This was published 8 years ago
Japan travel tips and advice: 20 things that will shock first time visitors to Japan
By Ben Groundwater
It's no insult to say that Japan is strange. Because to first-time visitors, everything in this amazing land is so different and foreign that there really is no other word for it. It's strange. Japan is endlessly fascinating, and amusingly bizarre. There's plenty to shock even those who've spent a whole lifetime there.
1. It's old
You might be picturing the neon jungle of Tokyo, or the gleaming metropolises of Yokohama or Osaka. But what people tend to forget is the history and tradition of Japan, the rich culture that stretches back thousands of years. From Shinto shrines to manicured gardens to Buddhist monasteries and traditional ryokan hotels, there's plenty of the "old" that lives on in new Japan.
Just when you think Japan is modern, you discover an ancient tradition.Credit: Getty Images
2. It's new
For all the respect that's paid to history and tradition, Japan is also mind-bogglingly modern, an almost cartoonish imagining of the distant future. Everything dings and flashes and beeps in modern Japan, from the vending machines to the toilet seats. It's a country of design and expediency, of futuristic fashion and at-times complex convenience. Everything in Japan can seem so brand-new and out-there that it takes a few days to get used to it all.
3. The locals are extremely helpful
Everything dings and flashes and beeps in modern Japan.
Stand around at just about any train station or bus stop or restaurant or bar looking confused for more than a couple of seconds and it's inevitable that someone will approach you and offer to help out. This politeness and sense of civic duty is a strong element of Japanese culture, and as a foreigner you will benefit from it time and time again.
4. Foreigners aren't always welcome
As friendly and helpful as the Japanese are towards foreigners, there are still unfortunately incidences where you'll find you won't be welcomed. Most of these are small, exclusive venues: whiskey bars in Shinjuku, or certain high-end restaurants in Ginza. This isn't something that's widespread, but it exists.
5. It's super-weird
Japan will never stop surprising you with its beautiful, creative weirdness. From the outlandish cosplay outfits of the "otaku", or manga comic nerds, to venues like the half-eatery half-performance-art Robot Restaurant, to niche-interest bars dedicated to plastic figurines from the 1980s, to an obsession with Hawaiian culture and a love for all things cute and fluffy, Japan is one strange and wonderful beast.
6. It's easy to get around
For a country that can seem so foreign and intimidating at first glance, Japan is actually a dream to get around. The train system is expensive, but it's also extremely reliable and user-friendly, as is the bus network and the subway systems in many cities. Most signage is in both Japanese and English, and ticket machines will also be able to help you out in your native tongue.
7. It's safe
Japan has one of the lowest rates of petty crime in the world, and that's something you very quickly come to appreciate. You never feel threatened in Japan, even in supposedly seedy Tokyo neighbourhoods like Kabukicho and Roppongi. You get the feeling you could put a bag down just about anywhere and come back a few hours later and it would still be there, untouched. There's never anything to fear.
8. English isn't widely spoken (or written)
You don't have to stray far from the tourist trail to find yourself in a world where you can no longer read any signs or speak to any people. There are plenty of restaurants, even in tourist-friendly cities such as Kyoto and Tokyo, that have no English menus and no English-speaking staff. This can make for a challenging experience, but it's one that's always tackled by the locals with good humour.
9. The food is incredibly good
It's almost impossible to get a bad meal in Japan – every dish in every restaurant is so meticulously thought-out and prepared. And the food is incredibly varied, from the expected sushi and ramen joints to restaurants that specialise in anything from yakitori to soba noodles, katsu cutlets to okonomiyaki. And then there are the Japanese takes on the cuisines of the likes of France, Italy, Spain and the US. It's all fresh, delicious and affordable.
See: Where to eat in Tokyo - a chef's tips
10. You can buy almost anything from a vending machine
Want a can of soft drink? Get it from a vending machine. Want a tin of warm soup, or a packet of cigarettes, or a coffee, or a beer, or a new T-shirt, or a cup of instant noodles, or an ice-cream, or an umbrella, or a pair of gloves, or a hot dog? You can get all of those things, and many more weird and wonderful items, from Japanese vending machines.
