First Things to do When you arrive in Japan.
So most of you coming to Japan for the first time maybe a little bit intimidated, you might be confused it’s a different language, a completely different country, so there’s a lot to worry about.
So in this post, I’m going to give you some advice and local information from my perspective
1. Difference Between Narita & Haneda Airport
First, let’s get to the airport, but if you’re coming to Tokyo, you will have to use either Narita Airport or Haneda Airport. So whats the difference is between the two airports, so I’ll explain it to you easily.
Narita is bigger than Haneda, and there’s a lot of international takeoffs and landings. Haneda has a lot of domestic flights in and out of the city.
They both have places to eat and shop, though.
Haneda’s was recently renovated, so I think Haneda’s attraction is better than Haneda’s. The big difference between the two is the distance from the city center.
It takes more than an hour to get to Narita by express train Haneda is a local line, 15 to 30 minutes out. That’s why it’s cheaper to travel to Haneda.
2. Get Internet Connectivity with SIM Card
No matter what country you go to, the first thing you want to get is the internet. There’s some Wifi here and there.
When you’re in Tokyo, you’re going to be going to a lot of different places.
It’s a must to get a SIM card. My two best options are Mobal and gigsky.com. The great thing about this brand is that they send your SIM card to your home before you leave the country! Plus, free shipping!
It’ll be ready to use as soon as it arrives, so there’s nothing to worry about.
Don’t worry if you don’t have time to arrange it in advance.
There are places to pick up the SIM card at the airport, and there are places all over the country, let alone in the city. There’s English support, too.
Mobal SIM card is the one which is usually used in Japan, from SoftBank.
And it covers 99% of the country. It has a good signal everywhere you’ll go.
7GB on the Unlimited. That’s pretty fast.
3. Download Useful Apps
Next, I’ll introduce some useful apps in Japan! It’s going to make your stay more meaningful. Connecting trains in Japan is very stressful at first!
You know, the subway. There are so many routes in Japan.
The locals use Jorudan or NaviTime.
But I would recommend NaviTime because it supports English.
There are other apps in English, but you can use Google.
It’ll give you easy-to-follow directions. If you don’t have Google, just download the Google Maps app. Just type in your current location or activate your location and where you want to go. It’ll tell you when to take the train.
There might be an app for each language, though.
I think the most up-to-date information is on Google Maps and Navitime.
You can use the Google Translate app, too.
If you’ve never used it, you should download it.
When you can’t read the menu because you don’t understand Japanese.
You can read the menu on the screen and it’ll translate for you.
That’s awesome. If you’re searching for restaurants in your current location, don’t use YELP or TripAdvisor! Most of the locals use a Tabelog.
The app and site are in Japanese, but There’s an English version with all the information about the restaurant and all the pictures!
With a SIM, it’s easy to access the site.
One more thing, UBER is not used in Japan as it’s common outside of Japan. There’s no need to call taxis because they’re everywhere in the first place. But you use an app called DiDi Rideshare (It’s basically Uber) and the taxi which called is equivalent to Uber X . If you want to make Japanese friends, you have to download LINE!
The only way we exchange contacts these days is by line.
You might as well download it before you come to Japan! I am listing all the apps and some extras which you will need in your stay:
Navigation Apps:
Google Maps
Hyperdia
Japan Navitime
DiDi Rideshare(Taxi Service)
Food-related Apps:
GuruNavi
Tabelog
Language:
Google Translate
Messenger App: LINE
4. Showers and Capsule Hotels
If you want to get refreshed, you can take a shower at the airport.
One option is a capsule hotel. You can take a nap or stay overnight at a low price. Narita Airport has a capsule hotel in Terminal 2 that says “9h nine hours”. It’s your typical capsule hotel style, complete with a clean shower room. Haneda has the first cabin in Terminal 1. In addition to the shower,
there’s a large bath! It’s nice to be able to experience this at the airport.
The capsule hotel at the airport can be a great help when your flight home is early in the morning! It’s a luxury capsule hotel and it’s quite good.
It might be worth a look if you’re using Haneda. Also, the airport has showers all over the place, so you can take advantage of them.
5. Airport to Tokyo
As there are a few ways to get out of the city. There are a few, but no one uses taxis because they’re too expensive.
That ultimately narrows it down to two options.
Train or bus. If you’re staying in a big hotel, I recommend the limousine bus.
It’ll take you to the hotel.
So, depending on the location of the hotel, the mode of transportation you choose will change.
Find out where to get off the bus and train.
Choose your transportation wisely.
Narita Express and limousine buses are about the same price.
A cheap bus is about 1,000 yen.
If you want to keep costs down, that’s fine, but it only stops at certain places.
There are many patterns that are very far from the hotel.
It’s going to be a lot of work to get from the drop-off point to the hotel.
6. Get IC Train Card
Another recommendation is to get a Pasmo or a watermelon card.
It’s like a prepaid card.
People who come to Japan for sightseeing often buy a JR pass, but
You can buy an IC card at any station.
In the case of Narita Airport, return near the entrance of the JR Narita Express. (Everything about IC train Card)
You’ll need a deposit of 500 yen, but it’ll come back to you if you return it.
You can charge up to 20,000 yen.
IC cards can be used in many places besides the train!
Inconvenience stores, kiosks, vending machines, restaurants, and appliance stores! Also, there’s no difference between a Suica and a pasmo.
We’re ready for Tokyo, aren’t we?
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