We were tired. We were hungry. We were lost in Tokyo Station. We had all of our luggage with us. And we had minimal local money left. All in all it was a less than glorious start to our long planned family holiday to Japan.
While I am an experienced international traveller this was my first ever trip to Japan and we were caught out by a few quirks. Sure I had read some information about how to draw cash and how to use the train system but the first time you face anything new it usually takes you a bit longer to work out the system.
And doing it when you are tired after an overnight red eye flight (after having had a massive couple of weeks at work and finishing university assignments leading up to the trip) whilst also caring for our three young children had perhaps been somewhat optimistic.
So here are my top five tips for you first visit to Japan (including a bonus extra tip for when you return home again!).
I am guilty of having the ‘super-mum’ syndrome where I sometimes think I can still travel like I did when I was 20 years old. When you get older and are juggling a family, work and study, maybe it is OK to pamper yourself when you travel.
It has been a few years since we last visited an Asian country, and while in Japan there are lots of signs in English, you do experience culture shock and everything is a bit or a lot different to what you are used to.
We all had lots of fun playing with our first Japanese bidets at the airport (and I loved seeing the kids trying to work out what the squat toilet was…). But culture shock certainly happens when you are just trying to get around and you can feel a bit overwhelmed by how many things you need to work out just to get started.
So the key message is to plan to take some extra time to get started and to work things out.
On past trips I have always have exchanged enough cash before I departed so that I could last the first few days without having to draw more cash. In most countries this strategy works OK as Automatic Teller Machines (ATMs) are usually plentiful and easy to use.
Japan is the first country I have been to where this is not the case. If you have a credit or debit card which is not from Japan you are only able to draw cash from ATMs which are designated as International ATMs. And the only International ATMs are at Post Offices and 7-11 Stores. Oh, and as my husband finally worked out you need to draw from your Credit account – he tried to press ‘Savings’ and was denied… when he rang the bank prior to departure they did tell him this piece of information but see point 1 – expect to be tired when you arrive!
In our case we finally thought to ask someone where to find a 7-11 at Tokyo Station and a helpful staff member pointed us in the right direction. Once we worked out how to use the machine we felt rather relieved that we finally had some cash. And we promptly went to the Starbucks next door to get some well earned food and take a time out.
Working out how to use a new public transportation system is always somewhat challenging the first time. Particularly if you are tired (see point 1). I must state that Tokyo has the most awesome (and complex) train system in the world that I have ever had the pleasure of using. While I had read about the train system before I departed, I truly didn’t comprehend the sheer complexity of the train system until after we arrived.
In most places when you use the local trains you are dealing with a single company or government organisation to purchase tickets and use the train stations for each location. In Tokyo there are multiple major train operators in Tokyo alone (not to mention on the inter-city routes), and the important fact to realise is that they each have separate train stations too. Yep. So when you plan to pass through ‘Tokyo Station’, what is really there is three separate train stations which are in close proximity.
There is the Japan Rail Station for the JR Yamanote Line and the separate Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line. And the Tokyo Shinkansen (intercity Bullet Train) Station just to mix things up. So imagine three separate stations which are surrounded by an underground multi level shopping centre which link to multiple underground shopping malls and you start to get the picture.
If you purchase a Japan Rail Pass and plan to use it on local Tokyo trains please be aware that they are only valid on JR trains – not on any of the others.
So what is the key message? Plan to take extra time to work out how to use the new train system, particularly in Tokyo! And also expect that you will need to walk between train stations and tap on and tap off every time you change train lines.
After a few days we became adept at working out how to enter and exit train stations so that we ended up in the right place to catch the train we wanted. The process which worked for us consisted of ‘don’t start walking until you have checked the signs and worked out where to go’.
As a family with three young children we have previously learned that staying in accommodation with separate bedrooms is a real sanity saver. You can put the younger children to bed and still stay up a bit later yourselves.
When I researched accommodation options for Tokyo I quickly realised that finding a hotel room to take five of us was going to be very expensive, and I was not keen on the option of taking adjoining rooms – our children are still a bit too young for this option. So I decided to take the plunge and book an apartment through AirBnB for the first time.
I was pleasantly surprised to find a good range of multi-bedroom accommodation options and I subsequently booked and paid for a nice looking two bedroom apartment near Akihabara, which is north of Tokyo Station. After we booked we were sent the instructions to find our accommodation which looked comprehensive, so I printed them off so we were ready when we arrived.
