Practical information for visitors to Tokyo

Police, fire brigade and ambulance

Vacations abroad usually go very smooth. And Japan is actually one of the safest countries in the world. Safer than pretty much any western country. Nonetheless, it’s always a good idea to be well prepared for your journey. So when you go on vacation to Japan you could consider putting the local emergency numbers in your telephone.

If you want to reach the police then you can simply call 110. If you need an ambulance or the fire department, then you can call 119.

Public holidays and festivities in Japan

Japan has quite a few holidays throughout the year. The interesting thing about them is that Japan actually has quite a few holidays dedicated to nature itself. To get the most out of your vacation you should take into account which days of your vacation might be public holidays. The year 2024 has the following holidays.

1 January – New Year’s Day.
8 January – Coming of Age Day, which celebrates people who have become 20 years old.
11 February – Foundation Day, which is the national holiday of Japan.
23 February – The Emperor’s Birthday.
20 March – Vernal Equinox Day, on which people appreciate nature.
29 April – Shōwa Day, in which the Shōwa period and the coming holiday filled week is celebrated.
3 May – Constitution Memorial Day.
4 May – Greenery Day, which is another day where nature is celebrated.
5 May – Children’s Day.
15 July – Marine Day, in which the ocean is celebrated.
11 August – Mountain Day, in which we get to appreciate the beautiful mountains of Japan.
16 September – Respect for the Aged Day.
22 September – Autumnal Equinox Day, on which we remember our ancestors and the dead.
14 October – Health and Sports Day is held annually on the second Monday in October.
3 November – Culture Day.
23 November – Labor Thanksgiving Day.

As you can see there will be plenty of things to celebrate this year. It should be noted that if a holiday falls on a sunday, then the Japanese people will be free the following monday. And if a day falls in between two holidays, then that day also becomes a holiday. Some holidays are also tied to certain astrological moments. For these reasons the moment on which each holiday is celebrated can differ each year.

Opening hours in Tokyo

Tokyo is the perfect place to go shopping, as you have many different shopping districts with a wide variety of shops where you can find pretty much anything. It’s a true world city with a brilliant local flavour added to it.

The opening hours in Tokyo are just as diverse as the shops themselves. Most shops in Tokyo are open from around 10:00 in the morning until 20:00 in the evening. It’s also normal for many restaurants to temporarily be closed between lunch and dinner.

These times aren’t set in stone however, as there are plenty of shops that are open 24/7. And I noticed a trend of department stores in the Ginza shopping district opening from 11:00 to 21:00. Museums and attractions tend to be open from 10:00 until 17:00.

You can also expect stores to be open every day of the week. Especially in the weekend stores tend to be open. But it’s not uncommon for stores to close on the slowest day of the week, which is usually Monday or Wednesday.

Weather and climate of Tokyo

Tokyo has an interesting climate, as the summers and winters take place a month later than we are used to. The hottest month of the year is august, with an average temperature of 26.4 °C (79.5 °F) during the month, while the coldest month of the year is january, with an average temperature of 5.2 °C (41.4 °F) during the month.

The summers tend to be warm and humid, while the winters tend to be cool. On average Tokyo had 10 snowy days a year, which happen sporadically from december to march. So chances are it won’t snow when you are in Tokyo.

From June 8 to July 20 is considered the rain season of Tokyo. Which is why some people suggest that March, April, October and November are the best months for visiting Tokyo, as you will avoid most of the hot temperatures and rain, which you will encounter during the summer months. But in my experience Tokyo is a great place to visit throughout the year.

Visiting during the spring is especially nice, as you will find the characteristic cherry blossom trees in the parks of Tokyo. With the last week of march and the first week of april being the perfect time to enjoy them. Although the forecasts can differ from year to year. The colorful red and yellow autumn leaves from mid october to early december are also a beautiful sight to behold.

Languages spoken in Japan

The main language of Japan is Japanese, but it’s perfectly possible to get around in Tokyo without speaking Japanese. A lot of people in the touristic parts of Tokyo do speak a little bit of English. Just enough to answer your question. Their English usually isn’t very fluent, people will have trouble finding words and tend to speak with strong Japanese accent. But due to how helpful Japanese people are it’s usually still quite easy to get around.

If you need some more advanced English then you could try using the Google Translate app on your phone. And then show the Japanese person the written Japanese translation of your question. Letting the app pronounce Japanese usually doesn’t work as well.

In the subway and on the train station you will usually also find the signs in English, which makes it very easy to find your way.

The menus in restaurants are usually also available in the latin alphabet, which they call Romaji in Japan. Dishes also often have pictures or even plastic versions of the dishes on display, so you could also point to a certain dish or take a picture of a dish on your phone and show that to the waiter. You certainly won’t starve in the land known for its excellent cuisine.

