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15 Japan Travel Mistakes Tourists Always Make (and how to avoid them)

Sunny in Japan

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15 Mistakes to Avoid on your Japan Trip 🇯🇵 Sponsored by Airalo 👉🏼 Install the Airalo app here: https://try.airalo.com/sunny
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0:00 Don't make these mistakes on your trip to Japan
0:45 1. Choosing the wrong time of the year to visit
3:12 2. Travelling to Japan without a data plan
4:35 3. Underestimating distances and travel time
5:52 4. Not booking ahead
6:40 5. Choosing the wrong type of accomodation
9:36 6. Not getting the IC card on your phone
10:10 7. Not using hotel luggage services
11:17 8. Overspending on sushi
12:21 9. Not having enough cash
13:05 10. Not carrying a small bag for trash
13:41 11. Not getting a goshuin
15:23 12. Accidentally disrespecting Shrines & Temples
16:57 13. Escalators
17:50 14. Eating on the train
19:02 15. Filming on the train

Resources:
What not to do in Japan: 12 Things NOT to do in Japan
Japan Train Etiquette: Train Etiquette in Japan
Ryokan & Onsen Etiquette: Staying at a Traditional Japanese Inn | Ry...

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20 Comments

@Sunny_in_Japan Creator 5 months ago Pinned

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@dakota7314 4 months ago

"Don't openly film people"... girl that should be common practice anywhere

@dwkchung 5 months ago

No. 16 - Don't walk into a Uniqlo changing room with your shoes on (no one told me 😢)

@chisyt 5 months ago

I have been to conveyor belt, mid range, and michelin starred omakase sushi restaurants, and the highly rated fancy ones definitely tasted waay better 😂 just from the rice seasoning (shari), the variety of fish and what they add to it, aging method etc, definitely different. I would consider myself a foodie, and each trip to Japan I always budget one sushi and one tempura omakase. Each to their own though, if you don’t taste a difference and don’t feel it’s worth it then definitely skip it.

Another food related tip, if you wanna go to famous, busy restaurants, always make a reservation when you can to avoid wasting time and disappointments. If the restaurant doesn’t allow reservations, see if they have other branches that are less popular and not in super busy areas to avoid waiting for too long. But honestly, you can eat anywhere and it’s pretty hard to get a bad meal in Japan.

I think the most important thing that you missed is learning simple Japanese phrases, how to greet people, how to say thank you etc. I do this everywhere I travel tho, not just Japan. Greeting people and thanking them in the local language is showing respect, and it is the least you can do when visiting another country.

@kklchau 5 months ago

Japan in summer is better than not going at all

@250cb8 5 months ago

Japanese local here! This video is completely accurate.
Eating and drinking on local trains is especially frowned upon. Occasionally you’ll see someone drinking beer on a regular train, but to most Japanese people, that person looks just as "crazy" as a public drunk would look in your home country. We are open to drinking at Hanami (flower viewing) or festivals, but drinking on local trains or while walking around the city is definitely not okay.

@ashleighsmith9804 5 months ago (edited)

a HUGE mistake I made without even realizing: make sure your medications are 100% legal in Japan.
I have never been out of the US before and just assumed if I had a prescription, it'd be fine, but that is NOT true!! I found out in the customs line at the Narita airport that my ADHD medication was suuuper illegal in Japan, I could've gone to jail. Thankfully, it turns out I'd forgotten to pack it anyway 🥲 There's also no "amnesty" boxes for you to dispose of anything you weren't supposed to bring. Learn from my mistake!

@erincolleen1275 5 months ago

Thank you for being a non-Japanese person living in Japan but also not being problematic about it like some other YouTubers. This video is informative and pleasant!

@colorxlabs7200 1 month ago

We are repeat visitors and have used SilkCrane for luggage storage and to also store our shopping while we travel and then they send it all to the airport for our departure. Awesome travel hack when we have been exploring.

