None of these Japan travel mistakes are going to be earth shattering… by any means …but I hear about and see these things happening many times over so I thought it may be worth sharing.
Here are some little errors that I see some travellers make in Japan.
*If you’ve come here hoping for mostly cultural or etiquette tips over practical and logistical advice, I think that you would like my blog post on talking about Japanese train etiquette with kids here and my experience with culture shock in Japan here. *
1. Not checking the station exit
In big city Japanese stations, there are sooo many exits that you can pop up , not only in the wrong direction, but even as far as a kilometre from where you wanted to be.
Japanese people are very used to dealing with this issue and, for that reason, restaurant and shop websites will almost always list their closest station and exit. For eg. 4 minutes walk from Shinsaibashi Exit A4.
Here is an example of Chanel Ginza – as I’m clearly shopping here everyday .
So – in other words- plan your travel backwards. Start with the exit for the destination.
2. Only exploring flights into Narita
Did you know that Narita International Airport is 1.5 hours away from the centre of Tokyo? (By car, limousine airport bus or the Narita Express Train.)
Narita does have the most options for international flights but it is worth also looking into Haneda Airport too. It’s only 30 minutes from the city and costs about 6000-7000 yen in a taxi (to Narita, in a taxi, will cost at least 25,000 yen – you can take public transport though for much cheaper but it will still take 1.5 hours – 50 mins to Ueno if you take the Skyliner- in travel time to the centre of town.)
Oh… and one tip … or a mistake to learn from that I’ve made twice – if you’re flying out of Haneda Airport, the International Terminal is often displayed on an online itinerary as “I” and… if you’re a goofball like me you’ll make the mistake of assuming that means “1/ ONE” and have to run to the next terminal instead. (International flights are almost always Terminal 3 – so you don’t want to be at Terminal “one.”
3. Not getting the accommodation / distance from the station right
I wrote a whole post about how to go about choosing areas to stay with kids here but then I want you to then go about seeing which hotels I recommend within these Tokyo areas so that you don’t end up too far from the station.
Japan will require a lot more walking than you may be used to so its important to be near the station but also near eateries (or parks) when you are really tired at the end of the day.
As a parent, trust me, while you’re booking accommodation, you might be like “13 mins walk from the station? We can do that !” But with kids that 13 mins becomes a pain when trying to head out for something for the second or third time in one day and you will (TRUST ME!) be more likely to be like “oh I just can’t be bothered heading out again.” That can impact a large part of your holiday “oh yeah.. we did mean to go out and try tempura that night but we returned to the room for a nap and then it just felt too hard to go out again in the evening.”
For smaller kids who are walking (not in a stroller) in Japan, I think the sweet spot is anything under 6-7 mins walk from a station max.
So this can be the downside and one of the main reasons I don’t often recommend airbnb properties for city accommodation in Japan (for a few reasons that I list here) – the house might look super spacious and amazing but they are very rarely in a convenient spot for families.
4. Assuming that Japanese rules can be bent
One of the first things everyone notices in Japan are the orderly queues, how all the vending machines work – all the systems are put in place and run smoothly. It’s a lovely thing.
Something that doesn’t always work well is trying to bend the rules.
It is frustrating. I get it. But …it is also why the other rules work too.
So … no… this isn’t the place for bartering … for just asking your 98 cms little boy to ride on the 100 cm + waterslide… or to submit the red file in the blue envelope instead….
One rule that surprises many is the check in and check out rules in Japan (well, mainly check-in.). Japan almost never does the whole “well I know you’re here before check in time but your room is ready so you can go on in!” … nope… in Japan, if your check-in time is 3pm? Don’t even think about getting in there at 2:50pm.
I mean… you can try? But … well… I gave you a heads up, okay?
(I wrote about my adjustment to Japanese life and experience with culture shock here if you’re interested.)
5. Not being prepared/ packing accordingly
For clothing you’ll need lots of layers (inside is often the extreme opposite of the temperature outside in Japan). I’ve written a month-by-month what to pack list for Japan here. I also know many people who are so thoughtful and want to make sure they dress in a culturally appropriate way so I’ve written all of my thoughts on dressing for Japan here, if you’d like to read.
I mention it in my Preparing for Japan blog post but please remember that you will be removing shoes more than you may be used to in Japan – so wear the good socks and leave the boots with all the tricky zips and buckles at home.
6. Not working out if domestic travel will be cheaper with a JR Pass, ahead of time
Japan Rail Pass prices have gone up significantly over the past few years. So it is not always economical for families to buy a JR pass and assume it will save them money anymore. However, I do still recommend checking to see if it will help you with your travel plans and budget. One you have finished planning your family’s Japan itinerary, I recommend googling “JR pass calculator” and you can plug in all of your big train trips and it will tell you if a JR pass is the most cost effective option for you. I have written more about the JR Pass here and more about travelling on the shinkansen (bullet train) with kids here.
