George recently made the biggest mistake any of us have made while traveling in Japan. Even as experienced travelers, mistakes happen! I’ll let him tell the story.
Mistake 1: Leaving Items on a Train
Traveling for 16 years as a digital nomad, I’ve had my share of misadventures, but nothing compares to the day I lost $7K worth of gear on a local train from Niseko to Otaru. Picture this: my backpack, filled with all my electronics—cameras, laptop, pocket Wi-Fi and money—casually sitting on the overhead storage.
Sounds harmless? It wasn’t.
After dinner in Sapporo, I reached for my backpack. It wasn’t there. Panic instantly set in. I knew I had left it on the train. But that train was now miles away. In a flurry of anxiety, I rushed to the JR ticket office.
It was almost 8 PM, barely any staff around, but luckily I met a kind staff member, we’ll call her Akemi.
Akemi immediately got to work, calling Otaru Station. Minutes felt like hours. They didn’t have it. She called Niseko Station. No luck.
My heart sank further with each call. Then she called the main lost and found in Sapporo. Nothing. I was the only customer left; the office lights dimmed as Akemi and I stood amidst tourist brochures and silent phones.
Defeat crept in. Akemi suggested I return in the morning. But I wasn’t ready to give up. Seeing my desperation, she asked if I remembered the stops. Thankfully, I did—courtesy of countless videos we’ve made on Japan’s transportation.
Akemi dialed Kutchan Station, a major stop along the way. After a few tense moments, she threw her hands in the air and shouted, “Yatta!”. They had found my backpack.
The Next Morning I embarked on a two-hour journey to Kutchan. My backpack awaited, completely intact.
How did this happen? Distraction. Usually, I keep my valuables close, especially while traveling. Our daughter who usually sits with me sat by Kaisho this time, and our youngest, Sora, crawled onto my lap.
To make space, I moved my backpack to the overhead rack. Tired from a day of playing in the snow and his first taste of snowboarding, Sora fell asleep. When we arrived at Otaru Station, I carried him off the train, completely forgetting my bag.
So:
1. Never store valuables on an overhead rack,
2. And never let distractions put your valuables out of sight.
Take it from me, even seasoned travelers can slip up. But with a bit of persistence and some luck, you might just get your belongings back!
Mistake 2: Allowing Your Phone to Die While Out and About
Heidi’s biggest fear:
While traveling in Japan my phone is my lifeline. Unlike my husband, George, I’m not so great at navigating. Sometimes at the end of a long day, our family splits up.
George takes our kids back to our hotel, while I finish up some last minute shopping. Then I catch a local train back to our hotel.
But I need Google Maps on my phone to help me figure out which train to catch from which platform. Using directions on Google Maps throughout the day drains my phone battery.
Plus, I’ve been using my phone all day, to translate menus, take photos and videos, look up recommendations online.
I need my phone battery to last me all the way back to my hotel. So I always try to remember to carry a power bank with me.
Even if I don’t expect to use my phone a ton that day. We never know where the day might take us or how long we might stay out.
A charged phone is my number one travel essential for getting around Japan, making a power bank my number two travel essential.
We participate in multiple affiliate programs. If you click on one of our affiliate links and make a purchase, we will earn a commission, at no extra cost to you. Thanks!
Mistake 3: Losing Internet Connection When You Need It
To go along with needing a charged phone, I also need internet connection on my phone. Sure, I could download offline maps for a certain area, but that’s not going to tell me if my bus or train is running late.
One of the main ways I see people run into this issue is if they are sharing a Pocket WiFi among a group. And then one member of their group gets lost at the train station.
But since that person is now out of range of the Pocket WiFi, they no longer have internet connection to contact their group using Line or Whatsapp. Now they are lost and unable to communicate.
This is why I get an eSIM on my phone and my husband carries a pocket WiFi in his backpack. If I accidentally or intentionally go my own way, I still have internet connection for communicating and navigating.
Mistake 4: Packing More Than You can Carry
If you cannot carry all of your luggage up a couple flights of stairs then you are packing too much! Not all Metro station exits have elevators.
If you cannot move your luggage from a train platform onto a train in a few seconds, you are packing too much!
While there are services such as Yamato Transport that will ship your luggage to your hotel or the airport, there are times you will need to get your bags from point A to point B yourself.
We recommend packing as light as possible for Japan. If it turns out you didn’t pack something you need, shopping is easy in Japan.
Mistake 5: Packing Jeans for Summer
On my very first trip to Japan, 20 years ago, I made the mistake of packing jeans. It happened to be a summer trip. Summers in Japan can be not only hot, but also extremely humid. Thick heavy jeans were not comfortable in the muggy weather.
I’ve switched to packing thin lightweight flowy clothing for summer in Japan.
