To be fair, getting to Japan is the easy part. Living there as tourist is the hard one. Can be alleviated if you had contact with you national student / worker association there.
@@dimasakbar7668tbf the costs of flight to Japan have increased a lot because of the Ukrainian war ( at least for Europeans, maybe Americans cross the Pacific Ocean so they don't have this problem) so it's already a lot of money to save for the flights alone.
If you can find a Family Mart, 7-11 or Lawson's. They have trash cans on the outside of the store. So you can throw away your trash there. Just make sure to pay attention to sorting it into the right bin. If your flying into Tokyo, try flying into Haneda as they have way more stores and restaurants that are open over night.
I heard they get angry if you're not throwing things you bought from them in their trash bin & you're supposed to ask if it's okay. (I assumed they were inside from that description.)
@@samaraisntthat definitely worth a not, i think this may be because of how expensive it is for places to tgrow away trash. If it’s anything like korea where you pay to have it collected, have to sort and clean it properly and also have to buy specific bin bags for different types of waste it definitely makes sense.
Even in the countryside most trash cans are inside nowadays. It’s usually near the doors, close to the coffee machines and hot water kettles. If you are buying something from them, it’s acceptable to throw away something you didn’t buy there. But I wouldn’t go through the trouble of asking if it’s ok to use their trash bins if I were just a passerby. It’s a bit disrespectful in my opinion. I would be wasting their time by asking if they are fine with me doing something I shouldn’t be doing. If you are not buying, keep your trash with you.
not all convenience stores have trash cans. In fact, only the ones in the tourist areas have and not all of them even there tourist spots. Normally convenience stores dont have trash cans. You are referring to ones in specific cities or places.
There's usually buses that directly go from the airport to the city non-stop. It's easy to find its bus stop and usually as inexpensive as taking a train.
$200?? Forget it. For a taxi ride from Narita to Nishi Shinjuku, it cost $350. Never take a taxi in Tokyo unless you're really forced to do so, especially at midnight.
There are trains that connect directly to the airport. Buses too. Also, most hotels have a bus limousine service. If you already booked a room at a nice hotel, you can call them and see if they can pick you up.
So Narita express only stops at major train stations, which is convenient if you have a hotel booked near those stations. So if you booked a hotel near Tokyo, Shibuya, or Shinjuku station for example, it would make sense to take the Narita Express. However if you booked a hotel somewhere that the Narita express train doesn't make a stop, you would either need to make a transfer to a more crowded normal commuter train or bus, or take a taxi. Or, if you are staying at places near the Ginza station, in the Odaiba area, with a friend in the suburbs outside of the central Tokyo area, or a notable hotel like the Sheraton Miyako or the Westin Tokyo, there are buses that take you straight to the door steps of that station or hotel. Each of these buses only makes a few stops then ventures back to the Narita Airport either, so it would essentially feel like someone picked you up at the airport and dropped you off at your place. They aren't that expensive either, a few thousand yen depending on how far the destination physically is, how frequently they run a bus, and whether or not they have a discount promo going on.
Yk saying "Europe" is quite disorienting cuz this continent consists of many countries, cultures and traditions, so even in this context, it still doesn't make sense because you could've moved to Italy, where you definetily need to carry cash around or to Poland, where even small stores take card, so it's easier there.
@@mango5912Yep, here in Norway and Sweden I have used cash only 2-3 times in the last 10 years. Every place accepts card/mobilpay and some places don't even take cash. That would be impossible in for example Germany, you need cash there.
@@Spacemongerr Yeah in Germany stores have to pay quite the amount of fees to the card providers/bank for allowing card payment, so for many (especially smaller or those who don't belong to a chain) stores it is impossible to offer card payment. Even if they do, there are so many different regulations that it really depends on the store (and whether it belongs to a chain) if and how you can pay with a card. There's a difference between debit and credit card too, and many stores won't accept you paying with a credit card for the reason of fees, or there's a minimum amount you would have to spend to be able to pay with your credit card, or even your debit card. In almost any case it's better to just pay with cash in Germany, unless you're buying some large expensive electronics or smth like that.
