Accumulated and updated travel protips. More about how to plan and travel than what to do. Let me know if you have any questions!

Things to do before you go

Book lodging as far ahead as possible

• Ryokans (traditional japanese lodging)
  • Booking.com has some ryokan options, but they are generally harder to find online. There are some localized & specialized sites, like Takamakura for some of central western Honshu.
  • Need to reserve well ahead of time. Kyoto & Tokyo have great ryokans but very expensive. I recommend shelling out for ryokan stays in areas outside these two cities, as you'll get the same experience for much cheaper.
  • Booking.com has a decent selection of ryokans.
  • Some ryokans only accept cash.
• Hotels
  • Booking.com has great coverage in Japan, so it’s a good platform to use.
  • In general, expect to pay a lot for nice hotels especially in Tokyo ($100+ pp per night).
  • Non-budget hotels are generally very nice and attached breakfast is usually solid (most places offer a mixed japanese/western buffet). Getting the included breakfast is my default, unless we’re going to a fish market or some specific breakfast spot.
  • Hotels in JR stations (e.g. JR Gate Tower Hotel) will be super convenient but also spendy.
• Airbnbs
  • These have been getting locked down pretty hard (especially in Tokyo) so YMMV but it might still be cheaper than hotels (which are very expensive in Tokyo). They are better outside major cities, especially the actual bed & breakfast type experiences.
• In Tokyo:
  • Shibuya is the most dense, exciting part of Tokyo. Famous six-way pedestrian intersection called the Shibuya Scramble.
  • Ebisu (one stop away from Shibuya), is a little quieter. Great tonkatsu restaurant there called Tonki Tonkatsu!
  • Ginza is a glitzy high end shopping district with lots of great department stores. It’s central and super clean.
• In Kyoto: stay near a centrally located station on the Keihan line, maybe Tofukuji or north along the river

Get a Japan Rail Pass at least 2-3 weeks before

If you are planning to do at least a couple city-to-city legs on the Shinkansen per week (e.g. Tokyo → Kyoto) then it’s likely worth getting a Japan Rail Pass, which gives you unlimited rides on the JR (Japan Rail) network including bullet trains and many local/regional trains, for example:

• Narita Express from downtown Tokyo to Narita (you won’t be able to use it for Narita → Tokyo because you won’t have exchanged the voucher for the pass yet)
• Shinkansen from Tokyo to Osaka
• JR Yamanote Line within Tokyo

You’ll need to purchase it online ahead of time and receive a voucher in the mail, which you can exchange for the pass at a JR station once you arrive in Japan. There are cheaper versions for specific areas.

You can get a “Green” pass that allows you to reserve seats in nicer cars.

Get an eSIM or mobile hotspot 1 week before

eSIMs are the easiest and usually cheapest way to have cellular data abroad. I have T-Mobile’s Simple Choice plan which has 3G intl data so an eSIM (I like Ubigi, use my code 3YP9X73D for 20% off) bumps that to 5G speeds.

If your phone can have dual SIMs (see Apple article for iPhones), this is the best option. It costs dollars a day to have high speed service across Japan. Make sure you consider:

• Your SMS and voice coverage in Japan - the Ubigi eSIM will not provide these
• Your typical data usage. I used about 10gb over a 10 day trip in Japan, using cell data heavily (instagram, uploading photos/videos). It’s easy to add more but it’s cheaper to buy a bigger chunk.