Japan 2026: 9 Pieces of Terrible Japan Travel Advice Ruining Your Trip
Planning a trip to Japan in 2026? Don’t let outdated “hacks” and bad advice ruin your vacation. I expose 9 of the most common Japan travel mistakes that lead to overspending, burnout, and missed experiences in the current travel climate.
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0:00 Why 2026 Japan travel requires a new strategy
00:45 The “Speedrun” trap: Why your 10-city itinerary is failing
01:43 Is the JR Pass reality check
03:12 Google Maps vs. Common Sense in vertical Japanese cities
04:04 The “Influencer Effect” and the death of the “Hidden Gem”
05:45 Language barriers: Why translation apps aren’t enough
07:12 The 2026 Cash vs. Card reality (It’s not what you think)
08:40 The “Kyoto Day Trip” mistake that wastes your budget
10:05 Luggage Strategy: How to avoid being “that tourist” on the subway
11:16 The “Safety Shield” myth: Staying alert in Japan
#Japan2026 #JapanTravel #JapanTravelAdvice #JapanRailPass #TokyoTravel #VisitJapan #TravelTips #NinjaMonkey #JapanTravelGuide
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23 Comments
Agree with learning some Japanese – I've been using 3 apps daily for 6 years (including Duolingo, which is the worst of the lot but I have a 2100 day streak to maintain!) and I now know a little and can sort of read non-kanji signs. I've never used the translation feature apart from the occasional menu.
Great stuff Ninja Monkey. I totally agree with all of them.
The #1 non-transparent Tip I've seen from a lot of influencers is the "Fly into Haneda over Narita" and they don't add the extra details and context on the pro's and con's depending on your travel situation. They tell people oh from Haneda just catch the Monorail or Keikyu line into central Tokyo. Unless you are a light packer and/or backpacker, depending on the time your flight arrives at the airport and you using the regular trains can be a nightmare carrying your luggage or baby strollers on and off the trains and through stairs at the stations at congested times. Some flights are cheaper through Narita because of the slotting fees are lower so it can make a difference on the price of the airfare which can be a significant savings to offset transit costs into central Tokyo. Both airports have the Airport Limousine Bus service which is cost effective, but Narita has Keisei Skyliner and JR NEX both with reserve seating and cost wise depending on how much you saved on airfare is much more comfortable to place your luggage on than the regular trains. A friend and I flew into Narita because the flight cost difference was about $200 from Haneda so we both chipped in from the savings to pay for the skyliner tickets, and another time with that savings we booked through klook shuttle service with driver that picked us up from airport and dropped us off in front of the hotel and included return too.
It's crazy how much people I've encountered that try to speed run Japan in a X amount of days. One of my former employees said Japan was mid and she wouldn't go back and when I asked how she went about it and she replied with I spent 1 day in each city/area and then flew or train out to the next. I was like uhhhhh WTF???
The Touts LOL. They are such Effin tools and scum.
hmmm,… I think I can give you useful advice … begin reading Japanese literature, history and songs. There are travel works by Basho and even songs like Amagi-goe which will show you places you never would have known otherwise. For you especially I would definitely avoid doing and saying anything silly around right-wing rallies and mafia.
The second point hits the hardest… I planned so many things during my first trip, and it was all worth it and it was a blast, but lots of running and stress, and often I felt like "damn… I wish I could spend more time in this area". And another important thing I learned, no matter how long your trip to Japan is, it's never long enough, you will always want more, there's always more to explore, take your time, already start planning for your next trip!
About learning Japanese, years ago I started using the app Human Japanese and they have a pretty long free version and then the full one is a few euros but it was worth it, helped me learn the kana and some kanji and get a better grasp on the grammar. Nowadays I rely on being obsessed with anime and manga! 😆
Thank you for this video, Nathan. Lots of amazing points of advice and love all the editing work you put into this!
Any advice for the sea day (20.07)?
I understand where you're coming from about the JR Pass. I'm planning an extensive traveling trip in Japan in October. I'll be going some distance from my accommodations and taking full day trips. The rail pass would work in my situation because I plan on traveling and having to use the rail system frequently and with transfers. The thing to consider about the rail pass is, it's effectively paying for the majority of travel expenses upfront, meaning you don't need to worry about having to spend another $30/$40/$50 on train tickets, or missing your train and not being to afford the next one. That peace of mind is almost priceless, in my view. Just another perspective!
