Just recently got back from my first trip to Japan from October 7–October 23. It was me, my boyfriend, and two friends for a large portion of the trip. We did Tokyo -> Sendai -> Osaka -> Tokyo. I owe a lot of the successes of this trip to this Reddit and YouTube videos.
What Went Well
- Packing light was definitely the way to go. I brought a carry-on suitcase, a shoulder bag, and a light backpack (which I wore every day and was great). My boyfriend packed a duffel in his bag, which I used at the end for my clothes so I could pack my heavier souvenirs in my suitcase. Even with this, however, it was a bit unwieldy at times, so I would definitely discourage bringing anything larger, and if you do, please use a luggage forwarding service.
- Unlike what some have said here, having luggage (within reason…like don't carry two large suitcases) is not a problem on the trains and is actually quite common from what I saw. Buses, however…
- For our first stint in Tokyo, we stayed at an AirBnB in a quiet part of Ikebukuro (it was less than a 10-min walk to two train stations). This was an excellent find, especially because it provided a combo washer/dryer with detergent (which was essential because I packed light), toiletries, an electric kettle, a toaster, refrigerator, dishwasher, AC… it was a great location to escape the hustle and bustle.
- Ikebukuro is also a great place to shop for anime merch and manga. A little less crazy than Akihabara imo.
- Google Maps is definitely your friend, as is Google Translate.
- If you have an iPhone, loading your Suica to your Apple Wallet is definitely the way to go. One of our group had a physical Suica and it could sometimes take awhile to top up, whereas topping up on the phone is instant. Hopefully they'll add it for Android soon!
- The konbinis really ARE that good, like wow. I had the best mochi donut I've ever had from 7/11. It was super convenient for getting breakfast and light lunch on busy/travel days.
- The toilets really ARE that good too. Think I only encountered one that didn't have a bidet three times. It wasn't a huge issue, but it is true that some public restrooms don't have soap or means of drying your hands (I always carried around hand sanitizer and a small towel, although I rarely used the towel tbh). Some of the nicest toilets I used were in malls and train stations though!
- We found that with our limited Japanese, we had very few communication issues, even outside the beaten path. Most people will speak to you in Japanese first, but as long as you know a few basic words and phrases, you should be fine. When in doubt, use Google translate.
- I have IBS, and a few days into the trip, it was like I was magically healed. I could eat anything—fried food, ramen, sugary snacks, and even dairy without any issues. Walking a lot probably help, though. Now that I'm back in the US, it's terrible again.
- I do not like fish and I did not have a difficult time finding food to eat at all (because there are just so many options). I did split up for lunch from my boyfriend one day so he could get his conveyor belt sushi though, haha.
- The ryokan we stayed at had a breakfast and dinner buffet, which was helpful for me, since most serve you a set meal that includes fish.
- Loved going to a ryokan and having an onsen experience! I learned to feel comfortable with my body, even as a chubby woman in Japan, and if I can do that there, then I can do it anywhere. We planned it for the middle of our trip, which was the perfect recharge we needed. We booked two nights, which I don't think I would do next time, but due to changing plans on our day of arrival leading us to arrive late at night, it ended up working out in that particular situation because we desperately needed the rest.
- Also try to find a place that has those egg massage chairs, omg. My fat calves wouldn't fit in but it gave me a more effective back massage than most masseuses!
- Sendai is an underappreciated city imo. I am autistic and even though there were many wonderful things to do in Tokyo, it could become extremely overwhelming at times. Sendai is a smaller, less crowded city where you'll find a lot of the same merch for a lot cheaper and there's still plenty to do. There's a lot of cool day trips you can take from there (e.g., my boyfriend loved doing the Nikka Distillery tour as a whisky fan…and it's free!). One being…
- Tashirojima! We went to one of the cat islands and it was such an enjoyable day. It is a little bit hard to get to, but it's still only about a 50-minute train ride to the station close to where you catch the ferry (Ishinomaki, where one of the ports is located, is also a cool little place, especially if you are a Cyborg 009 fan) and short ferry ride away. Definitely a must-see for cat lovers!
- We enjoyed staying at the Hotel Metroplitans in both Sendai and Tokyo (the one in Sendai is really affordable for the quality you get), where the rooms were a decent size and all the basic amenities were included.
- Favorite foods tried: Okonomiyaki, duck ramen, melon soda floats, yudofu, pork shabu shabu with good udon, strawberry mochi donuts from 7/11, Lawson chicken nuggets, those energy jelly packs (an absolute gamechanger!), grilled onigiri, katsu onigiri, red bean onigiri, Pocari Sweat, wagyu steak, all sorts of cute little jellies
My Bad
- Not being prepared for the walking and packing a knee brace even though I have a history of knee injuries. I eventually found one, but could've saved a lot of headache and anxiety had I just prepped better.
