Hi!
I’m Nathan and welcome back to Ninja monkey.
The place for all things related to Japan, where I help you stay updated with current
affairs and put together videos (like this one) to help YOU plan potential future trips!
If you are watching this video you are either exploring the possibility of travelling to
Japan for the first time, or like me, you are a seasoned traveller who wants to return
and hopefully by the time you are watching this video..
(Maybe not but hey) sometime in the future Japan will be open to tourists.
These tips will surely help or remind you of some things you MUST do before heading
out!
And although not in any specific order, I’ve tried my best to group these tips so that
they are easy to follow.
Anyway, this first tip could literally either make or break your trip.
With the whole pandemic situation, you might have not actually checked on your passport
recently.
(Hey I checked mine and was surprised to see that I will be needing to renew it sooner
than expected!)
But did you know that your passport must have validity for the duration of your trip?
In other words if your passport would expire during your stay
You would not be able to enter Japan
NOW is the perfect time to Renew or check on your passport before heading over to Japan
You wouldn't want to be caught out
And it’s something that a lot of people don’t think about...
But getting passports issued and renewing a passport can be a timely exercise...
therefore, make sure you check yours NOW and hopefully you won’t be caught out.
In addition, we are or have been living in a world of restrictions and daily changing
rules.
Therefore, it’s important that you check if you can actually even enter the country
and what vaccines are accepted.
Check out the MOFA website for the latest up to date information or, how about joining
the Team Ninja Monkey discord (the link is in the video description) where you will find
a group of friendly likeminded people who might be able to answer some of your questions
or point you in the right direction.
2.
So, you are heading to the land of the rising sun.
How exciting.
In a way the planning stage of a trip can be a lot of fun, where are you going to visit?
What type of hotel are you going to stay at.
Ooh What about the food…
So much to imagine whilst you wait patiently for your trip.
So the next part of my tips all revolve around planning.
YES planning, perhaps a little bit obvious of a trip but nonetheless I will try to break
it up to hopefully not only make it easy for you but also save some money along the way
too!
3.
If you are aiming to travel to Japan, then chances are You will be making use of Japans
extensive and awesome train network and Japan’s famous Shinkansen bullet trains!
And if you are not then... perhaps its time for you to consider travelling further afield
than just Tokyo, or Kyoto..
Japan has a lot to offer outside of these famous cities and believe me you WILL NOT
be disappointed!
Using Japan-guides.com or a similar handy JR Pass calculator, you will be able to figure
out whether its worth getting a rail pass or not, therefore saving money.
Having a JR pass can certainly make things very flexible too.
Miss a train, no problem get the next one.
And for a pro tip – reserve your seats before your train journey especially if you are travelling
in a group and moving with luggage!
So if a JR pass is worth it for you, make sure you purchase it a few month’s in advance!
4.
In keeping with planning, I suggest that you work out an itinerary and plan your days.
You likely have plenty of time to research and investigate things to do at each city
or destination.
Set a realistic target of between 3 and 5 things you want to do each day putting them
in order of importance and give yourself plenty of room to get lost!
And I mean, explore the back alleys and side streets, follow a path and find out where
it leads or figure out where a smell is coming from or simply sit back with a maccha tea
and people watch or talk to locals.
Some of the things I suggest you research to add to each destination include:
- Main attractions – What are the top attractions and are some of them similar to what you might
explore in a future city or town?
- Don’t forget to ask the locals, if you are having a coffee or at an izakaya ask a
local where they recommend you go and what they think you should see!
You might just encounter a secret gem!
- Local Festivals and events – Is there a special event of festival that you might
consider planning around?
For example, a summer Matsuri or Firework display?
- Onsen, Onsen, Onsen, Is your destination known for onsen (Hotspring) and if so give
it a go!
It really is a huge part of Japanese culture.
- Specialist foods – Does your destination have some famous or unique dishes to try?
5.
On the topic of food…
If you have any dietary restrictions, then start scouting for places to eat now.
Japan’s restaurant selection is awesome and in big cities you’ll be spoilt for choice,
however things can get a little tricky if you have specific dietary requirements and
you really don’t want to waste valuable time searching for food!
So, if you do, then planning ahead will really help you out!
Don’t spend time searching for a restaurant when you could be checking out the many other
things Japan has to offer.
And if you do come across an appropriate restaurant or eating location, make sure you make a note
or pin it on your map so that you can head there on a future day or trip.
Perhaps this next tip might sound silly but I swear, there are countless times when I’ve
got overwhelmed and lost track of time and when finally getting home after an awesome
trip to Japan, I’ve realised I didn’t purchase half the things I wanted to therefore:
Make a list of the things you might want to purchase in Japan NOW and don’t leave if
for when you are there..
