JAPAN HAS CHANGED | 10 New Things to Know Before Traveling to Japan 2024

Hi I’m me from Toyo in this video I will share  with you the top 10 new updates that you should   know before traveling to Japan in 2024 I hope you  enjoy this video okay then let’s go number one IC  

Card as many of you already know Japan has dozens  of different types of Transportation IC cards such   as Suica Pasmo and Icoca since even Japanese  people can be confusing I’m sure that tourist   might find it even more challenging therefore I  will share with you which card to purchase for  

Each case first of all let’s divide them into two  groups those arriving in Tokyo and those arriving   in Osaka for those arriving in Tokyo in other  words those entering Japan from Hana or Narita   Airport the first option is either the welcome  s or the possible passport these IC cards can  

Be purchased at the airport and are available  immediately upon arrival but I’ve received many   complaints from my viewers that these cars become  invalid 28 days after purchase and there’s no   refund policy for the remaining Bas when you  visit Japan again you have to go through the  

Procedure to purchase another IC card one such I  card that addresses these advantages is Toica is   an IC card issued by JR Tokai it’s bed for up  to 10 years from the date of its last use and   also supports balance refund the disadvantage is  that TOA CS cannot be purchased at Hana airport  

Or Narita International Airport in the Tokyo  area or at Major stations such as Shinjuku   and Shibuya the stations where tickets can be  purchased are mainly Tokyo station shinagawa   station Shin Yokohama station Kyoto station and  shin Osaka station this is not recommended for  

Those who do not plan to head to Tokyo shinagawa  or Shin Yokohama stations as part of your first   plan as a second option iPhone users can issue a  digital Suica or pasmo through Apple pay you can  

Use your smartphone to touch and go on buses and  trains or even charge your balance unused balance   can be applied for a refund on the smartphone  for Android users there’s google wallet but   unfortunately using digital versions of suica and  pasmo on your smartphone is not possible you can  

Also download the mobile s and mobile pass apps  for both iPhone and Android to issue a new card   but since the apps are only available in Japanese  it might be more difficult for foreign tours to   use them next up for those entering Japan from  Osaka or in other words from Kanai International  

Airport icoca is the most recommended option icoca  can be obtained immediately at Kasa International   Airport of course they are also available at  Major stations such as Osaka and kilo but it’s   important to know that they cannot be purchased  in Tokyo furthermore even if 28 days have passed  

Since purchase the card is Vol for up to 10 years  from the date of the last use and refunds of the   balance are also available plus you need to  know that all of the IC cars just mentioned   can be used on buses trains and other forms of  transportation throughout Japan in other words  

If you purchase the icoca in Osaka or Kyoto you  can use it in the Tokyo area and other areas on   the other hand if you purchased the welcome  Suica in Tokyo you can use it in Osaka and  

Other areas the card you should choose depends  on your situation so if you have any questions   please ask in the comments below number two the  value of Jr pass I’m sure you are already aware   that the price of the JR Rail Pass also known  as the JR pass increased significantly since  

October 2023 in what cases should you purchase  the Jr pass and in what cases should you not   purchase one I would like to provide an actual  example to illustrate this point let me assume   that you have purchased a 14-day regular train  ticket let’s say you visit Tokyo Kanazawa Osaka  

Kyoto Kobe and finally return to Tokyo in 14 days  while the price of the JR Rail Pass for adult is   880,000 Yen if you travel between these stations  by Shinken or train it cost less than 40,000 Yen  

Actually less of he of course in addition to these  stations you will likely visit popular prices like   Shibuya Shinjuku and Asaka in Tokyo even if you  add 10,000 Yen for these stops the total cost will   not exceed 80,000 yen moreover if you use the  Jr pass you cannot take the Nozomi Shinkansen  

The fastest of all shinkansen and trains to be  honest I personally don’t see much advantages in   purchasing the Jr pass an exception would be if  you’re planning to travel from Tokyo to Hokkaido   and back in addition to visiting Kanazawa Osaka  Kyoto and Kobe as I mentioned earlier it becomes  