Taking a taxi isn't a mistake, it's just that it can be expensive if it's a long distance to the hotel. I took a taxi from Haneda to my nearby hotel after a late night flight and it really saved me grief, time, and energy, since I was traveling with several bags while moving from China. Not carrying a trash bag isn't a mistake either, as it's not as difficult to find trash bins as it used to be -- plus people shouldn't really have a need for such large amounts of trash anyway, while walking around. Just stop in a konbini (convenience store).
Just came back. Take cash with you into Japan if your bank likes to play games. Yes, I told them several times that I was going, and they still played me. Just go to your bank, get about 100,000 yen, get a Passmo or Suica card as a soon as you land, and you’ll be fine. Pro-Tip: You can get a transportation card with Apple Wallet, and do it BEFORE you get there. 10,000 yen will do you fine; 20,000 yen if you plan on traveling all over the nation.
the real pro tip is getting a better bank, those exchange rates you get at your bank IRL are not favorable. If you simply withdraw once while there you'll usually be fine.
@@samaraisnt That’s true is most cases, but it also depends on your bank. I would’ve used an ATM, but my bank played games. So we agree. But, you can bypass that. If I ranked it: 1. Japanese ATMs. 2. Your local bank. 3. Currency Exchange in Japan.
@@dahyelim6531Because some travelers only carry or use cards at home and will think “technology advanced” countries will be modern enough to take cards everywhere
As someone that lived in Tokyo for years and had recently gone back. Trash cans are everywhere if you know where to look. Most convenience stores have them. They are more often than not outside. Then the entrance way to most public parks will have them. Not to mention most train stations. I have never had a problem throwing away trash in Tokyo. I have never had problems with convenience store employees hastling me for throwing in their bin as long as you throw it in the correct bin. Next While Japan is generally a cash centered society you don't need to carry a lot of cash on you. Most of the more expensive places take card. In all my time in Japan outside of temples I can can count on two hands when I needed cash and most of them are around new years when everything but a few places basically shut down
If you're staying at a larger hotel in Tokyo, consider taking a Limousine Bus, especially if you have heavy bags and/or older travelers or ones with physical limitations.
suggestions from local Tokyo girl....The best way to move from Narita airport to central Tokyo is by Orange limousine bus.オレンジバス🚌. It takes you directly to the hotels. Your accommodations don't necessarily need to be the orange limo stop, anyone can take it. It helps you to just sit down all the way.its usually around 35 dollars, Haneda airport to hotels are between 15 to 17 dollars. Instead of dragging your luggage at transfer 🚆 Stations. Especially if you are a first time traveller. If you are going to relatives or friends house, just take carry-on luggage with you and send your Big luggages from the airport to the house, 1 day delivery 🚚. It's usually 20 to 30 dollars per big luggage depending on location. You can send your luggage from Narita airport to other prefectures, to Hokkaido ski resorts if you are skiing. 😊 Ski 🎿or snowboard usually are around 25 to 35 dollars.
@@XD-qx6sq 40k yen in India is equal to 38k rupees which is actually a lot in India it's actually just over avarage income for middle class people with that kind of money 2 people can live a good life with 1 vacation per year
@@debayanmitra6405 I didn’t say that it wasn’t. Taxi in Japan is expensive on purpose. As well as other car regulations. It is made that way to disincentivise people from using cars.
@@gogodreams88 you live well if you think Tokyo is not too clean. After my country, the streets of Tokyo seem perfect, and the most polluted of them are like an ordinary street here
The no late night trains thing is like, all of Tokyo. It’s so crazy that a city with this thriving late night culture has no way to get home between 1 and 4:30. And it’s completely unchallenged by that culture, too. It’s like, either you’re going home, or you’re staying out, and if you’re staying out, you’re going hard. If you’re out at 1:01, it’s just expected that you’ll still be partying at 4am
I mostly just used my card in the states when I moved to Sapporo for work nobody told me to carry cash and then when they did I didn't know folding money was a no no either I hate having large wallets
Haha I was folding my cash into thirds to fit in my pocket wallet. Needless to say they weren't impressed when I went to pay, but they took my money and gave me the gaijin acceptance pass. But I felt the judgement... 😂
I mean I still folded my cash..I presented it flat but I didn't feel any type of judgement...I think it's more about when you present in a more formal context like funerals, enveloped salary or a birthdays....places like a Trader in Akihabara or a Don Qui, they don't give a crap..and there are auto registers in some places..
