Hello! I know many people have done this but I’m going to put what I learned and add to the pool anyway!
1. Suica card. I recomend it. You can get these cards in the Haneda airport and they are good for 30 days. Super useful and convenient and many places accept them as a form of payment too. We put about $30 USD on ours and that was more than enough for transit on the trains while we were there. It made things easy for us and it was one less thing to think about but you can purchase individual tickets easily as well.
2. Shoes. Unless you plan for something specific, bring one pair of comfortable and ideally light shoes. You walk everywhere here so bring something comfortable and it also helps if they are water resistant.
3. Backpack/bags. Bring something light and quick to get into. If you’re not used to walking everywhere your back is going to hurt so be prepared.
4. Plastic bags. One of the best tips I have is bring small ziploc bags with you. It’s rare to find trashcans out and about so having somewhere to put trash is super helpful.
5. Cash. Yes you can use the 7/11 ATM. Most banks also do currency exchange as well though! Before our trip we each exchanged about $500 USD and this was more than enough for 2 weeks. We also had our cards as well which was also fine in most places. A small coin purse also is very helpful. USE THE TRAY ON THE COUNTER WHEN PAYING IN CASH
6. Spare luggage. Bring a bag or suitcase specifically for souvenirs. I left my carryon pretty empty for this and it was very helpful.
7. Coats. Unless you plan for something specific, a light water resistant coat is fine! I recomend a wind breaker. Mornings when we went were usually cool but it warms up quick if it’s not raining.
8. Umbrella. Super recomend bringing a small one. It rains a lot so it’s good to be prepared and also helps keep the sun off you.
9. Language. You will be fine. I was stressed about this but quickly learned it’s fine. Many people speak English or enough to get by in touristy places and almost every restaurant has pictures of food or you can use Google translate. You can come to Japan knowing no Japanese and you will be just fine as long as you are close to cities.
10. Google translate. SPEAKING OF GOOGLE TRANSLATE. Super helpful and your best friend. I downloaded the language file and used the camera feature a lot.
11. Carry your passport. Carry it everywhere. Tax free stuff isn’t really worth it to me but a lot of places use it for check in or ID confirmation. Make sure it is secure and easy to get to. It is also required by law you carry it.
12. Etiquette. Be polite, quiet and respectful. Do not speak loudly and keep your phone on vibrate or silent. Keep conversations on public transport to a minimum and read the signs where ever you go.
13. Be prepared for looks. I look very western. I’m tall, have blonde hair and blue eyes and am covered in tattoos. People. Will. Stare. They won’t say anything but people will stare. Especially older folks. I feel like I got more looks because I look western rather than my tattoos but thus was just my experience.
14. Try to be concise of how you dress. Ultimately do what you want, no one will say anything BUT loud colors and showing skin is not common. For lady identifying folks, Skirts are fine as long as your cheeks aren’t showing but mid drift and cleavage is rarely shown. I’d say dress for comfort more than anything.
15. Carry sunscreen. Need I say more? The sun here can be brutal just Carry it with you.
16. Many thing are smaller. I mentioned earlier that I am tall. This wasn’t an issue per say but something I feel compelled to mention. Many things are not designed for people over 5’8ish like doors are smaller and hand rails are shorter and less leg room.
17. Food. The food is amazing! Experiment and try as much as possible because it’s so worth it. Just remember to not walk and eat. There is no tipping culture in restaurants and while yes you can be social in restaurants, it’s not encouraged to hang out after you eat for lack of better words. Go in, eat your food and leave basically.
18. Be aware of your surroundings. Japan is a very safe place actually. When I say this I mean, there are a lot of people like A LOT of people so be aware so you don’t run into people or become separated from your group by accident. A lot of people ride bikes there but do not indicate they are around you via bell or something so just keep an eye out for cyclists and remember to move off to the side somewhere if you need to stop. Keep moving and be intentional but not aggressive if that makes sense and when in doubt stay to the left. Many people have little spacial awareness and that’s not just people from Japan it’s just something I noticed in general.
19. Weather. If it helps anyone, while it’s definitely more humid, weather and temperature wise I think it’s very similar to the Midwest.
20. Google maps. Your best friend. This will help you not only get around but also with the train system just know in cities the walk I ng directions can be annoying with all the big buildings and underground things.
Hope this helps! For context there was the two of us there for 2 weeks at the end of April. We went to Tokyo, Hakone, Kyoto and Osaka. Also keep in mind this was just my experience, yours could be different!
Edit: added more info, corrected a couple small things
by Aemigh42