Planning your trip as a Japan first-timer

Hi! My name is Vanissa. This is my first blog post because I keep getting requests from friends about my trip to Japan, where to go, where to stay, and how to get around. Instead of doing a .doc I think putting up a blog would be useful for others too.

That was me in Zojoji Temple (Shiba Park) in January 2018

1. Deciding when to go (which season to choose)

   if you’re from a tropic country like I am, I wouldn’t recommend summer time. It’s super hot, and not like in Indonesia, where its humid, its super dry in Japan and you sweat a lot, like A LOT. Wouldn’t be the nicest feeling when you’re visiting a temple / scenic places and when you take photos, your shirt is soaked wet, and your hair has become one with your forehead because of the sweating….

   my favorite season is actually autumn (early November temp drops to around 18-19 degrees Celsius and did I mention its low season?) you can wear your favorite coat and boots around, and even a sweater would do! Early November would also grant you some autumn leaves; definitely stop by Hitachi Seaside Park in autumn for its glorious colour.

   Winter is also nice but you need to bundle up and sometimes it looks bulky on pic and when its cold, you don’t even want to get your hands out of your pocket cause its freezing cold. I went to Tokyo early January 2018, the temp was 0-5 degrees Celsius. You’d need a heat tech legging, inner wear, sweater and a coat to keep you warm – which fills your luggage a lot more, thus heavier luggage. For me, I’d reserve some more space to take home stuffs that I shopped in Japan. Also going in winter won’t guarantee you snow, you’d need to go to Gifu / Shirakawa-go area for a full blown snow scene. If you’re lucky, you could experience a snow fall though in Tokyo.

   April is the best month to see the cherry blossom but its also the high season a.k.a more expensive and you’d compete with the locals at Ueno Park to view the cherry blossoms.

2. How long to stay ?

   this corroborates with which JR pass to purchase. 7 days, 14 days, 21 days. You can opt for 9 days and activate it at the third day of your arrival. But need I remind you, the most expensive transport is airport transfer and Shinkansen (bullet train within cities) so make sure to have them all synced to your itinerary to make the most of it.

   

3. Purchasing a JR pass – is it worth it?

   Check your flight ticket. Is it coming back and forth from Narita or Haneda? The best option without JR pass is if you’re flying in to Tokyo and leaving from Osaka, that way you won’t need return tickets to Tokyo. But cheap flights I found had NRT in and out. Haneda is closer to Tokyo (ETA 20-30mins), while Narita takes an hour or more. Skyliner will cost you around 2500-3000 JPY from Narita. I have never flown from Haneda, but it should be cheaper. If you’re planning to hop on in different cities in a week, then you should grab a JR pass. Also you need to take notice that JR pass only works on JR lines. Not all lines in Tokyo can be reached with JR, if you’re planning to stay in Tokyo, having a Suica card will be a better choice. It’s like Flazz card in Japan. You can tap on MRT and pay for food in mini markets or convenience store like 7-eleven or Family Mart. JR pass costs about 259USD for 7 days pass.

   

4. Wifi pocket / roaming SIM card / local SIM card?

   if you’re travelling alone, opt for local sim card or roaming. I used XL Pass for 7 days on Japan to use my existing data plan in Indonesia. I was using the XTRA combo data plan, was 89k IDR and the pass costs 200k IDR. Affiliated mobile network of XL in Japan was Softbank, I had a fairly good signal in anywhere in Tokyo, but I had a day full of no service in Shibuya with Softbank, which forces me to switch my cellular data on and off to get signal. I had also rented a wifi pocket from Klook, but I activated the roaming so my sis could use the pocket wifi and we could separately go our own ways in days and can still contact each other, and use google maps to get to our destinations. When searching for wifi at Klook, find the one which has unlimited data plans and good reviews. I picked up mine in Terminal 2 Narita, and drop off at the same place. But you can choose to drop off according to your plan when you book it. So if you fly out from Kansai airport you can choose to do so from your booking. I also once book a similar wifi pocket from HIS Travel (located in Taman Anggrek and Pluit Village) which had very nice signal and fast wifi, even on a speeding MRT. It’s a little bit pricier than Klook ones, but you can get discount if you buy JR pass or Disneyland ticket from them. JR pass have to be purchased in Indonesia and can only be redeemed in Japan. Remember not to lose them because if you lost your JR pass card, you won’t be able to grab a spare.

