Are you visiting Japan for just a short time? Here’s a quick list of things that I think are important to bring to make your stay less worrisome and more enjoyable. If you have any suggestions that I didn’t mention, feel free to leave them in the comments section.
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- Japan Post Office and ATM
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- 711 in Japan has an ATM
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- Burberry Handkerchief
- Debit Card and $100 - Many people say bring cash because many places don’t accept credit cards. This is only kind of true. I say bring $100 and your debit card instead. At the airport you can minimize exchange rate fees by changing only $100 into Yen. This way you’ll have cash on hand and can buy some things from the vending machines and pay for transportation when you arrive. Major stores will take a debit card if it has the Visa or Mastercard logo on it. To get money, you can withdrawal using your Visa or Mastercard from almost any Japan Post Office (no ATM fee) or 7-11 (~250 Yen ATM fee). Very fair exchange rates are set each day by Visa or MasterCard, and depending where you bank you’ll be charged 1% from Visa or Mastercard, and 1% or more from your bank. And you’ll have a withdrawal limit of $500 USD per day most likely. And many major stores will accept credit cards as payment.
- Deodorant - It gets hot and humid during the summer, and sometimes public transportation cranks up the heat in the winter. To stay dry, you should bring some antiperspirant/deodorant. I haven’t seen it for sale that frequently in Japan. When I did buy it in Japan I had to go to a few pharmacies until I found a Ban Rollon for about 500 Yen. It’s small and lasts maybe 3-4 weeks. Costco sells Speed Stick deodorant (non antiperspirant) but I don’t think it works very well.
- Hand Sanitizer - I haven’t seen this for sale in Japan. You’ll be touching a lot of things including doorways, bus or subway handles, money, and then it’ll be time to eat! Sometimes it’s hard to find places to wash your hands. Many bathrooms are missing two things… soap and paper towels. When you go to a restaurant they’ll usually give you a wet towel, but I think bringing a small bottle of hand sanitizer will help you stay healthy and give you a piece of mind.
- Handkerchief - There’s usually no towel or air dryer in the public bathrooms, and you might need it to wipe sweat from your face in the summer. Something cheap is fine. When you’re in Japan you can hit the shops and find a nice one for 500 yen or a Burberry or Calvin Klein for 1000 yen or less.
- Digital Camera - Sure, Japan is known for electronics and gadgets, but they’re not cheap. I find that many things in Japan cost the same or more than in the US. And all Sony products have only Japanese language menus. When you’re capturing memories, it’s better safe than sorry.
- 3 Prong Outlet Adapter – Almost all outlets are 2 prong only. So if you have any 3 prong electronics like your laptop, bring an adapter. You could buy one here, but you’re exploring Japan so why waste time looking for one?
- Over the counter allergy meds - Seasonal allergies? Allergic to dust, or anything else? You should bring some Clariton or Zyrtec. It’s not sold OTC here, and the OTC meds are expensive and cause drowsiness.
- Aspirin - You should bring a small bottle of aspirin or Tylenol. It costs maybe $1-2 in the US for a travel size. If you need to buy it in Japan it’ll cost you around 700 Yen for 20 aspirin pills. If you need to buy some here, look for “Bufferin” or ask for it by the brand name.
- Earplugs and Facemask - I recommend this because walls are thin in most buildings, so it might be hard to sleep at times.
Photo Credits:
Japan Post Office photo by sintaronakaoka
711 Convenience Store photo by tamoteru6
Burberry Handkerchief photo by thailand_becky
Tags: japan, things to bring, traveling
Japan Post Office photo by sintaronakaoka
711 Convenience Store photo by tamoteru6
Burberry Handkerchief photo by thailand_becky
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very useful list especially for people like me who haven’t visited Japan yet
Thanks Jamaipanese! I’m glad you found it useful.
You can get hand sanitising wet tissues in Japan; indeed coversely my wife always takes them with her when we go abroad as we can’t find them (or just haven’t bothered looking) there.
The brand we usually get is Kirei-Kirei. I’m sure I’ve seen alcohol sprays too, but I can’t remember which brand.
Nice, I didn’t know. Thanks for the link.
I should also add for anyone reading who wants to know, the pink ones are non-alcohol, green with alcohol, so the green ones are more effective. Most drug stores stock them, so it’s not too hard to find, and it’s usually alongside toilet seat wiping sheets…
Oh, and I should also add that in stores if your credit card doesn’t have a IC chip (are they standard in the US?) you might find it more awkward than if you have the chip, and know your PIN, of course.
