People regularly ask me whether I have any Japan tips – for autistic people, but also in general. That’s why I created this blog series, to help you head off on your trip well prepared. This installment focuses on practical matters: luggage, mobile internet, the language, and money.

People travelling in Japan often carry quite a bit of luggage. Dragging all of that from one accommodation to the next is a bit amateurish. (And if you take up half the train with it, you might just find yourself on xenophobic Japanese Twitter the next day.)

The vast majority of Japanese people use transport companies to send their luggage ahead. The best-known one is Kuroneko Yamato. This transport company, with the yellow-and-black logo of a mother cat carrying her kitten, can be found at almost every airport and train station. Hotels often work together with the company, allowing you to leave your suitcase at check-out, after which it will be transported to your next location. You can also drop off your suitcase at most convenience stores, where it will later be picked up by Kuroneko Yamato. Depending on the time of day and the distance, your luggage will arrive the same day, or otherwise the next day. (So it’s wise to carry a small suitcase or backpack with hand luggage, and send the rest ahead.)

If this isn’t an option for you, many places also have coin lockers. (Although at train stations they are often full.) These lockers come in different sizes, and the largest (and most expensive) ones are even suitable for a large suitcase. Sometimes you pay with coins and receive a slip, but nowadays most lockers also work with a Japanese transit card. To retrieve your luggage, you need to tap the same card you used when storing it. (And don’t forget to take a photo of where your locker was…)

When I first traveled to Japan, Western mobile phones didn’t work there at all. Nowadays, of course, they do – but data roaming is often very expensive. So make sure to turn it off before you land in Japan and switch your phone back on.

In the past I always used a pocket Wi-Fi: a small device that connects to the Japanese mobile network and broadcasts a Wi-Fi signal. Essentially a hotspot. You can still rent pocket Wi-Fi devices today. This can be a cost-effective option if you’re traveling with a group and/or have multiple devices you want to connect. The downside, of course, is that everyone needs to stay close to the pocket Wi-Fi, and it’s yet another device to keep charged. Pocket Wi-Fi units can usually be booked online and picked up at an airport counter, or delivered to your accommodation.

These days, most people use an eSIM. This is a digital SIM card that you can download to your phone, often alongside your regular number. That way, you’re fully set up before you even leave. Alternatively, you can buy a Japanese SIM card. These are also often prepared specifically for incoming travelers and available at airport counters.

Well-known (e)SIM and pocket Wi-Fi providers in Japan include Sakura Mobile and Mobal, but especially eSIM providers are popping up all over the world these days. So it’s definitely worth doing a bit of your own research as well.

If you want to save on data, you can of course rely on public Wi-Fi. Most coffee chains and restaurants (Starbucks, Tully’s, McDonald’s, you name it) offer free Wi-Fi. Some metro stations also provide mobile internet, and the shinkansen even has free Wi-Fi on board. It’s not the best connection – it drops as soon as you enter tunnels – but hey, it’s better than nothing!

“But Toeps, how do you even navigate when everything is in Japanese?” Luckily, these days there are plenty of handy tools for that, such as Google Translate. With the camera function you can even translate text in real time, or upload photos for translation. Make sure to download the Japanese language in Google Translate to your phone beforehand – this way it will work even if you don’t have any internet.

Most Japanese people speak very little English, although this is of course a bit better in tourist areas. For everyday interactions, it helps to memorize a few Japanese words: konnichiwa for hello, kudasai for please (“an onigiri, please”), arigatou for thank you, hai for yes, and daijoubu for “I’m fine” (for example if you want to say you don’t need a bag).

In Japan, payments are made in Japanese yen (denoted by ￥ or 円). At the time of writing, the exchange rate of the yen is very favorable for visitors from Europe and the US. This has been the case for quite a while and seems to be getting even better (or worse, for the poor souls who are paid in yen), so for now I’d say: don’t go to too much trouble getting yen in advance, just arrange it once you’re there. (Do keep an eye on the exchange rates in the days leading up to your trip, though, and double-check for yourself before blindly following what’s written here.)

You can’t withdraw cash with a foreign bank card at every ATM in Japan. ATMs at 7‑Eleven and post offices do almost always work, though. In many places (chains, department stores, transport operators) you can also pay with your credit card or Apple Pay.

Don’t have a credit card? In that case, you could use a debit card that works like a credit card. The difference is that you load money onto it in advance, but otherwise the card works exactly the same. You can apply for such a card through Wise or Revolut. I’ve personally been using Wise* for years – it’s incredibly convenient, because you can hold euros as well as yen (and dollars, pounds, and plenty of other currencies). _{* Affiliate link: if three people use this link to sign up for a Wise card, I receive a bonus.}

Small shops, tourist attractions, and independent restaurants often only accept cash. (And local payment methods like PayPay, but those are only available to people who live in Japan.) So it’s smart to always carry enough cash with you.

Another option that often works is paying with your IC card (public transport card). This is the card you use for trains and buses – either physical or on your phone/watch. It works at many vending machines, in almost all shops in and around stations, and at convenience stores.

You can read more about public transport and the associated cards in the next post, which is entirely about Japanese trains and other forms of transportation!