Go to Japan

Go to Japan

Do you want to go to Japan?

Here is some information.

Travel Japan

Convinis

7-Eleven, FamilyMart, Lawson… open 24hours, they will be your best friends. These are convenience stores that offer a bit of everything for goods and services, at supermarket prices. They are everywhere; in big cities, there are even on every street corner.

They have ready-made meals of good quality (sandwich level and not supermarket), and even hot meals. When you buy a dish that can be reheated, the cashier will ask you if you want him to do it for you; the convinis all have microwave ovens to do this (and it's free).

If you are buying alcohol, the cashier will ask you to press "OK" on the screen on your side, to confirm that you are of age.

Wi-Fi

Wi-Fi is available on all platforms at JR and Tokyo Metro stations, and near any convini.

Pay

To withdraw money, not all ATMs will accept your card. But each 7-Eleven has an ATM 7-Bank which is likely to work.

Buy tax-free

In most shops, you can buy Tax-free, from 5000 JPY. To do this, you need your passport; a receipt will be attached to it, and you will pay the amount directly without tax. In principle, customs checks on your departure that you always have the goods mentioned on these receipts and asks you to pay the tax if you no longer have them; in practice, there is never anyone to check (especially that the passage through customs is after having checked your baggage…).

In many cases, you will first need to purchase your goods, then go to a special counter (either in the store or somewhere in the mall) to have them refund the tax on presentation. receipt and goods purchased.

If the goods are "consumable" (food or pens for example), they will be sealed in a bag, not to be opened before going through customs.

Orientation

It is impossible, unhappy! The addresses are given in the form of three digits; the first corresponds to the block number, the second to the construction order in the cadastre, and the third I don't know anymore. Nothing is consecutive.

Ask for directions, the Japanese, the most polite citizens in the world, will be of great help to you. Do not forget to thank them.
If necessary, don't hesitate to ask a police officer for directions. They often know their neighborhood very well and will be happy to help you.

Transport

Carte du métro de Tokyo.

There are too many lines belonging to too many different companies (JR ≠ metro ≠ Toei ≠ Chūō ≠ Yurikamome ≠…), it is not recommended to take day tickets.
The simplest means of payment are Pasmo, a rechargeable card that works with almost all metros and buses, or to pay on each trip.

If you are paying per trip, when you want to go from X to Y, look at how much it takes to get to Y and politely ask the machine for a ticket for that amount (it's a bit like a stamp system). In general, above the machine, there will be a network map with the prices for each station indicated. Don't forget * opt-in * and * opt-out *. When you insert your ticket to exit at Y, it will not come out, it is normal and ecological.

If you use the Pasmo card, simply beep it at the entrance and exit of the metro. A screen will indicate the remaining amount available on your card. You can recharge it at will, or pay the difference at the arrival station if the balance is insufficient.

If you go too far, there will be no more Latin characters. You will have to ask gently: "* sumimasen, kore wa Shibuya desu ka? arigatou * "(" Excuse me, it is well written Shibuya here? Thank you ")

Good news, Google Maps works on the Japanese network. It will save your life.

Japan Rail Pass

The Japan Rail Pass allows you to travel on all JR lines (which are everywhere) for free. It's quickly profitable if you're traveling through Japan, and it can save on some local trips too. There are local versions if you only travel to part of Japan.

Please note: you must buy it before departure, on a website corresponding to the place where you live; you will get a coupon to be exchanged at one of the JR offices, which are generally present at airports and stations. Note that often the airport offices are crowded, so if you do not need it right away, you can go later to a station, it is often much faster (5 minutes waiting instead of an hour). The JR Pass is only available for temporary visitors.

To use the JR Pass, just go to the side of the control doors, there is always a passage guarded by an agent. You show your JR Pass, and it will simply let you pass.