- Also there really are very few places to sit. I know I should've prepared better but there are parts of even Tokyo that are just super inaccessible for people with injuries and disabilities.
- I KNEW it was a faux pas to travel on buses with luggage, but when we found ourselves in a situation where a bus was a much cheaper option than a taxi to go to our ryokan, we took the bus and could barely fit. There just isn't room on most buses (unless it is a coach shuttle specifically designed for travel; think airport limosines) for that. Next time, I would definitely use a luggage forwarding service or put my suitcase in a coin locker for the night and pack enough for 1-2 nights in a smaller bag.
Things I Wish I Had Known
- That you can't find deodorant/antipersiperant anywhere. My travel-sized deodorant/antipersiperant broke a few days into the trip and I basically had to use mangled deodorant because I couldn't find it anywhere (so envious of the Japanese for the lack of sweat).
- There is a glitch on Google Maps that prevents the Narita Express showing up as a transit option unless you choose certain filters. As a result, we took the Skyliner in when it may have been quicker (or at least less transfers) to take it directly to Ikebukuro.
- October is still a very humid time in Japan. I knew how humid it could be during the summer, but I was not prepared for how humid it was going to be even in October. As someone who hates muggy weather, I really struggled at the beginning of the trip. I definitely would've made some different packing choices had I known this, but luckily I was able to buy some lightweight wide pants at Uniqlo (and I am a size 12-14 in the US, so I was pleasantly surprised the XL fit me).
- It may be difficult to get medical treatment for anything less than a true emergency as a foreigner in Japan. I got traveler's insurance because I have some medical issues, but when I developed a nasty rash on my calves (jury's still out on what exactly it was—could've been a bacterial infection from an onsen or heat rashes from all the chafing/walking), the hospital closest to my hotel in Osaka that was recommended by my travel insurance hung up on us, even when we tried speaking in Japanese. Apparently, it no longer takes foreigners. The hospitals are also not open at all hours of the night for noncritical ER cases like US ones are. Luckily, I was able to find an English-speaking travel clinic called Okita Clinic in Osaka and I can't recommend them enough. So helpful and nice—they even helped me get my antibiotics at the pharmacy next door! It was relatively cheap compared to the US; even without them taking my traveler's insurance, it was less than $100. I submitted a claim to my traveler's insurance, so we'll see if they take it, but overall, a solid option.
- It is frowned upon to use the gated area of a station as a public restroom if you aren't riding the train. We got a stern talking-to for doing so (we tapped in and it wouldn't let us tap out). We did encounter stations that will let you enter and exit without riding the train, however, so I don't know what the distinguisher is (maybe rail company?).
- That most of Tabelog reservations are for omakase-style options. We had some absolutely incredible omakase-style meals, but it gets frustrating when you're looking to have a particular thing and can only get reservations at omakase-style places.
- A piece of advice I got was to eat big lunches because the restaurants would be less crowded during the day. I found that this was not always true, unfortunately. Some really crowded areas are just always going to have busy restaurants, unfortunately, and if no one is there in a major city, that's usually not a good sign… Wish I had made more reservations ahead of time.
- If you lose your room key, you will be charged for it (this is less common in the US).
Misc.
- I've seen a lot of mixed reviews here about Ghibli Park. I am a big Ghibli fan, and the ticket was worth it for The Valley of Witches alone for me, which, imo, is the only part of the park that actually feels like a theme park. It was just so charming; I honestly could've spent the whole day there even though it's small compared to other theme park lands. The other lands are just okay (although we did not get to the Totoro area, as it was too close to closing time and it's about a 30 min walk from the warehouse)—it's like walking around a park that just happens to have Ghibli set replicas in it (well, I guess that's what it is after all?). The warehouse looked cool—there was an exhibition inside on the food of Ghibli, which we enjoyed. The actual shop part of the warehouse, however, was a huge letdown for me. I built it up in my head to be this huge, convention-sized room with Ghibli merch, but it's no bigger than any other Ghibli gift shop I went to throughtout my travels, and imo, the Ghibli stores in Sunshine City Ikebukuro and PARCO Osaka have a much more interesting selection! Had I known this, I would've bought more things from those stores I didn't because I figured I could just get them at the warehouse. I was glad that I did the photo op with the No-Face at the Osaka store because the line is super long at the warehouse! Overall, my verdict is that you should go if you are a big Ghibli fan, but if not, it's not worth the headache of the ticket-buying process.
- Try a Zunda (edamame) shake if you're in Sendai. It grows on you!
Probably have many more but I could be typing this out all night. Hope this helps someone! My boyfriend and I are already talking about our next trip…
by MochiPop98