Japan - Tokyo life

Even if you are familiar with Japanese culture, it might be a shock the first time you visit Japan (photos above are from all over Japan) and Tokyo. Even the second time around it was still true. I’ve been to Japan and Tokyo many years ago and this time living here for a month gave me a new appreciation for the Tokyo life, which I didn’t get from a shorter visit.

Japan is known for being a discipline and respectful society. Although you do feel that presence, it is definitely an incomplete view of this multifaceted country. Today Japan is a vibrant country, evolving with the times and yet still holding on and celebrating its heritage. Although, it doesn’t fear embracing food and culture from around the world. A matter of fact, in each case it brings a very distinctive Japanese twist. Some may argue even better than the original it appropriated from. We don’t disagree.

It’s an expressive society stemming from a culture that values not trying to standout. So, it creates this awkward and amazing individual expression. Sometimes it is seen as playful cosplay, but often it’s a bold statement that is more subtle in fashion, hair style, or make-up. Although you can argue Japan is a conservative culture, there is much more than a fringe that is pushing and transforming the country that is impacting every aspect of life. There’s no place to see that transformation better than Tokyo.
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So, what are some things you need to know to visit or live in Tokyo? We covered some of this in our Tokyo video blog and we have some additional complimentary details below.
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• Travel pass – in Tokyo, if you are here for a while, it’s best to get a Suica card and add money to it. There’s a deposit for the card, but you will get most of it back when you leave. It’s also good when you travel to many of the areas outside of Tokyo. This means you don’t have to constantly run to the ticket machines. If you are here for a shorter trip or plan to do visit several cities using the intercity rail, then getting a Japan Pass before you come to Japan can save you a lot of money. For instance, you can get a 7-day unlimited Japan Pass for a similar price to a around trip to Osaka from Tokyo. The flexibility of an unlimited pass can be really nice. Unfortunately for us, because we decide so last minute to come to Japan we didn’t have time to order it before we left. You have to receive the ticket outside of Japan. You can still get other passes if you are a visitor to Japan, but they are not nearly as deeply discounted.
• Getting around Tokyo – there are multiple train lines operating in Tokyo (map). You can transfer for free within a line, but if you switch lines you will be charge for that transfer each time. So, if you want to save money, it’s best to use one (or few) train line to get to your destination. What we do is we take one train for the longest segment we need and we walk the rest of the way, but we like walking. This can reduce your daily cost transportation cost by 50% or more. Per the above, you can pay for these with the Suica card, which we highly recommended.
• Restaurants – there are two unique ways to pay that you might not know about. First, you will notice in some of the Japanese restaurants that there are vending machines where you select and pay for everything in advance. For each item you order, there will be a ticket that prints out. For these machines, you always insert the money first and then select what you want. Once you are done, then hit the button to return your change (most time it’s obvious). If you need to study the menu first, do that before you get to the vending machine. Otherwise, you will hold everyone up. If the vending machine doesn’t have English, sometimes they have an English menu and you select based on the button position or picture. The second common way is that they will provide you the check immediately after you are done ordering. When you are ready to pay, you go to the cashier to pay. You will notice that many Japanese restaurants are small and they optimize to help get people in and out. So, if it’s really busy, it’s probably best not to linger. It helps these smaller restaurant, which we find are our favorites.
• Tipping – tipping is not a cultural norm in Japan. If you try to tip, you may create confusion (because they don’t understand what you are trying to do) or insult the person (treating them as panhandler). So, no tipping is necessary.
• Bathrooms – first the Japanese toilets and bathrooms are modern day miracles, if you know how to operate them. Although it can be intimidating. The toilets usually feature heated seats and a bidet, especially in the hotel and home. You don’t have to use the bidet feature, but at least understand how to flush the toilet. Most toilets have handles and buttons on the toilet and allow to flush in low (small) or high flow (big) flushes. Since many of the toilets are electronic, the flush button may be completely separated from the toilet either on a control console on a wall or on an arm to the toilet, which usually has many buttons. This is where you need to recognize two Japanese characters: 大 for a "big flush" and 小 for a "small flush". So why is it so amazing? The best toilet is almost fully automatic, the lid comes up with a touch of the button, the seat is warm, the bidet sprays and dries, toilet paper is pleasantly scented, you stand up it automatically flushes, and lid closes. All of this while you hear bird chirping or ocean waves. Come on! That’s taking a mundane thing and making it like going to a spa.
• Public trash cans – you will not find a public trash can on a Tokyo street. They were removed in the 90s after a terrorist group used the trash cans for a sarin gas attack. The trash cans never came back. You can sometimes find a trash can in the train station usually after you enter the pay gates. Otherwise, some people bring plastics bag with them to keep trash in. Recyclable cans and bottles can be places in recycle bins next to vendor machines, which are usually easy to find. Don’t push trash in those bins.
• Garbage and recycle – Tokyo like many other cities has a strict regiment when it comes to the trash. It’s important to understand that if you plan to live in Tokyo or any other Japanese city. The first thing to note is that you have to sort your trash. Tokyo isn’t bad, there’s only really 4 different categories: combustible trash (red), non-combustible trash (blue), recycle bottle and cans (green), and paper (green). In some cities or wards, there are upwards of twenty. You also have to put out the right category of trash on the right day.
• Grocery store – convenient stories usually will pack your bags for you, but if you go to a bigger grocery store, they will expect that you do it yourself. The protocol is pretty easy. The cashier will transfer your groceries from one basket to another as they scan each item and then provide you with plastic bags. Once you pay for the groceries, you take the basket and the bags to a counter and pack them yourself. It’s quite an efficient way to get everyone through the line quickly.
• Vending machines – you will see vendor machines everywhere in Tokyo. Most are drinks, but there are a lot of different ones. Don’t be afraid to use them. They are really convenient, fast and sometimes better prices than a store. The nicest thing is a warm drink on a cold day when you are doing touristy things. Our favorites are the hot milk coffees or milk teas on a cold winter day. They are so good!
• Sunglasses – we came in the driest and thus a sunny time of the year for Tokyo, winter. We had some really sunny days and it would be hard to find anyone wearing sunglasses. Culturally, it seems like sunglasses are deemed not necessary and can seem pretentious. We are not totally certain about this, but it’s what we read. Although, I don’t think people are offended if you do.

That's it for our tips. If you have any questions, feel free to comment below. I swear we fall in love with each place we visit. I know both Isabella and I didn’t want to leave Japan and Tokyo. We love Tokyo!

-Vu

​Grocery Beer Price Index: Grand Kirin 330ml 228 yen ($2.11)