JR lines include Shinkansen, super high speed trains, except the Nozomi and Mizuho models (the fastest, but their lines always have other slightly slower trains that make the same routes). If you plan to take a Shinkansen, two possibilities: either reserve seats in advance, which is free and can be done at any Shinkansen station; either go in an "unreserved seats" car, which saves a little time but does not guarantee a seat (sometimes these cars are packed, sometimes almost empty). Note that there is no control over your seat reservations; you can suddenly miss the train, it doesn't matter, it's just not nice to have reserved a seat and not to have used it, but that's it.

There are also many local JR lines; for example, Tokyo has many JR lines that are more convenient than the metro or other private lines, and it is possible to go to most of the surrounding tourist spots with JR lines.

However, you have to be careful because some JR trains can continue to a private line; you will often see it at a color change on the line diagram. In this case, you will have to pay for the portion of the journey on the private line. There are almost always "Fare adjustment" terminals before the exit gates to pay you the sum.

Tokyo

Shibuya crossing

As soon as night falls,hello to Hachikō, the illustrious dog, go to the Starbucks on the first floor of the Tsutaya (impossible to miss it) to admire the pedestrian crossing.

Sensō-ji

This superb temple in the old quarter of Asakusa has been recently renovated.

Between the Asakusa station and the temple, there is the superb Nakamise Street: over 250 m, you will find all kinds of goodies (chopsticks, prints, taiyaki artisanal: fish-shaped cakes, filled with red bean paste * azuki *).

Harajuku

The temple of fashion. Descend to Omotesando or get lost in the Meiji Dori.

Akihabara

Difficult to find something. Blockbusters are highlighted, and a lot of things that we don't know yet in France are machine-gunned, which is a little frustrating :)
But by spending time there (you can do 3 days in the neighborhood without doing the same store twice) it is possible to find things, both in Otaku culture and in electronic equipment.

Also, beware: in some stores, the higher you go upstairs, the less it is allowed for children.
In others, however, these are where the good deals are (some DRCs are tourist scams and offer exorbitant prices).

Shinjuku

Nakano

Roppongi

Luida's bar (Dragon quest themed bar)

[Odaiba]

GUNDAM MOTHAFUCKAS

[Asakusa]

  • [Cat temple :3]
  • [Kaminarimon / Senso-ji]
  • [SkyTree]

Autre

  • Tsukiji (fish market). Eat sushi at noon.

Kyoto

  • How Not to Be a Tourist in Kyoto
  • Fushimi Inari-taisha : many torī…
  • Ginkaku-ji is the silver pavilion (superb garden), Kinkaku-ji the golden pavilion (superb pavilion)
  • Ryoan-ji : pebble garden
  • Nijō-jō : castle
  • Ponto-chō : the district with the highest cost across the width of the world; ideal for a romantic dinner on stilts.
  • International manga museum

To eat

  • Teramachi Street : bentō at noon for ¥ 500 (<€ 4), or onigiri street vendors
  • Tsukemen : Kyoto ramen (specialty)
  • Yoshinoya : cheap gyudons (onion beef over rice)

Osaka

  • Himeji Castle is worth a visit if you are up for the journey. Otherwise, Osaka Castle is a good alternative, more easily accessible.
  • Shinsekai
  • Dotonbori
  • Den Den Town (an otaku thing, again)

Nara

Food

  • Okonomiyaki (Osaka)
  • Takoyaki (Osaka)
  • Ramen
  • Onigiri
  • Sushi (Tsukiji)
  • Soba
  • Yakisoba
  • Udon
  • Chirashi
  • Nabe
  • Tempura
  • Curry japonais

Chains

In Japan, many restaurants are chains, but often of good quality! I recommend :

  1. Jojoen (cheap wagyu, some are open on Sunday)
  2. Hoshino Coffee (their 20 minute pancakes)
  3. Ice Monster (yes, it's Taiwanese)

Various

  • Karaoke
  • Ghibli Museum
  • Arcade room
  • Doing an onsen / ryokan is an interesting experience, but requires planning ahead. These are located in the mountains often a few hours from large cities.

Good luck.