ESSENTIAL Japan Guide To Your First Hours In Japan 2023!

Hey Hard! Great video, as always!

Looking forward to the JR pass video. I'd like to add that while google maps will most likely be your go-to tool, Navitime Japan is complementary to it. Why? Because it has the one feature google maps could use (here's to hoping some googlers catch on), which is filtering by rail company. This way you can filter your route to use the JR pass more and get the most value out of it. Always be sure to DOUBLE CHECK the travel time though, as I have found that filtering a JR line can easily double a trip's time that would at most cost around $3 or $4 using a non-JR line.

Cheers!

Generally speaking, How much does shipping luggage cost?

Hello everybody! Please help with my following issue. I entered Japan last year on October 14th and I got short term stay permission for 90 days until January 12nd. I entered Japan the second time on May 4th 2023 and I got the same short term stay permission for 90 days until August 2nd. My question is: am I allowed to enter Japan again in November, specifically on November 2nd? I am a Romanian citizen.

Thank you for giving us detailed information, We will be in Tokyo as ist time visitor by October.God willing.

I can't thank you enough for these videos! I'm in the early stages of planning a Japan trip with a long-time friend and your videos have been some of the most helpful! I'm not too worried about language barriers since the friend I'm going with speaks fluent Japanese but everything else is a little intimidating, but you're simplifying them so much for me to understand them!

So from the looks of it, the first one is out dated and unnecessary now after April 2023.

Thank you! Great content and very helpful!

First time to Japan here. Have watched gazillion videos. HARDY is the best, clear, detailed and so helpful. Should be called : Hardy for DUMMIES 😊

Thanks for the video! I want to ask, can we use suica for bus payment?

Nice video ❤

Incredible. In the United States, we can't even take care of passenger luggage checked in to the plane. They loose millions of bags every year. And the airlines do not care.

can I just bring my passport to the train station and pay and get the JR pass? or I really need to have them ship to my house in US, then bring to the station in JP and activate?

Why can't I just use my phone carrier which provides international service in Japan? I've never had to worry about getting SIM card in any other country I've visited. My phone has always worked perfectly!

I am not finding the blue/white page on the Visit Japan Web App. Which APP should I have chosen to install?

just want to know if im just for a 9 hour layover flight is it possible to enter japan with a visa and if do we need to fill out the visit japan website

Beginning next week Japan has lifted the covid vaccin and pcr test requirements

Planing my Japan Trip already for next year you took a bit of my anxiety haha with the Train system, I thought I was the only one who felt so 😂😂

i have a couple of months, this video makes me very nervous, i need a GUIDE lol

The shipping your luggage you forgot to mention that the next day option isn't always available due to time when you ship and location. It can be 24 hours if you arrive in Japan early in the morning and can take up to 3 days if you arrive late in the evening. Same thing goes for if you're traveling from Tokyo to Osaka. It's not always the same day service.

Isn't an esim better than a pocket wifi?

Thanks for your videos bro

I fly into Japan tomorrow and I am very grateful for your information.

If I go to Japan if I have any excess yen I can just deposit said yen in my bank before leaving japan because my bank is also in japan and the us

This is a great video. These are the exact steps we did in 2019. Just that this video didn't exist back then. So recommend watching this.

Awesome Content! We are headed to Japan in 5 days can't wait! I will be following your recommendations!

Is it okay to just buy suica and not the jr pass? Or should you buy both? I dont really understand the train system in japan. I'll visit osaka-kyoto and out from tokyo. Its kinda overwhelming and complicated to arrange trip to japan, btw thanks for your videos 🤣

What is the app to call a cab

After 2023 May 8.
Vaccination proof is not required.

How about Apple map? Does work as good as Google map?

A few personal thoughts on some of the tips....

#2 Minimum flight time from the US is 12+ hrs for a non-stop fight. TBH, I'm looking to check into my hotel and put my butt on something comfortable, which usually works out to be mid afternoon-ish. I unpack, get my laptop/camera/electronics plugged in and charged, and rest for an hour or two. Then I go out to have dinner and explore the streets & neighborhoods on foot for a few hours! So basically, no need 'personally' to deal with sending my luggage ahead.

#3: Every trip I've taken, I've more than paid for my JR Passes just from the shinkansen rides alone. Either with day or overnight trips away from my base location, the JR Passes have been a value every single time.

#4: Depending on where you're from and what bank you use, you should check into the currency exchange rates before you leave on your trip. My banks have always allowed the exchange from dollars to yen without a fee, you just need several days for them to bring the currency into the branch. They will usually charge a nominal fee to exchange back to dollars, but if you plan on returning to Japan on another trip, you shoul just stash the yen away with your luggage for next time...if you can afford to.

I'm not saying these three tips aren't great tips...personally, I've found options better suited "for me". Other than that....everything is golden in this video! 😁

How do you get the visa for American passport?

Great video! I have a question about IC/Suica cards - is it possible to just use google pay with a Yen card attached to it for wireless payments? Or just a debit card with Yen acc connected to it? Basically the same card that i will use at the ATM to pull out some yen in cash ;)

Is Visit Japan Web still required?

You can add a virtual Suica card to your iPhone and top it up as you go, which is even more convenient to do.

for the declarations form is it only one per family?

Too expensive place

No big deal get off plane on train to hotel done

I got here, then got everything set up and my suica wouldn’t work and I panicked cus it was during peak rush hour on a Friday. I got stuck in a station for a long time trying to figure things out cus I was determined to learn how the train system works lol. Ugh

The ATM info was amazing Thank you great video :)

My biggest worry is my card getting declined over seas x.x I'm going in 2 weeks, and I plan on telling my bank multiple times to please not freeze my card xD

So o still have to do the Covid test again???

Very good update infos not for first timer only but also for regular traveler.

Keep the good job.!!!
Arigato gozaimasu.!!!

Great video! We are planning our upcoming trip to Kyoto for Cherry Blossom. Any video on tips during Sakura season post covid? Is Uber available in Kyoto? Is credit card widely accepted? Including taxi? Thank you!

Thanks a lot for the tips. I will be visiting in just a little over a month for the first time.

There is a time cutoff for same day luggage delivery from Narita and Haneda airports. If you miss the cutoff, the luggage will be delivered the next day. The JR Pass can be can also be redeemed at major JR Hokkaido, JR Central, JR Shikoku, and JR Kyushu offices. Proof of purchase, emails, and reservation number are not good enough. Unless it's purchased directly from JR, you need the exchange voucher. If you exchange cash, go to the bank kiosk. The bank kiosk will do the exchange for about 3%, which is the same as the ATM. Do NOT use Travelex because they charge around 15%. SIMS and eSIMs can be received before leaving home. Suica and Pasmo are only sold in the Kanto Area. There are other versions for other parts of the country. Osaka International Airport (ITM) does not have international flights. International flights bound for Kansai lands at Kansai International Airport (KIX) and it is served by the JR Haruka line. Google Maps doesn't filter out Nozomi and Mizuho trains for JR Pass holders. (Fun Fact: Google Maps (as of December 2022) consider the Yokohama Air Cabin as public transit.)