@@pandamilkshake it's disrespectful, in some contexts at least. I believe it's from Samurai or Yakuza days & stories if anything. To not pay was dishonorable, yet they still wanted to publicly/socially bitch smack a trader/person so they may have crushed the bills up or so to disrespect them.
Honestly, it doesn't really matter that the cash is folded. As long as the bill is not bent or messed up when you hand it over, there’s no problem. My wallet is small, so I fold my bills into three. The only thing I do is fix the creases in the bills while making an apologetic face as I hand them over. If the crease is bad, I'll also add "すみません” in a whispering voice 😅
Tip: Use the busses from airports to whichever city you want to go to. They are very affordable, clean comfortable seats, quiet, and spacious. Taxis in Japan are never an option unless you really need to use it. Public trains are the most convenient, cheapest, quickest option; it's just very crowded some times.
I travelled to Japan in May this year, Tokyo & Kyoto specifically. Before I went I watched many RU-vid videos made especially for people travelling to Japan & Korea for the first time that gave great travel tips. So I was aware of all the things I needed to know before I went, it saved me a lot of hassle by informing myself of a lot of the things you've mentioned here.
Yeah when I was 18 I flew to Tokyo and had an 18hr layover there until my connecting flight to Amori Prefecture. I got on the train to explore around 11:30PM and didn't know the train shut down at midnight. I got kicked off and found a random hole in the wall bar. This cute bartender made me a shaved carrot salad and kept calling me "carrot top" since I had red hair. It was fun but couldn't talk to anyone since I couldn't find English speakers. Anyways around 3am Ii went back to the train station and sat and waited until it opened back up so I could ride back to the airport. I ended up finding a Denny's for breakfast and thought it was funny they had a Denny's in Tokyo. I pressed a button at the table by accident and it made a noise in the restaurant and like 3 waiters ran to me to see if I needed anything and I got super embarrassed 😂
Cabs from Narita into the city are expensive but if you are traveling with a family and a number of luggage, it's sometimes worth it. You might not want to wrangle luggage and kids onto a train after a 16 hour flight. Also depending on when you're arriving, you could be stuck in the middle of rush hour.
Actually, sometimes it can be a problem for luggage to fit into the cab if there is more than one or two persons in the group. I have seen a family of 4, arriving with large suitcases, being rejected by Taxi driver because the trunk is just too small to hold them. :D
@@geekns seriously limousine buses are the best especially if you just arrived. No need to navigate the maze of transfer stations, stairs, potential rush hour crush etc. And way cheaper
Also, I used the 7/11 ATM in Japan to withdraw money from my American checking account and it was super cheap. The exchange rate was the exact same and the ATM only charged me a few bucks and my bank charged me $5.
As someone who travelled at all the edges of Shinjuku, this is true. Most especially the taxi fare. It costs 280 yen/km, which is $200 for 100km, so it's best to take buses and do a research about bus routes that would pass by your hotel. Saves you a lot of bucks that you could've used for food trips. I learned once, and never did it again lol.
Most vending machines will have trash cans next to them. There is less of a “eating and drinking on the go” culture in Japan, so the expectation is that you would finish your drink next to the place where you bought it.
In Saudi Arabia 🇸🇦 you can pay with your card literally everywhere even in the smallest and remote places. If a shop is not offering such a service, the customer is allowed to report it to the authorities. Some people here actually forget what it is like to carry money with you.
And unlike most international airports, there are no creeps and scammers waiting outside the airport so you can feel free to walk up to a guide station for best advice once you land. Enjoy!
I live in Japan and haven’t carried any cash in my wallet; it’s entirely cashless. Especially in big cities like Tokyo or Osaka, even small shops accept credit cards.
