I’ve got an ICOCA card issued in Osaka, can I use it everywhere in Tokyo?

​@@jasontaylor6520yep, you can use ICOCA anywhere in Japan.

Dang, thank you so much for his tip.

@@jasontaylor6520yes

​@@jasontaylor6520 yes. It's the exact same function as Suica and Passmo.

Thank you for the kind words!

Thanks so much for watching as always Followthesun!

Where do you buy yen?

@@lbabe1996 usually just through my bank or a exchange store

At your bank, but you probably have to order it. You’ll get it in a few days.

Currently at 1 usd to 146 yen which is really good!

@@funkychicken2119 it was at 17 at Narita airport when I went in march

True thanks for sharing!

how many days in advance did that take?

I am glad I could help you out! I'll let you know next time I go to Hawaii ! :)

@@harblife yes let me know!! I would love to meet up.

Not a problem! Glad I could help you out :)

I am so glad I could help you out! I learn new things about Japan everyday even though I have been living here for a while. Can never learn enough!

Thank you for the kind words!

Not a problem man! I'll see what I can do about Kuroneko like you asked!

@@harblife seconding this, there's one part of my upcoming journey where kuroneko isn't ideal due to restrictions, so knowing alternatives would be great!

​@@harblife I am a student going from Delhi to los angles. I have a layover at haneda airport and then a connecting flight from Narita airport, i want to know whether public transport like buses are efficient and readily available to move from hnd to nrt.

Thank you so much!

Sometimes airlines refuse to keep your suitcases when you have a long layover or change airlines. I used to put my suitcase in the left luggage service. They charged a small fee. I don't know if Narita still has this service.

Great glad I could help you out!

Glad to help!

Great!! Sounds like you have it all sorted out! Let me know how your trip goes!

Yup I agree! I covered that in my other JR pass video and didn't want to be redundant by going over it again on this one.

My friends got a 7 day pass for their 10 days, but my sister and I are there for 15 days and got the full 2 week pass. Sure it's expensive but considering its her first time in Japan and my second, I know we will be taking trains more often than not and she may want to venture another place for a day trip and can do so without worrying about costs and booking a ticket. It would be nice if you could just tap to pay per ride, and it automatically adjusts to the PASS price if you ride enough trips that week or two weeks.

@@harblife redundant? Or you just wanted to get your affiliate link and commission? Another important factor in choosing to buy directly from JR (even though more expensive), not agents, is that you don't need to wait days to get physical POST MAIL delivered to your physical address (instead more convenient and reliable email confirmation). Extremely important for people living in countries with poor mail post system. I see that this info is regularly omitted by KZfaqrs advertising their affiliate links. It's ok to have one, but please provide others full info.

Im off to Tokyo next monday, and doing Osaka, Kyoto then back to Tokyo. Those trips seem to total 30,000 yen on the Klook app (for trains). Doesnt seem worth it at all for me. Let me know if there are other apps that might be cheaper

Great glad I could help you out again! :)

Great! Have fun!

I agree with this as someone who lived in Japan. Also Japan Post ATMs. Japan Post is the Post Office/Bank of Japan. However most Japan Post ATMs close at around 3-5pm where as 7/11 are 24 Hours.

Yea definitely 7-11 is the best of the three. I need to make an updated vid about it. I have an old video that talks about it, but I think it's time to make an update!

MVP

Glad I could help you out :)

Thanks so much for the compliment! I hope you check out my newest video dropping in a few hours. It should be an interesting watch!

Wow glad I could still help out a veteran like yourself about preparing for Japan! Hope to hear from you again!

Sure! Everyone has differing ideas of what works best for them! I just personally wouldn't feel safe carrying all that cash on me.

@@harblife true, i guess Japan's added safety makes it more "ok". Definitely wouldn't feel the same way in other countries!

@@harblifeDo hotels in Tokyo tend to have safes or lockboxes in them like America does? That would make me feel a little better about bringing more cash with me if I could safely leave it in my hotel room. 😅

You can easily ans safely use the ATMs in local post offices. Alternatively, convenience store 7/11 has ATM machines inside and was told that they offer competitive exchange rate.

@@harblife That's surprising. Japanese commonly carry hundreds around with them. (or at least used to). From a safety perspective, my concern is misplacing the cash, not having it stolen.

