Useful Hints

Getting around on your own: If you are a visitor to Japan for the first time, it is recommended that you use an English-speaking guide and a hired car, at least for the first few days. You will find it more economical and probably faster to use a Japanese car, which are more suitable for travel on Japanese streets. A less expensive alternative is to take group tours by bus. The various travel agencies run excellent tours that meet the needs and interests of most visitors, Thereafter, you should have no great difficulty in getting around on your own.
When you venture out alone, be sure to take along with you a card giving your hotel location in English and Japanese, it will come in handy if you get lost. Most hotel front desks have a supply of these cards.
If you need to ask for directions, look for a student, distinguishable by his uniform. The chances are that he will know sufficient English to help you, if you speak slowly, clearly, and grammatically.
Taxis in Japan have meters. Do not tip the driver unless he has difficulty in finding the add'rress you want (house numbers in Japan are quite confusing). Taxis are classified by size and labelled by the basic rate. There are tramcars and busses everywhere, but avoid them at rush hours.
Language: Most Japanese can read some English, and a good many can speak it. However, even if your stay is short, you will find it interesting to pick up a Japanese phrase book and learn at least a few words. You will not be able to read the Chinese characters or Japanese syllabary, which are used for writing, but you should have no difficulty in pronouncing words when they are written in our own (Roman) alphabet. The rule is to pronounce the consonants as in English and the vowels as in Italian (or, as in musical notation: do, re, mi, fa, sol. la, ti). Speak the word or sentence evenly without stressing any particular syllable.
Hotels: There are two types of hotels in Japan, the western-style, similar to our own, and the ryokan, the traditional Japanese inn. All western-style hotels and many ryokans are prepared to receive foreign guests. In general, the traveler will find the western-style hotel better equipped to serve his needs. However, no one should leave Japan without spending at least a night or two at a ryokan where unfamiliar food and the language barrier are more than compensated for by the simple but elegant Japanese atmosphere and the superlative services.
Tipping is not common in Japan. Hotels usually add a ten percent service charge to the bill. This will cover all the usual room and table services.
Japanese Inn(Ryokan): Upon reaching the ryokan, take your shoes off just as you walk in the entrance (where the slippers are placed) and put on slippers. The slippers are used for walking inside the ryokan in the corridor, lobby, dining hall and to the bath. The shoes are handled by the ryokan and will be placed at the entrance when you wish to go out. For short strolls near the ryokan you can use the ryokan's sandals or geta (wooden clogs). Service at a Japanese inn is special. You will be provided with appropriate clothing; a light cotton kimono (yukata), a quilted kimono for cold weather (tanzen), a towel (tenugui), even a brand new toothbrush. Get out of your street clothes down to your underwear and put on the yukata as soon as you arrive. It will serve you both as a lounging robe and a sleeping garment. The tanzen may be put on over the yukata if the room is chilly. Both are secured around your hips by a long sash (obi), which should be wound around you several times and tied. Ask the maid to show you how to wear the yukata and obi properly.
You will be assigned a maid to look after your room. All meals are served in the room, and at night thick quilts (futon) are spread on the floor for sleeping. The Japanese pillow may be too high or too hard, and you may want to use one of the floor cushions (zabuton) instead.
Japanese Bath: Place all of your clothing in the basket or shelf in the changing room (nothing is to be worn inside the bathroom except your small towel). The Japanese bathroom is designed for washing and soaking. You wash outside the bath, and, when clean, get into the tub or pool itself. which is for everyone's use. First, sit on the wooden stool, take water with the dipper provided, douse yourself thoroughly, scrub down with soap, and rinse yourself completely. Then get into the tub or pool to soak up to your chin. Thus, your nerves unwind and your muscles relax in the pleasant warmth of the water.
Getting into the water will be a problem, for the Japanese like their baths hot. Try it very slowly; you will find that once your legs get accustomed to the hot water, it will be easier to lower your whole body into the tub. If you can't bear the heat, try adding a small amount of cold water but not too much. Better not to get in at all than to leave a lukewarm tub for the next person. Do not pull out the plug in the bath tub when you leave.
Japanese-style Toilet: The Japanese-style toilet is not sat on as one would in using an American toilet. Stand over the toilet stool facing the side with the hood. Then, squat over it and conveniently place yourself close but not to the point of contact with the stool. For beginners, this might be an awkward position but, as the body does not get in contact with the stool, it is sanitary. In the toilet room, slippers are provided for use only there. When you leave there, you change from the toilet slippers to the ordinary ones. Do not use the toilet-slippers in other parts of the ryokan.
Food: You will have no trouble with food. Japan has all kinds of restaurants serving western dishes as well as native Japanese ones. Steaks and fish are excellent. Water presents no problem; it is safer than that of many American cities. In general, it is wise to avoid uncooked vegetables or fruits that cannot be peeled, at least when you are traveling off the beaten path.
Whether you are on a tight budget or not, be sure to explore some of the little food shops that offer some of Japan's everyday food: omuretsu (omelette), katsuretsu (cutlets), oyako domburi (bowl of rice with chicken and egg), or tendon (bowl of rice with shrimp dipped in batter and fried). The shop usually has wax models of its specialties in the window. Take the waiter out with you and point to what you want.