Quite economical as it will exceed 18,000 yen in  most cases while it’s not impossible to visit them   all in 14 days the schedule would be quite tight  and is not recommended that said Hokkaido is a   truly fascinating place and I highly recommended a  visit number three the Retro Trend at this moment  

There’s a rising trend of retro clothing or a  retro atmosphere among Japanese youth grabbing   a lot of attention the Retro trend is all about  bringing back the nostalgic styles from the 1980s   and 1990s and is catching on with folks in their  20s like me or even younger I don’t know the  

Streets of those days so I feel as if I’m going  back in time perhaps it reflects a feeling of   stagnation in Japan where the future is uncertain  one easy way to get this trend is through tourist   spots retro yet Instagram worthy yokocho and  cases are popping up one after another in  

Shinjuku Shibuya Asaka and other areas yokocho is  usually defined as a place where Izakaya and bars   are gathered together bustling with the friendly  atmosphere until late at night for example you   could find Ryuno Miyako Food Street and and ‘Hobo  Shinjuku Norengai’ in Shinjuku, ‘Shibuya Yokocho’  

In Shibuya, and ‘Shoku to Matsuri no Dendo’ in  Asakusa.These side streets boast great popularity   among young people and are crowded places to  enjoy eating and drinking. Also there is Tao   Roman in Asakusa where you can find costumes and  enjoy melon soda which was popular in the past  

The restaurant is designed in such a way that you  attempt to post your phones on SNS which is expect   to have a positive effect on publicity the Retro  trend is not only influencing the places but also   the passion of young people high school girls  are once again wearing the blue socks that were  

Popular more than 30 years ago the trend is called  emoi in Japanese and its old fashioned charm is   once once again in the Limelight actually the word  emoi comes from the English word emotional which  

In Japan refers to places and things that move the  heart in 2024 it may be a good idea to experience   emoi in Japan number four new team lab release in  November 2023 at zai Hills the tallest building  

In Japan finally opened standing at 330 M High it  surpassed abeno harukas in Osaka as the tallest   building in the country Azabudai Hills offers a  variety of restaurants and shopping options and   I had the chance to visit just the other day the  new team love is set to open in February 2024 on  

The basement floor of Azabudai Hills while there  is already a team love location in Shin Toyosu   have you had the opportunity to visit it offers  a unique entertainment experience where you can   immerse yourself in a giant work of art with your  entire body all while being shoeless a recent  

Video showcasing team Lab work at Azabudai  Hills has been released and we are eagerly   anticipating the unveiling of the artwork in this  new space unfortunately the reservation process   has not been disclosed yet but I will share the  information right after it is released so stay  

Tuned for the update number five 24-hour operation  convenience stores and family restaurants open 24   hours a day are very convenient in Japan they are  indispensable for busy businessmen who work late   into the night family restaurants are used by  Young businessmen who work late into the night  

Miss the last train and complain about their  bosses and work but recent development raised   the question of whether this practice will  continue or change in the future for example   the Skylark group Japan’s largest chain restaurant  operator had completely eliminated its traditional  

24-hour operation at all of its restaurants by  2020 another example is McDonald’s on Shibuya   Center Street which has also discontinued 24-hour  operations in addition to a decrease in the number   of people going out at night due to changes in  work Styles and the decrease in demand for late  

Night business due to the rise of Internet  comp and also it’s becoming more difficult   to secure stuff due to the shortage of Labor  caused by the decrease in the number of young   people in the population due to the accompanying  shortage in the workforce more and more stores are  

Suspending 24-hour operations on the other hand  most convenient stores such as seven eleven and   lawson continue to operate 24 hours a day this is  partly due to recent reforms in work Styles and   the ongoing labor shortage in the future it may  soon be the case that convenience stores which  

Are readily accessible at any time will no longer  be open 24 hours a day number six deep experience   of course you can travel to tet attractions  but the new way to enjoy 2024 is to interact  

