I agree with most of the advice. The most important piece of advice is to know what you would like to do. Build your trip around the specific places or things you must see or experience. Research how long it takes to get to these places. Pick your accommodations, based on how easy it is to get to as many of these places, as economically and realistically as possible. If possible leave time for things, and places you learn about while at or going to your primary wants. Remember there is so much to see and experience that you'll likely never be able to do it all in one trip.
Glad you enjoyed it! Did you know this is the second one I’ve done in this style? I hope to put a few of these out a year so that people get a balanced opinion and not just mine haha
Exactly. For the most part, it's enough to book your flights and hotel and have a rough idea of what you may want to see. Most things can be done ad-hoc. Pre-booking is only required for specific popular attractions like the Harry Potter Studio Tour, TeamLabs, some animal cafes, etc.
1:06 That guy is basically what I do every day on any vacation/trip I do. I wake up early, eat breakfast, head out and explore, then I usually get back to my hotel or wherever I'm staying, by 5 or 6pm and just decompress. I eat takeout food, or grocery store meals. Watch TV, maybe research next day whether, transit, etc... Definitely important to have that down time.
Totally. A common mistake is treating travel like a box-ticking exercise, cramming every day with 10 activities in a bid to do everything possible. As a solo traveller, I break my day into four main segments. My mornings are pretty chill. I just wake up, have breakfast, do a bit of planning and take care or other tasks like laundry. Then, I switch to travelling mode in the afternoon where I'll do some sight seeing for 3 - 4 hours. Dinner time is a chance to fill my belly and unwind a bit. Finally, I'll be ready for more adventures in the evening. Everything gets done at a comfortable pace. The emphasis is on quality of travel, not quantity.
Something I feel was not mentioned which is very important (and really applies to any country traveling) is bringing credit/debit cards that don't charge any foreign to foreign fees. And also consider getting comfortable walking shoes because on the stairs to get outside of stations requires a lot of walking, and portable chargers too because of the amount of usage when navigating around. Especially for Shinkansen lines or using trains either Hiroshima, Kyoto, Osaka, Tokyo, or other prefectures in the country.
Number one tip. Show the Japanese respect. Respect their culture. Dont be loud and rude. Dont be arrogant. Clean your rubbish and dont leave it behind. Definitely dont tip . Obviously there are a few people here just haven't a clue.
As a solo traveler to Japan, I always wanted to drink in a group setting with people who spoke English so I can carry a conversation but I'll just stick to drinking in my hotel room
Great video and it was fun to see some of the people who you normally only see in chat. It's also good to see that Sam will always stay Sam ;-) My tip: Don't try to cover the whole country in one visit. You will exhaust yourself and instead of making experiences you will just be making pictures.
I was agreeing with everything until the one that said not to bring too many clothes. I just returned from a three week trip and being of a large frame buying clothes in Japan was not an option. In fact, a belt that I have brought with me snapped and there was no convenient place for me to purchase a new one, so I had to continually pull up my jeans all throughout the trip. Also regarding clothes, visitors are not going to find many local folks wearing "loud' colors . And if they do, visitors will definitely stick out even more as they explore the country.
True. Most Japanese people tend to avoid bright colours, preferring black, white and other quieter colours. A possible reason is that Japan is a collectivist nation, where people prefer not to stand out.
Most of these are good tips! Tho the Shinkansen one is overkill - whenever I've gone I've reserved the day before at a machine in the station and a vast selection of seats to choose from. I'll find out how busy it gets as my next trip starts in Golden Week this year so could be a different story I'll find out when I get there ;-)
I love how everyone has different ways of tackling travel. I’d agree but at the same time if you already know your itinerary it’s also not a bad idea to book but maybe a month is a lot :)
Just got back from Japan and did all 7 days of the JR pass with one reservation total. Mind that it was low season and we did see some people get burned on the non-reservation car going from Nagano to Tokyo. Had to stand for at least an hour.
An important point is to have a plan for mobile data. Personally, I always order a Sakura mobile data sim before my trip and have it delivered to the airport. Then, after getting off the plane, I go pick it up. I don't need to worry about mobile data for rest of my trip.
My biggest tip is to always have cash on hand. It's used to reload you Suica, some places only accept cash most ropeways and ferries only accept cash. Also don't speak too loudly on the train, most of commuters use that time to relax before and after work.
Good advice. Always have cash even if you have an IC card. I normally carry 20,000 - 30,000 Yen in my wallet, plus my IC card, one debit card and an ID card (for bars/clubs). Better safe than sorry!
They ALL forgot a very important point - Many attractions now insist on you prebooking a month or more, so don't miss out thinking you will just get tickets when you get there, because you won't. ALSO, get the Suica on your iPhone before you leave - its super easy and convenient.
