All the things to know before visiting Japan in 2026 . We’ll cover everything from transport, etiquette, apps, cash, food, tickets, trains and tips for families. Last updated on 09.12.2025

Japan is an incredible country, and visiting Japan is an amazing, one-in-a-lifetime experience that I think everyone should have on their bucket list. But although a trip to Japan is incredibly exciting you need to know that the country works very differently from the UK, US, Australia or Europe.

After multiple family trips, learning the hard way, and speaking to locals and other travellers, I’ve put together the ultimate list of things to know before visiting Japan.

These 30 tips cover culture, transport, money, tickets, apps and etiquette to make your trip smoother, cheaper and much less stressful. These are handy for EVERYONE to know, but especially helpful if you’re travelling with kids.

Here’s my complete list of 30 things you need to do before you visit Japan:

Heads up! This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you click and make a purchase, I might earn a very small commission – at no extra cost to you. This helps to keep the blog going. Thanks for the support!

1. Japan is still a cash-heavy country

My first essential thing to know before visiting Japan is that you will need to carry some cash (something I rarely do in the UK!). Things have changed in Japan, and card use is much more prevalent almost everywhere, but Japan remains a cash-heavy country, particularly in rural areas. You’ll need cash for things like

• Local markets
• Shrines and temples
• Older restaurants
• Vending machines (some take IC cards, not all)
• Small towns

So I recommend always carrying between 10,000 and 20,000 yen per person at any given time.

👉 We answer the question Do You Need Cash in Japan? A Guide For First Time Visitors

2. You Will Need An eSim Card

If you’re lucky, you may find that your phone will work in Japan without an e-SIM. I’m on the O-2 network and I have a travel plan that I pay an annual fee for. This means my phone worked fine (although the connection was very spotty) but Mike’s phone didn’t work at all, and I believe that is the norm for most people.

So my second thing to know before you visit Japan is that you should order an eSim card. You WILL need your phone for maps, tickets, etc. so the best thing you can do is install this onto your phone before you land in Japan. We always use Sim Local, and i’ve arranged a special discount with them for That Mum Travel Life readers.

📱READY TO ORDER AN ESIM? Check our Sim Local’s huge range of Japanese eSIM packages, with prices starting from $13.00
🎁 Use code MUMTRAVELLIFE to get 5% off all Sim Local prices

👉 Want to know more about eSims? Read my article Do You Need An eSim For Japan? And Which eSim Should You Choose? Our Best eSim Japan Pick!

3. Register With The Visit Japan Website

If you’re flying from the UK (and lots of other places too!) you won’t need a visa to enter Japan. But you can speed up the arrival procedures (immigration, customs) if you register for a QR code that you show when you arrive, and that contains all your vital info. This is a completely free service, and you can do this here.

We do this everytime we visit Japan and it is much easier and faster than completing the paper landing forms. However, if you’re not particularly tech savvy, you can complete the traditional paper landing forms on arrival. Registering with Visit Japan Web is recommended, but not mandatory.

4. Buy Theme Park Tickets Before You Travel

Japan is a theme park lovers paradise: from the unique wonders of Tokyo DisneySea to racing real-life Mario Karts in Universal Studios Japan. But these theme parks are wildly popular, and tickets can sell out fast. Particularly during peak travel periods, like the cherry blossom season in Spring.

To avoid the disappointment of travelling all the way to Japan and then not being able to visit the attractions you want, I ALWAYS recommend always booking your attraction tickets in advance. We book ours between 60 and 30 days in advance every single trip. We always use Klook for our tickets because Klook often has guaranteed availability, as well as the best available prices. As an added bonus, my reader discount code will make your tickets even cheaper!

🎢 Book your attraction tickets through Klook in advance – the earlier the better!
🎁 Use my discount code THATMUMTRAVEL5KLOOK for discounts of between 5-15%

5. The Japan Rail Pass is not always worth it anymore

I always used to recommend my readers buy a Japan Rail Pass: We got one on our first trip to Japan and it was worth every penny! But this is no longer one of my things to know before visiting Japan. Since the price increase, the JR Pass only makes sense if you’re doing multiple long-distance shinkansen trips.

If you’re travelling to Tokyo, Osaka, and Hokkaido all in one trip, for example, the Japan Rail Pass is well worth it. For many families, buying individual tickets is cheaper.

