UPDATED Answers to Japan’s TOP Travel Questions

Answer Top Japan Travel questions. Suica IC card questions, Japan Rail & Shinkansen questions, Luggage, Sakura, and many more questions that the internet asks!
Knowing These Japan Travel answers will help you plan your perfect trip.

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00:00 Japans Top Travel questions Answered
00:17 More Suica card questions answered
00:23 What is a Suica Card?
00:49 Where can IC cards be used in Japan?
01:10 Digital Suica Questions
01:40 How does digital Suica work?
01:55 Get your Suica Balance back?
02:21 Japan train questions
02:47 Booking shinkansen tickets?
03:38 Transport from Kyoto to Haneda Airport
04:16 Getting Tickets for the Shinkansen in advance
05:29 General Japan Travel Questions
05:43 All about the Airport Limousine Bus
06:30 Visit Japan: Transit question
07:17 Visit Japan: Point of embarkation
07:46 How long before re-entering Japan after a trip?
08:18 Traveling to Japan with a large group tips
09:38 Japan Luggage Questions
09:58 What is Luggage forwarding and how to use it in a Ryokan in Japan
11:26 Why you should consider using luggage forwarding in Japan
12:17 Sakura (cherry blossom) questions
12:24 if you are arriving late for Sakura do this
12:56 the latest Sakura forecast (7th)
13:06 Ask me your unanswered questions

Hello Japan travelers: Today, I’ve picked out some of the most asked Japan travel questions from the comments. Ranging from entry into Japan, cherry blossom forecasts, general travel, local trains and Shinkansen bullet trains, Suica, luggage, and a lot more. You asked, I’m going to answer (or at least try to). MORE SUICA QUESTIONS!  

everyone wants one, and there are always more questions to answer: For those who don’t know, a Suica card is a type of IC card used for transportation and shopping. It’s highly recommended while you are in Japan, but recently there has been a chip shortage, making people panic.

However, the reality is that there is no need to panic as you can still get hold of the card, especially visitor versions of the card easily, and some of the other types from other regions are easily accessible and work exactly the same way.

And let’s not forget that you can have a digital version by using Apple Wallet if you are on an iPhone! Which is my personal recommendation. So here are some Suica related questions: Hi from the US! I wasn’t able to load the Suica card using Visa or Mastercard either. Strange.

BUT I was able to load an ICOCA card. Do you happen to know if the ICOCA IC wallet card will work all throughout Tokyo? I know it’s a Kansai official card so Kyoto and Osaka should be covered. Yes, IC cards are mostly interchangeable, and you’ll be able to use them across multiple

Areas in Japan. I have a question that bugs me since my main phone is an Android phone, and I have another phone that is an iPhone. Do I need to have an internet connection to use mobile Suica?

Once the IC card is loaded on the Apple Wallet, there is no internet connection needed as the balance is handled by the special IC chip on the phone. Can you have the Suica Card on the Apple Watch and iPhone? Or just one or the other?

You can have one on each, but you cannot share the balance across both. You’d, in essence, have two balances. Think of it as having two separate physical cards. Does the Suica/Pasmo on the Apple Wallet work the same as the physical card? Will street vendors accept them? Yes!

Your iPhone or Apple Watch, in essence, becomes one big physical card that is accepted anywhere that the physical card is accepted! If you use a digital Suica card, what happens if there is a leftover balance? Can you get that back?

So, getting a refund of the leftover balance for the digital Suica is nearly impossible. You’d need the official Japanese-only Suica app, and then I believe you’d be able to transfer it to a Japanese bank account. So, as you can see, it’s not straightforward.

My suggestion is using up the leftover balance at awesome stores like Don Quijote. The good thing about the digital Suica is that there is no deposit fee. TRAIN QUESTIONS: Japan really is one of countries with the best train infrustructure in the world, so you will likely be railing a lot.

Using trains in Japan is easy and quite straight forward, but there are still questions viewers ask so… Here are some Train questions: We are planning on traveling to Kyoto on March 26th from Tokyo for a day trip. Would you recommend we pre-book Shinkansen tickets, or is it okay to get them on the

Day? Also, is it likely to be very busy given its cherry blossom season? There are usually between 8-10 Shinkansens an hour on that route, so getting a seat shouldn’t be much of a problem. However, getting a seat at the time slot that you want might be trickier, especially given

That your travel date coincides with the cherry blossom season. So, yes, I suggest pre-booking your Shinkansen tickets to avoid facing delaying your trip to later on in the day as a result of no availability, especially since it’s a day trip.

