Traveling Japan Is Easy—So Why Is It So Exhausting?
Japan is famously safe and convenient, so why can traveling here still feel exhausting?
In this video, we unpack the small, unexpected stresses that can quietly pile up during a trip—and how to keep them from taking over your vacation.
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Topics covered: Japan travel tips, planning a Japan itinerary, first-time travel to Japan, Japanese etiquette, culture shock, transportation, restaurants, language barriers, decision fatigue, luggage forwarding, and avoiding common Japan travel mistakes.
17 Comments
Great vid
We are in Tokyo and Osaka for 10 days, travelling from BC Canada! I agree with all of your points! We didn’t plan on tours this time, but we will be back, and next time I will contact you through your website!
The last time I went ChatGPT was invaluable. It made menus easier to decipher. I also have been using it to learn common phrases in Japanese. It is much easier than Duolingo by it just giving me what I need to use while I am there
I love your videos. I am a 65-year-old woman about to head to Japan for my third trip — Nagoya, Kanazawa, Kobe, and points west to Hiroshima — and I watch every PiQtour video for the most useful, friendly and reasonable advice. Thank You!
Heading to Japan in November after 10 years (that was my first trip) this video cured the anxiety lol
This was so reassuring. Traveling alone to Japan last year, I had so many "fails," in addition to struggling to find gluten-free food, that I felt a bit disappointed after a trip that, admittedly, included many great moments. This is why I am compelled to return – to have a more relaxed experience with more grace and space to appreciate everything Japan has to offer.
My granddaughter and I have been in Japan since Monday. We had plans to visit so many places but physically couldn't. We did 30000 steps Tuesday to Thursday. We saw Shinjuku, Shibuya and Harajuku. The only place I wanted to see but couldn't was Daikoku Parking Area. We're now in Osaka until Wednesday. Got USJ tomorrow and a day trip to Hiroshima on Tuesday. Today was recharge day and Monday will be our day in Osaka to see the sights. The trip wouldn't have been so exhausting if there were more benches to sit on but it is what it is.
I've managed to find a good selection of Kit Kats but have only found individual Black Thunder bars. Where's the best place to find bags. Also, egg sandwiches and fried chicken from 7/11 is the best. Same with the Suntory orange, mandarin and mango mineral water. I'm going to miss that drink when we get back to Australia.
Excellent advice.
May I suggest, using AI for trip planning assistance
The only disappointment I had during my 2 week Japan trip in May was the Hiroshima okonomiyaki. I did not really like it, it tasted a little too bland for me. I even went to Okonomiyaki Mura just to eat it! Thats why I skipped on it when I went to Osaka. Did not wanna face disappointment again. But I will definitely give it a try again next time.
My son said we passed you on Shijo-dori in the evening on 8th Sep. What a highlight it would have been to have met you as your videos were the key to planning our amazing trip to Japan from Australia! If I’d seen you I would have stopped to thank you. We couldn’t have done it without you. Thank you, Abby!! 🙏😊
Your videos are really helpful! I’m literally in Tokyo for the first time (first time in Japan too) right now. It’s amazing, but holy cow, the sensory overload is insane. I gotta say, I really needed to duck into a quiet store or restaurant to just regroup.
Thanks for your videos. This is a good video. I am still traumatized 10 years later after having a German lady scream at me in a laundromat in Berlin. It’s now a funny story , mostly. Ha.
The exhausting part is at the end of the day, you looked at your watch and realised you walked 25k.
As someone with Adhd I LOVE travelling in non English speaking countries and Japan is my favourite! Reasons: I find them calming as I don't understand any environmental print so my eyes aren't scanning as much on the distractions, instead I see what I want to see, the lack of personal eye contact 👌 chef's kiss. Japan is relatively quiet IMO. I guess it depends where you are from. If you find Japan overstimulating, never go to Bangkok! 😂 Even in the middle of busy Tokyo, people behave predictably, apart from tourists, although most are doing their best to try and 'blend in' 😂. My brain LOVES predictably. I always come home feeling re-charged, suitably entertained, and slightly less heavy even though I eat absolutely everything. It all gets walked off. Part of what keeps me coming back is that it gets easier each time. Its almost like I'm progressing through the levels of Jumanji each trip. Its addictive! I travel with my 3 kids so our expectations are always kept in check and flexibility is life. Booking places with free cancellation until the last few days prior to check in is the most important thing for us. We've rebuilt our itinerary as we go due to weather, sickness, finding out about special events we want to attend (or avoid crowds)…you don't need to overplan every minute of your day..you won't enjoy it. We keep a list of 'suggested activities' for each city then decide as we go. Apart from special entry places where you need to buy a ticket in advance but we only do one of those per city. Its too much pressure. Its meant to be a holiday afterall!
The sore feet thing got me the most. I felt bad not wanting to go see something because my feet hurt so bad.
There's an amazing video on YouTube that has 25 Japanese phrases for travel. I made flashcards with those and I really think they'll come in handy. Recommend to everyone
Having to learn something new almost every day and often not until the moment I worked out I needed to know it was pretty stressful as a solo traveller.
As much as I'd hate to admit it I often relied on AI for answers to complex questions. Like where do I pay on a bus? Or even trying to plan last minute train trips.
It was good to have immediate answers and to ask follow up questions instead of going back and forth wading through google results