*JAPAN PRO-TIP MINI CHALLENGE: Drop YOUR Tips Down Below* - IMPORTANT NOTES BELOW! and I will compile the BEST ones into something you can all download!! (newsletter coming up? bit.ly/TokyoLensNwsltr) -- ALSO - Found a workaround for adding SUICA to your phone even if you don't have a Japanese payment method!! the tldr: use a service like mobalpay (NOT SPONSORED) to set up a "Japanese" payment method! Ill toss a more detailed version in the newsletter when it drops!! BONUS: ----- ULTIMATE TOKYO SHOP GUIDE kzfaq.info/get/bejne/f5pyhrd7srvdZXk.html Notes: Had no clue that android outside of Japan could not add suica! This was new and very helpful information!! I still recommend trying to get a used REAL suica card instead of the Welcome Suica that expires. - you can find them online. Might be a challenge. but worth it Like any travel tip, these are take it or leave it!! Make it yours and use what you can and leave what you dont need!! These tips are based on the experiences of the last 30+ visitors I have hosted! There are also full videos linked for detailed explanations on things like driving in Japan! And if I had to give 1 big advice: Drop Kyoto and hit up Gujo Hachiman instead high shrine density like kyoto - way more authentic - VERY welcoming locals - uncrowded - a LOT more fun!!

"hey how you been man?" ; "k love you too bye bye 😃"

As a flight attendant, thank you SO much. We always appreciate it when someone takes the time to be kind to us, and it does not go unnoticed.

I've done 2 trips to Japan and this is my take: 1. JR Pass is worth it if you're doing the traditional Tokyo-Kyoto-Osaka-Hiroshima route but the value is much less with the new changes. 2. The Tokyo-Kyoto-Osaka-Hiroshima is still a great loop despite Norms statement in here. Bear in mind that he's looking at it from the perspective of someone who has years in the country which is not the same as your first experience. But bear in mind that they can and probably will be mobbed by tourists. 3. Definitely go away from the Tokyo-Kyoto-Osaka-Hiroshima if you get a chance. Some of the nicest places I've seen were in North Japan especially around Sendai but I never got all the way up north near Hokkaido. 4. If you want to avoid the tourist heavy locations a car is absolutely worth getting. Some of the best places I saw were more difficult to get to by train and some of the most interesting looking places I haven't managed to get to yet because I didn't have a car. Norm offers fantastic advice in this video but remember especially if you are not as adventurous as a traveler or are more nervous about traveling in general there's nothing wrong with doing things that make life easier or take some of the mental load away. Norm has lived and traveled around Japan extensively and can speak the language. If you think these tips are useful to you, great! I'll be using some myself on my next trip but remember that if you can afford it and it makes your life easier there's nothing wrong with spending a little extra. It's your trip so enjoy it and do what makes you most comfortable. The only wrong way to enjoy your trip is to not enjoy it. I will absolutely be getting the flight attendants a little gift next time I'm flying thanks to this video.

8:34 "So how've you been?" "Love you too, bye bye!" Nice that your friends operate on your schedule 🤣🤣🤣🤣

I know it wasn't technically a tip, but being nice and respectful to the flight attendants and all the other domestic workers seems like a good thing to do, whether you are in Japan or any other place. Also, that foreigner sticker is both hilarious and makes a lot of sense since, 90% of the time, these people will be from right-side driving countries and might be a bit confused in traffic from time to time.

I feel your pain with the park. I use my youngest for an excuse when I can to go climb on the playground.

I only learned this the last trip I went on about the flight attendant gift. You may not always get a seat upgrade or anything, but if there's an extra champagne or something they might float it your way. And if nothing else, you made someone's day a little better. There are usually 6-9 flight attendants on your flights. Doesn't have to be a big gesture. Just something you think they'll enjoy.

I love that you gave gifts to the flight attendants. I'm thinking now of who I can show more appreciation to 🥰 Thanks Norm - you're awesome as always!