Mistake 6: Not Having a Plan for Bringing Back Souvenirs
I love shopping in Japan! There are so many awesome things to buy. And it’s even more tempting to shop with the current favorable exchange rate between USD and Japanese Yen.
But if you pack light on your way to Japan, you may not have room to bring souvenirs back with you.
We’ve been known to buy a suitcase in Japan a time, or two, or three. We’ve bought suitcases in Japan at Costco, Sanrio Gift Gate, and Don Quijote. But they weren’t cheap, costing around US $120 each.
Instead, you might want to plan in advance, packing an empty folded duffle bag in your suitcase.
Mistake 7: Not Looking up Japanese Holidays
It’s crucial to research Japanese holidays and events before making your travel plans. Here’s why:
Hotel Prices: Hotels can be significantly more expensive during holidays.
Train Availability: Trains can be fully booked, making travel difficult.
Amusement Parks: Tickets to amusement parks and attractions might sell out quickly.
The major holiday seasons are:
Golden week – around April 29 – May 5,
Obon Festival – mid August,
New Years – 29 December until Jan 3
But even smaller, lesser-known holidays can disrupt your plans. Always check the holiday calendar to avoid surprises. We didn’t know about the current emperor’s birthday holiday on February 23 which caused the closure of some attractions we were hoping to see.
Mistake 8: Not Ordering JR Pass or Regional Pass before Heading to Japan
For a while, foreigners could purchase a Whole Japan Rail Pass at ticket offices in Japan. That is no longer the case. If you’re planning to get a JR Pass for your trip, purchase it ahead of time from a travel agent, such as Klook, or order online from the official website.
JR is also phasing out being able to buy regional train passes in person at train stations in Japan. It’s best to purchase regional JR Passes online in advance. For example the Hokuriku Arch Pass which links Tokyo to Osaka via Kanazawa.
This does not apply to the Hakone Free Pass. You can buy your Hakone Free Pass the day before or day of your visit to Hakone.
Mistake 9: Not Pre-Booking Restaurants and Activities
So you want to dine at world-famous restaurants like Sukiyabashi Jiro, Sazenka or Den? You better book a few months in advance. Even the popular Gonpachi restaurant, made famous by the movie Kill Bill is usually fully booked.
What about attractions?
Studio Ghibli and both of the crazy popular TeamLabs tend to sell out in advance.
Disneyland and DisneySea only sell tickets online or at Disney hotels. You can’t even buy tickets at ticket booths at the park entrance.
If there is something you really want to do or somewhere you really want to eat, check and see if you can book a reservation far in advance.
Mistake 10: Selecting Your Home Currency
This is a costly mistake to avoid. When you use an ATM in Japan to withdraw cash, you may be given the option to proceed either in your home currency, for me that’s USD, or in the local currency of Japanese Yen.
If you choose your home currency, you could be charged a markup fee of 4% or more.
Similarly, when you pay by credit card at some establishments, you may be given the option to pay either in your home currency or Japanese Yen. Again, select Japanese Yen.
If you select your home currency, the merchant can use Dynamic Currency Conversion, which may come along with a 12% markup fee!
Along these lines, we bring with us both debit and credit cards that do not charge foreign transaction fees.
Mistake 11: Under-Estimating Travel Time
Rushing and missing attractions due to underestimating travel time is a common pitfall in Japan.
Even with efficient city connections in Tokyo and Osaka, travel times can often exceed expectations.
Google Maps, while helpful, tends to underestimate walking times. Unexpected obstacles like large crowds, closed streets, and missed trains can disrupt plans.
Recently, we nearly missed our entry time for TeamLab Borderless. Although we arrived at the building promptly, the complex’s massive underground layout caught us off guard, resulting in an extra 15 minutes spent searching for the exhibition.
Remember, in Japan, anticipating longer travel times can prevent missed opportunities and ensure a more relaxed exploration of the country.
Mistake 12: Not Being Prepared for Emergencies
Japan is earthquake-prone, and emergencies can happen. Here’s how to be ready:
Making Emergency Calls
– Public pay phones in Japan are free for emergency calls. Look for the red button, press it, and then:
– For medical emergencies and fires: Dial 119
– Police: Dial 110
– These phones are green and easy to spot.
– Download the NHK World app to receive Japanese government emergency alerts in English.
– Ensure notifications are ON:
1. Click the icon on the top right
2. Go to Push Notification Settings
3. Ensure ‘Earthquake 5-lower and above’ is selected
– Check your home country’s health insurance for coverage in Japan.
– If you need travel medical insurance, we recommend SafetyWing Nomad Insurance. We’ve been using them for years for our long-term travels, and they are also available for short trips. Just select your specific dates for a quote.
We hope that by knowing these mistakes to avoid you will have a more enjoyable trip to Japan. We could have used some of this advice before making mistakes ourselves. Here on Kensho Quest it’s our goal to help you navigate Japan with confidence!