You’re on the ground, you’ve got your bags, you’re ready to hit the ground running

and spend the next one, two, three weeks going from Hokkaido to Fukuoka and see everything

that there is to see!

Not so fast!

There’s a lot of things that you need to know before we get going.

So, I’m here to show you what those things are.

Let’s get to it!

So, unless you’re flying into Japan from some place like Australia, Korea, or Guam,

you’ll probably be on your flight for a long time and coming from a very different

time zone.

T he first thing I’d suggest is, do your best to start acclimating yourself to Japan’s

time zone at LEAST 24 hours before your arrival.

If you can get your body on your new sleep schedule before you arrive, you’ll already

be one step ahead of the game and ready to begin your adventure from the moment you step

out of the airport without playing catch-up with your sleep.

I know you want to get your japan adventure started, but before you leave the airport,

you’ll need to get a few things in order.

Cash/currency, Wi-fi and Internet, transportation arrangements, luggage forwarding, and more.

There are even a few things you can and should start taking care of before you leave home.

We’re going to cover a all of this and hopefully eliminate some of your anxieties and hopefully

make your arrival into Japan as smooth as possible.

Before you even leave home, there are a few apps that you should install and become familiar

with.

These will make your travel easier when it comes to language translation as well as navigating

the country.

The first two apps that people usually think of are Google Maps and Google Translate.

However, these are not always the best and you need to know that there are other options.

First, let's look at language translation.

This is important, because you don't want to be like this guy!

Again, Google translate is OK, but most Japanese will tell you that these translations sound

strange.

A couple of better apps are called Papago and Deepl.

Although no app will translate into perfect native Japanese, these apps offer a more natural

translation.

I’ll put links below.

As far as getting around the country and navigation, there are many apps to choose from.

But, I’ll share my go-tos for these apps.

If you’re driving or walking, Google Maps is probably the best app for you.

When walking, Google maps actually has a real time view that will display the path in front

of you and SHOW you exactly where to go.

I often use this when walking in unfamiliar areas.

When driving, Google maps does a decent job, but can also take you on some very narrow

back streets if it detects that the main streets are congested.

This is not a problem, but just realize that these streets may be VERY narrow and you’ll

need to take your time and use caution.

The Waze is also a good option for driving and can be used if you’re more comfortable

with this option.

As far as navigating the train system, there are many apps to choose from.

I’ll share the two I use most.

For navigating the rail system I recommend an app called “Japan Transit planner.”

Simply put in your current train station, then the station you want to go to.

The app will usually give you several train options.

It will tell you how much each train will cost, what time it departs and arrives, and

also tells you what platform you need to catch the train on.

If you miss your train, just hit the search button again and the app will recalculate

the new time and route.

If Google maps is your thing, it can also be a good option for navigating the trains.

Unlike the Japan Transit Planner app, Google maps recognizes your current location and

will actually use your phone’s camera to show you how to get to the train station using

a live view of the area you’re in.

So here’s your homework…

Download these apps and get familiar with them before you arrive in Japan.

Again, I’ll put links to them down below.

The last thing you want is to be struggling with how to use an app when you just want

to enjoy Japan.

Once you arrive, you’ll obviously collect your baggage and go through security and customs.

This is a pretty standard process and will not be covered in this video.

There are several places to get information on this including your airline’s website.

Also a quick google search for “Japan Airport security and customs” should provide you

with a host of information.

As far as vaccine requirements go, this seems to change weekly, so I suggest you check the

Japanese embassy website to get the most up-to-date information.

Ok, so you’ve got your bags, you’ve processed security and customs, and you’ve stepped

into the main terminal - Now what?

You obviously need Japanese Yen, You need your phone set up for Wi-Fi and internet,

you need transportation to your hotel as well as for the remainder of your stay in Japan.

And instead of trying to lug heavy bags with you on a train or bus, you may also want to

look into having your luggage forwarded to your hotel or even to another city in Japan

through one of Japan's luggage forwarding services.

.

Fortunately, true to Japanese fashion, they have made this a very simple process and can

be handled right in the arrival terminal of the airport.

This video was taken at Haneda, and the area I’m in is just to the right of the exit

from Airport Security.

Narita, or any other airport you fly into will have a similar area where you can get

everything set up.

These nice young ladies are very helpful and have everything you need to get your Wi-Fi

connected - Sim cards, pocket Wi-Fi, and even entire phones.

Check out their website at anyfone.jp/en for everything you need to know about getting

connected during your stay in Japan.

The airport even has self-serve Wi-Fi kiosks if you're inclined to help yourself.

The bottom line is there is no shortage for Wi-Fi options to keep you connected during

your stay.

Further down, at the very end of the arrival terminal, you’ll find luggage delivery services.

These services will take your bags and deliver them directly to your hotel or even other

cities in Japan.

These typically guarantee same day service if you drop off before 11:00 am.

But check with each provider.

The cost for this service will vary depending on the size and weight of your bag and where

you’re sending it.