Some of my tips: 1. If you’re from the US and have American Airlines or United Airlines miles, those can be used to book round trip domestic flights in Japan on JAL and ANA, respectively, for as little as 10,000 to 15,000 miles (plus usually around $11-15 USD in booking fees). The one catch is that make sure you do mobile check on your phone in prior to getting to the domestic terminals - because the flights were booked with US airline miles, JAL and ANA put them under international flight record locators which often will not work with the domestic kiosks and require you to stand in line at the special services counter to get your boarding pass. 2. I’ve found that Toyota Rent-a-Car has two nice perks if you have a fast paced itinerary. a) you can do a one way rental drop off within the same prefecture for no additional cost. b) if you rent a hybrid from them, they have a discounted refueling plan that is about the same price-wise as refilling at the gas stations around the airports or major train stations. Which means you can just drop off the car and not have to budget time to refuel before getting on your next mode of transport. 3. Printing out copies of my reservations can be very helpful when checking into hotels and rental cars. While most reception staff these days in the major cities will have staff fluent at speaking English, it’s not necessarily the case in smaller cities or rural areas. Handing them a printout with the reservation number and the spelling of your name is often appreciated and makes the check-in process a lot faster.

So glad to see the foreigner sticker clip again in this video. That "Oh my god!" was just as hilarious as I remember it :D

I’m in the middle of a trip to Japan now and I feel my travel choices have been validated by this video - though admittedly I gleaned a lot of these tips from some of your earlier videos. The car rental thing was a real game changer for me. Some things I’d add: On car rentals, I would also add that if you’re a foreigner visiting Japan, you can make use of regional expressway passes that let you bypass potentially pricey tolls for a relatively small fee. Check online for the rental companies that offer these before renting a car. Also, JR has a lot of regional and area rail passes that are much cheaper than the JR pass and can be much more cost-effective depending on your plans. Again, look them up online when planning you.

Very informative video that not everyone but Norm who has lived in Japan over a decade and has took so many adventures can do! I have learned so much from this and made me want to explore always!😆✨

I've finally booked my first trip to Japan and I'm so grateful for all the tips. I love exploring so. Thanks Norm for all the amazing content and making an adventure look possible.

I think this channel is absolutely awesome in so many ways! Norm gives travel tips and great underrated areas to visit to those who can travel. And he takes those of us who can't afford to, or just can't travel for health reasons along for the ride so we feel like we're tagging along on great adventures! I cannot express just how happy I am seeing that Tokyo Lens notification!! 🙏🖤✌️

Giving gifts to the attendants is so nice! The thank you messages are so wholesome

My tip: overnight ferries! I did Osaka - Kitakyushu on an overnight ferry and it was cheaper than the Shinkansen, you get a bed, and you basically gain half a day since you're doing all the travelling while you're asleep. They also have restaurants and sentos on the fairy. It's a lot of fun!

I would definitely recommend using the local passes. Like jr east or west or Hokkaido pass. And the day before you move hotels. Go to the front desk and get them to send your luggage to your next hotel, the baggage forwarding service is pretty cheap as well. So you never have to drag your bags around when moving cities. Flying might be cheaper but it is more stressful making sure your carry on is the right weight. I find using the local passes and using the train is better so you can see some of the countryside snd have a more relaxed journey and allows you to take a break in-between cities. I just got back from 40 days in Japan, and was my fourth time in Japan. And was the best way I have found to travel Japan. Especially when going outside or the normal route. Ps. Please go to Hokkaido, the food is amazing and it's beautiful

Thanks for the tips! I remember using the buses to the airport. I love them so much more than the trains. Don’t have to carry around luggage! And suica on my phone was definitely the best switch ever when I was there.

Amazing video as always bud! I really love the footage of the nearly empty train station. A rare quiet glimpse of a very busy station. Very nice

Watching this channel non stop do the last week or two has convinced me to plan a Japan trip. I really never thought I could afford it but after adding it all up it could be within reach with some proper planning and deal hunting. I’m a huge car guy and electronics guy and Japan is at the core of both of those for me. So much stuff on my bucket list either only exist in Japan or originated in Japan. I love the culture and customs so much. It’s such a perfect country for me being a rule follower and a very respectful and clean person. I hope one day I can live out my dream and meet and my wife can go visit and enjoy everything they have to offer. ❤thanks for helping me see some really cool stuff

I apprecate this video so much, going to keep this on bookmark. Flying into a new country is scary so knowing all this really helps put my mind at ease alittle bit.

I was 36 days in Japan in December-January and got the 21-day JR Pass. I used it as if there was no tomorrow! Went EVERYWHERE during those 21 days. I did a comparison beforehand between the JR Pass and all the individual trains I would take during those days and the JR Pass was SO worth it even with the increased price.

Finally booked the trip with my friend. Thanks for the tips!

