8 great tips before you travel to Japan

I have gathered some advice for first-time travelers or tourist who want to get the most from their visit to Japan.

1. Pick up a wireless router.

   Picking up a wireless router from global advanced communication is a good idea. It’s shareable among friends and devices. Probably the easiest way to get wifi in a country where free wifi is not yet that widespread.

2. Japan Rail Pass – needs to be booked in advanced

   If you are planning to travel around a lot by train it could be beneficial to pick up a Japan rail pass. This needs to be purchased before going to Japan, important to keep in mind. Read more about the variation and costs of the Japan Rail Pass here.

3. Get Suica or Pasmo
   

   Suica or Pasmo is the card you use to get through the ticket gates before getting on subway or train. There is a 500 yen (refundable) deposit. It’s well worth the time to get it and have to always go an buy individual tickets for each journey.

4. Get the Hyperdia app – for subway and train travel

   Free for 30 days and easy to use, shows you multiple route options with exact fare and time it takes. Makes life easier.

5. Haneda over Narita

   There are two major airports in the Tokyo area, Haneda, and Narita. If you have the choice, choose Haneda. Narita is located around 60-90 minutes outside of Tokyo while Haneda is situated on reclaimed land in Tokyo Bay, close to the city.

6. Destination address in Japanese

   Print out the address to where you are going or staying in Japanese. If lost and confused jump in a cab, show the driver the note with the address and you are set.

7. Withdrawing money

   Japan is still very cash dependent nation and you will most likely need cash. There are a lot of ATM’s in Japan not all accept foreign cards. Your card will probably work at 7elevens, the post office, and Citibank ATM’s.