Awsome tip .. I agree get your bookings in fast! You can even use my Klook affiliate link to help the channel out at no additional cost to you! www.ninjasaru.com/klook
I’m a little Concerned about the bullet train . She says I should reserve on a month advance . Iv heard people have issue with the ex app when going through the gates . I land march 17th and was going to go to jr office and book a ticket for the 30of March . What do t you recommend ? I also need to find the video of you where you recommend pocket wifi and it comes with a battery charger . Thank you
As for the Shinkansen, if you have or get a suica card , you can link it to the ex app account and swipe it at the designated I/C lane . I think that the app gives a QR code to redeem the ticket not for entry at the gate . That can cause some confusion.
@@flight324 I've been japan 3 times, for some reason the app doesn't work for me when booking shinkansen but unless you have heavy bags which you'd have to book in advance since people book then real fast, I usually just book my shinkansen tickets when I'm in japan. I usually go a day or 2 before the time I'm going on the train. Hope this helps, but if you're able to use the smartex app I would also book in advance since you can find discounted tickets on it aswell.
Talk about polar opposites on tattoos. First dude said, no issues, ever. The second dude said, be respectful and cover up at times. What?! 😂 I’ll be in Tokyo in 11 days. I’m inked up all over (nothing on my face or neck though). The weather will be in the low 50’s F. If my ink is visible at times, so be it.
I agree with most of the advice. The most important piece of advice is to know what you would like to do. Build your trip around the specific places or things you must see or experience. Research how long it takes to get to these places. Pick your accommodations, based on how easy it is to get to as many of these places, as economically and realistically as possible. If possible leave time for things, and places you learn about while at or going to your primary wants. Remember there is so much to see and experience that you'll likely never be able to do it all in one trip.
It really does pay to do your research before you go. That's how you get the most out of your trip!
Great video Ninja 🐒 and idea 💡
Glad you enjoyed it! Did you know this is the second one I’ve done in this style? I hope to put a few of these out a year so that people get a balanced opinion and not just mine haha
3:25 I meant to say not to overplan and overthink your trip to Japan, because once you land in Japan, you will figure everything out for yourself
Yes this is true.. But also just go!
Exactly. For the most part, it's enough to book your flights and hotel and have a rough idea of what you may want to see. Most things can be done ad-hoc. Pre-booking is only required for specific popular attractions like the Harry Potter Studio Tour, TeamLabs, some animal cafes, etc.
Always interesting and informative and entertaining
Glad you think so!
1:06 That guy is basically what I do every day on any vacation/trip I do. I wake up early, eat breakfast, head out and explore, then I usually get back to my hotel or wherever I'm staying, by 5 or 6pm and just decompress. I eat takeout food, or grocery store meals. Watch TV, maybe research next day whether, transit, etc... Definitely important to have that down time.
something a lot of people forget to do
Totally. A common mistake is treating travel like a box-ticking exercise, cramming every day with 10 activities in a bid to do everything possible.
As a solo traveller, I break my day into four main segments. My mornings are pretty chill. I just wake up, have breakfast, do a bit of planning and take care or other tasks like laundry. Then, I switch to travelling mode in the afternoon where I'll do some sight seeing for 3 - 4 hours. Dinner time is a chance to fill my belly and unwind a bit. Finally, I'll be ready for more adventures in the evening. Everything gets done at a comfortable pace. The emphasis is on quality of travel, not quantity.
Amazing video. Honored to be part of it 🎉🎉
Thanks again for your interview
Something I feel was not mentioned which is very important (and really applies to any country traveling) is bringing credit/debit cards that don't charge any foreign to foreign fees. And also consider getting comfortable walking shoes because on the stairs to get outside of stations requires a lot of walking, and portable chargers too because of the amount of usage when navigating around. Especially for Shinkansen lines or using trains either Hiroshima, Kyoto, Osaka, Tokyo, or other prefectures in the country.
Yes! Those are good tips, especially the walking shoes - Japan is a walking city! I mention the card in the previous video about apps
Number one tip. Show the Japanese respect. Respect their culture. Dont be loud and rude. Dont be arrogant. Clean your rubbish and dont leave it behind. Definitely dont tip . Obviously there are a few people here just haven't a clue.
hopefully they will learn
@@JohnArangio AGREED!
As a solo traveler to Japan, I always wanted to drink in a group setting with people who spoke English so I can carry a conversation but I'll just stick to drinking in my hotel room
Join our discord! Meet people maybe even a future Meetup!
@@NinjaMonkeyguy What's the Discord's name? Can anyone join or only Patreon subscribers?
@ open for everyone for now anyway .. you can find the link here discord.com/invite/TvNgHYehkB
Great video and it was fun to see some of the people who you normally only see in chat. It's also good to see that Sam will always stay Sam ;-)
My tip: Don't try to cover the whole country in one visit. You will exhaust yourself and instead of making experiences you will just be making pictures.
Yes.. Covering the whole country in one visit omg
I was agreeing with everything until the one that said not to bring too many clothes. I just returned from a three week trip and being of a large frame buying clothes in Japan was not an option. In fact, a belt that I have brought with me snapped and there was no convenient place for me to purchase a new one, so I had to continually pull up my jeans all throughout the trip.
