Category Archives: How to…

Finding bathrooms in Tokyo is a lot easier than finding them in America, that’s for sure! Here are three surefire places to find them, wherever the urge makes itself known. Train Stations Scan the overhead signs for the bathroom icons (in internationally recognizable pink/red and blue) and follow them to the nice, clean, modern facilities.Continue reading “How to find public restrooms in Tokyo”

How do you deal with allergies when traveling in a country where information about food ingredients is written in characters most Westerners can’t read? The first time I lived in Japan, I had a friend who was deathly allergic – and I mean Epi-pen allergic – to shellfish. She was so allergic, she’d get aContinue reading “How to travel in Japan with food allergies”

As someone who likes to save her hard-earned cash for eating great food and buying tickets to see great stuff, I like to spend as little as is comfortably possible on the place where I spend most of my time unconscious. But keep in mind that you’ll probably be doing a lot more walking thanContinue reading “How to pick a hotel in Tokyo”

How to use your phone in Japan without forking over all your savings We’ve all heard the horror stories about crippling phone bills after accidentally using a phone overseas. But if you want to be able to find that great ramen restaurant with your GPS, upload envy-inducing snaps of yourself with the giant Godzilla head, andContinue reading “How to use your phone in Japan without breaking the bank”

If you have a smartphone, the easiest and fastest way to plot your routes anywhere in Japan is with a train finder app You can get the train app before you go, or download it once you arrive. It’s less than $5.00, and worth every yen. I use one called Navitime Japan Travel, and itContinue reading “Navigating: How to get where you’re going in Japan”

Here’s how I buy bullet train tickets: There are lots of sites that will tell you how to buy a long-distance train ticket in detail (this is a good one) but here’s how I do it: • Decide on your dates and times of arrival and departure • Figure out what trains you’ll need toContinue reading “How to buy tickets for the bullet train if you don’t speak Japanese”

Some drivers speak English, but don’t count on it. Here’s how to be sure you get where you’re going Your best bet is to hand the driver a written copy of the address you’re going to (or show them on your phone). It’s better if it’s written in Japanese, but it can be written withContinue reading “How to take a taxi in Tokyo if you don’t speak Japanese”

Narita airport must get the worldwide prize for being farthest from the city it serves. Seriously, what the heckin’ heck were they thinking? But sadly, there’s no time to move it before you come. Depending on how much luggage you have, where you’re staying, and how much you want to spend, here are the optionsContinue reading “How to get into Tokyo from Narita airport”

Nothing is more mortifying than hearing that the restaurant where you just ate the best lunch ever doesn’t take credit cards… Credit card use is spreading, but outside the big cities (and also in more traditional Tokyo neighborhoods), many small stores and restaurants are still cash only, so it’s a good idea to carry enoughContinue reading “How & where to get cash in Japan”

You can go anywhere in Tokyo with only a short walk at either end. Subways and trains are used by everyone from schoolchildren to corporate bosses because they’re by far the best way to get around Tokyo. Taking a taxi is expensive and slow because Tokyo is huge and the streets are usually choked with traffic.Continue reading “How to buy & use a train card”