No problem! Glad I could help you out!

Great! Glad I could be such great help for your upcoming trip in Japan 😊

Thanks so much man!! Always happy to hear from you! Let me know if you ever stop by in Japan!

👋 RE 1) Welcome Suica and Pasmo are not available in Osaka (as they aren't sold there), *however* you can get the ICOCA from most JR stations in Osaka, including Kansai Airport. They're usable virtually everywhere a Suica is accepted, and unlike Suica, they haven't (yet) limited the sales, so you should get your hands on an ICOCA as soon as you land at KIX!

Peso has your back on the first question! I would say Kamakura can be knocked out in half a day, but you should spend the second half of the day at Enoshima as well! You can head to the top of the lighthouse and get some magnificent views! Google it and you'll see what I mean!

Thank you for the kind words!!

Great!!! I am glad I could help you out!

Right that works as well. But if you charge it electronically, you must use one of those two card types I believe.

unless it has changed, u can charge the suica card/phone at 7-eleven recharge kiosks or jr recharge kiosks for IC card… u just have the suica card open on fone and place in the area where u normally place the card

Extra things i should add to help travelers: 1. If you are using a JR Pass, it’s tied to your passport. The Kiosk will ask for the last 4 of your passport number, but this is in error because it needs the entire Passport Number. 2. When you get your ticket, your JR Pass and ticket goes through the ticket gate. The machine will separate the tickets and if I am not mistaken, it will hole-punch the ticket. When you get to your destination, the gate-machine will take the ticket and keep it, but it will spit your JR Pass out at the other end. 3. If you have a JR Pass and you don’t want to get a ticket from the kiosk (you know what platform you are going to and you are traveling in a economy class), you can use your JR Pass as an individual ticket. The gate-barrier will open and the machine will move your JR Pass Ticket to the outlet slot. 4. There’s no sales tax except for alcohol consumption. So you won’t pay sales tax for hotel stay, train rides, non-alcohol purchases, and services. 5. When you fly to Japan, make sure you fill out the blue questionnaire card that you submit to immigration. It will have boxes. Make sure you answer all of them. I missed a question, question 5 which was in a small box. I filled my card on the flight to Japan on the plane (Hawaiian Airlines). It will ask if you are traveling with a crossbow. Make sure to answer all the question before you get to the first immigration station. 6. A sim card or pocket wifi isn’t needed if you have a phone carrier that works in Japan. I have T-Mobile, and I could use their network. The only issue is that the network wasn’t any better than 3G. When you get to a hotel or a bullet train, wifi is provided there. 7. When you get to an “Onsen or Yu,” make sure you bathe before stepping into a hot springs bath. Proper ethics are to come in, take your shoes off by the shoe-shelves before stepping on the platform, take your clothes off, bathe with soap and shampoo, and then you enter the hot springs pool. 8. Bathhouse that are locally owned and ran by a family or staff, you need to take your shoes off at the entrance. Sandals or foot-mules will be provided, and the entrance feee to bathe, use the facilities runs around 600 yen or $4.00 to $5.00. Using the equipment is covered by the cost and there is no time limit. Towels, bath soap, shampoo, and other necessities are covered. The only things that aren’t covered by the entrance fees if you want to buy gifts or drinks or food. Massage chair require money for use. Locations may vary from what i wrote depending on where you go. The town i went to has a public bathhouse with a restaurant and theater in it. You pay the entrance fee and you can use amenities there.

One minor correction - when you turn in your voucher to receive your JR Pass, the person at the counter will usually ask (and if they don't ask, you can specifically request) if you want the actual pass to start that day or on a different day - if I remember correctly, there's also a spot on the form you fill out at the JR service center before turning in your voucher asking what day you wish the pass to be activated. So if the service center is open when you arrive, even if you plan to have the pass activate on another date, you can make it a part of your after-landing routine before leaving the airport for your hotel.

Thanks for adding more value for everyone !

Great! Have fun!

Glad I could help you out 😊

Yea you will get that on your passport when you arrive. It's what allows you to stay in the country as a tourist.

@@harblife supposedly there are some automated immigration gates/booths, where you don't have contact with immigration officer. That's why people are asking..

Yea it really just depends on what you plan on doing while you're in Japan!

If you do rent a car make sure you get a international permit or they will not let you pick up the car!