I’m longing for my next visit to Japan! I’ve been there in 2020 just before Covid hit. Actually I got back home 3 or 4 days before the lockdown. Those 11 days I spent there were phenomenal, even though I didn’t get to see much of anything because I was on a short-term study program with University of Tsukuba rather than vacation. I enjoyed the less known places and things in Japan: local museums in Tsuchiura & Mito, several museums and places in Tokyo and Tsukuba, National Archives of Japan and got to see the studying process in University of Tsukuba. Now that the time has passed, I can for sure say that my experience was not only unique and SO worth it, but I also wouldn’t have changed it one bit! I still have plenty of time to see everything I wanna see in Japan! Thank you for the video Norm! Top notch, as always! ❤

Thank you man, i'm travelling to Japan soon and really appreciate videos like this!

This was an extremely helpful video Norm. THANK YOU! As always, you rock!!!

One of my friend's first trips to Japan involved a JR pass and a new city every 2 days... As someone a little bit older, and more experienced with travelling, I wouldn't really recommend it(you get a whole lot of sightseeing in, but you don't experience much of any individual location, and I mostly travel to experience the local culture). That said, if it's your first time, and you have a massive list of places you want to see, but think you are likely to come back again to spend more time with the places that really hit home, then it's a great way to sample a lot in a short time. Just keep in mind that some of the best Japan experiences I've had have been either strange unexpected discoveries, or out of the way places with a slower pace where I'd spend more time wandering and not so much going from one intended destination to the next.

Hearing the comment about the indicator and wiper stalks being swapped made me realise how much I miss my old Mazda. I'm in the UK, so we drive on the left, but for some reason even the newer Japanese makes have the indicators on the left stalk here. The right makes so much more sense as you can change the indicators and lights while also changing gears.

Great video as always, thank you for the tips! 😁

Awesome video bro! Thanks for the info! You're about to hit that 1 mill mark congrats! 😃

Saving this for when I go later in the year! Thanks, Norm! It's funny that you put out this video the same time Chris did, and both of you said no to the JR pass.

Love these informative travel tips videos 😁

I love watching your videos so much, Norm! I love seeing how happy and excited you get about everything :)

Such a needed video- awesome!

I rented a car with friends a few times during my time living in Nagoya. Driving into the Gifu/Nagano/Niigata region and just stopping at whatever we found along the way is one of the most memorable experiences I had.

Great idea about giving a gift to the flight attendents. I will start doing that. They do have to deal with so much. Great video Norm. Great tips. Your channel makes me want to visit Japan more than ever.

Thanks for always teaching us new things and how to make things more simple. Always enjoy learning along your travels

Thank you ... I always look forward to your posts! Many blessings

Thank you for all the helpful content Norm!

Thank you for the tips I'm keep all this in mind when I'm setting up my trip

Awesome video as always Norm. Your videos are always so helpful and always entertaining I love Japanese culture. Your living the JDM dream.

We spent 3 weeks back in April travelling across Tokyo, down to Kyoto & Osaka and back north to Karuizawa. So we were on either a Shinkansen or an overground JR train nearly every day. I cannot stress how useful the JRPass was for us. It was so easy for us to book online from the UK and collected it from Haneda airport. If you upgrade to the green pass you get really comfortable seats too. Also as far as travelling from the airport is concerned, I recommend finding an airport limousine (bus) service that will take you to your hotel/accommodation. They are super cheap and because it’s booked online, when we arrived early we were able to change our booking for a bus 1 hour earlier. On a personal note. Thank you Norm for all the tips over the years. Could not have navigated around Japan without them ❤

Thanks for the tips! I learned some new things today. I'm definitely coming back to this video when I'm traveling to Japan. :)

i always want to enjoy the life like you in japan, free whatever what you want i hope i can go back there again

This is so incredibly helpful! Mindblown!

Thanks for the tips, Norm! Will remember these when I go to Japan next year!

The tip about buses are spot on!! I always plan my trips around buses for the starting and ending leg from airport to hotel and vice versa.. Because it's so much more convenient!

Never thought of driving there but I would be up for it next time because of this video, thanks Norm!

Love the license plate tip! Learned something new!

Thanks for sharimg your tips!!! I'm saving it for my trip ❤

Gifts to the flight attendants? What a noble gesture! I never thought of this before, but will try to remember the next time i fly

The collection of thank you notes was super wholesome. I think I'll start giving gifts to flight attendants after watching this!

