Hello all!
My best friend and I are planning on visiting Japan for two weeks in the summer of 2026. I know, it’s pretty far out. Why are we planning so far in advance? A couple reasons. I’ll be getting my Master’s, and we’re both in the education field so summer is our only free time. It also allows us to save up and do lots of research. I have also never traveled internationally. The farthest I’ve been in a plane was 8 hours and that was just across the states. So I’m nervous about the entire thing. If you have any tips, please feel free to let me know!
Something to note: I am a disabled female in her early 30s. While I do have mobility issues, I am not in a wheelchair. I just have to take my time and rest frequently. I will be traveling with my male best friend who traveled to India while in college, but his professors took care of most of it so he’s a bit clueless as well.
Here are the basics of expectations:
* We aren’t completely sure about what our total budget will be, but we have a baseline of $5,000 (758655.00 JPY) per person. – This excludes international flights to and from. We are also unsure about whether we plan to share a hotel room or not as we do generally like our space, but we are willing to make adjustments as needed. According to some of the posts I’ve seen, this is a large budget. However, we want to go all out as we plan on celebrating a big event.
* I am in the process of trying to learn Japanese. Currently using Duolingo to get a head start, but will be practicing to make it more natural. Still figuring this part out. I also hope to hit up the Japanese classes at my college, but learning in a class doesn’t always translate to real experience. I want to try to be able to understand as much as I can without a device. Just a personal preference because tech can fail.
* I have never traveled internationally before. While I know the basics I’m still nervous about the whole thing. Being able to plan for everything from budget to passports, to travel, etc. is important to me. If there is something you really think I should experience, let me know! Just also let me know if it’s something I need to book months or even a year in advance.
* We already have an idea of what temples and cultural sights we want to visit, so we don’t need suggestions on that front!
I’ve been doing a lot of looking into the threads on reddit, saving posts and comments which have been super helpful! I just wanted to ask around about a few things.
* First: Right now we plan on Tokyo, Kyoto, Hakone, and Osaka. I’m limited in movement due to a physical disability, but I am working on improving my ability. What is accessibility like in Japan? Should I get formal paperwork to notate my disability or just go with the flow? We don’t plan on driving anywhere, so public transportation is our planned primary method of travel.
* Second: We’re MASSIVE anime fans, gamers, etc. We plan to spend A LOT of time in Akihabara. That being said, are there any recommendations for themed hotels, manga cafes (another reason I’m learning Japanese), and cat cafes (animal cafes in general works)?
* Third: We would love to go to a festival, and are willing to plan our trip around one. Any suggestions? I’d love to rent a kimono for the experience.
* Fourth: I don’t mind being an obvious tourist, I just want to be a respectful one. So I’m really interested in cultural do’s and do not’s. I’ve seen some like: No tipping, don’t rub your chopsticks together, don’t use them to point at the person you are talking to, keep physical displays of affection low, be quiet on the train, take your shoes off, etc. Is there anything didn’t know about etiquette you wish you did before going?
* Lastly (For now), if I need to show my ID, would I just show my passport? I’m unsure of how that whole process would work in Japan. I don’t need to get a driver’s license in Japan, but unsure of how I would check into hotels, buy drinks, etc. Granted, it is most likely different than the US, but I don’t even know where to start…
Thank you so much, I really appreciate it!
by KittyKatTerra