You’ll be way too busy or overwhelmed with all the amazing things the country has to
offer that you might actually forget until you are at the airport and it’s too late!
For me personally some of the items on my list include: Tokyo Banana, Japanese body
soap and Japanese tatami slippers!
What’s on your list Team??
I can’t wait to read some of the things you are looking forward to bringing back home
and maybe inspiring others to add them to their list too!
7.
Japan is still quite a cash is king sort of society, so you might want to have a look
at the currency exchange rate of the Yen against your local currency and check if NOW is a
good time to convert to Yen.
Or simply have a look at how the yen has performed in the last few months to see how things are going.
As of the filming of this video, the yen is comparatively weak compared to the British
pound.
I know that I will eventually return to Japan so I’m happy buying yen now, even if I won’t
use it until later on in the future.
There really isn’t a right or wrong answer when it comes to buying yen locally or at
the airport or abroad.
From my personal experience I’ve always bought locally and received a very good rate.
There are also multiple currency apps that issue their own cards that you can use which
offer some great savings and good rates too.
Team, where do you buy your currencies?
Locally, at the airport when departing or arrival?
Do you have any tips to share?!
I’d love to know!! I'll be reading them in the comment section.
Team.
A quick side note.. not quite a tip but, If you are coming from Europe, the UK and some
other countries then you should also be aware that Japan uses different POWER outlets, therefore,
it’s probably important that you can keep your phone and electronic devices charged
so make sure that you have the appropriate power adaptor so that they can be used in
Japan!
Anyway that was a quick one so back to the big ones.
Sumimasen, konichiwa, Ohayou gozaimasu, Toire wa dokko desuka?
Aigo o hanashimaska?
Team, I didn’t quite know where to place this one but I think you can guess..
Learn some basic Japanese.
You still have time to get to grips with some phrases that might come in really handy.
You’ll be surprised how important Toire wa dokko desuka can be!
(Where is the toilet) and ikura desuka (How much is that) I highly recommend that you
get to grips with basic numbers and if you want to push your Japanese level even further
then learning the Katakana and hiragana alphabets which can be done quite easily will open up
a whole new world.
I won’t be going into any further Japanese in this video but I will be leaving a link
to my friend Tomoko Tomoko’s channel just in case you are interested in Japanese language
learning!
Load up on apps, Team we are living in a time where travelling can be so much easier if
you use the correct app or visit the right website.
Now is the time to research and find those apps that will be helping you out during your
trip, get the hang of them now so that you don’t mess around too much with them later.
I personally have Google translate and Google Maps up at the top of my list.
But also use Revolut for currency exchange and occasionally navigate Japan’s train
network using Navitime.
So Team, what apps for travel would you recommend?
Let me know in the comment section.
Pack an extra bag!
I personally don't bring too much with me when traveling to Japan but usually end up
bringing back home more than what I expected.
Japan has so many cool things and you’ll quickly fill your suitcase!
So back an extra bag, preferably an expandable one too!
Not quite a tip you need before heading to Japan but I totally recommend that you start
investigating Pocket wifi or sim cards, order them in advance to collect at the airport
or have them sent to your hotel!
You certainly want to remain connected whilst in the land of the rizing sun! and although
things have been improving in recent years Japan is surprisingly not an easy to find
wifi hotspot sort of country!
I think this next one is something I just want to mention as it has personally been
a life saver for me and changed the nature of the way I travel around Japan.
Luggage forwarding services allow you to pay a fee to have (as the name states) your luggage
forwarded from your hotel to the next hotel or destination.
This is incredibly useful if you are making a trip.
Organise you’re forwarding the night before with the hotel reception and leave your suitcase
at the specified time, and you’ll have it with you at your next destination the following
day, giving you peace of mind and convenience when moving between longer distances!
Giving you the freedom to sightsee and potentially be that extra bit more adventurous.
So, team, What do you think about these tips?
Did I leave any out?
What would you add (Or remove) from my list of things you need to do before going to Japan?
I am looking forward to reading them and seeing if I can also learn from you!
And if you think there is a tip I’ve mentioned you’d like me to go into more in-depth detail
let me know!
Thanks, so much once again for supporting the channel..
And if you want to support even further, how about becoming a patron of the channel.
All proceeds are put straight back into the channel so that I can create better content.
And if you are interested in more content then how about checking out some of my older
videos too!
Stay positive team!
Catch you in the next one!
Till’ then, thanks, gracias bye!