5 Tips For Enjoying Your First Trip To Japan

Traveling across different countries enables individuals to explore and get away from their day-to-day responsibilities. More so, visiting new places allows them to relax, recharge, and meet people from different cultures, which can leave them a long-lasting sense of joy. 

For instance, visiting Japan can be a great place to start. Japan is widely known for its diverse scenery with breathtakingly beautiful mountains. Also, this historical country offers many experiences that attract visitors worldwide. 

However, much like visiting new places, there may be a few travel challenges that you may come across. The language barrier, for example. Or perhaps, not knowing the place well enough, so you can explore and go around without being lost. 

As such, in this article, you’ll learn five ways to ensure that you’ll get the most out of and enjoy your first visit to Japan.

1. Learn Japanese

When visiting Japan, learning the Japanese language can be perhaps, one of the essential preparations you need to do. Doing so can certainly be beneficial once you travel overseas. And knowing their language, it’ll allow you to quickly make connections with locals. That way, you can conveniently converse with them and, as a result, they may help you during your trip. In addition, learning a new language can also be a good exercise for your brain.

That said, you may consider studying the language using a curriculum that can help train you how to speak and converse effectively with Japanese citizens. You can read the full article here to learn more about the language and classes options.

2. Read Travel Guide Books

Travel guide books generally contain essential travel destinations details for tourists. For instance, it could have a map, or perhaps, a schedule of trains or ferries. It could also feature photos, enabling you to visualize your trip and further encourage you to visit the country. And with the wide selection of attractions in Japan, these materials can help you choose and decide which tourist sites to explore and include in your itinerary. 

In addition, some Japanese travel guide books capture various interests, catering to outdoor enthusiasts, art, history, beverage connoisseurs, and many more. And with these at your disposal, you can make a more cohesive and well-planned trip itinerary, ensuring that you fully enjoy your trip and make the most of your first visit to Japan. 

3. Select The Right Season

Selecting the best season to visit Japan can enable you to fully experience each place you decide to visit. While Japan is open to travelers all year round, consider avoiding peak seasons such as April to May, July to August, and holidays. More so, ideally, you may also want to visit Japan when it’s not typhoon season.

Another thing to consider is the specific cities you want to visit. For instance, you should know that winters in Okinawa and Kyushu are mild. Alternatively, you should visit Northern Hokkaido if you want cool summers.

In addition, if you love skiing, you can visit in February because it’s one of the coldest months in Japan. Additionally, you can attend snow festivals like the Hirosaki Castle Snow Lantern Festival and the Sapporo Snow Festival. However, you might encounter delays in transportation due to heavy ice and snow.

Or perhaps, if you like flowers, you may want to visit Japan during Spring because of Japanese flowers like rapeseed, wisteria, roses, and tulips bloom. More so, you can also enjoy cherry blossoms throughout the country during this season.

4. Purchase Tickets In Advance

Buying tickets in advance is another good tip to keep in mind. It allows you to secure your slot before tourist numbers increase. It may be a festival or show in Japan. And more so, you may also find and book lower offers and rates for various attractions like museums and amusement parks.

You can easily access the rates and availability online so you can plan ahead of time the schedule and events for your trip. In turn, you won’t make the mistake of going to a specific tourist attraction on a less convenient day or time. And ultimately, you can avoid the hassle if you book and purchase tickets in advance.

5. Explore Hidden Locations With A Local Guide

Reading about your destination is one of the best ways to learn about the place. However, you may not fully maximize your stay in Japan if you only depend on travel guide books. With that said, since you already know how to speak Japanese, it would be now easier to connect with a local who call the country their home. 

Experiencing a destination with a local guide enables you to adapt and understand their culture better. More so, they can recommend hidden places and destinations only locals know. 

Takeaway

Visiting Japan for the first time can be exciting, providing you with memorable travel experiences that you will surely treasure and make you keep coming back for more. But it can be intimidating too. After all, it’s a foreign place that you’re not yet familiar with. But, by keeping in mind the tips mentioned in this article, you can be on your way to having an enjoyable and smooth travel experience visiting Japan for the first time.