We arrived at the correct station, and our first mistake was not checking the station exits, so we just left via the first one we saw. (see points 1 and 4). After being somewhat traumatised by our experiences in Tokyo Station we just wanted to get in, drop off our luggage and then do some exploring around the local area.
We quickly realised that the instructions and photos looked nothing like what we were looking at outside the station. We asked for help and a kind gentleman tried to help us to find our accommodation. As it worked out we definitely went the long way around but we eventually managed to find our accommodation. I subsequently learned that when you use the AirBnB Android app that you can click on the map in the accommodation information and get a GPS assist to find your accommodation, but we did not think to do that at the time (see point 1).
We had decided to use public transport to get home when we returned to Sydney – while we were at the airport I suggested to my husband that perhaps we could just catch a taxi and go straight home, but he thought we should be ok to take the train and bus like when we departed.
I think our first day in Tokyo was one that I mostly prefer to forget, but it certainly reinforced that you should plan to take the easy option on your first day in a new country. We subsequently had a fantastic family holiday in Japan but I would definitely have preferred to get off to a better start. Hopefully you can learn from our experiences and avoid making the same mistakes.
Well, you did it! I think these minor problems always seem worse when you’ve got kids with you and they’re whining and creating. Hope you had fun in the end!
We have spent the past three decades travelling the world. Our children are adults now but we started travelling before they were born. One of them was born overseas. Both of them travelled with us from the time they were babies. If there is such a thing as an expert at travelling, and coping with small children at the same time, we must be it. Japan is without doubt the most challenging country we have ever been to – mind you Tokyo is easy compared to travelling outside the capital. I will follow your posts with interest and thank my lucky stars each day that it is you facing these challenges and not me – lol. I hope you have a great time. Once you get the hang of it Japan is a fascinating country.
Lyn, thank you for your comment. After a difficult first day we then quickly got into the flow and managed to get around and explore with no major problems. And we all loved Japan – it is definitely a place we would love to go back to. Two weeks was definitely not enough.
I agree that regional areas were also challenging, but overall we managed OK, and had some interesting visits where we were the only people around of Anglo-Saxon appearance, but we all took it in our stride and made the most of it!
thanks so much for sharing, a great read. Japan is certainly on my list for travel. I’ll definitely read up on your blog before I travel to Japan.
Francesca, thank you for your comment. I hope you enjoy the story of our journey through Japan – we loved it and we definitely wanted to have more time there.
I think that it is a tricky city to visit as a tired newcomer. The first thing we did when we went to Tokyo for the 1st time was to get a volunteer tour guide, and that is how we go to know about the transport system, how to order food etc etc. He was so worthwhile, but as it turned out you got it sorted. I still love playing with the Japanese toilets and apparently I am not a child.
I definitely experienced #1 of the list when I arrived in Japan. By the way, I am 25 and Japan is 7 hours by plane here from KL. I felt so tired on my first day especially that I came to KLIA straight from work.
Gosh, if I could have rested on my first day, I could have enjoyed my Japan trip more.
Having someone to look over will definitely take longer, I know what you feel. But I do hope that you were able to enjoy it nonetheless.
What a day Anne! I think your comment about considering spending a bit of extra money on arrival when you are traveling with children is so true. The first time we took our (only) child to Europe I decided to bite the bullet and pay for a hire car into central Paris rather than catch the bus as I would normally do. Yes, it was REALLY expensive but when we arrived with a screaming 6 year old who had barely slept I felt SO relieved to find that kind and understanding chauffeur ready to take us to our apartment. Sometimes it is important to spend money – to save everybody’s sanity!
Thanks Jo. Somehow trying to look after tired kids affects us so much more, so I will definitely plan things differently when we next go on a bigger trip.
Your bidet pictures made me laugh. My husband lived in Japan for 2 years and still talks to me about how fantastic the bathrooms are.
Michelle, thank you for your comment. I agree that the toilets in Japan are amazing – even the public and train station toilets.
OMG the Japanese toilets are kinda awesome right? They even SING to you! Did you try that? They’re so advanced they can literally play music for those people who prefer some noise to distract from, er, other sounds!!
