You’ve been to Europe. Maybe you’ve done the backpacking-through-Southeast-Asia thing. You’ve navigated unfamiliar currencies, fumbled through foreign languages, and figured out subway systems that made no sense at first.
None of that fully prepares you for Japan.
This isn’t a criticism — it’s a compliment. Japan is one of the most rewarding, smoothly-run, visually stunning countries on earth. But it operates on a completely different set of assumptions than anywhere in the West, and the things that trip up first-time American visitors aren’t the things you’d expect. It’s not dangerous or difficult. It’s just different in ways that matter.
This guide covers everything you need to know before traveling to Japan for the first time — from the surprisingly cash-heavy economy to the cultural rules nobody tells you about until you’ve already broken them. Consider it the briefing you wish someone had given you before you landed at Narita.
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If your mental model for “international travel” was built in Europe, you need to reset it. Japan isn’t Europe with chopsticks. The differences go deeper than food and language.
In Europe, you can usually wing it. You can stumble into a restaurant, point at things on the menu, pay with a card, and leave a tip. The cultural scripts are familiar enough that your instincts mostly work. If you’ve ever tried to not look like a tourist in Europe, you know the basics: dress decently, don’t be loud, learn a few words. Japan takes every one of those ideas and adds layers.
Here, there are rules for how to hand someone your business card (with both hands, facing them). Rules for where to put your shoes (and which slippers to wear in which room). Rules for how to eat ramen (slurping is encouraged, actually). Rules for bathing in a public hot spring that, if broken, will get you politely but firmly asked to leave.
The good news: Japanese people are extraordinarily forgiving of well-meaning foreigners who make mistakes. Most of these rules are intuitive once someone explains them. That’s what this guide is for.
And here’s one thing that will genuinely delight you: Japan’s electrical outlets use Type A plugs — the same two-prong plugs you use at home in the US. No adapter needed. In a country where everything else feels like another planet, at least your phone charger works out of the box.
Also worth noting up front: the tap water in Japan is safe to drink everywhere. Fill up your bottle from any tap without a second thought.
This is the section that surprises Americans the most. Japan is the world’s third-largest economy, home to some of the most advanced technology on earth, and yet… it runs on cash to a degree that feels like time travel.
Yes, credit cards are increasingly accepted in major cities, especially at chain stores, hotels, and department stores. But the small ramen shop with a line around the block? The neighborhood izakaya that serves the best yakitori you’ve ever had? The temple entrance fee? Cash.
ATMs are your friend here, but with a caveat: not all Japanese ATMs accept foreign cards. The ones that reliably do are at 7-Eleven convenience stores (called 7-Bank ATMs) and Japan Post Office ATMs. Seek these out. Your regular US debit card should work fine at either.
Pro tip: Withdraw larger amounts less frequently to minimize ATM fees. Japan is extremely safe — carrying ¥30,000–50,000 (roughly $200–350 USD) is perfectly normal and not a security concern the way it might feel in other countries.
The currency is Japanese Yen (¥ / JPY). As of this writing, the exchange rate hovers around ¥150 to $1 USD, though this fluctuates. A quick mental shortcut: drop the last two zeros and you’re in a rough dollar ballpark. A ¥1,500 bowl of ramen is about $10. A ¥15,000 hotel room is about $100.
For real-time currency conversion without fumbling with a calculator at every purchase, Convierge has a built-in converter for Japan that works offline — useful when you’re in that basement ramen shop with no signal.
Get a Suica or Pasmo card as soon as you land. These rechargeable IC cards are primarily for trains and subways, but they also work at convenience stores, vending machines, and many restaurants. Tap and go. You can buy them at any major train station — look for the machines with English language options.
As of recent changes, physical Suica cards can sometimes be hard to find at certain stations, but you can add a digital Suica to your Apple Wallet or Google Pay. Do this before you leave home if you can.
Americans, listen carefully: do not tip in Japan.
This isn’t like France where tipping is optional but appreciated. This isn’t like the UK where you round up the bill. In Japan, tipping can genuinely confuse people. In some contexts, it’s considered rude — it implies the person needs charity, or that their employer doesn’t pay them enough.
If you leave money on the table at a restaurant, your server may chase you down the street to return it, assuming you forgot it. This has happened to countless American tourists and it’s equal parts heartwarming and mortifying.
The price on the menu is the price you pay. Service is included. Always. Everywhere.
If you’ve read our guide on how much to tip in Europe, you know tipping norms vary wildly by country. Japan is the extreme end of the spectrum: zero, always, no exceptions (unless you’re at a very high-end ryokan where a specific gift-giving protocol exists, and even then it’s not a “tip” in the American sense).
