u/Revolutionary-Gur152

For the first-timers currently buried in Japan trip planning: here are a few small things that caught me out. None of these are groundbreaking, but knowing them beforehand would’ve saved us some time and a couple of silly mistakes. Hopefully at least one helps someone planning their first trip!<3~

Apparently I still had another whole list in my notes 😂 These are the smaller things that caught us out:

• If a restaurant has a clipboard or tablet outside, put your name down!! Standing in the queue doesn’t always mean you’re actually in the queue. We waited for ages before realising everyone else had registered their name and party size 🙈 
• Pokémon Cafe bookings are still being released in monthly batches at the moment but check the official news page because old posts about the 31-day system are now out of date. 
• I used CafeSnapBot to book a table because the release was in the middle of the night for us and I couldn’t face another booking-site battle. It’s a paid third-party convenience service and it saved me sitting there refreshing. Completely your choice, just explaining how we got ours because people keep asking 😊 
• Closing time and last order are two different things. A restaurant saying it closes at 9 might stop taking food orders at 8 or 8.30. Check for “L.O.” on Google Maps or the sign outside before travelling across the city for it. 
• Check the train type as well as the platform. Local, rapid and express trains can all leave from the same place but skip completely different stations. We confidently got on the right line going in the right direction…and passed our stop lol. 
• Take a photo of your coin locker AND the nearest sign or exit number. Remembering “Tokyo Station near the stairs” is absolutely useless when you come back six hours later and discover there are about 400 stairs 😂 Keep the receipt too if it gives you a locker number or PIN. 
• Hotel washer-dryers take MUCH longer than the screen first suggests. Ours kept adding time and a “quick wash before bed” turned into me waiting for socks at 1am. Do laundry earlier in the evening and don’t leave it until checkout morning!! 
• If you’re using lifts in a big station, follow the lift signs from the start. The accessible route can come out at a completely different exit and involve a long detour. We kept taking the stairs route on Maps, then discovering there was no easy way up with the suitcase. 
• Save your hotel’s name and address in Japanese as a screenshot. Taxi drivers were lovely but the English hotel name wasn’t always enough, especially when two hotels had almost identical names. 
• And keep one little bag in your day bag for rubbish. There are bins inside some stations and convenience stores, but nowhere near as many as I expected. Somehow I spent half of Tokyo carrying an empty coffee cup 😂

 

Anything small catch you out that nobody warned you about? I’m sure there’s enough for another part at this point ^^🇯🇵

For the first-timers currently buried in Japan trip planning: here are a few small things that caught me out. None of these are groundbreaking, but knowing them beforehand would’ve saved us some time and a couple of silly mistakes. Hopefully at least one helps someone planning their first trip!<3~

Apparently I still had another whole list in my notes 😂 These are the smaller things that caught us out:

• If a restaurant has a clipboard or tablet outside, put your name down!! Standing in the queue doesn’t always mean you’re actually in the queue. We waited for ages before realising everyone else had registered their name and party size 🙈
• Pokémon Cafe bookings are still being released in monthly batches at the moment but check the official news page because old posts about the 31-day system are now out of date.
• I used CafeSnapBot to book a table because the release was in the middle of the night for us and I couldn’t face another booking-site battle. It’s a paid third-party convenience service and it saved me sitting there refreshing. Completely your choice, just explaining how we got ours because people keep asking 😊
• Closing time and last order are two different things. A restaurant saying it closes at 9 might stop taking food orders at 8 or 8.30. Check for “L.O.” on Google Maps or the sign outside before travelling across the city for it.
• Check the train type as well as the platform. Local, rapid and express trains can all leave from the same place but skip completely different stations. We confidently got on the right line going in the right direction…and passed our stop lol.
• Take a photo of your coin locker AND the nearest sign or exit number. Remembering “Tokyo Station near the stairs” is absolutely useless when you come back six hours later and discover there are about 400 stairs 😂 Keep the receipt too if it gives you a locker number or PIN.
• Hotel washer-dryers take MUCH longer than the screen first suggests. Ours kept adding time and a “quick wash before bed” turned into me waiting for socks at 1am. Do laundry earlier in the evening and don’t leave it until checkout morning!!
• If you’re using lifts in a big station, follow the lift signs from the start. The accessible route can come out at a completely different exit and involve a long detour. We kept taking the stairs route on Maps, then discovering there was no easy way up with the suitcase.
• Save your hotel’s name and address in Japanese as a screenshot. Taxi drivers were lovely but the English hotel name wasn’t always enough, especially when two hotels had almost identical names.
• And keep one little bag in your day bag for rubbish. There are bins inside some stations and convenience stores, but nowhere near as many as I expected. Somehow I spent half of Tokyo carrying an empty coffee cup 😂