11. The locals like a drink
The Japanese might seem straight-laced and hard-working, but wait until you head out for a night on the town. That's when the salarymen loosen their ties and hit the drinks hard, getting boozy at izakayas, pubs, bars and restaurants until the wee hours. Beer is eternally popular, but then again so is sake, and locally made whiskey, and classic American cocktails also have their place.
12. Most ATMs won't accept your bankcard
Travellers will be used to the ease of international banking by now, of being able to pop their card in just about any ATM around the world and take cash out. But that won't work in Japan. Only international banks such as HSBC, or ATMs at 7-Elevens or post offices, will accept foreign cards.
13. Japanese people can sleep anywhere, any time
You'll quickly come to admire this remarkable ability Japanese people possess to grab a kip in the most unlikely of places. Go to a ski resort and you'll see heads on tables in the cafeterias as tired skiers grab some lunchtime shut-eye. Ride on the train and you'll see commuters sound asleep, only to very impressively spring to life when they get to their station and need to get off.
14. The Japanese bar scene is the best in the world
Step aside, New York. Don't even think about it, Berlin. The world's best bar scene is in Japan, in particular Tokyo. This is a city in which you could visit a new bar every night for your entire life and never get bored. It's a city of hidden charms, of tiny whiskey bars that can only fit a few customers at a time, of karaoke bars where you can sing in a bathtub, of vinyl obsessives who leave more room for their music collection than their clientele, of underground bars down hidden stairways, and of charming places dedicated to every quirk and fetish you could ever imagine. Whatever you're into, there's a bar in Tokyo that caters for it.
See: Move over Melbourne, this is the home of the world's best bar scene
15. Love hotels exist
When you live in a tiny apartment with paper-thin walls that you share with your parents, it can be difficult to find opportunities for a casual romantic tryst. Enter "love hotels", a series of short-stay hotels designed for anonymity – the check-in procedure is often done via vending machine – and amorousness. What makes these places even more interesting are the quirky designs: everything from Hello Kitty themes to dungeons.
See: Japan hotel launches 'crying rooms' for women
16. Karaoke is awesome
If you're not already a fan of getting together with a bunch of friends and a microphone and belting out a few of your favourite tunes, then you will be after visiting Japan. The Japanese love karaoke, and you very quickly realise why: pretending you're a rock star, even if it's only for about four off-key minutes of your evening, is highly addictive.
17. Convenience stores are actually convenient
In a fit of drunken desperation, you might occasionally consider eating a corner store sausage roll in Australia – but that's about it. In Japan, however, the food sold at the likes of 7-Eleven, Lawson, FamilyMart and Circle K is legitimately good. It's fresh, and it's tasty. There's also plenty more on sale in the drink and snack department, making these some of the few convenience stores in the world that actually live up to their name.
18. Everything is tiny
Get used to it, because everything in Japan is built to make maximum use out of minimal space. The cars are tiny, the houses are tiny, the hotel rooms are tiny, the restaurants are tiny, the bars are tiny, the shops are tiny, and even the streets are tiny. Everything, however, is designed with care, made to be comfortable and harmonious despite the squeezy size.
19. Japanese toilets are… interesting
What. The hell. Do all of those buttons do? What's the little fountain thing? What's the box with the speaker? What does the wavy thing do? Why are there plus and minus buttons? What's the difference between one fountain button and another? Given it's highly unlikely that there will be any English instructions to go with your Japanese toiletry experiences, the only way you'll be able to answer these questions is via a very interesting game of trial and error.
See: Japan opens toilet museum
20. The address system is bonkers
You're probably used to the system of having one long street with numbered buildings on each side – and that's understandable, given it's a system used just about everywhere in the world. Everywhere, that is, except Japan, which instead uses a system based on numbered city blocks, rather than streets. Most addresses in Japan contain a prefecture, a city, a municipality, a district, and then three numbers: the number of the block, then the number of the building, then the number of the apartment. Simple. Er, right?
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