Expert Japan Travel Tips from a 6-Year Expat Resident: Budget, Culture, and Must-Sees
Welcome to the Around the World Interview series on Ordinary Traveler! Every couple of weeks, we feature a new guest who has lived or spent extended time in a specific country, sharing invaluable insights and practical tips for destinations worldwide.
This week, Lash from Lash World Tour shares her comprehensive Japan travel tips based on her six years living in Kyoto!
How Long Did You Spend Traveling in Japan?
I left the USA in 1991 with my best friend, right after university, to move to Kyoto, Japan. There, I worked to save money for world travel, living for six years until late 1997. I taught English and took on odd jobs, working just 25 hours a week for a full salary, which gave me ample free time.
I fully immersed myself in traditional Japanese culture, studying kimono wearing, tea ceremony, flower arrangement, aikido, taiko drumming, koto, and shiatsu massage. I performed taiko, koto, and tea ceremony publicly multiple times.
I attended countless traditional performances, festivals, and tea ceremonies, exploring Kyoto's 2,000+ temples, shrines, gardens, historic neighborhoods, hidden restaurants, and nearby mountain temples and onsen. I never lost my fascination.
I traveled extensively across Japan's four main islands—Honshu, Hokkaido, Shikoku, and Kyushu—cycling much of it, taking trains and ferries. I covered about half of Honshu, cycled Hokkaido and Awaji Island, visited parts of Kyushu and Shikoku, and took a tropical getaway to remote Iriomote in Okinawa. I climbed the North Japan Alps, Mt. Fuji, and Daisetsuzan National Park in Hokkaido, plus dozens of mountaintop temples.
In short, I traveled extensively throughout Japan for six solid years. I returned to Kyoto in 2001 for three months to sell imported goods from Bali and Thailand, traveling again for trance festivals and Kyoto's monthly temple markets, discovering even more spots.
Budget Tips for Japan
Japan is notoriously expensive—accommodation, food, transport, clothes, and toiletries all add up. My top tip: Pack everything you need from home and avoid buying non-souvenirs there. Consider a shorter trip to manage costs.
Accommodation
Cheapest options are minshuku (family-run guesthouses like hostels) and capsule hotels (men only). In the 1990s, prices were ¥3,000–5,000 per person ($30–50 USD at the time). With the yen now stronger (around ¥79/$1 back then vs. today's rates), expect higher costs. Nomadic Matt reported ¥2,500 options, but I didn't see those in the '90s—more guesthouses may have opened since.
For budgets, try Couchsurfing, Tripping, or similar free hosting services.
Eating
Stick to udon/soba noodle soups or donburi (rice bowls with toppings) at ¥400–800 ($4–8 USD equivalent). 7-Elevens offer healthy, varied meals. Onigiri (rice triangles with veg/fish) and wrapped takeouts are affordable. Cooking groceries at minshuku is cheaper than eating out (restaurants start at ¥800/$8+).
Transportation
It's pricey—companies even subsidize employee passes. My monthly train pass was about $300 USD, thankfully covered by my school!
Money-Saving Hacks
Limit travel to 1–2 areas. Cycle everywhere—it's ideal in Japan. Buy JR rail passes for foreigners (monthly/weekly, unlimited travel) outside Japan pre-arrival. During school holidays, grab Seishun 18 Kippu ('18 tickets') for unlimited local train travel (buy packs of 5 for multi-day savings; plan connections carefully for long hauls like Kyoto–Tokyo).
Favorite Places and Experiences
My best friend and I discovered Yoshino, a ridgetop village 3 hours south of Kyoto, famed for cherry bark crafts, onsen, and mountain temples. We returned seasonally for hikes, conch horn echoes, shops, local foods, and day-use onsen with complimentary sake casks (in moderation!). It became our 'Japan arrival anniversary' spot, alternating overnight ryokan stays.
What’s the Food Like in Japan?
Japan boasts an incredible array of year-round, regional, and seasonal foods rarely seen abroad. Restaurants display plastic meal replicas for easy pointing-to-order.
Familiar: sushi, sashimi, yakitori, yakiniku, miso soup.
Hidden gems: okonomiyaki, udon, soba, donburi, saba, gyoza, o-chazuke, umeshu, onigiri, yaki-imo, yakisoba, yaki-udon, shabu-shabu, agedashi-tofu, edamame, chawanmushi, kare raisu ('curry rice'). Try traditional breakfast (rice, grilled fish, miso, pickles, seaweed) at minshuku/ryokan.
Unique veggie dishes (eggplant, pumpkin, radish, sweet potato), miso/soy/tofu varieties—vegetarian heaven. Bakeries overflow with mysterious but delicious breads/pastries.
Customs: Dos and Don’ts
Don’t point at people or touch heads. No eating/grooming in public (except long-distance trains with ekiben boxed lunches). Japanese overlook complex etiquette for foreigners.
Favorite Place to Stay
Top ryokan/onsen (¥18,000–30,000/person in '90s, ~$180–300 USD then; higher now). My lifetime favorite: Koyasan temple lodgings on Mt. Koya—tatami rooms, shojin ryori meals in-room for ¥5,000/person (~$50 USD then, ~$60 now). Contact me for recommendations.
Top Things to Do in Japan
Must-Dos: Visit sento/onsen (mountain ones with sake), castles/temples/palaces, Kabuki/puppet shows/tea ceremony, festivals (esp. Kyoto), department store food halls/openings, kimono fitting amid cherry blossoms/autumn leaves.
Must-Sees: Kyoto's 2,000+ temples/shrines/gardens.
Safety Tips and Warnings
Japan is exceptionally safe; crime targets locals/Yakuza, not foreigners. Drive on left—look left first if from right-hand countries. Be punctual—trains/buses are exact.
Best Times to Visit Japan
No seasonal price fluctuations—expensive year-round. Align with seasons/festivals; avoid domestic peaks (New Year, Golden Week, summer holidays).
Autumn: Vibrant foliage (mid-Sept. Kyoto), Jidai Matsuri.
Winter: Skiing (Japan Alps/Hokkaido, avoid weekends), snowy onsen, New Year's in Kyoto.
Spring: Cherry blossoms (early May), Aoi Matsuri.
Summer: Gion Matsuri, fire festivals, cormorant fishing.
Packing Tips for Japan
Pack all toiletries/electronics/clothes—far cheaper than buying there. Dress for four seasons (hot/humid summer, cold winter). Note Japanese impeccable grooming; casual Western wear seems scruffy but tolerated. Youth fashions vary wildly.
Bio: Lash is an American expat traveling solo since 1998, mostly Asia. An outdoor enthusiast (hiking, cycling, diving), she's authored Hiking in Bali and Cycling Bali (Amazon/print, eBook at LashWorldTour.com). Follow her blog Lash World Tour for travel inspiration.
