Disclaimer: This document contains affiliate links. That means that if you make a booking after clicking on a link it may mean that we receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you! Japan Travel Planning Pre-Departure Checklist 1. Passport and Visa for Japan Notes Ensure you have a valid passport with at least six months remaining before it expires on your date of arrival into Japan, otherwise you risk not being allowed to enter Japan on arrival. Check on this link to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Japan to see which nationalities require a visa. if you need to apply for a visa start that process immediately as it can often take several weeks to be processed. 2. Travel Insurance for Japan If you have not already made arrangements to purchase travel insurance, pre-departure is the best time as most insurance policies will not enable you to purchase a policy post departure. If you have any pre-existing medical conditions you will need to take action early to obtain a policy. If you have not already purchased travel insurance I recommend that you get a quote from World Nomads travel insurance and then book your travel insurance. Ensure that you check the terms and conditions to ensure that this product is suitable for your needs. World Nomads provides travel insurance coverage for people from over 150 countries. 3. Prescription Medicine for Japan If you require prescription medicine ensure that you have refilled your medication scripts prior to your departure. Be aware that Japan has strict controls on what medications and medical equipment can and cannot be brought into Japan. Check out this link for further information and ensure that you comply with the stated requirements. You need to apply for import permission at least one month before you depart so don't wait if you have any medications which are on the controlled list. Your local Japan embassy should also have a specific application process for your country, so ensure you check out their website. Page 2 of 11 Japan Travel Planning Pre-Departure Checklist 4. Trip Registration and Travel Advisories Notes Take action to register your trip details with your government registration service. This action is important to ensure that if an incident occurs while you are overseas that they know which of their nationals are travelling in that country and can follow up to ensure you are ok. Click here to see my article which includes registration links for the major countries - if you are not on the list look for your equivalent government service. While you are looking at your government website, also check if there are any travel advisories you should be aware of for Japan - ensure you read them and take note of any cautions and areas to avoid when you visit Japan. You should also be able to subscribe for travel advisory updates so you can be notified if they change. 5. Drivers Licence and International Drivers Permit (IDP) for Japan If you are planning to hire or drive a vehicle (including cars and motorbikes) in Japan you will also need to carry both your Drivers Licence and an International Drivers Permit (IDP). Click on this link to find out more about where to purchase an IDP. 6. Money for Japan Ensure that you call your bank prior to your departure to advise them that you will be travelling overseas. Otherwise you risk that they could suspend your account when they see transactions coming from an unusual location! You can easily use credit and debit cards to pay for items and draw funds while in Japan. Ensure that you check out the fees associated with these transactions with your bank - they should be listed on your bank's website or ask them when you call to advise about your trip. Japan is quite unique in terms of how you need to manage your money compared to any other country I have visited. They key thing to understand is that the only places you can draw cash using a credit or debit card from outside Japan are from an ‘International Automatic Teller Machine (ATM)’. International ATMs are only available inside 7-11 convenience stores or at post offices. Few other ATM machines will work. I recommend exchanging at least $US200 into Yen prior to departure so that you have some cash in your pocket on arrival to pay for trains etc. You should be able to purchase currency at your departure airport or local bank. Page 3 of 11 Japan Travel Planning Pre-Departure Checklist 7. Flights to, from and within Japan Notes You should ensure that you have confirmed your flight details to and from and within Japan and have a printout of your flight arrangements with you. I recommend re-checking these details in the week prior to your trip to ensure that your flights have not changed since you made your booking. 8. Japan Accommodation If you have not already made accommodation arrangements in Japan, I suggest that do some research before you depart to ensure that you will have options on arrival. Ensure that you have the specific address details for each accommodation available. Japanese street names and numbers are very difficult to navigate, so also ensure that you have the address available in your phone GPS map app. My recommended accommodation booking sites for Japan include Booking.com and AirBnB. Pre-load the accommodation apps from your accommodation sites with your account and booking details on your smart phone – they will usually have a map option to help you find your accommodation. 9. Arrival Airport Transfer to Hotel in Japan I also recommend that you pre-book an airport transfer direct to your accommodation on arrival – after a long haul flight it can be very difficult to learn how to use the Japanese public transport system (as we found out!) when you are tired so give yourself the option to ease into the train system when you are well rested and through the initial culture shock. For Tokyo you will arrive at either Haneda (HND) or Narita (NRT) Airport. Be aware that while Haneda Airport is only 21km south of Tokyo Station, Narita Airport is 70km east of Tokyo Station. A range of airport transfer options are available for both airports including the Limousine Bus or private transfers which you can pre-book. From Haneda Airport you can also catch the monorail into the city. From Narita you can catch the Narita Express (or N'EX) directly into Tokyo. Both systems are covered by Japan Rail Passes. Alternatively you can purchase a ticket at the station for the N'EX, and also purchase a Suica card for the monorail. For Osaka and Kyoto you will arrive in Kansai International Airport (KIX). A range of airport transfer options are available including Limousine Bus or private transfers to Osaka and Limousine Bus or private transfers to Kyoto which you can pre-book. Page 4 of 11 Japan Travel Planning Pre-Departure Checklist 10. Japan Rail Pass Notes When travelling in Japan many visitors purchase a Japan Rail Pass. My recommended option to purchase your National Japan Rail Pass is through the Japan Rail Pass website. The advantage of using this purchase option is that they ship your voucher direct to your door anywhere in the world within 24-48 hours with no shipping costs. You can purchase Japan Rail Pass options including 7, 14 and 21 day passes, in either First Class (Green) or Second Class (Ordinary) seats. For further information click through to my dedicated article on how to purchase the cheapest Japan Rail Passes. 11. Japan Local Public Transport Card Another very useful item to plan to purchase after arrival is a local ‘tap on tap off’ public transport card for Japan. These cards work for intra city travel on most trains, trams, buses and ferries. You can easily top up the funds on your card at every Japan train station. Most machines have an English language option and you can only use cash to top up your card. As you go through the tap on and off machines they display your remaining funds. The major options are a Suica Card, Pasmo Card and an ICOCA Card. Suica is the main card used in Tokyo and Icoca is the main card used in Kyoto/Osaka. You will pleased to know that you can purchase any one of these cards, as all three cards can be used in a large range of towns across Japan. It costs 500 Yen to purchase the card (which becomes 500 yen credit) from most train stations. Note that to purchase a child Suica card you need to go to the service counter and show your children's passports to be issued a child Suica card to pay half price for each train trip. If you are arriving early or late ensure that you research what the opening hours are for the service counter at your arrival location. 12. Japan Guidebook and Maps A Japan guidebook is very handy to both plan your trip and to decide what to do each day of your trip. Click on this link to check out the latest Japan guide books – you can purchase either a hardcopy or an ebook, whichever suits you best. Page 5 of 11 Japan Travel Planning Pre-Departure Checklist 13. Cell, Smart or Mobile Phone and Charger Notes I would definitely recommend you take your cell, smart or mobile phone and charger with you to Japan. We used ours extensively to help us get around.