Anything small catch you out that nobody warned you about? I’m sure there’s enough for another part at this point ^^🇯🇵

Hi all - this is Part 2 - this post are for people who are new here and have not seen these points before

• Start with bookings! Especially for Pokemon Cafe as it was very hard and I keep getting asked on how I got a table. I used CafeSnapBot. I've had them grab me a slot now and they've not missed once. The release timings changed so the whole month drops at the same moment and the site falls over about ten seconds in, there's no winning that by hand. Highly recommend, honestly the easiest money I spent on the whole trip. Sort it before you fly.
• Your IC card won't work for long distance. Suica, Icoca, whatever. Grand for local hops but if you tap in & the journey crosses into another fare region the gate just refuses you at the other end. Buy an actual ticket for the long ones.
• New notes and old machines.. Japan changed the banknotes in 2024 and loads of older machines still won't take them. Ticket machines, laundries, the little order machines in ramen places. Keep coins and some older notes on you.
• Be careful what medicine you pack! Some completely normal cold and allergy stuff from home is banned there. Anything with pseudoephedrine or codeine basically. People do get pulled at customs over it. Just buy what you need out there, it's cheap!
• Big suitcase on the Shinkansen needs reserving. On the Tokyo to Osaka line anything over 160cm total counts as oversized and needs a specific seat with luggage space. Free if you book it, they charge you if you don't!!
• Nobody is coming to your table. There's usually a button. If there isn't you say sumimasen out loud, (properly out loud - I was too shy hahah). Sitting there waiting to be noticed does nothing 🙈
• Get a goshuin book. Temples and shrines do a hand written calligraphy stamp in it for about 500 yen. Best thing I brought home by a mile. Buy the book at the first place you visit, don't hand them a normal notepad.
• Exit numbers, not station names!! Shinjuku and Umeda are basically underground cities. Screenshot the exit number off Google Maps if it helps.
• Bring your own deodorant. What they sell is scented water 😂 same story with shoes if you're over about a UK 9, sizes drop off fast. How was your experience? ❤️ Japan!

Did 2 weeks Tokyo + Osaka, first time, kinda dumping my thoughts here because I would've found this useful before going.

• Start with bookings! Especially for Pokemon Cafe as it was very hard and I keep getting asked on how I got a table. I used CafeSnapBot. I've had them grab me a slot now and they've not missed once. The release timings changed so the whole month drops at the same moment and the site falls over about ten seconds in, there's no winning that by hand. Highly recommend, honestly the easiest money I spent on the whole trip. Sort it before you fly.
• Your IC card won't work for long distance. Suica, Icoca, whatever. Grand for local hops but if you tap in & the journey crosses into another fare region the gate just refuses you at the other end. Buy an actual ticket for the long ones.
• New notes and old machines.. Japan changed the banknotes in 2024 and loads of older machines still won't take them. Ticket machines, laundries, the little order machines in ramen places. Keep coins and some older notes on you.
• Be careful what medicine you pack! Some completely normal cold and allergy stuff from home is banned there. Anything with pseudoephedrine or codeine basically. People do get pulled at customs over it. Just buy what you need out there, it's cheap!
• Big suitcase on the Shinkansen needs reserving. On the Tokyo to Osaka line anything over 160cm total counts as oversized and needs a specific seat with luggage space. Free if you book it, they charge you if you don't!!
• Nobody is coming to your table. There's usually a button. If there isn't you say sumimasen out loud, (properly out loud - I was too shy hahah). Sitting there waiting to be noticed does nothing 🙈
• Get a goshuin book. Temples and shrines do a hand written calligraphy stamp in it for about 500 yen. Best thing I brought home by a mile. Buy the book at the first place you visit, don't hand them a normal notepad.
• Exit numbers, not station names!! Shinjuku and Umeda are basically underground cities. Screenshot the exit number off Google Maps if it helps.
• Bring your own deodorant. What they sell is scented water 😂 same story with shoes if you're over about a UK 9, sizes drop off fast. How was your experience? ❤️ Japan!

Round 3. Basic stuff again, but the kind nobody tells you.

Restaurants shut in the afternoon. Roughly 2 til 5 a lot of places close between lunch and dinner.

Pack about half what you think. Business hotels give you pyjamas (!!!) and most have a coin laundry. Rooms are small too, in one place I couldn't fully open my case without standing on the bed (hated this).

Pokemon Cafe has changed their release timings now. They release on the first of the month, for all dates the following month AT THE SAME TIME!! It seems really hard now since everyone is on the website at once.

