15 Mistakes I Made in Japan (So You Don't Have To)

Updated April 2026 · 14 min read

I've been to Japan 6 times now. The first trip? Disaster after disaster. Wrong shoes, dead phone, accidentally insulted a taxi driver. Here are the mistakes I made — and the ones I still see tourists making every single day.

Some of these will save you money. Some will save you embarrassment. One might save your phone from dying at 2pm in the middle of Akihabara with no idea how to get back to your hotel.

Money Mistakes

1. Not Carrying Cash

Japan is still a cash society. I know, it's 2026. Doesn't matter.

That ramen shop everyone on Reddit raves about? Cash only. The shrine entrance fee? Cash. The coin locker at the train station? Coins. I ran out of cash on day two of my first trip and spent an hour looking for an ATM that accepted foreign cards.

Fix it:Carry at least ¥10,000-¥20,000 ($70-140) in cash at all times. 7-Eleven ATMs accept almost every foreign card. The ones at the airport charge a fee — the ones in town usually don't.

2. Exchanging Money at the Airport

Airport exchange rates are robbery.

I lost about ¥3,000 on my first trip just on bad exchange rates at Narita. That's a nice lunch, gone. Just use 7-Eleven ATMs — the rate is whatever your bank gives you, which is almost always better.

3. Buying the JR Pass Without Doing the Math

The JR Pass used to be an obvious deal. Then they raised the price by 70% in 2023.

A 7-day pass is now around ¥50,000. If you're just doing Tokyo + one day trip to Kamakura, it's cheaper to buy individual tickets. Way cheaper.

Fix it:Use the JR Pass calculator at jrailpass.com before you buy. The pass only makes sense if you're doing multiple long-distance trips — like Tokyo → Kyoto → Hiroshima → Osaka.

Packing Mistakes

4. Not Bringing a Portable Charger

This is the mistake I see literally every day.

You're using Google Maps constantly. Taking hundreds of photos. Scanning QR codes for menus. Your phone battery dies by 2pm. Then you're standing in Shinjuku Station — the busiest station on Earth — with a dead phone and no idea which of the 200 exits is yours.

I once walked 40 minutes in the wrong direction because my phone died mid-navigation in Asakusa. Bought a power bank the next morning. Never had the problem again.

5. Packing Too Many Clothes

Japan has coin laundry everywhere. Every. Where.

Pack 4-5 days of clothes max. Coin laundries (called “coin randorii”) cost about ¥300-500 per load and most hostels and hotels have them. I dragged a massive suitcase through Kyoto on my first trip. Cobblestone streets, narrow sidewalks, stairs everywhere. Never again.

Fix it:Compression bags are your best friend. They cut your clothing volume in half and leave room for all the stuff you'll inevitably buy.

6. Forgetting a Travel Adapter

Japan uses Type A plugs (same as US/Canada). If you're from Europe, UK, or Australia — your chargers won't fit.

I know, you can buy one at the airport. But it'll cost ¥2,000+ for a junky one. Grab a universal adapter before you go and stop worrying about it.

7. No Umbrella. In Japan. In Any Season.

It rains in Japan. A lot. Even in “dry” seasons.

June is the rainy season, but I've been caught in surprise downpours in March, October, and even January. Convenience store umbrellas cost ¥500 and break on the first gust of wind.

A lightweight folding umbrella weighs nothing and saves you from either getting soaked or collecting a growing pile of broken konbini umbrellas.

Etiquette Mistakes

8. Wearing Shoes Indoors

This one is serious. Wearing shoes inside a Japanese home, traditional restaurant, or ryokan is like... I don't know, blowing your nose at a dinner table. Just don't.

Look for the raised floor or the shoe shelves at the entrance. If you see slippers lined up, that's your cue.

Extra level:Toilet slippers stay in the toilet room. Do NOT walk back into the main room wearing them. I did this at a ryokan in Hakone and my Japanese friend's face was... memorable.

9. Eating While Walking

In most of Japan, eating while walking is considered rude.

Buy your crepe in Harajuku, find a bench or stand near the shop, eat it there. The exception is festival streets (like Nakamise in Asakusa) where walking and eating is part of the experience. But on normal streets? Stand and eat.

10. Being Loud on the Train

Japanese trains are quiet. Like, eerily quiet.

No phone calls. No FaceTime. No speakerphone (why do people do this anywhere?). Conversations happen in near-whispers. I once watched a group of tourists laughing loudly on the Yamanote line and every single Japanese person within earshot visibly cringed.

Fix it:Enjoy the silence. Put on headphones. Read something. It's actually kind of peaceful once you get used to it.

11. Sticking Chopsticks Upright in Rice

This mimics a funeral ritual. It's one of the bigger taboos.

Lay your chopsticks across the bowl or use the chopstick rest (hashioki). Also don't pass food chopstick-to-chopstick — that's another funeral association. Put it on a plate first, then the other person picks it up.

Planning Mistakes

12. Overplanning Every Single Day

I had a color-coded spreadsheet for my first trip. Timed to the minute. It lasted until 11am on day one.

Japan rewards wandering. That random side street in Shimokitazawa with the vintage clothing shops. The tiny sake bar you stumble into in Yurakucho. The cat in the alley near Yanaka that leads you to the best senbei shop you've ever seen.

Fix it:Plan 2-3 things per day max. Leave the gaps open. The best Japan moments are the ones you didn't plan.

13. Not Having Mobile Data on Day One

You land at Narita. Tired. Confused. Signs in Japanese. You need Google Maps more than oxygen. And you have no data.

Airport WiFi is slow and drops constantly. The SIM card counter has a 45-minute line. You're standing there, jet-lagged, holding your luggage, watching other people walk right past because they set up an eSIM on the plane.

Be those people.

14. Trying to See Too Many Cities

“We're doing Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Hiroshima, Nara, Hakone, and Nikko in 7 days!”

No. You're spending 7 days on trains and in hotel lobbies checking in and out. I see this on r/JapanTravel constantly. People trying to cram 3 weeks into 7 days.

Fix it:For 7 days, pick 2 cities max. Tokyo + Kyoto/Osaka is the classic combo. For 10-14 days, add a third. You'll actually enjoy the places instead of just seeing them from a train window.

15. Not Learning Even Basic Japanese

You don't need to be fluent. But five phrases change everything.

“Sumimasen” (excuse me), “arigatou gozaimasu” (thank you), “kore kudasai” (this one please), “eigo daijoubu desu ka” (is English okay?), and “oishii” (delicious).

The moment you try speaking Japanese, people light up. They appreciate the effort even if your pronunciation is terrible. I butchered “sumimasen” for my entire first trip and still got warmer service than the tourist next to me who just spoke loud English.

Bonus: The Mistake I Still Make

Buying too much at convenience stores. Lawson, FamilyMart, 7-Eleven — they're on every corner and everything looks so good. Egg salad sandwiches. Onigiri. Fried chicken. Those perfect little desserts.

I once ate three konbini meals in one day because I “just wanted to try one more thing.” Honestly? Still worth it. Some mistakes you don't fix.