Just visited Japan for the first time, and your advice to bring the flight attendants a small gift (I went with chocolate) was totally on point. They were very thankfully and reciprocated in kind. Thanks for all the great videos and input!

Great video, as always!

Good informative Video, the points you made where usefull i hope i will someday travel to Japan and be able to use them.

Hello Norm! I work in Narita Airport Terminal 3 and it's so nice seeing some of very familiar spots of mine in your videos, it almost feels surreal😂 as a foreigner living in Japan, thanks for the video, it's enjoyable and useful as always, cheers😊

That “tip” for giving treats to flight crew is something a former roommate taught me, & she preferred using Ghirardelli mixed bags (milk, dark, & caramel). It was definitely a help the last time I flew to San Francisco & back to help said former roommate.

Defintely some good tips! I will keep them in mind if/when i get myself over there :P

Thanks for the tips! Especially for the now more expensive Japan Rail Pass

I am traveling to Tokyo next week, what a coincidence!! This video will be very useful ❤

This is such a good idea for a video... travelling in a country where I have no knowledge of the language does stress me out! I've only been to Canada and New York so far but my dream list includes Japan!!

Some very good tips - the small gift is simple but makes sense. Hospitality is tough, doing in a narrow aluminium tube moving just below the speed of sound must be more so. As for travel, my hack is to rent a campervan. With train pass hikes, combining accommodation and transport makes travel so much more affordable as well as allowing flexibility with the itinerary. Heading over for my third campervan trip in May.

So many great tips. Your tip about buying the cheapest train tickets helped so much when we were there. It definitely saved time.

Amazing video norm once again felt like a prequel when u arrived at the end haha

I love that I’m not the only one getting gifts for flight attendants! I only do it on long haul flights though. Maybe I’ll follow your steps and do it on all flights.

Rented a Car in Ishikawa and it was dirt cheap and really lovely. Made it super easy to get to Natadera temple. Also got a Nissan Note Hybrid that made me use barely over 4 liters of gas my whole trip

Another awesome video! I really want to go there! And I will. At some point.

I have never used the Japan Rail Pass, since I am not your regular tourists. I tend to just spend time in one area, see friends, take local train to another area for the day, visit more friends or some favorite shop or restaurant. When I go further away, I tend to take a night bus if I want to be on the cheap side, otherwise I take Shinkansen. The problem for me with the night buss is I can't sleep on them, and you can't use any screen device on most of them, so I tend to sit in the dark, head outside the curtains and listen to audio books and podcasts :D This was basically the same when I lived in Japan. But, next time, this year I hope, I want to travel all over Japan.

It’s one of my goals once I graduate to cycle tour Japan. Watching your videos really gives me an itch to go and your tips are super helpful. Not sure if you have experience cycling around Japan and things to look out for

Traveled to Japan 3 times these past 5 years or so. Maybe I'll chime in: - The domestic flight thing is real. Especially if you want to go to somewhere beyond Tohoku (Sapporo specifically), since even going with Shinkansen from Sendai/Tokyo will take too much time. Maybe once the Hokkaido Shinkansen from Hakodate to Sapporo is open, the Shinkansen option would be more viable. But as of early 2024, if you wanted to go to Sapporo from Tokyo/Osaka, domestic flight is the way to go. Tokyo to Kyushu flight is a thing too, unless you wanted to stop by some cities along the way, which then makes the Shinkansen option more appealing. - Speedrunning Japan w/ JR Pass isn't necessarily a bad thing, but definitely not for everyone. If anyone wanted to try, my best advice would be to do it in the spring/fall, pack super light (only up to 2-3 days of clothing, backpack only), and abuse the fact that Japan have coin laundries everywhere (also most business hotels have them). - It is very true that driving a car gets you to places that otherwise you won't be able to visit (once you get outside of the big metros, you'd see a definite uptick of cars), but I don't know if it is a true bargain like you'd mention. Especially at the price that you listed. Also, not every country signed the treaty for the international driving license. - In my honest opinion, the real budget option would be night buses. Get a good one where you can sleep on the way to your destination, and you don't need to pay for accommodations.

First Sunday off in ages, getting to watch within minutes of posting.

I was hoping for a longer video looks like a fun drive

The tip about domestic air travel is spot on, so much faster and cheaper, I once got a one way ticket from Tokyo to Sapporo for 4,300 yen

It’s either plane or the overnight coach for me 😂. I love the calm and comfortable coach journeys which get you pretty rested for the next day in your new location and such great value!