Very good video.
I agree with all the advices.
It is really sad that the JR pass got so expensive. I remember when my friend came to visit me here in Japan about 10years ago, he used the JR pass, and it was so convinient and very cheap.
But now, unfortunately no more.
And the Shikansen is really expensive.
Definitely learning even 10 important phrases will change your visit completely. I said "Gochisosama deshita" at a Yakitori restaurant and other customers heard me. One of the Japanese women said "Oh, you speak Japanese!" with the biggest smile on her face. I had to bow and say, "Mada mada yokunai" and it made her even happier. You're so right that they appreciate the effort and respect for their country and language.
I literally had to tell YouTube to stop trying to show me the videos of a certain YouTuber you specified it's not you. I don't hate the guy, but I believe he is a person I don't want around. Btw I'm a psychiatrist lol
Pick one city, Tokyo or Osaka for nightlife and shopping, or Kyoto for natural beauty, and stay there. Do not waste your time traveling to other cities unless you plan to be there for more than 2 weeks. You’ll be less stressed, have more time to see the city you pick and save money.
Okay, which one of these was actually the worst? 💀 Or better yet, what’s the absolute worst piece of advice someone has ever given you with a straight face? I’ll be hearting the most chaotic ones!
I work in a Highschool and last year they took a group of 28 kids 4 adults to Japan, all with suitcases and had to move from Tokyo to Osaka, Hiroshima, Kyoto and back to Tokyo. I tried to warn them that trying to get that many people on a Shinkansen with baggage was going to be a nightmare but they laughed it off. I heard it didn't go well, they ended up so spread out across carriages that apparently one girl fell asleep on the way to Hiroshima and no one else was with her to wake her, she ended up 2 stops down the line.
Howdy! Going to Tokyo in June: Yokohama first for 3 days then going on a cruise. Afterwards, 7 days of sightseeing to include Shibuya, etc. I'm thinking about Kyoto first then Tokyo to visit Kinkakuji, Fushimi Inari Shrine and Kiyomizu Temple. Cruise returns to port around 7am. Should I get a hotel in Kyoto or stay in Tokyo then train to Kyoto? I need to figure out how to get luggage delivered to Kyoto from Yokohama (maybe go to Haneda airport). When I put this in writing it seems stressful. 😃
I saw people all time going around hauling their luggage around while visiting tourist sites. Maybe people are too cheap to use the coin lockers. The best hack is to visit Japan for at least 3 weeks otherwise you really aren't getting your money's worth anything less forces you to stay in one or two cities
Strolling through travel S. Media so you dont miss any travel info… Sadly you miss a big part of traveling by doing that. The new and unexpected.
Agreed on most points, but I've never seen a place in Japan that doesn't take cash, are there really card only locations? Not sure I've ever actually used anything other than IC card and cash in my travels
Yes this is needed. Japan is, BUT, is an important for every traveler to Japan. My experiences are similar, but not identical to other Japan travellers. So anyone who say Japan is, is only telling a small part of the story. I rarely take single day trips. Mostly I try to overnight or take two nights. Why cause rarely is there only one thing worth seeing in a day trip location. I've spent double the amount of time that most visitors spend according to google. I don't like to rush and make trip a task to accomplish in a set amount of time that was good enough for some random traveller.
A really good video all are points a traveller should be aware of, or plan for.
going from tokyo to hamamatsu with shinkansen but with one night in fuji, would you recommend forwarding the luggage from tokyo to hamamatsu directly or take it with us?
Some great advice there Nathan! 👍
The main downside to only using Google Maps is it's hard to get it to show less direct explory ways to get around.
There are so many fun unique train lines, bus routes and areas to see that if you only use Shinkansen and Yamanote because they're the fastest route on Google Maps you miss out on the character of Japan.
Completely agree on learning Japanese – it really is worth it.
Following a tout into a bar in Kabukicho is almost guaranteed to lose you money.