I used CafeSnapBot twice because it was easier and hassle free to have them book me a slot whenever one came up.

Send your suitcase ahead. It's called takkyubin, hotel to hotel, about 2000 yen, arrives next day. You do the train with a small bag instead of fighting through Shinjuku with a big case.

Carry a small hand towel. Loads of public toilets have no dryer and no paper. Buy a nice one out there, they're everywhere and they make good little souvenirs.

Portions are bigger than they look and leftovers aren't really a thing. Order less than you want and add more if you're still hungry, that's the normal way to do it.

Buses outside Tokyo work backwards. On at the back, take a numbered ticket, pay at the front when you get off. Tokyo is the other way round. Watch the person in front of you.

Last train is around midnight and there's nothing after it. The bit that got me is the app shows the last train on the line, but your final change might stop earlier. Check the last leg, not the first.

Don't buy the JR Pass on autopilot. It went up massively a couple of years ago and for a normal Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka trip singles work out cheaper.

That's round 3. Ask away :)

Round 3. Basic stuff again, but the kind nobody tells you.

Restaurants shut in the afternoon. Roughly 2 til 5 a lot of places close between lunch and dinner.

Pack about half what you think. Business hotels give you pyjamas (!!!) and most have a coin laundry. Rooms are small too, in one place I couldn't fully open my case without standing on the bed (hated this).

Send your suitcase ahead. It's called takkyubin, hotel to hotel, about 2000 yen, arrives next day. You do the train with a small bag instead of fighting through Shinjuku with a big case.

Carry a small hand towel. Loads of public toilets have no dryer and no paper. Buy a nice one out there, they're everywhere and they make good little souvenirs.

Portions are bigger than they look and leftovers aren't really a thing. Order less than you want and add more if you're still hungry, that's the normal way to do it.

Buses outside Tokyo work backwards. On at the back, take a numbered ticket, pay at the front when you get off. Tokyo is the other way round. Watch the person in front of you.

Last train is around midnight and there's nothing after it. The bit that got me is the app shows the last train on the line, but your final change might stop earlier. Check the last leg, not the first.

Don't buy the JR Pass on autopilot. It went up massively a couple of years ago and for a normal Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka trip singles work out cheaper.

The good stuff sells out on fixed dates. Ghibli Museum is the 10th of the month at 10am Japan time for the month after. Nintendo Museum is a lottery 3 months out. Look up the drop date for anything you really want before you book anything else.

Pokemon Cafe has changed their release timings now. They release on the first of the month, for all dates the following month AT THE SAME TIME!! It seems really hard now since everyone is on the website at once. I used CafeSnapBot twice because it was easier and hassle free to have them book me a slot whenever one came up.

That's round 3. Ask away :)

Is it just me, or are groups of kids on bikes getting worse?

Today I was cycling on a shared path and two kids, maybe around 14, were blocking the way. When I tried to get past, they started mocking my accent, copying what I said, laughing, and then following me until I went into a coffee shop.

Another time near the Cowcaddens tunnels, about five kids on Voi bikes came flying downhill and looked like they were deliberately trying to crash into people.

I get that they’re young and messing about, but when you’re on a bike, it can actually be dangerous. Can they not just behave for five minutes?

Has anyone else had this around Glasgow? What are you even meant to do when they’re not fully attacking you, but they’re clearly trying to intimidate or wind you up?

Just saw someone taking a wheel from a parked bike at Queen Street Station

I was rushing for my train but at 7:23pm I saw a kid removing a wheel from a parked bike and putting it onto his own bike.

I don’t know the full situation so I’m not saying for certain that it was theft, but sharing in case the owner sees this.

Round 2.. The last one got roasted and half of it was the obvious konbini and cash stuff so fair enough but a few people msged saying it helped and a bunch asked about other things, so here’s the less obvious stuff I actually had to figure out while I was there.

Izakayas will bring you a small dish you didn’t order and put a few 100 yen on the bill for it. It’s called otoshi, basically a charge for sitting down. Looks like you’re getting scammed the first time, you’re not, it’s everywhere.

Coin lockers at the big stations are gone by late morning. I used ecbo cloak, it books luggage storage at shops and cafes nearby for about locker price, saved me at Osaka station one day when every locker was full.

A load of people messaged about the Pokemon Cafe after last time so here’s the actual situation. Tokyo reopens June 17, reservation only, no walk ins. Osaka is open now. Slots come out 31 days ahead at 6pm Japan time and they’re gone in about two minutes, weekend lunch and dinner go first so aim for a weekday afternoon.