Car rental in Japan is relatively cheap. But parking fees are a tad expensive. While in Hokkaido, after zipping around in Sapporo city using the trains, we rented a car for 5 days and drove from Sapporo to the various popular places like Otaru, Niseko, Noboribetsu, Lake Toba and even the coastal town Muroran. It was the best decision we ever made as we got to see so much more of what tourists usually see, especially the beautiful scenery of the outskirts and countryside villages. Those were my most memorable ones during my Japan trip.

Great! I hope you have a good time!

Glad I could help you! :)

Well, forget about getting into an onsen bath together!

How is the COVID situation? I heard it’s really bad atm and schools are closing

​@@marvin8887shut up Marvin.

That'll be tough for sure! You'll definitely be needing to book restaurants in advance! Hope your trip is going well!

How was your experience with the toddlers? I'm geniuenly curious because next week I'll be in Tokyo with a 2-year-old. Especially the restaurant wait times, did you book in advance? How was the subway rides with crying toddlers? Ours is too energetic, almost like running a thermonuclear power plant inside.

Great to hear!

@@harblife using the Qr system is so quick

So glad you found it useful! Let me know how your trip goes !

I am glad I could help you out!

You really should be getting a flu and covid booster though whether they require it or not.

Hahahah no thank goodness!

I saw this comment before, are you a bot?

@@jasonfanclub4267 Hi, sorry about that. I like talking to ppl and sharing that painful story helped me getting that regret off my chest.

@@AnxMa You will have another chance!

All good! We live and learn. I am sure more opportunities will come up in your life and you will be able to take them!

@@harblife Thank you so much for saying that.

Great! Hope you been well and still making vids +

Thanks for the positive feedback! Yea I went for more of my normal voice rather than my announcer voice haha. Glad you have been following for so long to see that change though!

Although cash is definitely useful and definitely have som with you, I'd say that for card, it's MUCH better to just pay with icoca/suica/pasmo even at card locations. There are challenges at some terminals with foreign issued cards... but IC cards always work. I just reload my IC card with Apple pay in 2 seconds on my Apple Watch, so it's basically the same thing.

Did you find the JR pass essential because you traveled a lot between cities?

@@Sarafara7 yes. I think a round trip to another city is enough to pay for it. Typical fare for trains around Tokyo was 2-6 if I remember correctly. It may not be worth it if you’re not leaving Tokyo

Luggage delivery is super convenient and can save you alot of hassle. The luggage will usually arrive next day at the latest as well!

Can I ask how luggage delivery works? You can book these at large stations and they just deliver to an address the next day? I’ll be traveling between Osaka and Tokyo with a group of 7 and there will be plenty of luggage and concerned about the new Shinkansen limits. Thanks.

My family and I will be in Japan from December 18 to January 5. This will be our fourth trip traveling at that time of year. You will notice more Japanese nationals traveling domestically during that time. The hotels, restaurants, shopping areas, domestic flights, and trains will have more locals than you would think, with fewer tourists. Some businesses will close for a few days, but we never had any problems finding open places in Tokyo and Osaka (except for retail stores on New Year's Day). It may be more of an issue in rural areas and with small or mom-and-pop businesses. But even on New Year's Day, there are many restaurants open. They are very crowded, however, so I would recommend reservations. The major retail stores reopen on January 2 with sales galore and are very crowded. Hatsumode (the first trip of the year to the shrine or temple) is a pleasant experience.

@@myamadadds thank you so much for the info! 😊 you helped relieve some of my worry lol

Christmas is a normal working day, so everything around then is open as usual. New Years is a different story. The big department stores, electronics chains, malls, chain restaurants/bars, convenience stores, will be open, but that's about it. Even in major cities like Tokyo a lot of local businesses, izakayas, and even museums will be closed during that first week of Jan. Whatever is open may also have reduced hours. A lot of Japanese head out of the cities to go back to their hometowns, so domestic travel at the start and end that New Year holiday period can be hell with over-capacity trains and full airports.