With local Japanese people if you go to a normal  bar you might be able to mingle with people from   various countries but don’t you think you should  try to have a more unique and deeper experience   in Japan I’d like to recommend karaoke and snack  bars first up karoaoke karaoke is a very popular  

Form of entertainment in Japan where you enjoy  singing songs by yourself in a dedicated karaoke   box or a karaoke room you can enjoy a variety of  songs using a screen with displayed lyrics and a   microphone visiting with your friends and family  food and beverage service is usually available  

At most Karaoke places so you can have a good  time along with singing Additionally the unique   Japanese way of enjoying snack bars is also  popular you can enjoy small talk and singing   while having drinks in a relaxed small drinking  establishment we usually call the owner mama at  

Snack bars and you could have an opportunity to  communicate with her the Unique Interior Design   and atmosphere make it an intimidate place and a  favorite among the locals if you’re not going to   karaoke or snack bar just by yourself why  don’t you come with me I’ve just started  

Offering Private Tours so if you’re interested  please contact me through the description below   number seven safety Shinjuku or Roppongi in Tokyo  is a well-known area for Japanese nightlife both   of these areas are really dangerous when walking  around normally but there are a few precautions  

You should take at night however Shinjuku and  Roppongi have many upscale clouds and bars and   there are people to Target foreign tourist to  catch them on the street if you have already   watched my previous video you can imagine what  happens next to give you an example you could  

Find a place saying all you can drink for 21 but  when you actually get inside there are stores   that Char exorbitant feeds such as several tens of  thousands of Yen for ice and 20,000 yen for drinks  

And stacks basically if you go with them you  cannot escape the bower of the the restaurant will   come to you and will not let you leave until you  pay in the worst case you may be dragged and days  

And asked to pay a large amount of money by credit  card without permission while you are in a comma   while it is unlikely that problems will occur in  Shinjuku or Roppongi if you’re just walking around  

You should be careful in some of the bars and  clubs as a conquer measure I recommend that you   do your research beforehand and enter a reliable  establishment or going into a place with a local  

Like me and the most important thing is to never  follow a tout no matter how many times you are   asked on the street number eight Japan currency  weak and hotel recently the Japanese SC has been   weakening resulting in favorable exchange rates  with foreign currencies and this has led to an  

Increase in foreign tourists while the weekend  is making it harder for us Japanese to travel   abroad for those who leave abroad now is the time  to take advantage of this opportunity and while   there have been few luxury hotels in Japan the  weekend and inbound demand have prompted many  

Foreign Affiliated luxury hotels to enter the  Japanese Market one after another for example   there is a hotel called Janu Toyo in Azabudai  Hills in 2023 and Burugari hotel in Tokyo Midtown   at Tokyo Station Hotel Group Shinjuku is opening  in Shinjuku kabukicho Tower the same phenomenon  

Is happening in Osaka and Kyoto according to a  report by the Jaan news a major Japanese media   Outlet Southeast Asian hotels in particular are on  the rise in Osaka and Kyoto this is a great time   to save so please come to Japan for your next  vacation number nine increase in Anime Cafe as  

You might already know Japan is famous for its  anime cafes collaborating with popular anime are   very popular in Japan today for example there is  a cafe regularly collaboration with Damon Slayer   in Shinjuku Tokyo another with a detective conan  theme in Ikebukuro Tokyo and the permanent Pokémon  

Cafe in Nihonbashi Tokyo the interior of each Cafe  is decorated with character postures figurines and   artwork allowing customers to enjoy their meals  while being enveloped in an anime atmosphere   basically the Anime Cafe menu has a wide variety  of dishes and drinks themed around those anime you  

Could even get original Goods only available  there it’s common to enjoy cute desserts that   incorporate character motives and original drinks  that differ from series to series anime cafe may   also offer limited time collaborations to coincide  with the release of a new film such as the demon  

Slayer or the detective conan so please check  out the anime Cafe’s website for more information   number 10 over tourism the renewed increase in  the number of foreign visitors to Japan since   covid-19 is very welcome but some of the poor  MERS and excessive crowding have also become  