Another factor to consider is that there might be queues for tickets on the day, which could be time-consuming. So, purchasing in advance will give you peace of mind. Just remember to arrive early enough to find your platform as some of these stations can be disorienting, especially for a first-time traveler.

What is the best way to travel from Kyoto to Haneda? I’m confused. Traveling from Kyoto to Haneda airport isn’t as hard as it seems but it will require at least one transfer. Take the Shinkansen bullet train from Kyoto station to Shinagawa station, which should

Take around 2 and a half hours, and then transfer to the Keikyu Line, which offers direct services to Haneda Airport. The trip from Shinagawa to Haneda airport via the Keikyu Line takes about 15-20 minutes. So, you could make the entire trip from Kyoto to Haneda in around 3 hours or just over.

The same route would be used if coming from Osaka or any other Shinkansen stop south of Tokyo. #shameless plug for Klook. It’s worked flawlessly for me and really took the stress out of getting tickets for trains I thought could sell out. I even grabbed my tickets for Shibuya Sky because why not?

Better than showing up and finding out the timeslot you wanted is full. Thanks for that. Yup, Klook is a great way of getting your Shinkansen and attraction tickets. Your comment is a great way to introduce today’s video sponsor Klook: If you’ve been following

My channel for some time now, then you’ll know how much I stress the need to book activities and tickets in advance so that you don’t miss out. The platform is offered in multiple languages and in YOUR local currency. Booking and using tickets with Klook is so easy and straightforward.

And for me personally, I think it can be a game changer to book on the go, which is why I recommend you download the app! And if you use the promo code “BetterOnApp,” you’ll receive a 5% discount on your first purchase! If you’re after train tickets, Klook has you covered.

You’ll receive a QR Code in the app, which you’ll easily exchange for a physical ticket at the station. Attraction tickets are also easy to find, searching by location is my personal favorite as you might even uncover something new.

And what I love about Klook is that their info is up to date and detailed, so you know what to expect with clear usage instructions. You can also use my affiliate link to purchase those tickets that you were likely going to purchase anyway, whilst at the same time help the channel out!

GENERAL TRAVEL QUESTIONS These questions although travel related don’t fall into any specific category but I know many of them will really help visitors travelling to japan, So here are some General Travel questions: Do the Airport Limousine Buses drop you off at specific hotels/places? Or at specific pre-designated areas?

Firstly, for those who might not know, there is a bus known as a ‘limousine bus’ that serves Tokyo’s airports and is a convenient way to get into the city, air-conditioned, comfortable seating, and even Wi-Fi. It can be a hassle-free way to get to your hotel or to various destinations within the

City or surrounding areas with your luggage being on the bus. And to answer the questions: Yep, the Airport Limousine Bus service is a very convenient way of getting to many destinations within Tokyo and its surrounding areas, including stops at specific hotels and pre-designated areas like landmarks and major stations.

Don’t forget that if your hotel isn’t included as a stop, there might be other nearby hotels you could use as a hub to get to your accommodation. Awesome guide! I have a question. I will go to Kansai.

I booked my flight from LAX to Kansai, but I have to transit in Haneda before my final flight (Kansai). My question is, should I make 2 QR codes for customs declaration (one for Haneda, and one for Kansai), or can I use the Haneda Custom declaration QR code when I am in Kansai Airport?

Thank you. As you will likely be transferring onto a domestic flight at Haneda airport, you typically go through customs and immigration at your first point of entry into Japan. This means you will go through all the necessary customs and immigration procedures at Haneda Airport when you first arrive in Japan from LAX.

And therefore, when filling out the Visit Japan web, you’ll only need to give the info to Haneda, and you will receive the QR Codes necessary to get through customs and passport control at Haneda airport. Hi! I’m trying to enter the details for the QR code, but I’m stuck at “point of embarkation”:

I travel from Rome to Narita via Seoul Incheon. What is considered my point of embarkation then, Rome or Seoul? I can only enter one flight number, so I’m confused. This one is similar to the previous question. The point of embarkation is the last flight you took before arriving in Japan.

So, in your case, it would be Seoul. Consider the fact that your flight number from Rome to Seoul would not be in the system. Hello, I have a question. I went to Japan last year in October 2023. How long do I have to wait before re-entering Japan?

From the USA with visa-free for 90 days. I totally understand this question; it’s so easy to want to return. And I had been looking for an answer to this question and finally came across some information that suggests that when entering using the Temp visitor entry: You are allowed a max

Of 180 days in one year. It shouldn’t matter the time between trips, but it would be for that maximum amount of days. Do you have any tips or recommendations for planning for a large group? There will be 9 of us going mid-June. Thank you! Yes, I’ve touched upon this many times.