With phones being rather large nowadays, I'm glad I have a regular Suica card since the first time I traveled. Just make sure you keep the balance high enough, if you plan to travel to Japan again outstanding balance on the card is no big deal.

My first Japan trip I was just in Tokyo because I was anxious about everything but still a great trip. But next time I would try this. Thanks Norm!

I took the bus too! From Narita & Tokyo & back :) Traveled & explored solo while wife was with her family in Shizuoka, she sees them maybe once a year and don’t like pulling her away from them to have her show me around. Walked a-lot and saw the most amazing places and views while walking different cities lol Taxis are amazing in the summer heat too.

More advice. Check out regional rail passes. If you know a rough schedule for what areas you want to travel, it can be a massive cost save. I purchased the west japan kansai-hiroshima, i took shinakansen to kobe from osaka, osaka to hiroshima, Osaka to nomichi. I didn't originally plan any journys from osaka, but I found i had a bunch of time. Also, metro day passes in tokyo can be a bargin if you intended to mobe around alot in 1 day.

Really appreciate the tip on the green plates!

Ohmy this is a video i need to watch because I’ll be in Japan in the Later part of the year around November. We’re just kinda listing down things that we need to know before traveling to Japan 😊

Looking great norm ❤❤❤

Appreciate the tips! We have our first trip coming up and we're from a car centric city so we're looking forward to using the trains.

I can’t wait to return.❤ I went some years ago and loved it

I would love to have a video explaining how to travel to Japan as a tourist with no idea of the culture and language, without both getting ripped off and pissing everyone off I definitely gotta catch up with your videos to possibly get that answer myself, but it would be great to get a 2024 updated video on it if you already made an older one. This one is already very helpful tho, I love it!

Rode in a car in Japan once and it was definitely a culture shock! I’m eager to return and give it ago behind the wheel!

I am half Japanese and I am inspired by your videos sir!! You inspire me to vlog!

Great video that’s given me ideas for I come to Japan eventually

Yes, recently i've started renting cars in Japan to drive around. Highly recommended ! Tho the physical parking tickets can be a pain sometimes.

Great video, thanks for the content. We are going to get Suica cards on the first day 👌🏻

As soon as you said Shikoku, I was like , Yep! He's off to Yo-chans place ! LoL , love your content dude, keep it up

I drove in Japan on my last trip to Japan (Nov 23) and I absolutely loved it, clocked around 3000km in about 2 weeks? Drove family vans to campervans, every vehicle was well maintained, always felt looked after and process was quick and easy. Just remember to have all documentation ready. - MY recommendation, 100% ask for Expressway Pass if you are doing multi-day driving as it will save you heaps of money on toll road charges. Definitely a wonderful experience except when I was driving within Tokyo. I do not recommend driving within Tokyo as it reminded me of driving in peak hour traffic in Sydney and for anyone that knows, you know.

I wish I was traveling it, even if it was wrong

We're going between Tokyo and Osaka, then Osaka to Sendai and we opted for air travel because of how much cheaper it was as well as the travel time. Sendai back to Tokyo though the missus wants to go via shinkansen so we'll do that journey.

Drove twice in Japan, the latest was last November for the Japan romantic road. Next driving trip is in April for Tohoku Sakura. Japan is still great for trains, but when going to the less accessible or mountainous areas, car is great.

Hey Norm! Some great tips again!!! I used the JR pass my last time in Japan and it was great, but since the price increase I've worked out that unless I'm traveling 2 or 3 times more than what I'm planning it's just not worth it. There are a couple of easy to find websites that have JR pass calculators to help you work out if it is worth it for you. As always can't wait for the next video 🙂

Thank you for the updated travel tips. Before Suica card and taking trains are the recommended one when going around Japan. But now, those are only recommended if going to different cities.

Wow this vid is not just helpful but includes lots of beautiful shots, and that’s so Tokyo Lens!! 🥰 and ‘just for kids..’ really got me lol btw, I also don’t use welcome Suica but instead I use Apple wallet and it’s easy peasy👍🏻✨

I use to get the JR pass but when I heard about the price hikes I stopped doing that. Great alternate tips! Thanks.

This video is definitely going into my playlist for when I go to Japan! I only ever hear about the JR Rail pass and the Welcome Suica card when watching travel tips, so it's really helpful to hear about all these other options that are cheaper! Also I still love how kind you are to flight attendants, even going as far to get them gifts. Always warms my heart to see!