Things I Wish I Knew BEFORE Entering Japan

If you’re smart, you will have done some research on some essential items before entering Japan. If you’re either too overwhelmed or like learning from idiots, then this post is right for you! This post is going to cover three aspects about living in Japan that I wish I had been more prepared for so, when you land at either Haneda or Narita International Airports, you can walk off the plane prepared!

Note: At the time of writing, 100 Yen is equivalent to about 90 U.S. cents. Currency exchange rates are subject to change.

Get a Japanese SIM Card NOW!

When landing in Japan, I was originally planning on renting a Pocket Wi-Fi, or a device that allows you to use cellular data without having to get a SIM card. Looking back on it, I do NOT recommend doing this. If your phone is locked to your carrier, then you should rent either a pocket Wi-Fi device or another phone. One study abroad student used GTN-Mobile, which offers pocket Wi-Fi rental with 30GBs of data per month for 3,680 Yen (about $33). There is a set-up fee of 3,000 Yen (about $27) and, if you terminate early, a termination fee of 9,500 Yen (about $86).  If your phone is unlocked though, then all you have to do is remove your SIM card and insert a Japanese SIM card. Thanks to Marie, who did way more research on Japan than I did, I was lead to the Mobal Japan Unlimited SIM Card. Having used this SIM card during my stay in Japan, I can tell you that you will receive a Japanese phone number, amazing call quality, and much better International rates than AT&T has to offer! I recommend signing up for the Ongoing Voice + Text + Data plan, which will set you back about 6,000 Yen per month (about $54). However, since you will be a student studying at TUJ, you only have to pay 4,500 Yen per month (about $41). While data is unlimited, your data will slow down after 7GB (per month).

Just some other things to know so you don’t get shocked. Japan is very strict about letting foreigners have Japanese numbers. Because of this, Mobal Japan is required by law to have a copy of your Passport ID page. Also, Mobal Japan has native English-speaking staff, pick-up locations at both Haneda and Narita airports, and you can even have your SIM card shipped to your home address, meaning you can get your Japanese SIM card BEFORE leaving for Japan! Of course, if you are already in Japan, you can get it shipped to your Japanese address as well.

How To Onsen

One of the most uniquely-Japanese things you should experience during your stay is the Onsen. As discussed in a previous post in the Off to Tokyo! series, Onsen are usually natural hot springs which people bathe in the nude. For Westerners, the idea of bathing publicly in the nude is quite shocking. It was for me and I almost missed out on this unique experience. Thankfully, I had the opportunity to bathe in five different Onsen during my stay in Japan. However, before you step your filthy feet into the Onsen, here’s what you need to know.

When entering most Onsen, you will have to take off your shoes and walk around either in your socks or slippers. You will place your shoes in a locker near the front and take the key with you. Once you have done that, you then walk up to the front desk where you will either be provided with towels or be able to rent towels. You will then be given another key for your locker to store your belongings. At most Onsen I have been to, these keys have bar-codes which vending machines and vendors at the Onsen can scan. This is how you pay for extras, such as milk or sushi. Once you leave the Onsen, the front desk will scan your barcode and you pay for everything you purchased while at the Onsen. How neat is that?

You will be given two different towels, a large towel to dry off with AFTER you’re finished bathing, and a smaller “manner towel” you bring with you into the Onsen. You can use the manner towel to dry yourself off after bathing, as well as covering up your privates as you walk between baths. Sometimes, you will be given a Yakata to wear inside the Onsen when you are NOT bathing.

Next, you will head to your locker, where you will store your larger towel and change out of your everyday attire into your birthday suit. Yes, this is the part where you get naked. It may be awkward at first but you will quickly get used to it.

This is the part when you enter the bathing room, filled with many different baths featuring different types of water. Some Onsen have water infused with different minerals, such as sodium chloride (salt), sulfur, Iron, etc. Some baths are scented, such as one I bathed in that was scented with Rosemary. DON’T ENTER THE WATER JUST YET! You must thoroughly rinse yourself with soap before entering the bath! You will find an area with stools, showers, and soap to rinse yourself. Make sure you wash every part of your body, including your hair although you won’t get your head wet in the actual bathwater. Also make sure you rinse off all soap as it is rude to enter the bathwater with soapy residue.

Now, you can enter the bathwater. Be courteous of others and don’t stare at other’s privates! Trust me, you are not the only one feeling slightly awkward. As mentioned earlier in this post, when walking between baths, cover your privates with the manner towel. Do not drop this towel in the bathwater either! When bathing, wear it over your head or place it along the bath’s edge.

Because the bathwater is believed to have health benefits, do NOT rinse when leaving. Before entering the changing room again, dry yourself off with your manner towel and then dry yourself off for real with your larger towel in your locker. Change back into your daily attire, freshen up, and head on out.

Before leaving, make sure you indulge on some Milk from the vending machine and some Ice Cream. This is how the Japanese cool off after spending hours bathing at the Onsen.

Head to the cashier, turn in your locker key, and pay your balance. Once you have done that, feel free to collect your shoes from the shoe locker near the front, put them back on, and head on out!

Since you will be in Tokyo for most of your stay in Japan, I highly recommend the Oedo-Onsen Monogatari in Odaiba. This Onsen is basically an Onsen Resort. Towels are provided with your 3,000 Yen entrance fee ($27) and there are a variety of restaurants serving everything from crepes to delicious sushi. Out of the five Onsen I visited while in Japan, this was my favorite experience. However, this Onsen is one of many that does NOT allow tattooed guests.

Don’t Like Your Sushi? Give it to Someone Else!

In Japan, it is considered rude to leave food on your plate. It can be considered an insult to the chef and a disgrace to all of those involved in growing, catching, or preparing your food. The Japanese People show tremendous thanks for their meals and leave their ramen bowls empty and their sushi platters spotless. So what do you do if you don’t like something?

In the case of Ramen, what I often did was eat around the bits I didn’t like, although I most likely offended several people by doing this. For sushi, however, I did not know what to do. I was eating at one of Hiroshima’s more highly-rated sushi restaurants (Daruma Sushi) where I ordered a seven-piece sushi set, featuring classics such as salmon and tuna sushi, as well as others from white fish and squid. I enjoyed the salmon and tuna pieces, they were quite good. However, I am not a fan of squid sushi whatsoever, the texture is too tough and I don’t like the flavor of squid. This had nothing to do with the people who prepared my squid sushi or the chef whatsoever. I didn’t know what to do so after thinking for a few minutes, I returned my plate, told the chef “gochisosamadeshita” (Thank you for this meal), paid, and left. I felt so guilty but I didn’t know what to do otherwise.

I shared this story with one of my Japanese friends from TUJ who gave me this piece of advice: Give it to someone else! If you know you don’t like a certain kind of sushi and you happen to get served said sushi, offer your uneaten piece of sushi to another diner while the chef is not paying attention! As my friend said, tell the diner that you like them and offer them your sushi. While it may be considered rude, it is less rude then returning your plate with uneaten food to the chef.

If you want to avoid this situation entirely, stick to eating at Kaitenzushi (conveyor belt sushi) restaurants, where you can order whatever sushi you want and none of what you don’t. If you want to experience eating at a traditional sushi restaurant, then either bring a friend who is more adventurous than you or offer your unwanted sushi to other diners while the chef is not paying attention.

So There You Have It

This concludes the Three Things I wish I had known prior to living in Japan. Life in Japan will be an adjustment for most, so I want you to be as prepared for it as possible. If you have been to Japan and have any additional tips, feel free to comment them below.