Problems making the lives of local residents  uneasy according to a report by NHK Japan   public broadcasting organization many tourists are  visiting a boat house known as Ine no funaya in   Kyoto but unfortunately some brochures state that  Ine no funaya a is not a tourist attraction other  

Examples include the unauthorized entry into  Farmland to take pictures of the Blue pond   in B Hokkaido a place I visited this year also  some tourists are causing issues by ping to a   railroad crossing considered secret in the popular  anime slam dank this creates problems when people  

Overflow onto the roadway and obstruct traffic in  the area as a measure to deal with over tourism   for example Kyoto has abolished the one-day bus  pass for tourists as I mentioned in my previous   video furthermore Kyoto is trying to spread out  the places and times people gather specifically  

They’re sending out information to encourage  tourists to visit other than popular tourist spots   or even trying to shift their tourism to early  mornings and evenings but they still seem to have   a hard time dealing with over tourism it’s really  sad for me as a provider of T information in Japan  

That not only residents but also visitors to Japan  like you guys will return home with a bad feeling   because of over tourism for you guys I’ve already  covered some hidden spots in Tokyo and Koto in my   previous videos if you’re interested please check  them out don’t forget to subscribe to my channel  

And like button please share your thoughts and  ideas in the comments below see you at the next

JAPAN HAS CHANGED and 2024 will be BETTER for Tourists!. This video presents 2024 New Japan Travel Guide. Be sure to take note of these important Things to Know Before your trip to Japan. #travelguide #japan #tokyo2023 #japantraveltips #thingstodo #thingstoknow #UniqueCulture

Visit below link for Private Tour Guide, SNS and Business Inquiries. If you want me to guide around Tokyo, promote something, wanna collabo with me, feel free to contact me!
https://linktr.ee/meglogtokyo

Timestamp
0:00 Opening
0:14 1. Welcome Suica, Pasmo Passport, Icoca etc.
3:36 2. Japan Rail Pass
5:19 3. The Retro Trend
7:12 4. New TeamLab Released
8:17 5. 24-Hour Operation
9:48 6. Deep Experience
11:09 7. Safety
12:36 8. Japan Currency Weak & Hotel
13:41 9. Increase in Anime Cafe
14:46 10. Over-tourism

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🌸 Recommend Video🌸
JAPAN HAS CHANGED | 10 New Things to Know Before Traveling to Japan https://youtu.be/YvOZZ49qSn8?si=aUpc3ZdANLOt8Hx0
Nobody tells you 50 Travel Tips for Japan First Traveler | 2023 Guide for Tokyo, Kyoto and Osakahttps://youtu.be/2VA_2HLCPoM?si=QeD3mBLlNzNYNehx
30 Things to do in TOKYO JAPAN | NEW Travel Area Guide TOKYO 2023 | Hotel and Food in Tokyo

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Local Japanese woman living in Tokyo. I am suggesting a lot of Spots, Foods and Hotels in Japan for travelers from all over the world through Youtube channel.
#travelguide #japan #tokyo2023 #japantraveltips #thingstodo #JapanHasChanged #thingstoknow #update

Please note as follows:
*The prices might be different from this video upload.(価格は当時のものですので、変動する場合があります。)
*Business hours might be different from this video uploaded as well.(営業時間も当時のものと異なる場合があります。)
*We do NOT take any responsibility or liability for any damage or loss caused through our video. (当動画によって生じたいかなる不利益、損害に関しても一切の責任を負いません。)

Reference
1. IC Card
– https://www.jreast.co.jp/multi/en/welcomesuica/welcomesuica.html
– https://www.pasmo.co.jp/visitors/en/
2. JR Pass
– https://japanrailpass.net/
3. Retro
https://ryunomiyako.com/
https://www.hobo-shinjuku.com/
https://asakusayokocho.com/
4. New Team Lab
https://www.azabudai-hills.com/en/art/index.html
https://www.teamlab.art/nl/e/borderless-azabudai/
5. 24-Hour Operation
– https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2020/01/20/business/corporate-business/restaurant-operator-skylark-end-24-hour-operations-april/
9. Anime Cafe
– https://www.ufotable.co.jp/cafe/kimetsu_cafe_ktn_emaki/
– https://conan-cafe.jp
– https://www.pokemoncenter-online.com/cafe/en/
10, Over-tourism
– https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20231023/k10014234211000.html

39 Comments

  1. About ic cards: can a icoca card be charged in Tokyo and can a Tokyo ic card (pasmo or suica) be charged in the Kansai area? Or do you have to charge it in its 'own' region?

