For the last half year it feels like “planning our trip to Japan” has been my medley. I’ve read articles, books and watched hours and hours of Youtube videos. I’ve researched food – and gluten free food, and I’ve worked out our itinerary for our 3 weeks abroad.
Japan has been a dream for about 20 years. I remember being around 15 years old, researching “battleship island” in the computer room at school, thinking to myself “how cool it must be to go there”. Well, we won’t go to battleship island, not this time at least, but it turns out it’s way easier than it was back in the early 2000s.
This post is written up before I leave for 3 weeks in Japan, so it will include the things I’ve done in the months before the trip, as well as some of my thoughts before departure.
The basic planning of a trip to Japan:
How long should I stay in Japan?
Japan is huge. There’s so much to see, so much to do. Several spots you could stay for weeks. If you want to travel around a bit in Japan, you should at least have 2 weeks, in order to not just travel between places all the time.
When should I visit Japan?
When you should visit Japan really depends on what you want to see and explore. Spring and autumn is supposed to be the best time with regards to the weather. Winter is good if you want to go skiing. Summer is hot and humid.
The Sakura season during spring is popular, due to the gorgeous flowers. However, knowing the timing of when the blossoming will happen is hard, as it can be anywhere between the months of March and April. Both prices and the amount of tourists also increases a lot during these months.
The first week of May is called “golden week”. This is the week when “everyone” in Japan is on holiday, and it can be rather busy. The rest of May is supposed to be nice, before rain season kicks in.
Do I need a visa to visit Japan?
A lot of countries does not require a visa for people visiting Japan. I’m from Norway, and we did not need to apply for visa. This page is helpful if you want to know if you need a visa to enter Japan or not.
Booking plane tickets to Japan
Chances are that you’re flying in and out of Tokyo when going to Japan. Be aware that there are two major airports outside of Tokyo, Narita (NRT) and Haneda (HND) and they vary greatly in distance and travel time from Tokyo downtown. This is especially important when planning your departure, make sure you leave early enough!
Source: https://thepointsguy.com/guide/tokyo-narita-vs-haneda-which-airport-should-i-fly-into/
What should I book ahead?
– Plane tickets, obviously.
– Theme parks, such as Disneyworld, DisneySea, Universal Studios Japan (USJ) and Ghibli Park. Make sure to check if they have a specific date tickets are put up for sale, like for example:
– The Ghibli museum puts tickets on sale for the next month on the 10th of each month. Be on time, as tickets sell out SO fast! (I forgot, and when I checked on the 11th the entire month was already sold out)
– Some theme cafés, like the Pokémon café, needs to be booked in advance. Tickets for visitor slots to the café are released 31 days ahead for the actual date, at Japanese time 18 (6pm).
Packing – what do I need?
- Good shoes – Japan will require a lot of walking in order to be explored. Make sure you bring some comfortable, good shoes.
- Passport – always bring your passport, as it’s the only form of ID accepted
- Layers – the weather in Japan can quickly change during the day, or depending on where in Japan you are.
Scheduling – where to go in Japan?
Apparently for first time-visitors (such as myself), The Golden route is popular. The Golden route is the area between Tokyo and Kyoto, and includes both cities, nature and cultural explorations.
Some of the most popular stops are:
– Tokyo, obviously
– Hakone, where you can see mount Fuji on a bright day, try a onsen bath and stay in a traditional ryokan
– Nara, where you can visit the deer park
– Osaka, a big city where you can visit the famous Osaka castle, and
– Kyoto, where you can find the famous bamboo forest and Fushimi Inari Taisha (the place with all the orange torii gates).
Things to get before departure:
- Buy a few yens – just to make sure you have enough for that first day. The ATMs at the airport apparently might be out.
- Get an International drivers license
If you’re planning to do any driving in Japan, you will need to get an international drivers license. Note that this is also mandatory for driving the MarioKarts in the streets of Tokyo! - Get an eSim for your phone
- Look into if you should get a JRPass
This train pass used to be the best deal, before they increased the prices with about 70%. Depending on where you’ll be traveling around in Japan it might still be a good deal for you, so make sure you look it up, as the JRPass has to be bought before you arrive to Japan. - ICOCA/Suica card
This card is used on public transports, and can be downloaded and filled up on your smartphone. You can also get an actual card while in Japan. - Buy a Travel insurance
I’ve heard a saying that goes “if you cannot afford travel insurance, then you cannot afford to travel”. I think there’s definitely something to it. What if something happens to you and you have to cancel the trip shortly before? Or you get hospitalized at your destination? Hopefully your trip goes smoothly, but if shit hits the fan, not having a travel insurance can get so expensive. - Get a powerbank
– A powerbank might just turn out to be your best friend in Japan. You’ll probably find you’ll use your phone for maps, translations, apps – everything. Apparently it’s not that easy to find places to charge while out and about. Also, they do use different sockets than we have in Norway, and a different voltage, so there’s also that. Remember to check what the maximum mAh allowed on board your plane is. - Make sure you have Google maps and maps.me installed
- Remember that Google translate is your friend
– Also the Live Google translate app is good for translating signs etc in Japanese - Do some research with regards to any dietary requirements
- Check out the opening hours for places you want to visit, such as restaurants, cafés, shops etc.
My expectations before departure
As mentioned, Japan has been on top of my bucket list for the last 20 years. With this, of course also comes some expectations. I will try to formulate some of them here.
This will be my first time in 5 years(!) taking this amount of vacation (3 weeks off) in one go. I’m super excited, and also a bit nervous.
Crowds
Thomas, who visited Japan once about 10 years ago, has told me he thinks I will love Japan. Yes, there’s a lot of people (which I can find both stressful and draining), but there’s also a lot of order in the chaos. I am excited to be visiting huge cities, to feel the hustle and bustle, but also to see this order.
Food
I am equally excited and scared about this part. I know there will be a lot of dishes I cannot eat as they contain gluten. I expect there to be situations where I dunno if a dish is safe or not. I might have to just order plain rice at a restaurant, and then eat something safe at a konbini later on. It’ll be fine.
However, I have also done a lot of research and found loads of gluten free options in Japan. I am excited to be able to try new dishes, flavours and such. I am a foodie, and quite an adventurous eater, so I hope I’ll be able to immerse myself in the local cuisine.
I am so, so ready for Japan, while also feeling not prepared at all. In a way I feel nervous the same way as I do on the day before a running race. I hope to experience local culture, local cuisine, fill my memory cards with pictures and my mind with new memories. And perhaps my suitcase with some souvenirs.
Hajimemasho! *
(* Let’s begin!)
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