I don’t think IC chips are popular in the U.S. and I’ve never seen one on a credit card myself.
On a side note I noticed that when I buy things at a store using a credit card I’m charged at the end of the month instead of on the spot.
I have used chipless American credit cards in Japan for years and never had a single problem.
Note on cameras: I think the only advantage to buying when you get here will be that Japan gets the newer models first… it’s only cheaper if the exchange rate is good (ie: not now). Also I’ve noticed that most Canons are bilingual – screw Sony (with my apologies to my friend that works there!!).
And good call on the hankie, especially in the warmer months to wipe your brow.
Also maybe you should add a phrasebook or pre-written translations of useful phrases? You can probably get around in Tokyo and bigger cities, but knowing even just a little once you get out of the main areas would be helpful I’d think… it’s something I always do when traveling.
Good call on the phrasebook! You get one for $9 from The Lonley Planet and read it on the plane. As for the cameras, I have a Sony camera that I bought in Japan and I found the English manual online, but I also have a few friends with Canon products. I like both.
Pretty impressive list. I will reference it next time I have visitors.
Something that is not needed but is slightly helpful is the address of the person/place you will be staying at. If not the people at customs can be pretty annoying when it comes to filling out the forms.
Good suggestion on the address! I forgot all about that.
Don’t forget train maps as you can get it online. Then use Hyperdia to see the schedule, fares, and time from one point to another with multiple alternatives. Not sure if I should say this but you won’t experience Japan if you haven’t experienced the cramped train.. haha
On the bilingual thingy, it’s just about marketing strategy. I never find it as an issue. What to say, they love their language, people and country and care less what foreigners think.
Thanks for the link. It’s difficult to find timetables in English, that’s one reason I usually take the subway or train and avoid the bus. And even though the bus is usually cheaper, it’s not as fast as the subway and can get caught in traffic. When trains are jam packed, it reminds me of a popular music concert… with no sound.
Great list! I’d also add Pepto Bismol. When I lived in Japan, I could not find an equivalent.
I’ve seen Pepto Bismol in pill form, so that should be easy to carry. Have you ever taken a similar medicine here? You have to take 4-10 small pills at a time and sometimes they stink. Not fun.
Great list!
Also, looking for and booking Traveler Commute Tickets can be a real bargain. Tourists in Osaka can pay a set sum of money for a few days of free train travelling and like 10 sightseeing places at a very good rate. You’ll end up saving more than $200 since traveling in Japan tends to be on the expensive side.
Do you know where you get these?
Yes I do
http://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/arrange/transportation/discount_rail-bus.html
Check out the Kansai pass, it’s a bargain!!!
All JR companies offer discount tickets for foreigners I think
Awesome, thanks!
I loved the list and it fits very nicely with just daily living whether your visiting Japan or staying for a little while, but I’ll warn against the medicine. Japan has some very strict medicine laws and I’m not exactly sure what they would do if they found something illegal in your luggage at customs, but it might not be pretty. I know one that is illegal there, but not in the US is Sudafed.
Good point. It’s up to each individual to know and obey the law. Here’s a page ofa bout bringing prescription or OTC medication into Japan for personal use and another page from Japan customs talking about custom procedures and what you can and cannot bring into Japan.
We returned couple of days ago after 17 day vacation in Japan, travelled as far west as Hiroshima/Miyajima and as far north as Sapporo. It was our second visit to Japan so we were little wiser. Our suggestions are:
1. Carry body moisturizer/hand foot moisturizing cream. Most hotels provide shampoo, conditioner and body soap but no moisturizer. Dry skin was the major problem we encountered due to heat being turned up indoors, lot of walking, and use of onsens. Also request humidifier from hotel. Most provide them.
2. Buy a Japan Rail Pass (before reaching Japan) if you will be traveling between cities using trains. This was the best investment we made during our vacation, travelled primarily using shinkansen and JR.
3. In addition to Lonely Planet Phrasebook, buy a pocket Japanese-English-Japanese dictionary (with Japanese words written in both romanized and kana). Phrasebooks are good for asking questions in Japanese but to decipher responses, you will need dictionary. Don’t assume natives will give answers same way/in short phrases as written in phrasebook.
