Introduction

This is a record of my visit to Japan over a two week period in October and November 2016.

Planning

I spoke to friends and work colleagues who have been to Japan and watched numerous videos online to learn about what to expect before I arrived.

I learnt some basic Japanese as I knew there is very little English spoken in Japan.

Expectations

As I was staying in big cities, I expected tall buildings and bright colourful lights.

I expected Japanese people to quiet, keep themselves to themselves and it to be busy with people rushing round on their way to work.

I expected it to be easy to find places, to be easy to get around and the trains to be very reliable.

Electronics

I bought a ChatSim which is a Sim Card that works all over the world with instant messaging services (but not text messages or calls unless you pay for that function). I bought a spare phone so that I could use both SIM cards if I needed to.

I bought spare SD cards and batteries for my camera.

I bought a couple of mains adapter plugs and a USB Power Bank so that I could charge my electronic devices.

I wanted to keep things simple and I didn’t want to be carrying a lot of things with me, so I chose to take one small camera and I left my laptop at home.

Getting around and money

Before I went to Japan I needed to book flights and accommodation as well as arrange travel insurance and currency. I ordered a fee-free travel card.

I looked into getting a JR Pass although it wasn’t a cost effective option, as found that in my case it was cheaper to pay for individual fares.

I arranged to meet some friends who live in Japan and bought some basic Omiyage for them.

I compiled a list, with information and photos, of places to visit. I placed the list on my Kindle so that I could access it whenever I needed to.

Deciding where to go

I knew I didn’t have time to visit everywhere on the list, so I made a short list of cities in the Kansai and Tokyo regions.

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Index

Manchester to Osaka

Arriving in Japan

Kobe and Osaka

Osaka

Kyoto

Osaka to Tokyo

Harajuku

Shibuya & Halloween Photos

Tachikawa

Whistle Stop Tour

Yokohama

Narita to Manchester

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