Staying Alive in the Land of the Rising Sun

These few tips will make you the perfect tourist in Japan!

1. Know your season. Japan is very hot and humid in Summer, yet Winter is very cold. Japan’s seasons are opposite to Australia, making the weather also very different.

2. Have plenty of spending money (Japanese Yen) at your disposal, if possible. There are so many quirky things to buy in Japan, so don’t miss your chance.

3. Go local! The smaller the restaurant, the better it is. Family-run restaurants always serve more delicious food and have a better atmosphere. Many restaurants also have plastic food samples on display at the entrance to make ordering easier; just point to your meal!

4. Know which ticket to use and when. In Japan, you will get lots of tickets for transport, admission for places and even sometimes food. Try not to stick your bus ticket through the metro ticket gates. It has happened.

5. Monkey see, monkey do. Pay attention to what the locals are doing. If they are all doing the same thing, chances are that you should as well.

6. Put your Japanese skills to the test. Whether that’s saying arigatou when you receive your meal or going into long phrases showcasing your brilliant skills. Japanese people are very impressed if you try speaking their language. It is the best way to show respect for their culture.

7. Embrace the home-stay. Try everything, meet everyone and go everywhere. It is the differences between our two cultures that make Japan so interesting and enjoyable.

So there you have it. If you do get an opportunity to go abroad, give your best effort to everything. You can learn so much even in short amounts of time.