Small confession: on my first few trips to Japan, I made just about every mistake on this list. Not in order, but most of them. That’s part of why I can write this with some humility.
Planning a first trip to Japan is a strange mix of excitement and gentle panic. The country is so different that it intimidates, and the sources of information are so many that you no longer know which one to trust. Here are the mistakes I see most often in the emails I get, and that I made myself when I first arrived here over a decade ago.
Trying to see everything
The number one mistake, no contest. People arrive with a list including Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Hiroshima, Mount Fuji, Hakone, Nara, and sometimes Hokkaido or Okinawa for good measure. In fifteen days. It’s physically possible, but it’s a stressful, exhausting trip with no room for the unexpected, which is exactly what makes a Japan trip memorable.
My advice: for a first two-week trip, stay on two or three bases at most. Tokyo (5-6 nights), Kyoto (4-5 nights), and a third destination (Hakone, Kanazawa, or an onsen). It’s more than enough to leave wanting to return, which is the goal.
Buying the JR Pass without thinking
Since the big price hike, the Japan Rail Pass is no longer automatically worth it. It was when it cost under Â¥30,000 for 7 days. It’s now Â¥50,000 for the same duration, and the math gets tight.
My simple rule: if your itinerary is just a Tokyo-Kyoto round trip, buy individual tickets (about ¥28,000 round trip). Add Hiroshima or Kanazawa: the pass becomes interesting again. Add multiple long-distance trips: it becomes essential.
To calculate precisely before buying, use Japan Guide or its Hyperdia simulation tool. Count yens, not days.
Underestimating jet lag
Tokyo is +14h or +15h from California, +13h to +14h from New York. The lag goes the wrong way: you arrive fresh in the Japanese morning and crash by 2 PM. Many travelers plan a heavy arrival day and regret it.
My advice: plan a light arrival (short trip to the hotel, simple dinner, early sleep) and save the visits for the next day. Adaptation takes 2 to 3 days. Don’t book a cultural tour or Shinkansen on day one.
Not carrying cash
Japan has modernized a lot on payments in recent years, but it’s still an economy where cash is king in certain contexts: small restaurants, shrines, taxis in rural areas, onsen vending machines. And many small hotels and ryokan require cash payment on arrival.
Always carry Â¥20,000 to Â¥30,000 in cash. The ATMs at konbini (7-Eleven, Family Mart, Lawson) accept foreign cards 24/7, so you’re never stuck.
Forgetting the Suica or Pasmo card
The Suica card (or Pasmo, they’re interchangeable) is a rechargeable card accepted on every public transport in Japan, at konbini, vending machines, and many restaurants. You get one in 30 seconds at any station and it radically changes daily life: no more buying a ticket for every trip.
Since 2023, you can also have a Suica directly in your iPhone via Apple Wallet, which is even more convenient. Set it up before you leave.
Visiting popular sites in the middle of the day
Fushimi Inari at 11, Kiyomizu-dera at 14:00, Asakusa at 15:00: hell. The same places at 6:30 AM are magical. The universal rule in Japan: get up early. Really early. Before 7 AM at major sites.
The Japanese compromise: early morning for famous sites, midday for museums and indoor visits, late afternoon for neighborhoods and walks.
Dressing like in Paris
In Japan, you take your shoes off a lot. Traditional restaurants, ryokan, temples, some museums, and of course every house. A pair of shoes you can slip on and off easily (no complicated laces) saves you daily contortions.
Also avoid socks with holes (seriously) and prefer clean, neat ones. Bring layers: weather changes fast, and air conditioning in trains and buildings is powerful.
Counting on English everywhere
Tokyo speaks a little, Kyoto a bit more. But as soon as you leave the major centers and stations, English becomes rare. And even in popular Tokyo restaurants, you often run into staff who don’t speak any.
Learning a few basic phrases before leaving changes everything. I wrote a complete guide on it, but the bare minimum: sumimasen (excuse me), arigatou gozaimasu (thank you), ikura desu ka (how much?), oishii (delicious). Four words that change your trip.
Not arranging an internet connection
In Japan, without internet, you’re quickly lost. Google Maps is essential to navigate, translate menus, understand train times. Three options:
- An eSIM bought online before departure (Airalo, Ubigi). What I recommend today. About $15-25 for 10 days, instant activation
- A physical SIM from the airport. More expensive and a hassle
- A pocket WiFi, rented online and picked up at the airport. Good if you’re sharing among several people
Bringing too big a suitcase
Japanese hotel rooms are small. Shinkansen have little space for big luggage (and since 2020, suitcases over 160 cm need to be reserved separately). Station stairs and the Higashiyama alleys with a 30-kilo roller bag: a nightmare.
My advice: travel as light as you can, and use Yamato Takkyubin to forward your suitcase from one hotel to the next while you take the train with a backpack. About ¥2,000 per bag, next-day delivery. Every hotel knows how to handle it.
Not booking popular restaurants
The best tables in Tokyo and Kyoto need to be booked weeks ahead, sometimes months. Starred sushi-yas, famous kaiseki places, cult ramen shops. Not booking means resigning yourself to queues or tourist options.
Tabelog (mostly in Japanese, but navigable) and Pocket Concierge (in English) let you book. For ryokan and high-end hotels, ask the concierge to help.
And the last one, which isn’t really a mistake
The most beautiful mistake is thinking one trip will be enough. Japan isn’t a country you visit, it’s a country you come back to. Mentally prepare yourself for a return. Everyone does.
For more, see also my guides on How to Travel Around Japan, How Much Does a Trip to Japan Cost, and the Japan FAQ.