Don't miss the Chinese restaurants, which are excellent, nor should you you overlook the coffee houses where you can sit all afternoon or evening over your cup and listen to good music.
On the alcoholic side, you will find that Japanese beer is first-rate, as is the native brew sake (pronounced sah-ke), which resembles sauterne in taste and is usually served warm in small cups.
Manners: No Westerner is familiar with all the details of Japanese etiquette nor will the Japanese expect you to be so. If you f ollow normal American standards of politeness and consideration, you will not get into trouble.
As a Caucasian, you cannot escape notice in Japan. You can be a credit to your country and reciprocate your hosts' politeness by conducting yourself with discretion. Avoid loud conversation, , respect the sacred nature of temple and shrine precincts, and, above all, don't engage in any public display of affection.
Greetings. The proper greeting in Japan is a bow from the waist, or even several bows, depending on the status of the person you meet. A nod of the head is not sufficient. Do not offer a handshake but be prepared to accept one in case your Japanese friend prefers to follow the western custom. Avoid back- slapping or friendly mauling in general. Japanese of neither sex care for physical contact in public, at least when sober. Be prepared for the exchange of calling cards at every encounter; the custom is ubiquitious in Japan. It is wise to make a few personal notes on cards received. They will serve to refresh your memory at a later time.
Clothing: Dress modestly, even though you may see some Japanese in scanty attire. Women should definitely avoid jeans, tight sweaters, and shorts in public places. Loud sports shirts are not appropriate when visiting sacred spots or any public place other than a playground.
Japanese-style Buildings: Shoes off is the rule. Your pumps or loafers will come in handy for all visits to Japanese homes, temples, shrines, and palaces. Leave your shoe at the entrance and use the slippers provided when you walk on the polished wooden floors. Abandon the slippers and walk in your stockinged feet when you enter a straw-matted (tatami) room. Women will find it helpful in the winter to carry a pair of wool socks for this eventuality. Your Japanese host, out of consideration, may urge you to leave your shoes on in his house. Don't do it, unless he keeps his own shoes on.
Public Facilites: Don't be upset about the occasional co-eduational bath, washroom, or toilet you may run into in Japan, Just ignore everyone else. You will be ignored. Nakedness in Japan may be seen, but it is never looked at.
Coin Lockers: It's probably not a good idea to travel with lots of baggage in Japan because there are not many porters at train stations nor much storage space in trains. Coin lockers and baggage checking services are convenient for temporary storage of bags, Another way to lighten your load is to use baggage delivery services which can economically transport your bags anywhere in Japan within one day.
Shopping: Cameras and lenses, and electronic equipment are among Japan's best known products with a reputation for quality at reasonable prices. In addition, every region produces many different handicrafts, such as lacquer ware, cloisonne, etc., all made in the traditional Japanese manner.
Tax-free shopping. Japan now has a sales tax of 3% but, in the case of some luxury goods has imposed a commodity tax ranging from 5 percent to 40 percent. Foreign tourists, however, can purchase many goods tax free. Only some stores, generally located in popular tourist areas, offer goods on a tax-free basis, and many of these will have a prominent "Tax Free" sign. You'll need your passport with you when you shop at these stores. Import-duty-free shopping is possible only at authorized stores at the international airports.
Department stores: Going to department stores is a form of entertainment in Japan. You'll find a playground on the roof, an arcade of international restaurants on the top floor, and in the basement an assortment of freshly prepared foods ready to take out. Department stores also sponsor cultural centers offering instruction in sports and foreign languages. Most are located near train stations or other busy areas.
Supermarkets: Japanese supermarkets are easily found in residential areas. Some are huge multistory buildings, but prices are less expensive than in the department stores. There is always a sale on at Japanese supermarkets. They're fun places to shop as well as browse.
Underground Shopping Center: Gigantic underground shopping centers and restaurants are easily found near train or subway stations and underneath bustling streets in the big cities. They are good places to visit when the weather turns bad.
Telephones: Pay telephones in Japan are color-coded, and although they all basically work the same way, an explanation for potential users is in order. RED telephones are privately owned and are usually located outside shops, disappearing at night when the owners take them inside. They take 10yen coins and those with a gold band take 100yen coins. PINK phones are also privately owned and are usually found inside shops and restaurants; they take 10yen coins. BLUE telephones take only 10yen coins. They are being phased out now but can still be found in booths, stations and other public places. YELLOW phones take both 10yen and 100yen coins. GREEN phones are the most convenient taking 10yen and 100yen coins as well as telephone cards; they are found in booths, stations, and other public places.
To make a long-distance call, be sure to dial the area code first and then the number of the other party you are calling. The basic charge is 10yen for the first three minutes of a local call. If you want to contunue talking, add another 10yen or 100yen coin. The beeping sound tells you that you have another three minutes left. Any extra coins are refunded when you hang up the receiver. This, however, is not the case with a yellow or red phone when you use only a 100yen coin.
Note: When you make a call from your hotel room, an equipment surcharge will be added besides the actual charges for calls.
Emergencies: Emergencies are stressful, even in one's home country but are especially so when abroad, The same rules of common sense that one would excercise at home apply when traveling although, obviously, language problems will complicate communication. In case of emergencies, dial 110 for the police and 119 for an ambulance. You don't need a 10yen coin for this purpose in any telephone except the pink ones.