into other people’s houses or shrines. Get new socks!
You’ll probably want to see Mt. Fuji. Know that it is only
visible 80 days in a year. I’d hate for you to take the trip there and not see
it. The reality is that your days may not coincide. If it is a must see for
you, schedule your trip in winter and monitor the cloud forecast in Shizuoka,
Japan. A cloud forecast of 10% or below is good. But don’t fret, there are so
much more to see.
