Tokyo tips and tricks: What you need to know for your first time in Tokyo and Japan is written by Jens Skovgaard Andersen. RejsRejsRejs traveled to Tokyo with Finnair – all opinions are, as always, the author's own.
First time in Tokyo? Good tips for finding your way around the world's largest city
You only have to look at the map of Tokyo's subway system to realize that you've arrived in a huge city. Tokyo has grown together with its suburbs and neighboring cities, and is today the largest city in the world. It requires an overview and good tips to get started.
From home, you can make life a little easier for yourself by booking accommodation and transport in advance. Tokyo is full of hotels and hostels, and there are many options for getting a good night's sleep. If you Book accommodation for the first few days in advance, so you have something to aim for when you land.
A good tip is to find a hotel close to one of the stations on the train line from the airport. That way, you won't have to get lost in the urban jungle with your luggage in tow as soon as you land. Instead, you can get a quiet and leisurely start to your Tokyo adventure by exploring the city a little at a time.
Booking sites like Momondo and Booking.com has lots of hotels and hostels, and you can easily see on the map which station they are located at.
The neighborhoods around Shinjuku and Shibuya stations are popular places to start.
Around Tokyo and Japan – tips for transportation in the world's largest city
Tokyo has two international airports, Narita and Haneda, and both are connected to the city by train. Train tickets can also be booked from home, and many tourists purchase the popular “Japan Rail Pass” in advance from the national railway operator. Japan Railways – called JR.
Only foreigners can buy the Japan Rail Pass, and it comes in three versions: 7, 14 or 21 days. So if you want to travel around the country and see a lot, a Rail Pass can be a good investment. You will have to travel quite a few times before you save money by having a Rail Pass, but at least it is easy.
You can use the Japan Rail Pass in Tokyo if you stick to the lines operated by Japan Railways, but a good tip is to use a travel card instead. There are several different metro lines that are not operated by JR. Suica and Pasmo are the most commonly used travel cards, and they work by topping up regularly and otherwise just 'beeping' in and out of the metro, buses and trains regardless of the train company. They can be purchased at the station.
The travel cards cannot be used on the Shinkansen bullet train, but they are good and easy to use around Tokyo and the surrounding area. When you return home, you can even get a refund for the cards and the money you have deposited.
As soon as you land at the airport, you can activate your Japan Rail Pass and use it to take the train into the city. But be aware that you will then start your 7, 14 or 21 days that the pass can be used for. If you already know that you will initially be in Tokyo for a few days, one of my tips is to wait to activate your Rail Pass and use a travel card instead.
It takes a while to get to grips with all of Tokyo's subway and train lines, so take your time and go on an adventure around the city. Allow yourself to get lost every now and then. Often stations with similar names are located next to each other, as they belong to different train lines and different train companies.
Another tip is to follow the many signs you find at the major stations in Tokyo. It's a jumble of dimensions you encounter when you get off the train, but on all platforms and in the concourses there are overview maps of the station's many exits.
Find the exit you need on the map and follow the signs there. Tokyo is fond of signs, to say the least, and at the stations they are always in English.
Small and good – accommodation tips for Tokyo
One of the things that Japan and Tokyo are known for are the so-called 'capsule hotels'. Here you get a sleeping cabin instead of a room, and the bathroom facilities are shared. It's definitely worth trying, and the price for a capsule is somewhat lower than for a hotel room.
Japan is a very clean and tidy country, and this also applies to the capsule hotels. Although it may sound simple, it is clean and tidy, and it is very efficiently furnished. You often have your own TV and space for some of your luggage inside your cabin, and there is space for larger luggage in locked lockers.
Small is good – especially in Tokyo. In a huge city, you have to use space efficiently, and you quickly notice this when you walk around Japanese homes and houses in general. Every available space is used. It's fascinating to experience, and the best capsule hotels are actually really good, even though the space is used to the maximum.
Not all capsule hotels are made of plastic and look like something out of Star Wars. Often you will get a cabin with relatively high ceilings and a real bed. Try it out – and check the pictures on the booking sites in advance.
A more traditional way to stay in Japan is to stay in a 'ryokan'. Here you stay simply in classic Japanese surroundings, wear kimono and sleep on a 'tatami' mat, like the samurai did in the old days. Staying in a ryokan is an experience in itself, but in Tokyo there is a limited choice.