👉 Check out Is The Japan Rail Pass Worth It? Our Honest Opinion

6. But Regional Passes Still Offer Incredible Value

Number 6 on our list of essential things to know before you visit Japan is that, even if the JR Pass isn’t worth it, many regional passes definitely are. Passes like:

• JR Kansai Wide Area Pass
• JR East Tohoku Pass
• Hakone Free Pass
• Nikko Pass

These can save you huge money and often include attractions or buses too, making them even better value than you might expect.

🚅 Check out the range of rail tickets available in Japan here
🎁 Use my code THATMUMTRAVEL5KLOOK for an extra discount

7. IC cards (Suica / Pasmo) are essential

If you’re planning to spend any time on the metro in Tokyo or Osaka (and you will, it’s impossible to navigate the city any other way!) then you’re going to need an IC card. We have a Suica card, but you could also get a Pasmo card that does the same thing. You’ll use them for:

• Trains
• Metros
• Buses
• Vending machines
• Konbini
• Coin lockers

8. Be Quiet on Public Transport

Japan has a quiet trains culture. In fact it feels very surreal to be crammed in like sardines onto a packed train and it still be so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Don’t be that tourist: be quiet on public transport and do like the locals do!

That means that the next of the things to know before visiting Japan is to be aware on the train: no loud conversations, and don’t use your phone. I appreciate this can be hard with kids (we travel with our own two loud boys) so prep your kids before you get on board: maybe turn it into a game to see who can be quietest for the longest. The locals will appreciate you making the effort.

9. Avoid peak commuting times

I’ve never seen anything quite like a packed train in Tokyo. It’s an experience that I hope never to have again! If you’re travelling solo and you don’t mind the squeeze then have at it, but if you have children, avoid travelling during rush hour when the trains are intensely crowded. Those rush hour times are:

10. Buy a Power Bank

I didn’t expect to use my phone as much as I did when we were in Japan. In fact, I found I was using mine so much (for translation, maps, tickets and photos etc) that it ran out of juice by the mid-afternoon.

One of my top tips for things to do before you visit Japan is invest in a decent power bank so you always have phone battery when you need it. We use this slimline fast charging powerbank and carry it around with us all the time.

11. Get Travel Insurance

This is an essential thing to know before visiting Japan that should seem obvious, but this one actually almost tripped us up! We have an annual European insurance policy, but forgot to extend this to worldwide coverage until the very last minute. Most people will need a separate travel insurance policy to visit Japan. And if you plan to do any extreme activities (like hiking Mount Fuji or snorkelling in Okinawa) then you will need to have these covered by your policy coverage too.

My top travel insurance tip is to make sure your policy covers everything you plan on doing when you travel to Japan.

12. Put a Carrier Bag in Your Bag

A small thing but one that will make your life easier. There are almost no public bins or trashcans in Japan as a result of the 1995 sarin gas attacks in Tokyo, which meant bins were considered a security risk. We ended up carrying our rubbish with us all day, because we just couldn’t find anywhere to put it. So having a carrier bag to put them in would have been very handy!

13. Buy Medicine Before You Travel

 

The Japanese healthcare system is very good, so if you fall ill while you’re in Japan you have nothing to worry about: you’ll be in safe hands. But Japanese pharmacies are different from the ones in your home country and may not stock the same:

• Painkillers
• Cough syrups
• Kids’ medicines

My advice is to bring your essentials from home. Particularly if you have a preference for specific brands (or your kids will only take Calpol that tastes like strawberries in the case of my family!)

14. Many restaurants still use vending machine ordering

This one threw me for a loop a little because I’d never encountered anything like this before. We first saw this in a small cafe in Harajuku. You buy a ticket from the vending machine for your chosen dishes, then hand it over to collect your order.

Tip: If you can’t read the menu then use Google Lens live translation or the Google translate app to help you .

15. Tipping is not expected

In fact, it can be considered rude. Just pay the amount that you see on the bill and give a big ‘Arigato’ if you particularly enjoyed your meal.

16. Book your restaurants early

Tokyo and Kyoto restaurants fill up weeks in advance , even casual ones that you might not expect to need a reservation for. If you’re looking for a fine dining experience then Tabelog is a great site to use for booking and to read restaurant reviews. For something a little more informal on the go, we use Google Maps reservations

17. Visiting Japan with kids? Expect early starts

Japan is early-rising, and kids adjust naturally. My boys are already natural early risers, but if your kids aren’t, it might be worth preparing them for early mornings.

Theme parks and attractions also open early (people start queuing to enter Tokyo’s Disney Parks from as early as 7am) so take advantage if your kids are up early and ready to start their day.