@octeight7977 5 months ago

I'd add getting a USB power bank for phone charging, especially if you are relying on IC, maps, hotel and ticket reservations, translation, and photos all from your phone.

@teresamet 3 months ago

We flew to Japan mid October 2019, and the pilot announced that there was a typhoon expected! We stayed in Tokyo 3 nights, and one of the last days was just before it hit. The streets were deserted, everything was closed (except convenience stores), heavy wind, and very hot and humid. Note: we were due to travel to Kyoto, however JR cancelled all trains the day we were due to leave, so they could inspect the tracks. That also meant extending our stay in the hotel in Tokyo an extra night, which they charged dearly for. Luckily our hosts in Kyoto understood and refunded us for the missed night. It also affected our transportation to Hakone (after Kyoto), as the “scenic” train was also cancelled due to debris on the tracks. Hakone was a huge mess! Still, some very beautiful memories and we’ve been to Japan since then, with another trip planned for 2027. Love it!

@syrettaflores988 3 months ago

This was so helpful but now i have so much anxiety 😂

@bigbrowntau 5 months ago

8:49 Another type of accommodation is overnight ferries. Travel and hotel room in one! You can choose different levels of accommodation on a ferry, and I've found you can get a room on a ferry for about the same price as a business hotel, but you then have the travel as well. Last year, I took an overnight ferry from Kitakyushu to Osaka through the Seto Inland Sea, and it was magnificent!

Thank you so much for a great video, really liked your approach here. Subscribed!

@stepig84 5 months ago

Worth mentioning is LO - Last Order time. Kitchen closing time for lunch in restaurants can be quite early in the afternoon. Requires even more extra extra planning if you wanna hit that special one-of-a-kind place

@三宅坂 5 months ago

Even among Japanese people, there are those who are unaware of the proper etiquette at shrines and temples. If a foreigner were to behave as shown in this video, Japanese people would be surprised and impressed.

@IncusGuy 1 month ago

1. wrong time to travel
- I went for 4 weeks last year during cherry blossoms. super crowded with tourists (especially Kyoto) but also super cool and i maybe paid 600 to 800 Euros more than during other times.
3. long travel times
- just plan half a day to change locations and take your time, enjoy the view. nothing comes from stressing yourself out
4. booking ahead
- I always booked the next hotel 1 day in advance. having the freedom to change plans on the spot is worth more than the (comparebly) very small extra price.
6. IC card on phone
- I prefered getting the physically card because you can just keep it as a souvenir. I also never needed to wait in line to top up the card - remember, I was in cherr yblossoms.
7. luggage hotels
- no need for that. stay 3 nights at one spot minimum. you get 2 full days of sightseeing / adventure and if you time the hotel change correctly you never need a luggage room
8. cash
- I withdrew 10k everytime i dipped below 2k, was enough for me alone
9. small bag for trash
- I mean yeah but simply having your daybag with you is enough
12. disrespecting shrines etc
- yeah please just do not be an idiot. has nothing to do with visiting japan but people are so selfish

All in all it's the same as everywhere. Be respectful, take your time, enjoy your stay.

@ジンジャーエール-f4u 5 months ago

さすがです！日本に住んでいる人にしか分からない実情と､情報がいっぱいの動画でした😊

@jeffmay6302 3 months ago

I'm about to make my 2nd trip to Japan my first was last August. Prior to going I watched a number of videos on the etiquette and as a result the first week there I was a nervous wreck. Once I saw locals eating and talking on trains I realised you are allowed to relax and enjoy yourself. Admittedly some of the bad manners of my fellow western tourists is disgusting but they are fortunately a minority. As a Catholic I chose to abstain from any of the rituals you described when visiting temples but then I only ever observed them from the exterior and had no dirty looks. The worst thing you can do in Japan is cut in line - don't even think of it. And finally yes August is hot but being from Brisbane it's no worse than February here, just plan your day accordingly and don't go walking for miles in the heat of the day. Besides dusk is a good time for photos and the tour groups have moved on.