Also regarding clothes, visitors are not going to find many local folks wearing "loud' colors . And if they do, visitors will definitely stick out even more as they explore the country.
Large sizes can be an issue this is so true .. you can however get a lot of stores to bring in your size it takes a few days but it’s annoying I agree
True. Most Japanese people tend to avoid bright colours, preferring black, white and other quieter colours. A possible reason is that Japan is a collectivist nation, where people prefer not to stand out.
Most of these are good tips! Tho the Shinkansen one is overkill - whenever I've gone I've reserved the day before at a machine in the station and a vast selection of seats to choose from. I'll find out how busy it gets as my next trip starts in Golden Week this year so could be a different story I'll find out when I get there ;-)
I love how everyone has different ways of tackling travel. I’d agree but at the same time if you already know your itinerary it’s also not a bad idea to book but maybe a month is a lot :)
Just got back from Japan and did all 7 days of the JR pass with one reservation total. Mind that it was low season and we did see some people get burned on the non-reservation car going from Nagano to Tokyo. Had to stand for at least an hour.
@@herewegooo standing is never a good choice!
Yeah, unless is an especially busy time and/or route, booking a day or two in advance is normally fine. Depends on how safe you want to play it.
An important point is to have a plan for mobile data. Personally, I always order a Sakura mobile data sim before my trip and have it delivered to the airport. Then, after getting off the plane, I go pick it up. I don't need to worry about mobile data for rest of my trip.
Top tip! you can even use my affiliate link at no additional cost to you for sakura mobile: www.ninjasaru.com/sakura
Great video! not saying that cuz I was in it! ^_^ Where did you get that cool intro and outro?
I made it
My biggest tip is to always have cash on hand. It's used to reload you Suica, some places only accept cash most ropeways and ferries only accept cash. Also don't speak too loudly on the train, most of commuters use that time to relax before and after work.
Cash so true! Always have some on you don’t get caught out
Good advice. Always have cash even if you have an IC card. I normally carry 20,000 - 30,000 Yen in my wallet, plus my IC card, one debit card and an ID card (for bars/clubs). Better safe than sorry!
Myoten with the clutch advice!
indeed!
They ALL forgot a very important point - Many attractions now insist on you prebooking a month or more, so don't miss out thinking you will just get tickets when you get there, because you won't. ALSO, get the Suica on your iPhone before you leave - its super easy and convenient.
Yes, if planning to visit TeamLabs Borderless and/or the Harry Potter Studio Tour, it's best to book well in advance.
@ Same with the Ghibli stuff and many animal cafes
Awsome tip .. I agree get your bookings in fast! You can even use my Klook affiliate link to help the channel out at no additional cost to you! www.ninjasaru.com/klook
What I love so much about Tokyo - it felt like the entire world is visiting there, which it likely is haha.
Haha yes very likely
fun little video 🥰
I love interviewing people.. I hope I can put more out like this too
I’m a little
Concerned about the bullet train . She says I should reserve on a month advance . Iv heard people have issue with the ex app when going through the gates . I land march 17th and was going to go to jr office and book a ticket for the 30of March . What do t you recommend ? I also need to find the video of you where you recommend pocket wifi and it comes with a battery charger . Thank you
Booking with a few days is enough.. you can use my link for data www.ninjasaru.com/sakura
As for the Shinkansen, if you have or get a suica card , you can link it to the ex app account and swipe it at the designated I/C lane . I think that the app gives a QR code to redeem the ticket not for entry at the gate . That can cause some confusion.
@@flight324 I've been japan 3 times, for some reason the app doesn't work for me when booking shinkansen but unless you have heavy bags which you'd have to book in advance since people book then real fast, I usually just book my shinkansen tickets when I'm in japan. I usually go a day or 2 before the time I'm going on the train. Hope this helps, but if you're able to use the smartex app I would also book in advance since you can find discounted tickets on it aswell.
Unless is an especially busy time and/or route, booking a day or two in advance is normally fine. Depends on how safe you want to play it.
best advice from japan japan ichiban
Talk about polar opposites on tattoos. First dude said, no issues, ever. The second dude said, be respectful and cover up at times. What?! 😂 I’ll be in Tokyo in 11 days. I’m inked up all over (nothing on my face or neck though). The weather will be in the low 50’s F. If my ink is visible at times, so be it.
I wouldn’t worry about tattoos they both made valid points just combine them hehe and don’t stress enjoy
Simple. Do as the Romans do. Instead of the stare of disappointment you get the stare of acknowledgement 😅
YES true words
1:04 Harajuku?
Indeed!
ありがとうございます meaning Arigatogosamasu
Hey Sam
hey sam
The best tip there is (mostly for americans): Dont be an entitled asshole. Dont force your mentality on the people.
I think this goes for everyone not just Americans
@@NinjaMonkeyguy Nah it's mostly Americans 😆
Great video ❤ who's that handsome guy at 0:51 ?
The one on the right was handsome you’re right
@NinjaMonkeyguy