8 things I didn't know before planning our Japan trip
Toying with a trip to Japan? From etiquette and attire to cramming as much good stuff in as possible, there are a few surprising things to consider.
It's a destination we've had on our list forever. So how did I know so little about planning a successful trip to Japan?
While one visit doesn't make me an expert, here's a list of learnings that I think would benefit other first timers or returning after several decades-ers.
It's pre-book or bust
If there’s one bit of planning advice I would pass on when it comes to planning a trip to Japan, it is that you have to be organised, or prepare to be disappointed.
From the Studio Ghibli Park, the Ghibli Museum and Universal Studios Japan, to almost every character cafe, pre-booking is both essential and complicated. Tickets for attractions tend to go on sale for an entire month at a set date and time and sell out quickly. As the time is often in the morning in Japan, that means the middle of the night in the UK, so if you really want in, be prepared to be up and at the laptop at odd hours.
Think attempting to get Glastonbury Tickets, but being up against 125 million efficient Japanese people and about 30 million other tourists.
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The Japan Rail pass requires research
If you are planning a multi-destination trip, it’s certainly worth considering ordering a Japan Rail Pass, which gives you unlimited travel for 7 or 14 days.
While the highly publicised price hike means it’s not the bargain it once was, bullet trains are the best way to travel and single tickets are expensive, so if you are venturing further than Tokyo it warrants research.
Before booking our Japan Rail Passes, I had failed to realise the following, which while a bit annoying, didn’t ultimately ruin our experience:
The Japan Rail Pass comes as a paper voucher, which needs to be exchanged for a paper ticket at a Japan Rail office once you arrive in Japan. Queues for these offices can be huge, especially at the airport. You will need to allow for at least an hour of queuing to exchange your tickets.
Not all trains and train lines are included. While certain bullet trains are free with the pass, for example, you cannot travel on the super speedy Nozomi or Mizuho services. Other train lines both within the cities and in rural destinations are also commercially operated by people other than Japan Rail and therefore aren’t included. It’s wise to Google if the services you need are included and have another means of payment as a back up (such as cash or a Pasmo or Suica card).
Only once you have your Japan Rail Pass paper ticket can you book seats on a train. However, the front five carriages are usually reservation-free, so you are always usually able to board a train, you just might not get a seat if it’s a busy service.
It’s not really that expensive
There’s no getting over the fact that flights to Japan from the UK are expensive. Try tracking prices once you have prospective dates and looking out for flight sales (having flown both British Airways and Japan Airlines I would say Japan Airlines is 100% the one we would recommend). But aside from flights, Japan has always had a reputation for being expensive. Generally speaking, I would say that’s now a myth. The pound is currently strong against the yen, which means meals out were usually equivalent to or cheaper than the UK in the places we visited. For example, drinks in the abundant vending machines are often as little as 100 yen and you can shop for almost anything in 100 yen stores, from food to cosmetics. At the time of writing 100 yen is 54p.
Attractions also work out cheaper, for example, a day ticket to Universal Studios in Florida currently starts at around $85, while a day ticket to Universal Studios Japan starts at around $50 (both of these prices are BEFORE fast passes, or timed entry passes).
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