One of my own Tokyo tips is that if you have big feet like me, you should consider bringing a pair of slippers to Tokyo. You will often be asked to take your shoes off, and while slippers are available, they are rarely available in large sizes.
Etiquette and behavior – avoid embarrassment and misunderstandings
Japan is a very orderly society, and good manners are highly valued. But what is good manners in Japan? It's good to know in advance.
In general, you should take care of yourself in public spaces, and eating and drinking are not allowed on the subway, and you should not disturb others by talking on the phone. On the Shinkansen, you are allowed to eat and drink, and people do so in style.
One of my useful Tokyo tips is to carry a small bag for trash when you walk around the city. There are almost no trash cans, and you have to take your own trash home and dispose of it via waste sorting. You just have to get used to that when you land in Tokyo.
An exception is plastic bottles from, for example, soda and spring water. There are soda vending machines on almost every street corner, and they often have a small container for plastic bottles next to them. The many vending machines make it easy to find a refreshment in a city that gets quite hot in the summer, so have some coins ready in your pocket.
Since you are often asked to take off your shoes when entering a place, it is a good idea to wear clean socks. Sweaty sandal feet leave marks on the wooden floors of temples, for example, and that is not well-groomed. So, although fashion may dictate otherwise, socks with sandals are actually a good idea in Japan.
Queuing culture is very much alive in Tokyo. Remember to stand in the right queue when you are taking the train or entering a place where there is a queue. There are often marked areas on the sidewalk where you have to stand, and one of my good Tokyo tips is to do as the locals do. Just look around and see if there is a difference in the queues – sometimes they are for women only, for example. Then find the queue you belong to.
There are a lot of other unwritten rules in Japan, and you'll probably come across them along the way. Take it as an experience and do as the locals do. It's the easiest.
Just ask – Tokyo residents can speak English well
If you are in doubt about something at, for example, one of the train stations somewhere in Japan, just ask the staff. They usually speak pretty good English and are happy to help.
At some stations there are special counters intended for foreign travelers, and here they are of course used to all sorts of questions from tourists. But at the regular ticket counters they can also help, and they are good at it. A little English, a little pointing and a bit of politeness will go a long way.
Road signs and other important information are almost always in English – apart from Japanese of course. Look around and you'll probably find the information you need to find what you're looking for.
You can also get by with English in hotels, many restaurants and most shops in Tokyo. That said, it does add to your goodwill if you know some of the most basic Japanese phrases such as konnichiwa, arigato, sumimasen, hai og iie. It's Japanese for hello, thank you, sorry, yes and no.
Depending on your phone plan, there's a good chance you can use your telephone in Japan like at home. This means that you have access to translation, maps and other aids and useful appsIt's nice to have help at hand.
Profit and overview – fly comfortably back and forth to Tokyo
The journey from Denmark The flight to Japan is long and crosses many time zones, and you'll probably be a little groggy when you land. So a comfortable flight is important. Consider paying a little extra for extra legroom – especially if, like me, you're almost six feet tall.
For example, at Finnair, which I flew with, they have a class called Premium Economy, and it's nice to be able to sit comfortably and also get some sleep along the way. If you have loyalty points in the airline's bonus program, you can often use them to upgrade your ticket.
An extra tip for the flight: If you fly with Finnair from Tokyo to Helsinki, you will actually fly right over the North Pole on the way - that's also an experience to take with you.
Finnair also flies directly to Scandinavia from several places in Japan, so once you've experienced Tokyo, you can use your Rail Pass to get out and see the country, and fly home from, for example, Nagoya, Sapporo or Osaka near Kyoto. Just buy a open jaw ticket where you travel into one airport and out of another.
Have a great trip to Japan. Use these great Tokyo tips and tricks to make the most of your trip and enjoy the adventure in the megacity.
Nice trip.
First time in Tokyo? Here are the 7 most important Tokyo tips and tricks
- Buy Japan Rail Pass from home
- Activate your Rail Pass first when traveling around Japan
- Use the Suica or Pasmo travel cards to get around Tokyo
- Book accommodation in advance for the first few days and stay close to a station
- Stay in a capsule hotel – you don’t always need an entire hotel room in Tokyo
- Be polite and do as the locals do
- Just ask – most people in the tourist areas speak understandable English
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