GOING TO JAPAN: Serious Questions
I’ve already posed these questions to a few people, but I figure I’ll put them out in the open to get a wide variety of opinions.
With my apartment paid for and my visa secured, I am 100% ready to take on glorious 日本. However, I can’t just go in there without any preparation–I have to be ready. As such, I have a couple of questions for people who have been to The Other Country before, and hopefully they can help me out.
1: Money- What do you do about money in Japan? I’ve read that most places won’t take foreign ATM cards, with the exception of 7/11 and post offices. So, what do you guys do? Get an account at a bank with international branches? Stuff your suitcase full of traveler’s checks? Just hit up the 7/11s and post offices because they’re ever so plentiful? What do you do?
2: Cellphones- I know the deal with prepaid phones in Japan–if you’re not Japanese, you need an alien registration card (I’m going to need one of these anyways), or you can go to a place that accepts US passports, and uses the address of your hotel for validation. So, my question is, what places have the best deals?
That’s about it, actually. I guess it’s not all that serious, but it’d be nice to get some Hot Tipz.
1. Post offices are super convenient. You can rely on those. I was never able to find a convenient ATM in Akiba though (which is probably just as well) so plan ahead for that. Also, remember that a disturbing number of places do not take any kind of credit/debit cards. Carry cash.
2. I lived with a pretty lousy solution to this myself, since I was on tourist visa and didn’t have a card. Any decent conbini should be able to hook you up, though. Someone else might have a better idea.
Other things I wish people had told me before I went:
A. The toilet paper situation isn’t actually that bad, but if someone hands you a package of tissues, keep it. Better safe than the other thing.
B. Be very careful on stairs. They’re shallower and steeper than you think.
C. For about two and a half days, you’re going to walk into people. Not much you can do about this but wait it out. Just one of those things. Have to get your Japan legs before you can move around comfortably.
D. Automatic doors are not as sensitive as you expect them to be. Walk slower.
E. When in doubt, go to a manga kissa and regroup.
I was only in Japan for two weeks in 2007 for vacation. I just used 7/11s when I ran out of cash. They’re everywhere. There is(or was, anyway) one close to the subway entrances in Akihabara. I also had one very close to the hotel I stayed at.
No idea about cell phones. The guy above me raises a very good point about stairs. They’re very short and very steep. Also be careful on spiral staircases. Oftentimes there isn’t a handrail to hold onto. They’re super easy to fall down on.
Watch out for crazy people. They’re everywhere.
On a side note, if you get a chance, you should check out the Sega Joypolis in Odaiba. The Initial D racing game in there is really something special. The Tokyo Big Site is really close by, so I’m sure you’ll end up in that area sooner or later. :P
Don’t worry about the 7-11 and post office situation. I used to live a couple towns away from Akihabara, and in some locations, there are 2 7-11’s merely 25 meters away from each other across the street. 7-11’s are easy to find so don’t worry too much.
I’m not too knowledgeable about the cell phone plans for foreigners, so I’m not too sure about that.
Just some tips, some following Seiya,
1. You have been warned about the stairs. Some staircases, each step only has about 10cm of space.
2. You will accidentally bump into people. Generally people expect the other person to dodge them instead of them dodging you. An example would be Shibuya’s grand crossing.
Just some suggestions to visit in Akihabara:
SEGA : Game center. (Fun stuff, arcades and crane games)
Taito: Game center. (Same as above)
Cosplay Acadamy (One of my favorite cosplay cafes. Good service, Alsways have new cosplays.)
Any anime shop. Really, there are too many to list.
Maid cafe (Yet again too many to name)
Generally in Akihabara:
Mainstreet = Anime goods. Anime shops, doujinshi shops, etcetc.
Back street = PC and tech stuff. You can find 8gig microsd cards for about 2500 yen. (Also the 2ch store is located somewhere in the backstreets)
P.S GO ON A SUNDAY. Sunday = free roam day. Cars are not allowed to pass though Akihabara, so people set up variety shows on the street and its pretty fun.
P.S Forgot to mention. The Akiba arcades have Gundam simulation acahines. Where it feels and looks like your in a cockpit , you actually pilot it like in the anime too.
Just returned from four months of study abroad in December.
1) I relied entirely on post offices. A lot of the 7-11 and other コンビニ did not accept most American debit or credit cards. But you can get a Citibank account in America and use it at their branches and ATMs in Japan. Also, if you bring traveler’s checks, you can get a better exchange rate at the post office, but it takes a bit longer to process than just going to an ATM.
