Japan Travel Tips

I went to Japan earlier this year, and here are some of the things I did to save time and money.

Getting Connected

I bought an eSIM from Shopee and another one from Trip.com just to have a backup. I got the unlimited data plan for one week, and it cost less than $10 (you can use coupons from Shopee). Installation was easy, and the connection was reliable.

Transportation

How to do this:

• Open Apple Wallet
• Tap the plus (+) sign
• Select “Public Transport Card”
• Scroll down until you see “Japan”
• Choose from options like ICOCA, PASMO, or TOICA (I chose Suica since it seems more popular)
• Select your preferred card and tap “Add New Card”
• Enter the amount you want to top up

Once added, the card is saved in Apple Wallet and ready to use.

Whenever I used public transportation, I just tapped my phone on the reader, and the fare was automatically deducted. No need to deal with coins or cash.

I was also able to link this transport card to my Shinkansen ticket, so when I took the Shinkansen, I only had to tap my phone at the gate.

(Side note: I’m from the Philippines but live in Germany, so I have credit cards from both countries. That’s why I’m able to use Apple Pay easily.)

Food / Taxi

Uber is available in Japan. You can use it to book taxis or order food through Uber Eats.

Cash

To get cash, I recommend withdrawing from a convenience store ATM.

Some people think this is only for wealthy travelers, but consider this: if you don’t already have USD or EUR, you’ll first need to convert your currency into those, then convert again into yen—losing money in both conversions.

I’ve already thrown away my receipts, but I withdrew money using both my BPI and Santander debit cards, and I didn’t notice much difference. Santander charges a flat €5 fee per international transaction, which is actually higher than BPI’s ₱200 fee.

Getting yen in your home country is another option, but I didn’t want to spend time researching exchange counters for the best rates. The same applies in Japan—going around looking for the best exchange rate can be time-consuming, and some places offer poor rates.

Overall, I think it’s not worth the effort.

I used my credit card whenever possible. Just make sure to always choose to be charged in yen, so your bank handles the conversion.

Always choose the local currency of the country you’re in.
For example:

• In Korea → choose KRW
• In China → choose CNY

Your bank’s exchange rates are usually better than Mastercard’s or Visa’s, and you avoid extra fees.

Klook

I use Klook whenever I’m in Asia. I find it convenient, and the deals are usually good.

You can book tickets, transportation, and day trips. I booked a Mount Fuji day tour, and it was well worth it. I also used it to book a ticket to Katsuoji Temple, which saved me a lot of time since I didn’t have to queue.

You can also book:

• Airport limousine buses
• Shinkansen tickets
• Private transfers

Klook also offers free coupons. Just search for “Japan” in the app and click on “More.”

Pharmacies and Souvenirs

Pharmacies in Japan often offer cheaper prices than Don Quijote (Donki).

OS Pharmacy has some of the lowest prices, even though it’s not tax-free (so there’s no need to bring your passport).

For example, I bought a Tsubaki hair mask for ¥1,000, while it cost ¥1,200 (tax-free) at other pharmacies.

However, the selection is more limited, so you may still need to visit other stores for certain items.

I bought souvenirs from different pharmacies, but I highly recommend getting mochi from different cities. And of course, don’t forget the KitKats! There’s so much variety to choose from!

Bring an extra suitcase

I bought 3 suitcases and I still actually needed more space. There are so many things I wanted to buy and I’m sure a lot of people feel the same way. I also recommend bringing a foldable duffle bag.

I might remember some in the next few days and will keep updating this post.