Do I need cash in Japan or can I use cards?

You need both. Cards are widely accepted in cities, hotels and chain stores, but small restaurants, shrines, older shops, some buses and most coin lockers remain cash only. Withdraw at 7-Eleven or Japan Post ATMs, which reliably accept foreign cards, as many bank ATMs do not.

Is the Japan Rail Pass still worth it?

Only if your itinerary justifies it. After substantial price increases the pass no longer pays for itself on a typical Tokyo to Kyoto return with local travel. It still works out cheaper for multiple long-distance shinkansen journeys. Price your actual route as individual tickets and compare before buying.

Should I tip in Japan?

No. Tipping is not a weak custom in Japan, it is genuinely absent, and leaving money can cause confusion. Staff may follow you out to return it. Service charges are included where they apply, and good service is not conditional on a tip.

What is luggage forwarding in Japan and should I use it?

Takkyubin is a courier service that forwards your suitcase between hotels, typically overnight, for around two thousand yen. Hotels arrange it at reception. It means travelling with a day bag rather than dragging a case through stations that are often stairs only, and it is the practical tip most visitors wish they had known first.

What etiquette mistakes actually matter in Japan?

Removing shoes where the floor level or material changes, not standing chopsticks upright in rice, washing thoroughly before entering an onsen bath, and keeping phone calls off trains. Beyond those, visitors are not expected to know the rules and honest mistakes cause no offence.

Things to Know Before Going to Japan (That Actually Matter)

Money and payment

Japan is far more card-friendly than it was, but cash remains necessary. Small restaurants, shrines, older shops, some buses and most coin lockers are cash only. Carry more cash than feels normal.

Where to withdraw: 7-Eleven ATMs and Japan Post ATMs reliably accept foreign cards. Many bank ATMs do not, and some close overnight, which surprises people. 7-Eleven is the default answer.

Tipping does not exist. Not as a low norm — as a genuine absence. Leaving money can cause real confusion and staff may chase you down the street to return it.

Transport

Get an IC card immediately. Suica, Pasmo or the regional equivalent. Tap in and out on trains and buses, and use the same card in convenience stores and vending machines. They can be added to a phone wallet, which avoids the physical card supply issues that periodically affect Tokyo.

The Japan Rail Pass needs arithmetic, not assumption. After substantial price rises it is no longer automatically good value. It pays off for multiple long-distance shinkansen journeys, and frequently does not for a Tokyo–Kyoto return with local travel. Price your actual itinerary before buying.

Luggage forwarding (takkyubin) is the tip most visitors miss. For roughly 2,000 yen, hotels will forward your suitcase to your next hotel overnight. You travel with a day bag instead of dragging a case through stations that are frequently stairs-only. This single service improves a two-week trip more than any other piece of advice here.

Connectivity

An eSIM bought before departure is now the simplest option and usually cheaper than a rented pocket wifi device. Free public wifi exists but is patchy and often requires registration. Do not rely on it for navigation.

Etiquette that genuinely matters

The short version: Japanese people do not expect visitors to know the rules, and nobody will be offended by an honest mistake. A small number of things do matter.

Shoes off where the floor changes level or material. Homes, ryokan, temples, some restaurants, and hospital and school entrances. The step is the signal.
Do not stick chopsticks upright in rice, and do not pass food chopstick to chopstick. Both mirror funeral rites.
Wash before entering an onsen. The bath is for soaking in clean; the washing stations are where you actually get clean. Tattoo policies vary — check in advance, as some facilities still refuse entry.
Keep phone calls off trains and keep your voice down. This is the norm most visibly broken by visitors.
Queue properly. Platform markings show where doors will open. Let passengers off before boarding.

What does not matter: bowing at precisely the right angle, elaborate greetings, or worrying about your chopstick grip. Nobody is grading you.

Practical realities that surprise people

There are almost no public bins. Carry your rubbish until you find one, usually beside a vending machine or in a convenience store.
Convenience stores are genuinely good. Not a compromise — a legitimate meal, an ATM, a printer and a parcel service.
Many restaurants seat one party at a time and do not take walk-in groups. Reservations matter more than in most countries.
Summer is severe. July and August combine high heat with high humidity. Plan indoor time rather than powering through.
Trains stop overnight. Last services are typically around midnight, and taxis afterwards are expensive. Check the last train before the evening starts.

The mindset that helps most

Japan runs on systems that are usually explicit but rarely explained in English. Floor markings, signage colours, queue lines and posted procedures carry information that would be handled by asking a member of staff elsewhere. When something is unclear, look for the sign or watch what the person in front of you does. That habit resolves most confusion faster than asking, and it is also the single best summary of how the country works.

After the trip

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Things to know before going to Japan — the ones that actually change your trip