Tips for Japan

Another friend is going to Japan for a holiday and he also asked for tips. So today I am writing a blog post for all my friends who are going to Japan.

Which cities to visit

Japan Tips cities

If it is your first time visiting Japan, it’s nice to visit all the big cities in the middle of Japan: Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka. But actually anywhere in Japan is nice, every place is like a new adventure. If you want tourist location tips, then I would suggest you to Google and look at the millions websites that have those tips.
My tip is: buy a JR Pass (unlimited train ticket) and travel wherever you want and explore the location!

Japan Tips train

JR Pass
You can buy a 1-, 2-, or 3-week JR Pass. With this ticket you can travel the JR train and other JR vehicles for free. You can only buy the ticket 3 months before your trip. The price for a 2-week ticket is about 46.000 Japanese Yen which is 355 euro (in August 2018). Check out their website for more info.

What to wear

Japan Tips clothes

Spring and autumn are the best seasons to visit. The temperature then will be around 10-20 degree Celsius. Spring has the sakura flowers and autumn has beautiful colored trees. Some tips based on my summer and autumn experiences:
June – August: scorching hot summer with 30++ degree Celsius. Brings short clothes with airy textiles. The sun is very bright, so bring a umbrella to block the sun. Drink a lot of water. Big stores and the metro have air-conditioning, which can be quite cold again. Bring a light jacket to save yourself from the air-conditioning.

November: it was quite cold with 10 degree Celsius in Tokyo. Bring a winter jacket and warm clothes. Sometimes it’s 15 degree Celsius and sunny, then a thin jacket is enough.

Here is a website that knows more about the Japanese weather.

Tip: don’t bring too much clothes to Japan. They have some nice fashion and high quality stuff. But be aware that they are a bit smaller than Western people, so you might not be able to find your size.

What to eat

Japan Tips eating

Yay! My favorite topic!! What isn’t delicious in Japan? You can just eat anything and it will be good. Even supermarket food is delicious. There are so many YouTube videos about 7eleven food. I made a Japan food bucket list with what I wanted to eat in Japan.

Japan Food Bucket List
– good sushi (tuna sashimi, salmon sashimi)
– tempura, fried stuff
– yakitori, meat on a stick
– natto on rice, fermented soy beans (I still haven’t tried this…)
– Kobe beef (Try a Kobe beef lunch or just Wagyu beef. Any Wagyu beef is good in Japan)
– onigiri from 7eleven
– flan from 7eleven
– curry bang (curry bread, also from 7eleven)
– ramen
– okonomiyaki
– takoyaki
– meat over rice, beef don
– udon
– shabu shabu, hotpot
– Coco Curry (a curry franchise)
– Kura Sushi, win a toy (a sushi belt franchise)
– ekiban, lunch box in the train

You can also make a list for yourself and use Google maps to find 4+ star restaurants in the city you are visiting.
Last time we stayed in Kyoto for a long time and we ate at a lot of restaurants. Here is a list of the best restaurants in Kyoto we have visited. I also wrote a Japan 2 weeks cost blogpost for more tips.

YouTube 

YouTube has taught me a lot about Japan. Here is a playlist with videos about fun things and food in Japan.

My Japan diary 2017

When I went to Japan in 2017 I kept a daily travel diary. Short little stories about the day. It might inspire you for your own trip. Here is the first blog post: Japan day 1-2: Ochanomizu and Akihabara.

Well, I hope this blog post can help you a bit for your trip. If you have any questions, let me know. Enjoy your trip and don’t be afraid to try everything! 😀

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