Japan Free Travel Guide

My annual leave was about to expire, so I took a few days off for a trip to Japan. It was absolutely fantastic, so I wanted to document the preparation work and overall journey here.

Preparation

1. Japan Visa: I went through Ctrip for processing and chose the 3-year visa. Since all my documents were complete, it was very smooth with no issues. I’d recommend choosing Ctrip’s self-operated service.
2. Japanese Yen Cash: For 2 people over 6 days, I exchanged 50,000 yen, and found I still had 15,000 left when I returned home. I recommend exchanging cash in advance since some merchants are cash-only.
3. Visit Japan Web Online Declaration: Register and declare in advance. You can also queue up to declare after entering Japan, but doing it beforehand is more efficient.
4. General Planning: Japan isn’t exactly cheap for things like accommodation, transportation, and dining. Personally, I think it’s a bit more expensive compared to Beijing, so having a plan helps keep everything under control.
5. Mobile Data Card: You can buy one directly on Taobao. I got a 7-day 15GB plan and didn’t use it all up, but better safe than sorry.
6. Suica Card: For iPhone users, you can add a Japanese Suica card in advance. You can use it to pay directly on many routes in Japan.
7. JCB Credit Card: Many Japanese merchants support JCB credit cards. I recommend applying for one in advance as there are activity rebates, and also bring a Visa card - having multiple payment options is safer.

Regarding the plastic bags mentioned online, I personally think it’s unnecessary. At most, carry a few with you. I brought some but barely used them. Just be careful not to litter, which should be the case domestically as well.

Overall Travel Plan

Our route was Beijing → Tokyo → Osaka → Beijing. Since this was our first time in Japan, we wanted to visit the major cities first. Future trips can explore different places.

For both Tokyo and Osaka, we followed recommendations from Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book) and AI suggestions, making appropriate selections. I personally don’t recommend “commando-style” traveling - it’s no fun at all.

Transportation

In Tokyo, I bought a Tokyo card but found I barely used it. In Osaka, I bought a tourist pass (including transportation/attractions), which felt very cost-effective.

For navigation, I recommend using Google Maps or Apple Maps. Gaode Maps actually works too, but has obvious shortcomings like missing station times and location drift. However, for navigating in major cities, it’s adequate. This really depends on personal habits and requirements.

Accommodation

I booked accommodation through Qunar. We stayed in a hotel in Tokyo and an Airbnb in Osaka.

Food

I personally really enjoy Japanese fish cakes and udon noodles. My wife loved the fish there - some can be eaten raw and are quite delicious.

Attractions

1. Tokyo Tower
2. Tokyo Skytree
3. Tokyo National Museum
4. Osaka - Kaiyukan Aquarium
5. Osaka - Umeda Sky Building
6. Osaka Castle

Final Thoughts

Japan is wonderful and not too far from China. The cultures are similar - for example, Chinese characters make up 50% of Japanese text, so reading text isn’t actually that difficult.