Good to know what to expect when we head to Japan! Hopefully in a 2-3 years time. I definitely feel that I get tired more now then when I travelled in my 20s. Kids or no kids!
Great! I’ll definitely be keeping these in mind. As weird as it may get, I actually look forward to culture shocks when I’m traveling!
Karla, thank you for your comment. I agree that the Japanese people were really friendly and tried to help if we looked lost or uncertain.
Wow… Sounds tricky!! I hope you enjoyed the rest of your trip! I’d love to go to Japan, and would love to see Mt Fuji. I guess planning with extra time is a luxury that can really make a trip less stressful and more smooth. And when you’re lacking time, the few extra dollars that can make you save time can be worth spending!!
Eloise, thank you for your comment. I agree that it is hard to find a balance. We had to save up so much money to even go on the trip that we economised in many areas, but there are definitely areas where it can be worthwhile to spend more money!
Awwwww, I loved Japan. But yes, the ATM thing was a bit of a struggle in the beginning. Luckily when I went I was going with two people who had been before, so I had them as a buffer.
Tara, thank you for your comment. It was the first visit to Japan for both of us so you were lucky to have some experienced people to ease you into it all!
Great tips, I think this can happen in every big city, especially when you visit for the first time and you’re tired. Glad you made it through though, that Tokyo Station sounds confusing as hell!
We are anything but newbies when it comes to traveling and, for the most part, have gotten most of it figured out. HOWEVER, it is no fail that whenever we arrive in a new Asian country, we are always reminded just how different and diverse our world really is! It is so important to take a step back, breathe and take it all moment by moment!
Thank you for your comment. I agree that it can be worse in Asian countries where as an English speaker I have almost no hope of understanding the local writing and language. Japan does have a reasonable amount of English translation of the signs but even so it just takes a bit of extra time to work out the system.
I so often feel exhausted and completely overhelmed when I arrive somewhere with aaaall my luggage and no idea where my hostel/hotel is. I try to take my time though – to not start a holiday with stress.
Katherin, thank you for your comment. I am usually OK on arrival but this time was definitely overwhelming. Tokyo takes public transportation complexity to a whole new level!
Hi Anne, thanks for the tips. I’ve never been to Japan, but I kind of want to, and I always appreciate reading practical posts on traveling in this country as it seems to be a little complicated at times. This transportation system looks overwhelming too me.
Zof, thank you for your comment. I would definitely recommend japan as a travel destination, but you are correct that travelling around can be somewhat complicated. If you allow some extra time for when you get started you should be fine – after a couple of days to get the hang of it we had no major issues.
Wow, that subway map puts London to shame! Scary stuff.
Fiona, having also used the London Underground quite easily I can definitely confirm that Tokyo is a whole level more complicated! We also used AirBnB and stayed in some great places in Tokyo and Kyoto – we really liked being away from the tourism zones.
Have you ever visited India? A much BIGGER culture shock for everyone hehe.
Sonal, yes I have visited India (many many years ago) and I agree that the culture shock would also be quite big.
Mar, thank you for your comment. I am happy to hear that it is not just us who have had issues in getting the hang of Japan!
Oliwa, thank you for your comment. The toilets are not too bad if you just want to use and go, but if you want to use the bidet functions it can get a bit more complicated! The train system IS complicated, but you get used to it once you have used it for a few days.
These are so similar to what one would face in India especially the squat toilet!
Deepti, thank you for your comment. We have confronted squat toilets in many places – in particular France and Italy when we travelled there a few years ago, but it was certainly a first time experience for our children in Japan, as they do not exist in Australia.
The combination of jet lag and unusual toilets has gotten the better of me more than once!
Vanessa, thank you for your comment. I agree that jet lag is not great, and we were certainly confronted with the toilet choices immediately after we arrived!
Anne, I’m fascinated by the regional differences and similarities about which one might consider, going from one distant nation to another. Your six points could be equally valid no matter where one goes in the world.
Henry, thank you for your comment. You are correct that my tips are equally valid for other destinations, but it was a lot of fun to give them a Tokyo spin and to tell the story of our first day in Tokyo.
I am going to visit Japan on business next week. I am really unprepared for this trip. Thanks to your article I have some impression now. Thank you for sharing it. Best regards!
Kristy, thank you for your comment. I hope this article will help you to be better prepared for your arrival in Japan.