This is a very convenient service if you don't want to carry heavy bags on the train, or

if you want to begin exploring Japan immediately after leaving the airport without the burden

of carrying heavy bags while sightseeing.

One of these services, JAL ABC, is actually a one-stop shop where you can take care of

your Wi-Fi and luggage forwarding all at one location.

As always, I have a link to this at the bottom.

Ok, so you’ve got your Wi-Fi and luggage taken care of.

Now let’s get some Japanese Yen.

It’s my personal opinion that you won’t need to get Yen before you arrive since you

won’t need it until you get here and you’ll likely get a better exchange rate here in

Japan.

Your first thought might be to go to the currency exchange counter which is right outside the

Security and customs exit, but my suggestion is DONT!

Instead, use your debit card at one of the ATMs right next to the Exchange counter.

Yes, you’ll pay a processing fee, but this still comes out to a better exchange rate

than using the exchange counter.

ATMs are located at every convenience store in Japan (which are everywhere) so you can

exchange what you need, when you need it, and where you need it.

The word is that Japan is a very cash-based society.

That myth is quickly changing and many places do accept credit cards.

If you can do this, and you are responsible with your credit debt, this is by-far the

best way to pay for things.

You’ll get a real-time exchange rate AND you’ll collect your credit card points.

Again, I only suggest using credit IF you are responsible with your debt!

Another tip on using your Credit or debit card while you’re traveling in Japan is

to be sure to notify your bank and credit card company that you’ll be traveling abroad.

This will prevent any security freezes to your account when your bank begins to detect

new international charges.

Alright!

You’re almost ready to leave the airport and see Japan but you need to know how you’re

getting to your next destination.

Are you taking a shuttle bus, taxi, train or renting a car?

Both Haneda and Narita offer limousine shuttle bus services into parts of Tokyo and Yokohama.

Again, this service is located in the main arrival terminals of the airport and can’t

be missed.

You can get more information on this and even schedule your shuttle ahead of time by visiting

their websites.

If you’ve decided to rent a car, you can pick it up at the same location as the shuttle

bus and limousine ticketing.

There’s just one more method of transportation that we’ll discuss in this video and it’s

the one you’ll likely be using the most.

The Japan rail system.

At first glance the rail, subway, and shinkansen system can be very intimidating, but set your

anxieties aside and arm yourself with a couple of apps and information and you’ll be just

fine.

A lot of you have asked about rail passes and which is the best.

In this video, I’ll provide some basic information on rail passes, but in the end, this is just

something that you’ll need to spend some time researching for yourself to see what

option works best for your specific needs.

If you are planning to purchase a rail pass, just remember that this needs to be done BEFORE

you leave your home country and the clock will start ticking on your pass when you first

use it.

Earlier in this video, I mentioned a couple of apps that I personally use for navigating

the rail system.

Again, I suggest you download these apps and get familiar with them BEFORE you arrive.

Put a few starting and ending points into the apps to see how they work.

Since you’ll likely be using the train for most of your transportation around Japan,

You’ll want to buy a Pasmo or Suica card.

This is different from a Rail Pass which has a time limit and can only be used for certain

trains.

The Pasmo or Suica card can be used for commuter trains, buses, vending machines, and can also

be used at most convenient stores.

Simply purchase the card for ¥500 and charge it up as often as you like with any of the

ticketing machines at any train station.

I personally have a Pasmo and have used it on trains all over Japan without any issues.

So how do you get your Pasmo or Suica Card?

Simply walk up to any of the ticketing Kiosks in the terminal with the Yen you just got

from the ATM.

These machines only accept cash.

Select your language

Select the card you want to purchase.

Select the option to purchase a new card.

After this you can also select an option to put a name on your card.

I purchased the option for no name.

Finally, Select how much you want to put on your card.

I recommend starting with at least ¥3,000.

Again, you can always add more later.

Insert your cash and wait for the machine to print your new card and give you your change.

And viola!

It’s that easy.

You’re now ready to get out of the airport and get on your first train.

If you ever want to track your card usage and check your balance, you can do this at

any ticketing kiosk or you can download any number of Suica or Pasmo tracking apps from

the apple store or Google Play.

When your stay in Japan is over and you no longer need your commuter card, you can simply

turn it in to a rail attendant at any train station.

You don't even need to know any Japanese to do this.

You can just walk up to the window, hand them your card and say “return”.

They’ll hapilly refund your card’s balance minus the ¥500 you paid for the card.

Alright, let’s get out of the airport.

Today, I’m headed from Haneda to Tokyo Station, so let's try using Google Maps to navigate

us from Haneda’s Terminal 3 (the international terminal) to Tokyo Station.

First, we enter our destination and starting point, then Google maps will give us several

options to choose from that will vary in cost and duration.

This is a pretty short trip, so I’ll choose the scenic route of the Tokyo Monorail.

Google Maps shows that I’ll catch the Monorail at Haneda’s Terminal 3 Station at 12:34,