2) With regards to cell phones. No company offers plans under 1-year. However, you can go to Softbank and get a pre-paid cell phone WITHOUT alien registration card, depending on the location. Just try a bunch of stores; most will let you use your passport. But with regards to cell phones: my classmates and I all got Softbank prepaids and texted all the time. Prepaid offers unlimited data exchange for 300¥/month. You just need to buy prepaid cards to charge your phone with, which cost 3000¥ or 5000¥, and automatically expire after two months unless you buy a new card to add it to your account. The smart thing to do ended up being, for four months, to buy the prepaid phone and buy two 3000¥ cards. I still had about 2000¥ left over at the end of my trip.
If you have more questions, email me!
-As of April 08, the post offices, and bank ATMs for that matter, no longer accepted my debit visa, or real visa card. They USED to back in 05. From what the bank told me, they weren’t accepting my card for security/gaijin reasons.
You need to make sure your bank’s visa cards will work in Japan. Call your bank up. Immediately. This will be very important to make sure you can obtain money. Bring a fair amount of upfront yen currency when you go there.
-As for a phone? For a real good deal, load up your wi-fi capable laptop with some free voip program. Free? yes. Convenient when on the train calling your friends? Hardly. But it might save some coin for more *required purchases.
this is your best help
http://www.youtube.com/user/tokyocooney
Oh also, Avoid Shinkiku. Its the Yakuza territory. Anyone with a foreign face would most likely get mugged. Just take note of that.
During lunch hours restaurants slash their prices heavily, so save money by making lunch your main meal of the day.
> P.S GO ON A SUNDAY. Sunday = free roam day. Cars are not allowed to pass though Akihabara, so people set up variety shows on the street and its pretty fun.
I thought pedestrian paradise was indefinitely suspended; when did they re-instate it?
My serious advice is: don’t come back.
The US is going down as you read this.
They will probably try going out with a bang, and if they really attack Iran during the upcoming economical crisis, nothing can be guaranteed. Japan will be hit as well, but at least it isn’t going to fight yet another war for the Principality of Zeon.
Btw, there is no Char in Israel.
Best way to get money in Japan is mug otaku in Akiba. They’re defenseless usually.
I haven’t been to Japan (though I really want to go), but I would suggest brushing up on the etiquette and all the social behavior shit.
Here is a tip on buying shit, Any models or anything bulky send it to your house through the post.
Last time I went, which was, admittedly, Spring 2007, I just used post offices and Citi Bank ATMs with my debit card. If what Dr. Who says is true, though, that might be more difficult now with new regulations.
If you’re trying to ATM, check to make sure the machine supports the interbank networks listed on the back of your card (Star, Plus, etc). Keep in mind that your bank will probably add an extra 3% or so currency conversion fee and is unlikely to give you the best currency exchange rate.
I’ve never used a cell phone in Japan, but from what I’ve heard pre-paid is the way to go.
A lot more places take credit cards nowadays than a couple of years ago. You can walk into most of the major stores in Akiba and pay with a VISA or MasterCard. It’s only the smaller shops and the food joints that will only accept cash. In combinis, the most convenient ways to pay is probably your PASMO card (btw, getting a PASMO is probably the very first thing you want to do after collecting your luggage at the airport). If you travel to the countryside though, that’s another story. Don’t expect to pay for a stay at an onsen ryoukan in Gunma-ken in anything but hard cash.
Regarding cellphones, the Softbank prepaid plan is indeed the best option for a short stay, and, like Alex Leavitt says, doesn’t require a gaijin card. Get it in a Softbank shop, combini owners are generally not aware of the proper procedure. Stores within Tokyo tend to be frequently out of stock (better call in advance), and the prices at the small Softbank desk at Narita airport are outrageous. Your best bet may be the Softbank shop in Yokohama: it’s off the path of most foreigners, and yet only a few minutes away from Tokyo station. The only downside of this Softbank prepaid plan is that it comes without Internet access, which is a pity. (Unlimited e-mail for 300¥ discounted off the phone card is a steal, though).
> I’ve never used a cell phone in Japan, but from what I’ve heard pre-paid is the way to go.
Yeah, just rob one of the local yakuza street thugs. They usually carry several pre-paid cell phones so you might get away if you only take one at a time.
Thanks for all the tips, guys :D