18. Cherry blossom season is beautiful…but busy

During late March–early April:

• Hotels book months ahead
• Transport is crowded
• Many attractions have queues

Book early and prepare for crowd

19. Summer is VERY hot and humid

July and August can reach 40°C with high humidity. I’m going to be honest here, summer is my least favourite time to visit Japan.

👉 Check out Summer in Tokyo. Family friendly activities for keeping cool.

20. Winter is cold—but absolutely magical

Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto can be brisk but comfortable.

Northern Japan (Tohoku & Hokkaido) is perfect for:

• Skiing
• Snow festivals
• Onsen

👉Learn more about Skiing in Japan This Winter: The Best Japan Ski Resorts and Where To Ski Near Tokyo

21. Onsen etiquette is strict

The onsens in Japan are absolutely beautiful, but if you’re visiting as a mixed gender group (particularly a family) then they can be difficult. Men and women are almost always kept completely separate, which meant that my husband took the boys and I went alone: something to bare in mind if you were expecting a family experience. Key rules to be aware of include:

• You must be fully naked
• Wash thoroughly before entering
• Tattoos may not be allowed (although many places are now relaxed, and you can also buy tattoo covers to cover up small tattoos if needed)

22. Research Cultural Do’s and Don’ts

There are some cultural norms in Japan that you should follow to ensure that you don’t become that annoying tourist. We always aim to travel respectfully. Some of the main things to be aware of are that you should be quiet on public transport, don’t tip (this is actually seen as rude in Japan), don’t eat and drink while walking or on the street, don’t harrass geisha or sumos (they’re just people doing their jobs), and don’t play with chopsticks. In fact there are so many of these, it’s inspired me to do a full post about them later!

23. Convenience stores (“Konbini”) will save your life

I don’t think we’ve had a single day in Japan where we haven’t gone into a konbini. They’re perfect for cheap meals, snacks, ATMs, and tickets. They’re everywhere, and the food is genuinely good. (We end up having konbini breakfasts most days!)

24. Buy Plenty of Socks

You’ll be slipping your shoes on and off regularly in Japan including (but not exclusively) in religious sites, traditional inns, some restaurants, and even fitting rooms in shops and department stores. So my random tip for things to know before visiting Japan is to buy new socks!

You want new, clean socks without any toes poking through the top (or is that just my kids!?) We actually forgot our socks on our last Japan trip (I left them on the bed in my bedroom when packing our case) so we ended up buying new socks almost every day of our trip!

25. Pack Light

I say this for two reasons: Firstly, you’ll want to have plenty of suitcase space so that you can bring souvenirs home with you. Secondly, if you’re planning to travel on the shinkansen to see as much of Japan as possible you need luggage that you can transport on and off the crowded metro without breaking your back!

26. Japanese toilets are incredible but can confuse first-timers

Oh how we love Japanese toilets! These simple devices are a marvel of engineering, and I really wish it was possible to install one at home. Wondering what makes a Japanese toilet so special. From these high-tech devices you should expect:

• Heated seats
• Bidet buttons
• Music buttons
• Child seats
• Sink-on-top flushing systems

Tip: the big flush is usually denoted by a large kanji (大).

27. ATMs at convenience stores always work for foreign cards

One of my pet hates when we travel is wandering around a foreign city hunting for an ATM. Not all ATMs accept international cards in Japan. Luckily, the ones that do can be found in 7-Eleven,FamilyMart, and Lawson (most locations).

These are everywhere, so don’t panic.

28. Accommodation rooms are smaller than you expect

Especially in Tokyo. Unless you’re prepared to pay the big bucks, you should expect to be in fairly cramped quarters during your time in Japan. Look for family rooms or Japanese style rooms if you want a little more space (but beware that many Japanese style rooms won’t come with western-style beds)

29. Japan Loves Queues

If you see a line, it’s probably worth joining. I’m only half joking when I say that because the best places to eat (whether you’re looking for snacks or noodles) are always the ones with a queue outside.

Queues are orderly, calm and surprisingly fast.

30. Have A Great Time In Japan

Number 30 of our essential things to know before visiting Japan is just to have a great time! Japan is our favourite place in the whole world, and I hope that these tips help to make you trip a little easier, and that you love this amazing country as much as we do.

Things To Know Before Visiting Japan

Do you have any extra hints and tips to add? Any things to know before visiting Japan that I’ve forgotten? I’d love to here what you do to prepare before you take a big trip!

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Heads up! This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you click and make a purchase, I might earn a very small commission – at no extra cost to you. This helps to keep the blog going. Thanks for the support!