Japan | justretired50plus.ie

Japan - (AL 2) A 20 day self directed trip to Japan.

We spent a very pleasurable three week break in Japan, attending the finals of the Rugby World Cup.

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A sense of Japan

We were very impressed and taken with Japan which is a country of astonishing beauty and contrasts. From rice farmers to Buddhist monks to metro-riding millions of teeming Tokyo. Its architecture spans exquisite temples, to concrete apartment buildings to modern sky-scrapers of extraordinary engineering. Japan seems to have it all !
Our impression of the Japanese people is that they are reserved but friendly, industrious with a sense of pride in their work and committed to playing their part towards an orderly society. They are constantly aware and considerate towards the presence of others, are not pushy or brash and they queue in an orderly fashion. It was interesting to note that we saw very few over-weight people, which pays tribute to their healthy diet.
Public transport in Japan is a mixture of public and private infrastructure providers, with the result that their transport system is highly efficient, however, it can be inherently confusing for a non Japanese speaking traveller. A tired or otherwise distracted traveller can find themselves easily going astray in the labyrinth of underground palatial stations or taking a train in the wrong direction and having to backtrack.
Japanese people are taught, from their earliest years, the benefit and practice of team spirit and compliance, married with a spirit of community and cooperation - quite a unique culture !
All occupations seem to beget uniforms. From the office workers in their black suit, white shirts and ties to the road works traffic management staff with their luminous red sticks and their police like uniforms. In general all employees seem, at least to the casual observer, happy and contented with their various occupations and they always give the outward impression of happiness in their work.
Cleanliness in all public areas is a priority for the Japanese, we witnessed a train inspector walking through a carriage picking up any rubbish that may have inadvertently been dropped in order to maintain a clean train.
Japanese continually provide excellent service and they all make a point of refusing any tips for that service, the complete polar opposite to America, for instance.
Japanese people like to bow on completion of a service. The bow is not to depict subservience, it is rather to denote their own satisfaction with the service they feel they have provided.
Tokyo has no public refuse bins: the bins were used in previous Sarin attacks. So the decision was made to remove all public bins. Everyone is expected to not litter and to carry away any litter they create for disposal themselves. Because the Japanese are so disciplined in their nature, this plan works 100% of the time.
Japanese wear white dust masks on their faces for generally three reasons (1) they are ill and do not want to pass on the infection (2) they assume others are ill and they do not want to contract the infection, and (3) they are fed up having to smile all the time or they seek a degree of anonymity.
Using the toilet can be a new learning experience in Japan. It displays the best in Japanese automation. A traveller could not but be impressed by the cleanliness benefits of their toiletry ingenuity.
Japan is one of the safest places in the world that we have travelled to so far. We did not witness any misdemeanours, street begging or homelessness.

We would have no reservation in recommending a holiday in Japan, notwithstanding the fact that it is a relatively expensive country.

Recommendations for Japan

A great way to spend a weeks holiday in Tokyo, in our opinion, would be something along the following:

(See our Tokyo blog for a more in-depth description of these suggested activities)

(1)Take the Sky Hop Bus to see the main highlights of Tokyo, including Tokyo Tower and Skytree which is 634 metres high and an excellent venue for aerial photos of the city scape.

(2) Undertake Mount Fuji Hakone two day tour which should take in a visit to the 5th station on Mt Fuji, a boat trip across Lake Ashi and a jaunt up the Mount Komagatake Aerial Rope Way, which is another great viewing point for Mt Fuji. The second day could be spent seeing the many tourist attractions around Hakone. We went with Sunrise Tours and were very happy with all arrangements. Our tour guide was great.

(3) Be sure to sample the wide variety of cuisines including Sushi & Sashimi; Ramen; Tempura; Kare-Raisu (curry rice); Miso Soup and the infamous Okonomiyaki etc We didn’t have one poor meal while there.

(4) Visit both the Samurai and Digital Art Museums.

(5) Visit the bay area exhibition centres via the new Transit Yurikamome driverless, automated transit service link. There are also a number of outlet centres there for bargain seekers.

(6) Be sure to take a Shinkansen train and spend some time visiting Kyoto, Nara and Osaka

(7) While in Kyoto be sure to do a bit of geisha-spotting in the Gion area. We spent a lovely evening doing a night tour of the city followed by a visit to the Shozan Resort where we had a traditional Kyoto meal and a geisha show, with a late-night wander around the beautiful Japanese gardens.

(8) In Osaka a tour around the Umeda Sky Building with its spectacular views from its Kuchu Teien Observatory is a must.

We booked our excursions and day trips through Veltra which we found to be very responsive and efficient. All the trips were of a high quality and lived up to our expectations.

During our trip we stayed in the following hotels:

- Tokyo Prince Hotel in the shadow of the Tokyo Tower;

- Tokyo Grand Palace, close to the Imperial Gardens and Palace;

- Miyako Hotel, Kyoto, across the road from train station

- Yumoto Fujiya Hotel, Hakone, a typical Japanese Ryokan with a beautiful setting.