Japan’s rail system is one of the great achievements of modern civilization. That’s not hyperbole. Trains arrive on time — not “within a few minutes” on time, but to the second on time. If a train is more than a minute late, it makes national news. The rail company issues formal apologies.
The Japan Rail Pass (JR Pass) gives you unlimited travel on most JR trains, including the bullet trains (Shinkansen), for a fixed period (7, 14, or 21 days). It used to be an absolute no-brainer for any tourist. These days, the math is tighter.
In late 2023, JR significantly increased the price of the pass. A 7-day pass now costs around ¥50,000 (~$330). That’s still worth it if you’re doing the classic Tokyo-Kyoto-Osaka-Hiroshima route, because a single round-trip Shinkansen ticket between Tokyo and Kyoto alone runs about ¥27,000. But if you’re mostly staying in one city with just one or two day trips, buying individual tickets might be cheaper.
Do the math before you buy. Check the cost of your planned Shinkansen trips individually, then compare to the JR Pass price. A quick search on the JR website or HyperDia will give you individual ticket prices.
Within Tokyo, Osaka, and other major cities, you’ll use a combination of subway lines and JR local lines. Your IC card (Suica/Pasmo) works on all of them. Tap in, tap out, done.
Google Maps is your best friend here. It works remarkably well for Japanese transit, showing you exact train times, platform numbers, transfer instructions, and walking routes. It even tells you which car to board for the most efficient transfer. Use it constantly. Seriously, it’s better than any dedicated transit app.
This seems minor but matters: in Tokyo, stand on the left, walk on the right. In Osaka, it’s the opposite — stand on the right, walk on the left. Yes, this is confusing. Just watch what everyone else is doing and match them. Getting this wrong won’t get you yelled at, but it will mark you as someone who just arrived.
Here’s the reality: you don’t need to speak Japanese to travel in Japan. Most signage in major cities includes English (or at least romaji — Japanese words written in Latin characters). Google Translate’s camera feature works shockingly well for menus and signs. Many Japanese people under 40 have studied some English.
But — and this is important — making even a small effort with the language goes further in Japan than almost anywhere else. Japanese people don’t expect foreigners to speak Japanese, so when you try, even badly, it’s received with genuine warmth.
Here are the phrases that actually matter, with pronunciation guides:
Sumimasen (sue-me-mah-sen) — “Excuse me” / “I’m sorry” / “Thank you” This is the single most useful word in Japan. Use it to get a waiter’s attention, to apologize for bumping into someone, to thank someone for a small kindness. It covers an enormous range of social situations. When in doubt, say sumimasen.
Arigatou gozaimasu (ah-ree-gah-toh go-zah-ee-mahs) — “Thank you” (formal) The full, polite version. Use this in shops, restaurants, hotels — any time someone does something for you. You’ll hear it constantly because Japanese customer service operates at a level that makes American hospitality look casual.
Konnichiwa (koh-nee-chee-wah) — “Hello” / “Good afternoon” The standard greeting. Works from late morning through evening.
Eigo o hanasemasu ka? (ay-go oh hah-nah-seh-mahs kah) — “Do you speak English?” Ask this politely before launching into English. Many people do speak some, and asking first is considered respectful.
Ikura desu ka? (ee-koo-rah dess kah) — “How much is this?” Essential for markets, street food stalls, and shops where prices aren’t displayed.
Kore o kudasai (koh-reh oh koo-dah-sigh) — “This one, please” Point at what you want and say this. Works everywhere.
Oishii (oh-ee-shee) — “Delicious” Say this to anyone who prepares food for you. Sushi chef, ramen cook, convenience store cashier who just heated your onigiri. It always lands.
Toire wa doko desu ka? (toy-reh wah doh-koh dess kah) — “Where is the bathroom?” You’ll need this. Japan’s toilets, by the way, are the best on earth. Heated seats, bidets, sound machines. The toilet experience alone is worth the trip.
Daijoubu (dye-joh-boo) — “It’s okay” / “I’m fine” / “No problem” Versatile and friendly. Pair with a smile.
Don’t stress about perfect pronunciation. Japanese phonetics are straightforward for English speakers — vowels are consistent (ah, ee, oo, eh, oh) and each syllable gets roughly equal emphasis.
Japan is a high-context culture, meaning a lot of communication happens through unspoken rules, subtle cues, and shared understanding rather than explicit instructions. As an American, you come from one of the most low-context cultures on earth. This gap is where most awkward moments happen.
Here are the rules that matter most for first-time visitors.
Many places in Japan require you to remove your shoes before entering: homes (always), traditional restaurants, temples, some hotels, fitting rooms, and certain areas of castles and museums.