31st Dec will be very busy for Japanese and many will close early i think and for Jan 1st, i didn't really go to restaurants to eat as i've only arrived that day but i was able to buy simcard from bic camera, went to uniqlo and convenience stores were open as usual. the streets were pretty busy and many were open so i don't think you'll have any hard time looking for restaurants or some shops (unless it's family owned or something) in big cities (i was living in tokyo that time) - for trains, it was fine for me nothing extremely busy - for shrines on the other hand, i think i queued for 2 hours+ at meiji jingu to pray (2nd Jan) also, have fun! i'll be visiting japan next month after 7 long years so i'm excited 😊

Some shops will close the first few days of January. Aside from that, you shouldn't have too many problems!

Thank you!!

Was wondering the same, hopefully someone can clarify. Just purchased my JR Pass for November and filled out all information on Visit Japan. The tax-free code can't be generated without a landing stamp so it'd be counter-productive to not have one issued if using Visit Japan 🤷🏻‍♀️

IIRC, for the immigration portion of arrival, the electronic gates are limited to Japanese citizens, tourists usually have to go through the lines to speak to a human (thus meaning you'll get the stamp required to get the JR Pass) - the QR code basically simplifies the process for the immigration officer, as they have all the landing info you used to have to fill out on a paper form immediately populate on their computer.

You will get the stamp don't worry. They just do the electronic form to speed up the process of giving you your visitor stamp.

I’m going in mid October and already filled it out a couple of weeks ago. Why wait? Just go ahead and do it and that’s one less thing to worry about. It’s not complicated and you create a password. That way if you don’t finish it you can go back later, sign-in and pickup where you left off. Just fill in the blanks with your info.

@@texcentric That is true! Thanks!!! 👍💥

Just a couple weeks out should be perfectly fine. There is no approval process like there was before!

Glad I could help you out!

Not a problem! Thanks for your kind words!

I appreciate your constructive feedback, whether it be positive OR negative! As long as you have a valid point to offer for me to improve, I will always listen! Thanks for dropping by!

That's what I did too. Did you find anywhere to put departure information, like when you're flying out? It seemed to only care about arrival details.

I haven't just the arrival. I feel like they can probably check your info from what you give and see you have a departure ticket. Just assuming though @@Omni0404

i was looking for this answer, thanks! i've printed out all of my hotel infos as well just in case

Yea sounds good! They don't need all your addresses , just one.

Thank youuuu!

I am so glad I could help you out! Please check out my new video if you found this one useful!

Thanks for this! Straight to the point

The JR pass is no longer worth it for most tourists unless they’re going to take the bullet train a million times. The price has significantly increased starting October of this year.

@@ariellev9185 I thought that aslong as you bought a voucher before Oct 1, you can exchange it until January for the old rates?

@@tommvv you have to buy it by September 29th, basically, and the voucher will only be good until December 31st. Anything past that will be at the new rate.

@@ariellev9185 Guess that works for me considering im visiting from Oct 1st. Thank you!

Can't comment on AT&T but my wife and I have a decent/good T-Mobile plan that covers international usage that we've been using in Japan for 6-8 years. We've used pocket wifi many times and we prefer to use our own plan now.

@@nateshf9303 Thank you. Overall just seems like one less thing to care about yet nobody talks about it.

I went with the AT&T $10/per day plan. I had no internet issues while I was in Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka and Okinawa.

@@Tv71440 Hope you’ll have many more trips to Japan!

@@Tv71440 Love to hear it. Thanks for the reply.

You're an even better person. Thank you !!

Thank you!

Yea I know I am really sorry! Please let me know when you get here again!

Great! I hope you have a fun time and enjoy the race!

Glad I could help you out so much and make you want to return! Have a good return trip here! :)

@@harblife thank you

No problem! I hope you check out my new video dropping in a few hours! It will be a pretty interesting one!

Not a problem! Happy to share !

I'll try to help you with more videos in the future!

Concisely lol

Thank you so much for your kind words :) . I like to get straight to the point and cram as much info as I can into one vid lol!

Precisely! haha

Hope you have a good time back in Japan!

Thank you for the kind words!

Glad I could help you out 😊

Thank you!!

I am glad I could help you out!

Great! Glad I could help and I hope you have a great time in Japan!

Thank you !

Glad I could help you out! Check out my new video when you get a chance!

Thank you!

Thanks!

Thank you !

Great! Hope you have a good time!

Hey, Which dates are you travelling?

Great! I am glad I could help you!

Ty!

I'm glad you used that advice for your trip in Japan!

Could think about it one day. If I ever get the time for it I'll let you know !

Thank you for watching!

No problem!