  2. Hi, may I know from the arrival Hall international T1, where can we find the machine to buy the Icoca Card? The way to the machine.. thanks

  3. I planning a trip to Sapporo ice festival in February. do you have if they have an IC Card at chitose airport or where can I pick one up? Will it also work in tokyo?

  4. I have the regular Suica bought in 2017. I last used it in early 2023. So does the card expires in 2027?

  5. Hi, I wil be travelling on May 2024, so which card will be convenient to b use in Kyoto, Hiroshima and Tokyo… ?pls advise… thank u yea❤

  6. Thank you for this information! Im planning for trip to Japan in march 2024 so this very informative video.

  7. I would like to buy the 7-day JR pass for a 14-day trip in Japan. However, I want to activate the JR Pass only for the last 7 days. Is it possible?

  8. hello!" thanks for your good videos! where can i find some guides for nightlife in tokyo? im from germany and im going to tokyo in feb-mar 24

  9. Thank you! I’m going to Tokyo March 2024 and have an old pasmo card but on my phone. Is it easy to charge my digital pasmo card without Apple Pay at train stations ?

  10. Hey next month I have plan to visit Japan Tokyo.. Guide me the best cheap hotels and transport

  11. First time I watched your channel. It's informative but there are many errors in the subtitle.

  12. So if we are only going to travel to the cities you mentioned in your example..would it be better to just buy standard bullet train ticket in person on the day? Thank you

  13. Is there an IC card that has a no balance limit?

    I have a Suica (from my first visit years ago). However, I noticed I can only have a max of 20K balance on it…

  14. Thanks for this wonderful, informative video! I have iPhone so which card should I put in my Apple wallet? I don’t understand the difference between pasmo or suica. I’ll just be Tokyo, Yokohama and Yokosuka areas this trip. Thanks!

  15. The ending is so important. Not a lot of travel Japan channels offer the issues of tourism to the country. I try to spend 3-6 months a year in Japan. I love the country. But I’ve also realized over tourism is ruining some spots. Tourism is very welcome. It keeps places open. Over tourism causes infrastructure issues for locals and tourist alike. Last time I went to Japan I noticed many tourists don’t even bother to TRY to observe local customs or societal rules. If you’re going to Japan please do some research beforehand. Respect the country and its people. You are a GUEST. And try to go to more areas. I saw so many beautiful locations in japans country side that I never would have seen if I just went to the generic “top 10 things to do in Kyoto”

  16. I was in Tokyo for 2 weeks in April this year and will come back for 1 week Tokyo / 1 week Kyoto in April 2024.

  17. Staying 2 months, what do you recommend a portable Wi-Fi or SIM card for the duration? Thanks

  18. Pardon can I ask some questions?
    First of all, I will arrive at KIX airport.
    I wanna ask if I stay 7 days and I wanna spend at Osaka, kobe, Nara, kawaguchiko, around Tokyo (shinjuku, shibuya, odiba), it is usefull or not if I buy JR pass?
    Thank you for your information😊

  19. Always use ICOCA for transport? 🙂 If im going from narita airport to hotel in shibuya, icoca works with bullet train?

  20. Meg-san yasashii sensei desu 🙂 Do you have recommendation for yukata shop in Tokyo, Kyoto, or Osaka?

  21. Welcome Suica is not available on Narita Airport, only on Haneda. (its listed as suspended on the official website)

  22. Would my friend who lives in Japan be able to use the Welcome Suica after I left, or can only I use it? Thank you for your video 🙂

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