Look for the genkan — a small entryway area, usually a step lower than the main floor, where shoes are left. If you see a row of shoes or a shoe rack, take yours off. If there are slippers provided, put them on. If you enter a bathroom, there are often separate bathroom slippers — swap into those, then swap back when you leave. (Forgetting to swap back and walking into the dining room in toilet slippers is a classic tourist move. Don’t be that person.)
You don’t need to do a full 90-degree bow. A slight nod of the head — maybe 15 degrees — is perfectly appropriate for casual situations like thanking a cashier or greeting someone. Match the depth and duration of whoever is bowing to you if you’re unsure.
Don’t bow while shaking hands. It’s one or the other. In tourist-heavy areas, many Japanese people will offer a handshake to Westerners. In more traditional settings, a bow is standard.
This one catches a lot of Americans off guard. Talking on your phone on a train is a hard no. Not just frowned upon — genuinely unacceptable. Set your phone to silent (called “manner mode” in Japan) and keep conversations with travel companions quiet.
This extends to public spaces generally. Japan’s cities are remarkably quiet for their population density. Match the volume of those around you.
Most Americans know the basics of chopstick use, but there are specific taboos in Japan:
If you visit an onsen — and you absolutely should — there are strict rules:
Onsen are segregated by gender. Mixed-gender onsen exist but are rare and usually require swimsuits (the exception to rule 1).
You will struggle to find public trash cans in Japan. They largely disappeared after a subway gas attack in 1995, and the country just… adapted. The streets remain immaculate because Japanese people carry their trash with them until they find a bin.
You’ll find trash cans at convenience stores (konbini) and train stations, sometimes sorted into multiple categories for recycling. Carry a small bag for your trash. You’ll adjust faster than you think.
Japanese people queue for everything, perfectly and without complaint. Join the line. Don’t cut. On the flip side, personal space on packed rush-hour trains is nonexistent. You will be compressed into a train car with more humans per square foot than you thought possible. This is normal. Roll with it.
Japan is extraordinarily safe. It consistently ranks among the safest countries in the world. You can walk alone at night in Tokyo, leave your bag on a train and get it back, and generally relax your situational awareness to a degree that would be reckless in most American cities.
That said, things can still go wrong — medical emergencies, natural disasters (Japan is earthquake-prone), lost passports, or unexpected situations. Being prepared isn’t paranoid; it’s smart.
Note: these are different from the US (911) and from European emergency numbers. English-speaking operators are sometimes available, but not guaranteed. If you need help communicating, many police boxes (koban) in tourist areas have officers with basic English skills, or you can use a translation app.
The US Embassy is in Tokyo: 1-10-5 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo 107-8420 Phone: +81-3-3224-5000
There are also US consulates in Osaka-Kobe, Naha (Okinawa), Fukuoka, Sapporo, and Nagoya. Save the relevant phone number in your phone before you leave.
For a complete breakdown of what to do if something goes wrong abroad — from lost passports to medical emergencies to natural disasters — read our detailed guide on how to handle an emergency abroad. It covers step-by-step protocols that apply in Japan and everywhere else.
Japan experiences earthquakes regularly — most are minor. Japan’s warning systems are world-class, and your phone may receive emergency alerts even on a foreign SIM. If there’s a significant quake: get under a sturdy table indoors, or move to open space outdoors. Follow local guidance.
Travel insurance covering medical expenses is strongly recommended. Japan’s healthcare is excellent but not free for tourists. Bring any essential medications from home, as some American brands aren’t available at Japanese pharmacies.
Most first-timers hit some combination of Tokyo (3-4 days minimum — the capital is overwhelming and endlessly explorable), Kyoto (2-3 days for temples, shrines, and bamboo forests), and Osaka (2 days for the best street food in Japan). Add Hiroshima for the Peace Memorial and a day trip to Miyajima Island, and Hakone for hot springs and Mt. Fuji views.
Two weeks is ideal for all five. Ten days works if you trim. A week is tight but doable for Tokyo-Kyoto-Osaka.
If this guide has you scribbling notes, bookmarking pages, and opening tabs for phrase guides, currency converters, and emergency numbers — there’s a simpler way.
Convierge puts all of this Japan travel intelligence in one place on your phone. Currency conversion for JPY. Key Japanese phrases with pronunciation. Emergency numbers. Cultural etiquette reminders. Tipping rules (or in Japan’s case, the no-tipping rule). Plug type confirmation (Type A — same as home). Everything you need, nothing you don’t.
No more switching between Google Translate, a currency app, a notes app, and a travel blog. Whether you’re navigating Shinjuku Station at rush hour or trying to remember the emergency number at an onsen in Hakone, the info is right there.
See how Convierge works for Japan and beyond — and make your first time visiting Japan the trip you’ve been imagining.