We would have no hesitation in recommending the above hotels.

“You should travel away from home, to really appreciate the value of what you have at home, on your return.”

"The pleasure rarely rests solely in the destination itself but it is often found in the journey as well."

Our Top 20 Japan Travel Tips

If you are a serial cereal eater then bring your own packet of cereal. We couldn’t find any on sale.
Be sure to get your mobile unblocked at least 3 days before departure so that you can buy a local Simm . We recommend you buy the unlimited data local Simm, but be aware that you will not be able to make or receive calls on that Simm.
If you do not buy a Simm make sure to turn off your Roaming. WiFi is reasonably prevalent throughout Japan.
American two straight pin style electrical adapters ( lots ).
Cash is king, particularly in small shops and restaurants and everywhere outside of Tokyo.
Come prepared for mixed weather.
Check if your hotel has an airport coach service, makes life simpler.
Make sure you have Google Translate or similar on your phone.
When you purchase tea or coffee, be sure to specify “hot” if that is your preference.
If you are going to use Japanese baths, you do not need to pack swimming gear ( ala nude ).
Be advised that when you order a meal, then is generally no order to the way it will be served. More often than not it will all come together. Japanese prefer to order each course singularly.
If Japanese person bows to you, it is only courtesy to bow back.
If you are going to do a lot of rail/metro travel, it is more cost effective and efficient to purchase a JR pass and a complementary Suica/Paseo card.
There does not seem to be a problem with mosquitos, but be advised that if you visit the countryside or parks, there are other bugs that bite.
Non-Japanese food is considerably more expensive in restaurants so be brave and sample the local dishes, which are delicious.
If using the metro for any journey, allow an extra half an hour, at least, for the inevitable directional mistake.
Taxi journey prices can be priced before any journey on the google maps App, and compared with train options and timings.
The wealth of information on Google Maps is a must have when navigating the metro and train system. Be advised that we found it better to do a screen grab of our initial chosen journey route and then to proceed using the screen grabs. If you continue to use the App during your journey, your route plan may keep changing depending on your changing location. There are so many different routes available that it can become extremely confusing when using the App in realtime, underground.
If you are a long distance traveller to Japan, try to schedule your flights to arrive around mid morning. So that you can: purchase your Japanese Simm card; activate your JR pass; and have access to your hotel room on arrival.
In Japan it isn't customary to tip. Tipping creates confusion with recipients questioning why they've been given too much money. In addition, tipping can be seen as unnecessary.

Our Top 12 Japan observations

All major road works take place at night.
Roads are so busy that cyclists cycle on the footpaths so be on your guard.
Trains always arrive on time and leave promptly.
99% of all vehicles in Japan are made in Japan, in fact they are self-sufficient and everything is made in Japan.
There are no public litter bins in Tokyo, if you create rubbish, you must carry it with you until you find a private waste disposal in which to place it.
Most restaurants display in their front window plastic versions of the meals available within. In fact, there is an industry in making the plastic replicas as accurate and as inviting as the real meals themselves.
Most family bicycles in Japan have two baby chairs fitted, front and back, to the bicycle frames. Most baby bicycle chairs have complete rain covers as well.
It is one of the few countries in the world where you feel safe, even late at night.
One of the standout observations about Japan is the general public space cleanliness.
The work ethic of the Japanese, from the most menial to the most high powered jobs, we found to be unparalleled in any other country, where we have visited.
Department stores stay open for late night shoppers but consequently they do not open as early in the mornings.
Queuing is done in an orderly and systematic fashion in Japan, as a visitor, you are expected to comply.

The top 22 things not to do in Japan

Being noisy.
Getting confrontational.
Violating a Japanese person's personal space.
Being late for anything. The Japanese do not like tardiness.
Staring at other Japanese people.
Pointing during conversations is frowned on. Very small gestures are tolerated.
Leaving your shoes on indoors.
Wearing your toilet slippers outside of the toilet.
Looking unKempt. Make an effort to look clean and sharp.
Smoking outside of designated areas.
Not being private enough about your bodily functions. (Burping, Flatulence etc )
Not using a mask when your are sick.
Breaking rules. Japanese are extremely courteous and law abiding.
Littering. Do not Litter.
Having poor hygiene practices in public areas.
Public displays of affection are extremely out of the ordinary in Japan. (Kissing in public etc)
Leaving food on your plate after a meal. Only ask for what you know you can eat.
Pouring soy sauce over your rice. Use the little bowl beside your plate for the sauce and dip your rice into it.
Refilling your own glass. Refill other glasses and then wait for one of the others to refill yours. Use two hands on the bottle.
Tipping. Do not tip.
Bad chop sticks manners. Place them beside your dish and never leave them vertically hanging out of your dish.
Openly talking about drug use. The subject is taboo, in such a way that non Japanese struggle to conceptualise.

The key thing on a visit to Japan is to be well-intentioned and well-mannered, thus minimising as much as possible any awkwardness between yourself and the Japanese that you met and interact with.

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