Having been to Japan several times on vacation, I wanted to offer some Japan travel tips especially for people from Hawaii. There are so many things to do and see and eat in Japan, but it can be overwhelming. So here is some advice from a local guy from Hawaii.
Intro – 0:00
1. Pace Yourself – 0:28
The Temptation to Do Everything in Japan – 1:13
My Experience Pacing Myself in Japan – 1:35
In Trying Different Japanese Foods – 2:28
2. Pack Less Than You Think – 3:34
Make Room For Things You Didn’t Expect to Buy – 4:09
Packing a Suitcase Inside a Suitcase? – 5:45
How To Bring All of It to the Airport – 6:01
3. Try to Do Ordinary Things – 6:28
I Know It Sounds Boring, But… – 7:58
Doing Ordinary Things Adds Authenticity – 8:26
Bonus Tips – 8:56
Closing – 10:08
Filmed using the DJI Osmo Action.
#hellofromhawaii
#japantrip
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24 Comments
Good points made and good pointers for anyone planning to visit Japan. In fact, I'm sure they would prove to be good advice for travel abroad anywhere. Enjoyed seeing the UH hat with the retro rainbow logo.
I am with you man, I don't care for raw fish and I always go to the grocery stores of the countries I've visited to get a feel of the local color. Btw, you haven't shown any touristi stuff, only street views…
Japan is one of my favorite places to visit, thanks for the update. Have fun…
Good advice in bringing omiyage with suitcase, however Shinkansen limit size and now must reserve.
Do people wear mask in onsen.
If you visit Massachusettes, we will make sure we have the correct donuts. Cmon Japan. Sheesh.
great tips!! you should consider doing a video about how kid friendly everything is in japan,,, even the public bathroom/toilet stalls
When I visited Europe last summer, I was told by one of my AirBNB hosts that I travel like an American (I am not) when I told her I was visiting seven cities in less than 2 weeks. In hindsight, yes, I did not plan my Europe trip very well. I think I treated my first ever European trip like a taster trip. At least now I know I hate flying European airlines and never will if I can help it. And their trains are well over-rated compared to Japan's.
For a Japan trip, small bites are indeed better because there's a higher probability that one will go back. Hawaii and Japan are similar – one trip is not enough.
Foodland, for me, every time I visit my family in HI. I bet Japan is just as interesting a place to food shop. I’m enjoying your trip, thanks!
Lots of walking? 😅 I go every couple months (or did). Delta opens up to Japan March. I love to and have visit. When I travel I call it see the sites between the sites. Ask a local (or a police) where they go for lunch or regular dinner. You will find amazing things that are not on the visitors brochure… Are you spending New Year’s Day there? 🎉 🌴🌴Aloha
I never realized how different and delicious plain rice could be until I came to Japan. In Hawaii, all we ate was Hinode and Nishiki. The shocker is how expensive rice is in Japan. The most common 5 kg (11 lbs) bag for run-of-the-mill varieties is about 20$, or $40 for an equivalent 20 lb. bag in Hawaii. The top-shelf stuff is often sold in 4 lb. bags with decorative packaging for the same price, so effectively 100$ for a 20 lb. bag!
Foreigners may balk at this, but rice is foundational to Japanese identity. They eat it, drink it (sake), furnish their houses with it (tatami mat), wear it (sandals), worship it, and in the past used it as a measure of wealth. Apam musubi made with high quality koshihikari rice and nori bought from a tea shop–tea and nori are often sold in the same place–is a real treat. A bowl of rice and Japanese pickles is wonderful. You forgot to mention that rice is ONLY served at the very end of a gourmet kaiseki 2-hour dinner, with miso soup and pickles.
Good advice.
Where are all the homeless japanese ? I see none.
Thatʻs what we do Chris… We bring a small suitcase in a bigger empty one lol! Just one and then the rest is smaller hard shell suitcases. We will be up there this weekend. I hope you folks are having a good time or had a good time! This will be our 7th trip. Thanks Chris and ohana!
We live in Hawaii Kai currently, and my wife and I are moving to Japan next year in late Spring. She's native Japanese, so she's looking forward to being even closer to her family. I agree with pretty much everything you said.
To add to your comments about luggage space, a common issue that we run into every time we visit Japan, our relatives want to give us stuff to take back, so it cuts into the extra space that we reserved for shopping items. If you are visiting with a Japanese friend or relative in Japan, leave extra space in your suitcase because there's a good chance that they will just randomly give you things. You can always decline to take it, but I wouldn't recommend it. It can get uncomfortable.
I would partially disagree with the comment about the food there. There's a big misconception about the general quality of food in Japan. While the produce is super pretty and perfect looking, most of it's full of pesticides. They use over 520 different agents in Japan to grow most of their produce, grains and rice. That's how they're able to have produce look so perfect in the stores. The pesticides allow them to grow large yields with limited space and keep food prices competitively low. A number of the pesticides they use are rated to be unhealthy for human consumption and are outlawed in other places like the US and EU. They also commonly use a lot of chemicals in cooking and food production, like Ajinomoto (MSG). That's why so many of their processed food items taste so delicious. I recommend reading every label before you buy packaged foods if you have health concerns. Their package labeling laws are more liberal than in the US, but you can tell whether an item should be avoided in Japan by a few key ingredients. While there are a lot of healthy alternatives to the conventional stuff, it's usually considerably more expensive. If you have health concerns, it's better to buy whole foods from a local organic grower and/or organic market if you can find one.
Hey Chris – we always just mail back a lot of the bigger, heavier items via the Conbinis so it's easier not to weigh yourself down, especially if you travel with family members, kids and what not.
Just a thought. Have tons of fun.
Always enjoy your insight and presentation Chris! This video makes me want to move to Japan… Only thing is, I already live here😁 Aloha from Yokohama🤙🏽
No away I have someone take my suitcases to the airport
Not in Hawaii. Geez you will not see them again
Just kidding ..
Enjoy your trip and stay safe with your family
A tip for anyone travelling from Hawaii: buy your yen in Waikiki before you go. Find one of those little kiosks where the Japanese tourists line up to buy their USD. Those places mostly convert JPY to USD, so it helps them restock dollars. Your actual rate seems to depend how much you're buying and the clerk's mood, but in my experience, it's always much better than what you'd get at a bank.
Speaking of everyday things, how about a video on how to find an address in Japan since none of the streets have names?
Cover your baby's head poor thing. Thanks for the tips. Especially the coin purse.
Is it difficult to get around if you don't know the language? I'm planning on a trip there sometime in the future and was just curious.
I use Japan as a jet-lag country for Asia. The flight from SFO to NRT lands at 3pm. No waiting for your hotel check-in, light dinner, a full nights sleep. Jet-lag gone! 🥱 Spend a few days in Tokyo or Osaka then off to the rest of Asia. 😁
I’m living in Yokohama.
Well come to Japan and enjoy your visit 🎉