Things I Wish I knew Before Visiting Tokyo

Tokyo has been my dream destination for as long as I can remember and after my recent trip, there are so many things I wish I knew before visiting Tokyo. Japan is one of the most polite, cleanest and friendliest Asian country I have ever visited where everyone was helpful but minded their own business. If there was ever a city that I would recommend highly to first-time visitors it is Tokyo, for one simple reason, it is absolutely overwhelmingly gorgeous.

As a first time visitor to Tokyo myself, I am sat here thinking, there are so many things I wish I knew before visiting Tokyo, as great a city as it is, it truly pays to be prepared. I absolutely loved that Tokyo as an international city, it has combined tradition and modern cultures in such an impeccable way. Simple things like taking your shoes off before entering a home are traditional and respectful whereas the modern toilets are just that, modern.

We had such an amazing time exploring Tokyo as well as mount Fuji but there is a list of mile-long things I wish I knew before visiting Tokyo. I have compared a list of 11 things that I know would have been a big help had I known before my trip with this gorgeous Japanese capital.

11 Things I Wish I knew Before Visiting Tokyo

Visiting a new country or city is always an exciting, exhilarating and sometimes a little terrifying but it is all part of the adventure of travelling abroad. Though I am not an anxious traveller, I think it is important to prepare as much as you can in advance to save you suffering anxiety attacks. I should truly take my own advice but in all honesty I thought one Asian city was just like the other, how wrong I truly was.

Tokyo is a big city and even though it doesn’t seem like it on the map of Asia, it tiring to walk so you will rely heavily on the underground because taxis are expensive. There are so many weird and wonderful things I learned about Japan when I arrived in Tokyo and some were a cultural shock. The biggest shock was the toilets, you will find the fanciest toilets ever and the squat toilets which gave me heart palpitations.

The things that I wish I knew before visiting Tokyo include;

Bring plenty of local currency

We learnt the hard way, most ATMs in Tokyo don’t bring out less than 10,000yen {approx. £75} so if you have less than this amount, I would change to Japanese Yen before your trip. We visited countless ATMs and none would give less than 10,000 and if they did, they did not accept foreign cards.

Another to note is that Japan is a cash based society, we found so many places that only accepted cash and no card. Mount Fuji is a prime example of a place outside Tokyo where almost every shop and street vendor only accept cash.

Sushi is more than Sushi

Japan is home of sushi and man, they do the best freshest sushi in the world, my mouth still waters just talking about that good sushi. We bought sushi one night from a small shop and it was the freshest fish I have ever tried in my entire life. The sushi and sashimi just melts in your mouth, the wasabi and soy sauce was the best I have ever enjoyed.

Bathe Nude in Onsen {Public Bath House}

This was a shock to the system, I have been to nude beaches but never nude bathing houses. One thing which was high on our list of things to do in Tokyo was visiting a public bathhouse, the experience was surreal. Being naked in front of total strangers was something else but the experience is something I shall always remember and recommend.

Tipping is rude!

Tipping is not a done thing in Japan, it can be construed as a sign that the shop, restaurant or even taxi driver provided bad service and needs to improve. Whenever I travel in Europe, parts of Asia and America, I am reminded that I always have to tip, so Japan was a bit interesting. In the western world, we show our appreciation on the service by tipping but in Japan you use your words and not your money.

Take off your shoes

Even though we’ve seen it in Japanese movies, it is something else when you visit places like a bath house and you have to take off your shoes. Visiting someone’s home is slightly different and you’re expected to take your shoes off and its respectful too. The only thing I love about taking shoes off is most of the time you were given house shoes which was nice.

Buy a JR rail pass – save money 

We knew when we arrived in Japan that we should buy a rail pass but we ignored our own advice and instead spent way too much money buying return tickets. These return tickets were not always useful as the underground trains are owned by different companies so you need different tickets every single time. I would highly recommend purchasing a rail pass and choose accommodation in areas where that lines services a lot.

Fly into Haneda NOT Narita {too far}

Tokyo has to airport and before we arrived, we didn’t pay too much attention until we had to return to the airport. Some of us flew from Narita and it was the biggest mistake ever, if you ever have the option to choose airports, choose Haneda. If however you have no choice then there is a bus from Shinjuku to the airport and it take about 1.5 hours.

Tax is not always included on labels

Do not be surprised if the price you calculated in your head is not the same you have to pay at the till. We realised that in some shops, tax is not added to the price nor listed on the label of the product so be ready to pay more. Some shops had two prices listed on the product, the highest price is the one with the tax included.

Don’t look for bins

For such a big and clean, I would have thought Tokyo would have bins everywhere but to my surprise there were hardly any bins in the city. This is because Japanese people care lots about their environment, they don’t litter and always take their trash home with them. It was a shock to the system because we spent hours searching for bins that were not there to begin with and ended up taking the trash home with us.

Public WIFI is available but not everywhere

Public wifi in international cities has become a necessity and basic need for most international travellers but it’s important to note, it is not viewed the same in other countries. In Tokyo we had most trains and buses offering free public wifi but not so much for the city itself. If you need to be online a lot then I would recommend buying a pocket wifi as its a money saver.

Visa application is simple and straight forward

Depending on where you’re from, you might need a visa to enter Japan. As a British Citizen I do not but a friend who isn’t had to apply for a Visa in London and it takes about 2-weeks to come through. I would recommend you apply at least a month before your trip to avoid disappointments. You will need to have booked accommodation to include in your application and possibly a reservation fo flights.

We had such an amazing time in Tokyo and mount Fuji but just wish I knew all these things before I visited the city. The ATM was the biggest shock, I knew the city was expensive but I thought it was ok in some respect. Have you ever been to Tokyo or Japan in general?