Taking the taxi in Japan is a bit harder. Because in Japan many streets don’t have street names, as people often refer to building blocks instead. Blocks of buildings are numbered in Tokyo, but usually by the date in which they were build, which can be quite random. This means it can be quite hard to explain to a taxi driver where you want to go if you have more niche destinations in mind. So if you take a taxi in Japan, it’s always good to have a map with you so you can show the driver where you want to go. The Google Maps app on your phone should be sufficient.

Knowing a handful of key phrases can be quite useful in Japan. Especially knowing that “Thank you” is arigatou, “Yes” is hai. ”No” is iie and “I don’t understand” is wakarimasen. Knowing what the Kanji’s, which are Japanese characters, for male 男 and female 女 are can also be quite useful when you need to go to the toilet or to Japanese hot springs.

Tipping culture in Tokyo

There is no tipping culture in Japan. The Japanese take pride in the fact that they serve customers well. And customers should always expect good service. That’s why tipping for good service is not done in Japan.

So in restaurants and taxi’s you are not supposed to tip. Many Japanese people also do not feel comfortable accepting tips. Some Japanese people may even find it rude if you try to tip them, as you are implying they are poor or are rating their service. So to save face it’s not uncommon for them to refuse the tip. If you want to be on the safe side, then do not tip.

Origami is the Japanese art of folding paper into little sculptures. A quirky little trend in Japan is that some customers in restaurants use the paper around chopsticks to fold origami art. And leave that for the waiter. So if you truly want to thank a restaurant for good service, then you could brush up on your origami skills and leave your impressive creation behind for a smile.

Paying and currency

In Japan they pay with the Japanese yen. The most common way to pay in Japan is still cash money. So it’s always a good idea to carry cash money with you. As a tourist it’s also quite handy to have a few coins that you can use for vending machines.

In most places in Japan they do not accept credit cards. The places that accept credit cards are ever increasing, so most department stores and high end restaurants do accept them. But especially in smaller shops, restaurants and rural areas you can’t expect your credit card to be accepted.

The funny thing is that in Tokyo there are prepaid cards for public transportation, called IC Cards. And many shops and vending machines also accept payments from these cards.

In Japan you can expect restaurants and bars to have a service charge. This is a hidden fee that is paid per customer and restaurants tend to be quite vague about it. It’s not really optional and it’s highly uncommon for people to reject it. The waiter will bring you a small appetizer as a compensation, but if you don’t eat it you will probably still have to pay for it. This often surprises tourists, so it’s something you should be aware of.

Another thing of note is that some restaurants can have a minimum food or drink requirement, which basically means that you have to order something if you sit down. In many restaurants you have to order at least 1 drink.

Culture and values of Japan

For us westerners Japan can be found on the other side of the planet. This also means that the Japanese perceive things very differently from us. The core values the Japanese people hold are roughly the same as ours, but they can have very different ways of doing things. Sometimes they do things the exact opposite way of what  we are used to, which gives us some nice food for thought about our assumptions in life.

In this meet the cities guide we will mostly cover the cultural differences that might affect tourist, as to make your life easier.

Japan is one of the safest countries in the world. And easily more safe than most western countries. But the gangsters in Japan tend to have elaborate tattoos on their body. This has caused tattoos to be a bit of a taboo in Japan. So in Japanese hot springs, which are bathing houses or onsen as the locals call it, they usually do not allow guests with a tattoo. There are an increasing number of hot springs where tattoos are allowed, but the majority of them still reject people with tattoos. Before entering a hot spring you are also supposed to have showered first, as the baths are mostly just meant for relaxation.

In Japan people love to focus on the moment. So it’s considered a bad manners to eat while you walk. Even with something as simple as a mere sandwich it’s considered impolite to walk around with it while eating. So it’s best to stand still while you eat, which is perfectly fine. Although there are some street food markets where eating and walking is acceptable.

In Japan you might see people wearing face masks.There are many reasons why some people wear them. There are people who wear them to keep their breath warm during the winter. Some people wear it because they worry about pollution from cars. While others might have a cold and don’t want to infect other people. But to many people, especially youthful people, it’s considered a fashion accessory. And some girls are just shy and do it to avoid social interaction, walk around more confidently, even without wearing makeup. As you can see there are countless reasons why people can wear them, so it’s actually nothing to worry about.

It’s important to note that calling in the train is not allowed in Japan, with the exception of the high speed trains. So if you get a call, please take it in the space between train compartments. You are allowed to send text messages or play games on your phone of course.