I used CafeSnapBot to get mine because I wasn’t going to win that 6pm refresh fight by hand (highly recommend we used them twice). While I’m on booking, Klook is good for most of the timed ticket stuff (teamLab, Shibuya Sky, day trips, even some Shinkansen seats), and for the nicer restaurants you’ll want Tableall or Pocket Concierge since a lot of them don’t take bookings any other way. Sort all of it before you fly, not on day 2 like I did.

Escalators are flipped between the two cities and it caught me out. Tokyo you stand on the left, Osaka on the right. You’ll get looks standing on the wrong side.

Department store food halls in the basement cut everything 30 to 50 percent near closing. Go around 7 or 8pm and you eat really well for not much.

Some train carriages are women only during rush hour, look for the pink markings on the floor and the doors. A few guys get on by mistake and get the stare (depends on timings tho!)

You pay by putting your money on the little tray by the till, not in the cashier’s hand. Nobody tells you, you just notice everyone doing it after a bit. (I know it’s obvious but my bf would’ve not know about this until I’ve told him)

That’s it. Ask away if you’re planning a trip. :)

Did 2 weeks Tokyo + Osaka, first time, kinda dumping my thoughts here because I would've found this useful before going lol

Quick list of things that actually mattered:

• Get a Suica card the second you land. Don't bother with individual train tickets, just tap and go. Works at konbinis too so you stop fumbling for coins every time.
• Konbinis are unreasonably good. 7eleven, Lawson, Family Mart. I was eating onigiri for breakfast every day. The 7eleven egg sandwich is famous for a reason. Don't feel weird about it, locals live off these places.
• Bring cash. Loads of smaller spots are still cash only. 7eleven ATMs reliably accept foreign cards if you run out.
• Book restaurants way earlier than you'd think. Good places in Tokyo go weeks ahead, and a lot only do reservations through Tableall or you have to call. Sort the ones you really care about before you fly, don't wing it like I did on day 2.
• Pokemon Cafe, do Osaka. Tokyo is still shut for renos (reopens June 17 fyi, reservation only after that with no walk ins), so right now Osaka is the only option and demand has been mental because of it. Slots open 31 days out at 6pm JST and vanish in seconds, site crashes at the worst time. I used CafeSnapBot and it sorted it for me, was not about to set an alarm to fight bots manually. Genuinely worth it but don't show up hoping for the best.
• Wear shoes you can slip off. You take them off way more than you'd think, temples, some restaurants, ryokans, anything tatami. Laces will ruin your day.
• Google Maps is amazing here. Handles all the train transfers really well. Just download offline maps too, got caught out a couple times in Osaka with no signal.
• Go early. Like properly early. Shibuya crossing at 8am is calm, by lunch it's chaos. Senso-ji at sunrise is incredible, by 11 it's a queue of phones. Shift your day a couple hours earlier and you basically get the city to yourself.

Anyway that's it, happy to answer stuff if anyone's planning a trip, already trying to figure out when I can go back lol

Hey! Saw the 2025 guide still floating around and wanted to drop an update since a lot has changed this year, hopefully saves someone a headache 😅

UPDATES

So Tokyo was closed for renos from March 23 and reopens June 17th.. new interior, new hours btw (10:30am-9pm) and a menu update. A bunch of dishes got permanently cut including the Starter Curry plates and the Snorlax plate so if you were going back for those.. RIP lol

After reopening it's now strictly reservation only, no walk ins at all, not even worth trying. Merch is still fine without one though. Still 31 days in advance at 6pm JST, first wave was up to July 7 with more dates dropping separately so keep an eye out.

BOOKINGS

Booking is def worse than ever since Tokyo was closed. Slots go in literal seconds, felt worse than Ticketmaster honestly. Site still crashes too. Things that helped us: have your phone as backup cause random errors happen, and do NOT use iOS autofill for the OTP code (a common mistake), copy it manually from the email or it just won't work. Cancellations also randomly pop up around 10pm JST the night before so worth checking then.

We gave up doing it manually both times and used bots, honestly thank god tools like that exist (if it helps we used CafeSnapBot) no way I'm waking up at 6am for this lol. Had our reservations sorted without the stress.

OSAKA

Osaka stayed open through the whole Tokyo reno (except they'll be closed for in June 8-16) so demand there has been way higher than usual. Same rules, slightly easier than Tokyo but not by much lately..