The main things you need to consider when planning for a large group are making sure you don’t get caught out; therefore, I strongly suggest you book your accommodation in advance to ensure you find availability to fit everyone into one hotel or look into Airbnb to share one space.

Booking train tickets in advance would, in my opinion, be strongly recommended, especially if you want to sit together. Attraction tickets are sometimes hard to book on the day, let alone for a larger group, so once again, book these in advance. My affiliate link with Klook is a great way to do this.

Dining together could be a struggle, but it’s not impossible. I suggest you reserve tables in advance or simply come to the realization that splitting up into two groups at some dining spots will make your life a lot easier.

I suggest that if you come across a restaurant that interests you while you are out sightseeing, ask to see if they can reserve a table. But my biggest tip when travelling in large groups is that, It’s also important to remember

That not everyone might want to do the same thing, and splitting up is absolutely fine, but keeping in touch will be paramount, so having a data connection will be very important . Check out my affiliate links in the website that if you are interested too! LUGGAGE QUESTIONS

So many of you worry about luggage, and rightly so. The thought of having to tug a suitcase through a busy Tokyo station and train can bring travel anxiety to anyone, even a seasoned Japan traveler like myself. So hopefully, these answers will help put your mind at ease:

We plan to stay at ryokans in Kyoto (landing in Haneda, taking the Shinkansen there). Does the one-day luggage transport service cover these types of places (ryokan), or would we need to make sure we’re staying at a nearby luggage pickup location?

Additionally, at the end of our trip (going back to Tokyo, flying from Haneda), what would you recommend a process to avoid luggage on the train traveling to Haneda airport for departure? Fearful of using luggage service going towards the airport. So firstly, what is Luggage forwarding?

Also known as ‘Takuhaibin Delivery Services’, Luggage forwarding is a service commonly offered in Japan that allows travelers to send their luggage from one location to another, typically from their current accommodation to their next destination, without having to carry it themselves. And I highly recommend everyone make use of it, especially for longer-distance travel.

And to answer the questions. Yes, these services typically cover a wide range of accommodations, including ryokans. However, I recommend you confirm with your specific ryokan whether they accept luggage deliveries through these services. Most ryokans are accustomed to handling luggage deliveries and will even help you when sending them to the next destination.

For your way back, if you are fearful of sending it to the airport, then I suggest you make sure you have booked a luggage area seat on the Shinkansen and make the easy change at Shinagawa to the Keikyu line.

If you are already in Tokyo, you could also consider the limousine bus service or the monorail from Hamamatsucho station, which have luggage areas onboard. Wait, hotels can forward your luggage to the next hotel? Do they do it for free, or what?

Yup, this is a service that is available at most hotels and accommodation, although using luggage forwarding services at rented accommodation like Airbnb can sometimes be tricky or impossible. The service comes at a fee. One that I personally think is worth paying, especially for long-distance travel.

You’re paying for the convenience of not having to carry or worry about your luggage! You can usually also use Luggage counters, for example, from “Yamato,” and some combini to send your luggage if you need to! And some hotels will even put your suitcase in your room, so it will be there waiting

For you once you check in! A little bonus tip from my personal experience is that you can usually post date your luggage forward into the future as a way to hold your luggage, or for when you might not need to lug around a large suitcase during some legs of your trip.

I wanted to quickly answer a Sakura forecast question and update you in that area. Can I still get the chance to catch the Sakura bloom on 15th April? I arrive in Japan on that day. Yes,hopefully anyway. Sakura blooms at different times, mostly starting in the south moving north and at higher elevaitons.

So although it’s likely that by that date the flowers will be gone in the Tokyo area, you’ll easily be able to travel north perhaps to Morioka and you’ll hopefully get some. Also, remember that there are later blooming varieties too! With gardens like Shinjuku gyoen being a great location to view these.

Currently, the 7th forecast, which was published on the 7th of March, sets Tokyo’s buds to start opening around the 23rd of March, with full bloom predicted around the 30th. So there you have it, I’ve answered some of your top asked Japan travel questions! Did I miss any out?

Comment below, and I might pick yours in the next Q&A travel video! Did you know that I also answer your questions live every Sunday at 9:30 PM CET? Pop in to chat! I look forward to it. If you found this useful, consider subscribing to help the channel grow.

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And for more casual vlogs and live streams, there’s also my second channel, The Happy Gaijin. Y si hablas español! (And if you are a Spanish speaker) and have watched all the way to the end! … I’ve recently started a Spanish language Instagram and YouTube account too @japontips!

Till next time, stay positive and be a happy Gaijin! Safe travels!