@@KevSm-li8yy not if you are using digital card, plus some line(train) starts to use qr code and visa card. For Ameyoko, if you mean Ueno, so far I've seen that if you don't have a credit card, you can pay with QR codes. Sadly, it’s not for tourists.
Don’t remember seeing bins in Japan at all, had to carry my trash around in my bag pack the whole day until I was back in the hotel, and even then had to meticulous separate trash into various bins, e.g the water bottle and the bottle cap went to different bins.
The taxi thing is literally universal. It's like there's was one sleazy dude who decided one day he's gonna go and wait at the airport to pick up tourists who don't know shit about shit so he can charge them more without them knowing and then somebody cloned that dude, made like 3 million copies, put them at every single airport out there and bam.
Beside cost, in general trains are also faster. Take Keisei Narita Skyliner for an example, it only take 40 mins from NRT to Tokyo Ueno station. For the same distance, the car would need 90 mins typically. :D
@@gondolier62 that's a high speed train and most people come from Haneda. Train tickets can add up, with the highspeed ones costing more. Then you have to juggle your luggage and figure out where to go. The taxi was so much easier for me. I'm from the suburbs and not used to public transportation and big cities in general.
It was a rotten flight for us too and we were scared to get a train due to it being our first time in japan on little to no sleep. But a bus stopped just in time outside the airport and took us straight to our hotel in Kyoto.
And for the love of God, do NOT interact with kids, no matter how cute they are especially when they're alone. Don't even smile or say hi to them as this might be mistaken as an attempt to kidnap them
For the taxi one it actually depends on which airport your landing from! I assume your going from Narita airport to Tokyo because of the price. If you land in Haneda airport it shouldn’t cost no where $300 because it’s much close to Tokyo.
Apparently its due to a 1995 sarin gas attack on a subway system in tokyo carried out by a religious doomsday cult. Although the gas was used IN the train japan began removing trash cans as they were possible hiding spots for bags of sarin gas
Good to know I am in Japan rn and if you need cash or need to throw something away it's good to go to a family Mart or 7eleven I'd say go to the seven eleven for the ATM they are great because they work with international cards
Feel like the Taxi thing is a myth, except for Narita. From Haneda to anywhere in Tokyo should be less than $100 USD. It is so so much more convenient the further you stay away from the main stops. Considering people spend hundreds of dollars to upgrade their flights the less than $50 per person is way worth it to be taken straight to your hotel not having to worry about carrying and lugging your luggage around. To get the Ikebukaro it was half the time the train would have been and was so much easier
Mistakes I had was not having a handkerchief or tissues because most public restroom do not have anything to dry your hands after washing it. And some of them don't have soap either😂 Tbh, I don't think I encountered any soap in their public restrooms at all while I was there.
Yes, I rarely carry a lot of cash. So it's always a bit of a struggle to visit places that are more cash focused. I do like that lots of places have ATMs now so I can avoid steep conversion fees.
Obviously never been to Sweden if you think the taxis are expensive, Me and my mother went to Japan in the beginning of the summer and she thought it was really cheep!! So if you think it’s cheep or expensive really depends on what you’re used to,
The last one i definitely felt it. I had to hold on my bottles till i found a can after half a day in some random train station near some vending machines
When there is only one flight a day from your country to Japan you don’t have a choice and when you land at 2am you also don’t have another choice than taking a taxi 💀
For the taxi one, while it is expensive my last trip I decided to just use the public transportation and I actually arrived when it wouldn't be rush hour. However it was exhausting lugging my suitcase, carry on, backpack and purse with me and getting on and off the train with these items. When it cane time to leave i just scheduled for a cab the night before. So, if you're traveling with more than a carry-on or personal item and your hotel or condo is far, I suggest just sticking with the taxi.
Flights in Japan don't go late into the night due to quiet hours so you won't need to worry about train service ending when you land in/depart from Tokyo.
The fact that I saw this after I went to Japan 😫😫😫 but yes, while I was there, there was almost no trash comes around unless you went to family, mart 7-Eleven, or Lawsons. I also took the train from the airport!