4. Travel light. If you are going to come back to a major city like Tokyo (hub) after few days of sight seeing in other area, carry what you will need and store rest of the luggage at the hub. Most hotels will store your luggage for free or store at stations. During our vacation, it was interesting to see several tourists lugging around all their luggage. One even took couple of big suitcases to Miyajima on ferry. We left most luggage with Tokyo hotel and rest with Hiroshima hotel for overnight visit to Miyajima.
5. If you are not used to walking several hours a day, buy therapeutic socks for walkers at drug stores in Japan. Without these socks, we would have lasted max 2 -3 days of walking only.
6. Most banks and CC will charge $5 or so foreign transaction fee for debit/credit card use in Japan. Exchanging cash USD for Yen doesn’t give good rate. You get better exchange rate with travelers cheques (almost same as CC). Don’t exchange money at bank or airport, post office gives you the best exchange rate. Travelers cheque can be obtained at no/little fee from banks and AAA in US.
7. Too much use of hand sanitizer/wet or hot towels will cause dry skin. Japan is lot cleaner at least compared to US. We encountered soap and hand dryers in most restrooms. Carry a handkerchief or collect free tissue packets given as promotions at most busy street corners/busy areas.
Thanks for the suggestions! The JR pass is definitely a sweet idea. Free tissues seem to be everywhere, and they’re great because you never know when you’ll need them.
Hand sanitizer…. YES!
(especially if you are a germaphobe like me)
About electronics, it often comes down to the exchange rate.
On my first trip to Japan many years ago, US dollar had 30% more value against yen than it does now.
A large format professional Sony DV Cam was a bargain at that time, and it had English menus.
Nearly paid for my trip over there for 10 days to buy that camcorder in Japan instead of US.
Most cameras do have English menus now, though the default is likely to be Japanese of course when you first boot it up.
Maybe I am behind the times and there is some strange grey market blocking attempt with consumer cameras by Sony where they have eliminated international menus, but I would be very surprised by that.
When the currencies swing around again (as they always do), electronics may turn into a bargain fest once more in Japan.
But of course, everything becomes a bargain in those times.
Enjoyed the list!
That’s great that you were able to save money with the exchange rate and get a camera with English menus. At BicCamera the Sony digital cameras I looked had only the Japanese language, but it was about 10% cheaper than the U.S. version.
great list!! i would suggest if you’re a tall woman, to make sure you have all the clothes you need. i was unable to find clothes in japan that fit me at all.
Good idea! I got rid of a lot of clothes when I came here thinking I’d just buy things here. Shirt sleeves are a little shorter (or my arms are a little longer?) than what I’m used to in America so it’s hard to find comfortable clothes.
You forgot peanut butter
Definitely deodorant and painkillers!!
J meds are weak and OTC is way expensive. If I need meds I usually just go to the Dr. It’s cheaper that way if you have insurance (which everyone should have)
To be honest there isn’t anything on your list that you can’t get in Japan. You either just don’t know what the package says/looks like, or you’re in the wrong place. Japanese people aren’t so primitive that they don’t have deodorant or cold medicine, so next time you’re in 7-11 look at the packages once over.
1. If a store has a Visa or Mastercard logo, it means that it’s the Japanese version of the card. You can’t charge directly from a foreign bank account in a foreign currency for a regular purchase in a Japanese store in debit or credit. I’ve never seen Mastercard in Japan, but if a store (most conbini have them) has the logo, it says under it only for Japanese issued cards. Airports also aren’t the best place to exchange money because they’re ripping you off either way.
2. Deodorant is for sale in any conbini or pharmacy. There are plenty of varieties for men and women, though most of them are spray. If you can’t read what it says on the bottle, you’ll probably think it’s hairspray.
3. You can also buy hand sanitizer in any conbini or pharmacy. Keep in mind that Japanese people don’t use these too much because there isn’t such a huge reason too. If Japanese people can manage to life longer than anyone else in the world using moist towels, you can too.
4. This is fine, but you can also use all the free napkins they give out in the street. If you live in a city (which you do), look for anyone handing out napkins with advertisements for loans/sex clubs, and keep these with you. You can also carry a man purse in Japan and it will be considered normal.
