The honest brief
Japan is the country where the systems are smart and the rules are implicit, which is a tough combination for visitors. The vending machine knows what to do; the train schedule is correct to the second; the convenience store food is genuinely good. But no one is going to tell you that you're supposed to take your shoes off in the restaurant entryway, or that you eat the sushi in one bite, or that picking up your own plate to take it to the counter is the move. Japan rewards travelers who watch first, ask second, copy third.
It is also bigger and more varied than first-timers expect. Tokyo is a country-sized city. Kyoto is a small city pretending to be a country. Osaka eats louder. Hokkaido is Canadian. Okinawa is tropical. A two-week first trip that does Tokyo, Kyoto, and one of those (Osaka or Hakone) is the shape that works. Five cities in ten days is the shape that doesn't.
Weather right now
Country facts
When to visit
Cherry blossoms (sakura) are the famous answer: late March to mid-April in Tokyo/Kyoto, earlier in Kyushu, later in Hokkaido. The downside is everyone else also showed up, hotel prices are tripled, and the bloom window is genuinely a week. The smarter answer for first-timers: late October to mid-November for autumn leaves (kōyō) — same visual payoff, half the crowds.
Avoid Golden Week (April 29–May 5) — domestic travel triples, bullet trains sell out, and Kyoto stops being walkable. Avoid Obon (mid-August) for the same reason plus 35°C humidity.
Money
Japan still likes cash more than the rest of the developed world. Small restaurants, temples, the vending machine that takes your coins for the ramen ticket — bring ¥10,000–20,000 in your wallet. Cards work fine in hotels, large stores, and mid-range restaurants. 7-Eleven ATMs accept foreign cards reliably; bank ATMs often don't.
No tipping. Anywhere. A tip left on a table will be returned to you, possibly in a small envelope, possibly with a chase down the street. The service is included in the existence of the service.
Food + dining etiquette
Slurping ramen is correct and expected — it cools the noodles, aerates the broth, and signals appreciation. Picking up a small bowl (rice, miso) and bringing it to your face is correct; big plates stay on the table. Chopsticks never stand vertical in rice (that's funeral imagery); never pass food chopstick-to-chopstick (also funeral). Lay them on the rest, parallel to the table edge, when you pause.
Sushi: bite, not nibble. The chef built the piece as one bite. Sashimi-soy ratio: dip the fish side gently, never the rice. Wasabi is already in the nigiri; adding more reads as 'this isn't spicy enough,' which is, well, a choice.
Speaking the language
Sumimasen is the most useful word in Japanese — excuse me, sorry, thank you for your trouble, all rolled in. Arigatou gozaimasu is the full thank-you; arigatou alone is casual and wrong with strangers. Onegaishimasu — please — closes a request.
Bowing: short head-bow when entering a shop, deeper when thanking someone who helped. Don't try a deep formal bow; it reads performative. A small one is read as effort and is appreciated.
Essential phrases
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Numbers
What to pack
Shoes that come on and off cleanly — slip-on sneakers, loafers — because you'll do it 4–10 times a day at temples, restaurants, ryokans, and friends' homes. Socks without holes; this becomes a very public preference. Layers — Japan's spring/fall is mild but the AC indoors fluctuates wildly. A small towel — public bathrooms don't have paper towels and Japanese carry their own.
Getting around
JR Pass: still worth it if you're doing Tokyo–Kyoto–Hiroshima or Tokyo–Sapporo. Not worth it if you're staying in two cities. Suica/Pasmo IC cards (or the digital equivalent on a phone) for every other train, bus, vending machine, convenience store. Shinkansen: book a reserved seat in sakura season; otherwise non-reserved cars work fine. Don't eat or call on local trains.
Where to actually go
First trip, 10–14 days: Tokyo (4–5 nights) + Kyoto (3–4) + one side trip (Nara day, Hakone overnight for Mt. Fuji, Hiroshima overnight, or Osaka 1–2 nights for the food). Skip on a first trip: Hokkaido (it's its own trip — wide, cold, slow), Okinawa (it's its own trip — tropical, Ryukyu culture, beach), the Japan Alps (gorgeous but eats two days each way).
Common mistakes
Tipping. Eating while walking down the street (mostly considered rude — buy the snack, stand near where you bought it, eat it there). Talking loudly on the train. Insisting on speaking English without trying any Japanese — even a sumimasen opens doors. Trying to see Tokyo + Kyoto + Osaka + Hiroshima + Hakone in eight days.
Notes for the diaspora
If your family is from Okinawa, the islands are culturally different from the mainland — different language base, different food (goya, awamori, taco rice), and Okinawans will know you noticed. If your family is from any specific town, going to the town and identifying which ward (chōnaikai) the family came from gets you a remarkable amount of help.
Cultural notes
- Shoes off when entering homes, some restaurants, temples — look for slippers
- Bow as greeting; handshakes are rare and reserved for foreigners
- Quiet on trains; no phone calls, no loud conversation
- Don't stick chopsticks upright in rice (funeral imagery)
- Cash is still king — many small shops/restaurants don't take cards
Universal courtesies
- Try a greeting in the local language even if it's the only word you know — it's appreciated everywhere.
- Match local dress norms when entering religious sites, government buildings, or rural areas.
- Ask before photographing people, especially children or in religious settings.
- Tipping customs vary — never assume your home country's expectation applies.
- Remove shoes when entering homes if your host does; watch their cue.
- Keep voices lower than at home in temples, mosques, museums, public transport.
- Hands and gestures mean different things across cultures — observe before reaching out.
- Cash + cards: rural areas often need cash; major cities take cards. Carry small notes.
- Don't compare countries to each other in front of locals — every culture stands on its own.
- If you don't know the etiquette, watching for 30 seconds usually teaches it.