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Tips

17 articles

Practical Japan travel tips: trains, toilets, shopping, etiquette and what to do when things go wrong.

How to Ride Trains in Japan: Suica, Tickets and Transfers for First-Timers (2026) Planning
How to Ride Trains in Japan: Suica, Tickets and Transfers for First-Timers (2026)
Quick answer: Get an IC card (Suica or PASMO), or add Suica to your iPhone's Wallet, on day one. Tap...
Nov 5, 2026
Tax-Free Shopping in Japan from November 2026: How the New Refund System Works Planning
Tax-Free Shopping in Japan from November 2026: How the New Refund System Works
Quick answer: From November 1, 2026, tax-free shopping in Japan works as a refund. You pay the full price including...
Oct 16, 2026
Shrine and Temple Etiquette in Japan: How to Pray, Omamori Charms and Goshuin (2026) Tips
Shrine and Temple Etiquette in Japan: How to Pray, Omamori Charms and Goshuin (2026)
Quick answer: Bow once at the torii gate, walk to the side of the main path, rinse your hands at...
Oct 16, 2026
Getting Sick in Japan? How to Buy Medicine at a Japanese Drugstore (2026) Tips
Getting Sick in Japan? How to Buy Medicine at a Japanese Drugstore (2026)
Quick answer: For a cold, headache or upset stomach, walk into any drugstore (Matsumoto Kiyoshi, Welcia, Sugi, Tsuruha and others)...
Oct 16, 2026
Japan’s Departure Tax 2026: What Changed and What You’ll Pay Planning
Japan’s Departure Tax 2026: What Changed and What You’ll Pay
If you're planning a trip to Japan, there's a change worth budgeting for: as of July 1, 2026, Japan tripled...
Sep 6, 2026
Akihabara to Narita Airport: JR Narita Express 50min vs Keisei Skyliner Kanto
Akihabara to Narita Airport: JR Narita Express 50min vs Keisei Skyliner
Akihabara is one of Tokyo's most distinctive neighborhoods — electronics, anime, retro gaming, all packed into a few blocks. When...
Jul 1, 2026
Where to Buy Pokémon Cards in Japan: The Complete Guide (2026) Tips
Where to Buy Pokémon Cards in Japan: The Complete Guide (2026)
The first time I walked into a Pokémon card vending machine corner in Akihabara, I spent twenty minutes just staring....
Jun 24, 2026
Tokyo Station to Haneda Airport: Keikyu Line, Monorail, or Bus? Kanto
Tokyo Station to Haneda Airport: Keikyu Line, Monorail, or Bus?
Getting from Tokyo Station to Haneda Airport is faster and easier than the Narita route—the airport is only about 30...
Jun 22, 2026
Shinagawa to Narita Airport: N’EX Direct 60min Kanto
Shinagawa to Narita Airport: N’EX Direct 60min
Traveling from Shinagawa Station to Narita Airport is a straightforward process, but as one of Tokyo's busiest transport hubs, Shinagawa...
Jun 21, 2026
Ikebukuro to Narita Airport: N’EX Direct 90min vs Skyliner via Nippori (¥1,190–¥2,990) Kanto
Ikebukuro to Narita Airport: N’EX Direct 90min vs Skyliner via Nippori (¥1,190–¥2,990)
Ikebukuro is one of Tokyo's major hubs — home to Sunshine City, Pokémon Center Mega Tokyo, and Shinkansen connections. Getting...
Jun 19, 2026