   

5. AirBnB or Hotel?

   This one, if you’re like me, who just needs a place to crash after walking around all day, I’d pick an airBnB that has good reviews. I would prefer my BnB to be close to station (preferably 5mins at most), has warm water, AC for the summer and heater for the winter. I usually also do my laundry if they have a washing machine. If you’re using JR pass makes sure your BnB is close to JR station. Staying in Shinjuku / Ikebukuro would be great options. Also makes sure the BnB has elevator / no stairs because you don’t want to be dragging a huge luggage up the stairs after a long way from airport. Some BnBs also provide you with a pocket wifi – but its usually quite slow, only adequate for chats and google maps. BnB also has kitchen, which I really like in case you want to whip yourself some breakfast. Oh! You can drink tap water in Japan, although people still buy mineral bottled water as it tastes better.

   

6. Cities to visit

   I’d recommend Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto / Nara for your first visit. If you’re a Disney fan and a Potterhead like me, Disneyland Tokyo and Osaka Universal Studio should be on your list! Ueno Park (nearby there is an Ameyoko street, varities of fresh seafood street food, oysters, clams, salmon, you name it) and Shinjuku Gyoen Park for scenic Tokyo. Tokyo skytree from Roppongi hills, Asakusa Sensoji Temple. Tokyo Tower from Shiba Park near Zojoji Temple. The famous Hachiko statue in Shibuya Station and the iconic crossing street, dubbed as the busiest crossing street in the world! People watching from the Starbucks second floor near the crossing is also an amazing experience. Stay at Osaka Dotonbori for the best night culinary street. Kyoto to visit Fushimi Inari Taisha and going to Nara to feed the deers. Arashiyama Bamboo Forest would also require a day trip for you to get around, so make sure to plan your trip accordingly. Gion in Kyoto is also a great choice if you’re looking to be in old town Japan, and if you’re lucky, catch a glimpse of the famous Geisha. In winter you gotta go to Shirakawa Go to catch the old Japanese village with white scene. Hitachi Seaside Park in autumn is also A MUST. Hakone is also a possible day trip from Tokyo if you want to visit and enjoy hot springs and live in traditional japanese inn, sleep on futons. Mt. Fuji is also a must stop if you’re a Japan first-timer.

7. Where to shop?

   I’d never thought I would be able to shop in Tokyo, as I thought it would be too damn expensive. But I actually found 1000JPY shirts or cute skirts even shoes in Harajuku! In Takeshita street, specifically. There was a store named WeGo which sells stylish clothes and the price is actually OK! But you can comb through the streets which shop has the best sale. In Takeshita street you can also find a lot of tax-free drug stores to buy make up and skin care. My favorite drugstore is the one near the McDonalds and Daiso. Oh! 100 YEN shops are all over Japan – Daiso and Can*do are the ones I keep coming back to the most. Daily stuffs you don’t actually need but WANT. Like cute cups, plates and tons of stuffs that only cost 100YEN (approximately 12.000 IDR) per item. Uniqlo is still quite expensive in Japan, not much different in Indonesia. You should check out GU, which has much more affordable and stylish clothes which resembles H&M.

8. withdrawing money from Japanese ATM

   If you’re a BCA card holder, any ATMs outside the country, if it has a Cirrus logo on it, you can withdraw money from it. The rate was okay last time I withdrew the money. And it costed only 25.000 IDR per transaction. This 7-bank ATM can be found in 7-eleven stores and train stations through out Japan.

I hope this was somewhat useful for anyone who read this blogpost. I may correct some of them in the future and apologise for any mistakes I may have made. Enjoy planning your trip, dear!

Love,

Vanissa