This is my first international trip and that might be a reason for nervousness.. I have been waiting for this trip for my entire life and getting a little anxious (not in a bad way I am probably more excited and unable to believe that I am actually going)
So far
* Packed my luggage light (clothes+necessary items)
* Have all the copy of my digital document (id, tickets etc)
* Of course keeping my passport
* Carrying 60K Yen for 2
* Have the cards with 0 exchange fee and a back up card
* Apps recommended by reddit (Navitime-for routes, Happycow-for finding vegan/vegeterian cafe, Nerv-earthquake alert, time shifter-preparing for the jet lag)
* I have a power bank and universal adapter (edit)
* Japan Web portal QR code (edit)
What I plan do when I am there:
* Get Suica card from the airport
* Shinkansen ticket a day before Kyoto trip
* May be some cash from ATM (Only if needed)
* Activate esim (edit)
I have already my itinerary in my phone along with offline map. I am still getting anxious. Not worried about the language as I am travelling with a friend who knows Japanese (till N4 and they are still learning). I have made a list of basic sentences as well. This trip is for 8 days.
Any last minute tip??
Edit: Thank you all, you all are so nice and helpful!!!!!!
Edit 2: Some useful tips from comments (in case someone see this post in future)
1. It’s good to reserve shinkansen and in case it is missed you can sit in unreserved section of the next train
2. If you have iPhone you can directly load the suica card and don’t have to worry about physical card
3. You might want to use luggage delivery service
4. Basic greeting comes a long way
5. Keep N95 or any other mask, gloves, hand sanitiser ready and if possible bring a covid test kit
6. Don’t forget to send your hotel/flight details with family
7. Most places at least in Tokyo accepts the credit card and for ATM 7-11 has good rate
8. Activate your esim as soon as you get on the plane (because you have internet) and you want data once you land
9. Check [https://www.japan-guide.com/railpass/](https://www.japan-guide.com/railpass/) to get an estimate of trip cost and to know if JR pass is worth the money for your trip
10. For using Japanese toilet: Found a guide here (https://cotoacademy.com/guide-japanese-toilets-japanese-toilet-buttons-infographic/)
11. Don’t forget to bring your hand towels!
12. Water proof shoes and good socks for the trip is a must have. A lot of comment pointed out and this has been previously mentioned on multiple threads, average number of daily steps ranged between 20K-30K. So you will walking alot
13. Always add a buffer time because if map shows 10 min commute time you might take 10 more minutes to get to the station and find platform etc (which is something map doesn’t cover of course)
14. Most of the signs will be in English and announcement at the station will be in Korean, chinese, Japanese and English. Google translate (offline version too) works fine. There is another app called DeepL for translation. Basic Japanese sentences helps a lot! There is a trailer guide book called “Japanese for traveler” that contains useful phrases.
15. Bring a notebook or get something in Japan for EKi-Stamps! For *goshuin*, get the book from temple/shrine.
16. Get Vitamin C drink from the convenience store and someone recommended STRONG ZERO if you like alcoholic drinks (it seems to be have the 9% alcohol) .
17. Most of the popular spots require reservation in advance (as pointed out on every other thread of this sub). Some attractions I could thing of Shibuya sky, Tokyo skytree, Ghibli museum, Pokemon cafe, Sumo match, Kirby cafe
18. Travel insurance for a secure trip
Common tourist scams in Japan:
* Some one will approach you with special food/drink offers. Don’t talk as they charge incorrect billing amount
* Someone dressed as monk will ask for donation. Monks don’t do that and it’s fake
* Be careful of drinking from shady places it can be spiked drink
by AC_PV_1526388