7. Getting too obsessive about avoiding the crowds
If you read lots of my area guides you’ll often see my tips about avoiding the crowds – but, the truth is, if you’re going to be sightseeing in the big spots – you’ll be unable to escape the crowds all of the time. And why should you? It’s meant to be part of the experience (even just a small slice of it if the idea really freaks you out.
A few years ago we caught up with older friends of friends who were visiting. I asked them if they did Harajuku, Shibuya Crossing etc… and they said no because they thought it was going to be too crowded. I get what they mean but they also admitted that they didn’t feel like they had manage to capture the full vibe of Tokyo during their visit. And that made me feel a bit sad for them. Don’t get me wrong, there are so many other incredible areas outside of these more touristy spots but I also don’t think you need to hide away from them all together.
I’ve written area guides for each of the busiest parts of the major cities and I am sure to include green and quiet spaces within all of them.
Here are just some examples
Shinjuku with kids
Shibuya with kids
Ginza with kids
Harajuku with kids
Osaka with kids
Kyoto with kids
8. Assuming things will be mostly be the same as you expect them to be (or as they have been at home.)
I got a message from another Mummy at the end of her Tokyo trip last year. She was really sad because, travelling with her husband and very small baby, she assumed that they would get lots of take away Japanese chicken Katsu and takeaway ramen to eat together in the evenings once the baby was asleep. As they stayed in some beautiful, tiny, Japanese country towns she was really sad when none of the local restaurants did take away like her favourite restaurants in LA always do.
I felt really upset for her.
For the record though, I do have some advice here for those trying to find western style sushi and also lots of advice for those with picky eaters in their family spending time in Japan.
Because I’ve been her. Not as a Mum in Japan but as a young woman in Japan where I had a little picture in my head of how something was going to work out.
Now, I wasn’t going to be nasty enough to message back and tell her what some alternative options would have been.* Or that real Japanese ramen is perhaps different to what she thought ramen actually is – its in a deep soup that would be almost impossible to transport either way.
Travel is about keeping your mind open. It’s different, and that’s what you came for… but our brains are funny things and stretching out expectations is a trickier exercise than we imagine.
*Oh, and if you were wondering what I would have gone back and told her if I could have got in a time machine and helped this Mummy plan her trip ahead of time, I would have suggested ryokan accommodation while in remote areas. That way she would have got to eat real Japanese home cooking, in her own room while baby slept soundly next to her on a futon. Like a glamorous date every night.
Or… if she was watching her budget very strictly? I would have recommended hitting up the basement of a large department store for a full range of delicious Japanese home cooked treats to take back to her hotel – and to try a different type of food every single night -while baby snoozed in between them .
9. Not worrying ENOUGH about the tattoo issue
It’s old fashioned and its going to ( I mean , it will HAVE to change in order for Japan for be more international. )
But, in the meantime, you will need to do your research if you are going to the onsen, health spa or even swimming pool thing.
This site called Tattoo Friendly Japan is the most comprehensive site for info on where you can go with tattoos in Japan.
A way to get around this issue is to look for Ryokans (Japanese style hotels) that have private family bathing facilities.
10. Assuming that Tokyo will wake up early
This city keeps everything open later but most shops don’t open until 11am.
Even some coffee shops don’t open until 9 or 10am!
Here is my list of great spots that are open in Tokyo before 10am.
Here is my list of great spots that are open in Kyoto before 10am.
Also, a sit down breakfast option early in the morning is a rarity in Tokyo – unless you know where to go. Here are my favourite Tokyo brunch and breakfast spots.
11. Thinking that you can buy electronics, computers, appliances cheaply in Japan
I know Japan is often considered as at the height of technology and innovation but when it comes to buying the latest models of anything… if you do find something cool, it won’t be cheap – probably way more expensive even. In Japan it is even difficult to purchase a tv that is more than a year old as many of the big electrical stores just update , update, update. So you’ll pay top dollar (yen?)
Also, if you purchase here, your manual will be in Japanese.. the keypad of a computer might be in Japanese… the accessories for your item might not be available outside of Japan… your warranty may not be valid outside of Japan.
Also? Will the voltage match that of your home country?
Just some things to think about.
I have written more about things to check when buying electronics in Japan here.
12. Assuming that you will be able to buy diapers/nappies everywhere in Japan
Most big city stores do not sell diapers. It takes up too much shopfront “real estate.” I have written more about this and where to go instead to buy nappies in Japan here.
If you are at the beginning stages of planning your family trip to Japan, I break it down into little bite size steps here in a blog post called Starting to plan your Japan Family Holiday.
Once you are all ready to go, please see my What to Pack with kids for Japan blog post as I include little tips like why it’s so useful to know the height and weight of your children before you travel, what kinds of things I like to travel with and information regarding medicine etc.