Good luck, it's 100% worth it when you get in 🙏

--
PS: I know a lot of you guys entered walk ins in Osaka, but for Tokyo, they've said:

[Reservation Notice]
* After reopening following renovations, the cafe will operate on a reservation-only basis for a while. 
 It has not yet been decided when we will begin accepting walk-ins. Please refrain from waiting around the store.
* Reservations for dates on and after Wednesday, July 8, 2026 will be announced at a later date.
* Merchandise is available for purchase without reservation.
* Dates may change without prior notice depending on circumstances.

Hey! Saw the 2025 guide still floating around and wanted to drop an update since a lot has changed this year, hopefully saves someone a headache 😅

UPDATES

So Tokyo was closed for renos from March 23 and reopens June 17th.. new interior, new hours btw (10:30am-9pm) and a menu update. A bunch of dishes got permanently cut including the Starter Curry plates and the Snorlax plate so if you were going back for those.. RIP lol

After reopening it's now strictly reservation only, no walk ins at all, not even worth trying. Merch is still fine without one though. Still 31 days in advance at 6pm JST, first wave was up to July 7 with more dates dropping separately so keep an eye out.

BOKINGS

Booking is def worse than ever since Tokyo was closed. Slots go in literal seconds, felt worse than Ticketmaster honestly. Site still crashes too. Things that helped us: have your phone as backup cause random errors happen, and do NOT use iOS autofill for the OTP code (a common mistake), copy it manually from the email or it just won't work. Cancellations also randomly pop up around 10pm JST the night before so worth checking then.

We gave up doing it manually both times and used bots, honestly thank god tools like that exist (if it helps we used CafeSnapBot) no way I'm waking up at 6am for this lol. Had our reservations sorted without the stress.

OTHER CITIES (OSAKA)

Osaka stayed open through the whole Tokyo reno (except they'll be closed for in June 8-16) so demand there has been way higher than usual. Same rules, slightly easier than Tokyo but not by much lately..

Good luck, it's 100% worth it when you get in 🙏

--
PS: I know a lot of you guys entered walk ins in Osaka, but for Tokyo, they've said:

[Reservation Notice]
* After reopening following renovations, the cafe will operate on a reservation-only basis for a while. 
 It has not yet been decided when we will begin accepting walk-ins. Please refrain from waiting around the store.
* Reservations for dates on and after Wednesday, July 8, 2026 will be announced at a later date.
* Merchandise is available for purchase without reservation.
* Dates may change without prior notice depending on circumstances.

Hello :) I’m looking for recommendations for good day trips by train now that the weather’s getting nicer ☀️ I assume maybe one of the towns on the west coast?

Ideally somewhere scenic or relaxing for a sunny day, beaches/seaside towns, nice walks, cute cafés, etc. We recently moved back to Glasgow so would love to explore more around Scotland and enjoy the weather by the seaside.

Thank you :)

Hey! Saw the 2025 guide still floating around and wanted to drop an update since a lot has changed this year, hopefully saves someone a headache 😅

So Tokyo was closed for renos from March 23 and reopens June 17th.. new interior, new hours btw (10:30am-9pm) and a menu update. A bunch of dishes got permanently cut including the Starter Curry plates and the Snorlax plate so if you were going back for those.. RIP lol

After reopening it's now strictly reservation only, no walk ins at all, not even worth trying. Merch is still fine without one though. Still 31 days in advance at 6pm JST, first wave was up to July 7 with more dates dropping separately so keep an eye out.

Booking is def worse than ever since Tokyo was closed. Slots go in literal seconds, felt worse than Ticketmaster honestly. Site still crashes too. Things that helped us: have your phone as backup cause random errors happen, and do NOT use iOS autofill for the OTP code (a common mistake), copy it manually from the email or it just won't work. Cancellations also randomly pop up around 10pm JST the night before so worth checking then.

We gave up doing it manually both times and used bots, honestly thank god tools like that exist (if it helps we used cafesnap bot) no way I'm waking up at 6am for this lol. Had our reservations sorted without the stress.

Osaka stayed open through the whole Tokyo reno (except they'll be closed for in June 8-16) so demand there has been way higher than usual. Same rules, slightly easier than Tokyo but not by much lately..

Good luck, it's 100% worth it when you get in 🙏

EDIT: updating of Osaka closure dates
EDIT2: I know a lot of you guys entered walk ins in Osaka, but for Tokyo, they've said:

[Reservation Notice]
* After reopening following renovations, the cafe will operate on a reservation-only basis for a while. 
 It has not yet been decided when we will begin accepting walk-ins. Please refrain from waiting around the store.
* Reservations for dates on and after Wednesday, July 8, 2026 will be announced at a later date.
* Merchandise is available for purchase without reservation.
* Dates may change without prior notice depending on circumstances.