5. Unless you’re buying secondhand, the only thing in most stores are going to be the absolute newest and consequently most expensive. If you are looking for a model that’s over a year old you can probably get it for significantly cheap. For this you really need to be in the right place, so I can understand this.
6. You can always remove 3rd prong because it’s only used to ground whatever you’re plugging in.
7. Any time you want to get these sorts of medication you need to visit a hospital and buy it there. It’s going to be overpriced at any pharmacy. Make sure that whatever you’re bringing with you is alright with customs. I know that certain ADD medications are illegal in Japan, and though it’s unlikely they will care at customs there is a chance.
8. Look above.
9. You can also buy these in any convenience store.
Assuming electricity works basically the same in Japan as in the US, I would have to disagree with your solution to #6 as potentially damaging/dangerous.
“4. Handkercheif …”
Ummmm. No, tissues. The locals use cloth in the bathroom to dry their hands, tissues for the face etc; so handkerchiefs are regarded as dirty. Tissues are clean.
This impacts also on manners – don’t blow your nose in public (or if you do, turn away and hide your face). Preferably, sniff. Expulsion of bodily fluids is ill-mannered and somewhat disgusting. Sniff it up.
“6. 3 Prong Outlet Adapter”
No real problem except for a tiny wrinkle. The US operates on 110V 60hz while Japan is on 100V 50 Hz. For most things this doesn’t matter and if you’re only staying a short time it doesn’t matter at all. But over time the difference between 60 Hz and 50 Hz might show up, particularly in things like laptop power supplies. If you’re staying for more than a few weeks make sure your power supply is certified for 100V 50 Hz or get a local replacement.
(Technical explanation: 50 Hz AC has a slower cycle than the 60 Hz used in the US. This means that the components in US power supplies have to maintain current for a longer time than they are perhaps built for and after a while they may degrade as they are operating at the margin of their specification. This is far less of a problem than it used to be as many power supplies are now truly international and will handle Japan’s power just fine.)
READ the SPECS on the power supply or the unit’s documentation.
Most, if not all, power supplies (ac-dc) for Laptops, notebooks, mobile phones, cameras, etc have rated Inputs of 100volt to 240 volts AC ( 100/200, 110/220, 120/240 volts,) with 50 to 60 Hz cycle.
You will notice significant loss of performance when using electrical items with motors or heating elements, hair dryers, water heaters, …etc. Even units that are rated “Dual Voltage” will have a lower performance when the supplied voltage is 100/200 volts.
As far as the ground on the 3 (three) prong plugs, I’ve been breaking those off since my first 8086 laptop
Learn to say “sumimasen”. One of the most diverse, yet useful words.
Forget the GPS and bring this map book of Tokyo:
http://www.amazon.com/Tokyo-City-Atlas-Bilingual-Guide/dp/4770025033/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1244597481&sr=8-3
My teenage son is going to Japan this summer with 4-H. I am glad for the tips!
Could he “accidentally” rack up a big bill for his host family using his lap top on the internet?
And what, really, is a sought after gift to bring from America? We all ready have Detroit Tigers shirts ready.
hi, im in hiroshima japan not far from kure station, i have a visa debit card but i cant with draw any money out of it, they i could, but it dosent, i heard most japanese say there do not accecpted american debit/credit cards it has to be from japan, what can you say about that?????can you help me with this i will be very thankful if yu can anwser my question?????
yeah you are right it is really hard to find deodorants and hand sanitizers there
great post!
great tips.. since I am travelling to Tokyo next week for the first time.. however would appreciate if you mayshed some light on food, beer prices as well.
Also, per your experience, what could be bet way out to manage them as I heard that they are very expensive in Tokyo
Great list. Everything I would bring is on it!!
Oh and a Japanese – English phrase book would be useful as well
I’m planning to go to Japan (Okinawa area) in September for six months and need some advice on things.
1. Should I bring my ipod touch, or leave it? Its new and I would like bring it with me on the plane, but not sure if I should take it or buy a replacement when I get there.
2. What about buying a cell phone there? Can I get an unlocked one and take it back home? Is it easier to take things back to the US when they were bought in Japan?
3. Is there a limit to the number of bags you can take into the country?
4. On the limits of duty-free items, are they very strict about that? What if you are barely over the limit?
5. They have public wi-fi, right?
6. When you talk about sizes, can’t you have things custom made, or is it really expensive?
I like the list and all the add-ons, it will help alot when I leave!