Japan

Top 5 Orte

1. Fushimi Inari Taisha · Kyoto

   Thousands of red torii gates up a mountain; go early morning to avoid crowds.

2. Senso-ji and Asakusa · Tokyo

   Tokyo's oldest temple with a traditional shopping street.

3. Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park and Miyajima · Hiroshima

   Atomic bomb memorial and museum, plus the floating torii gate on Miyajima island nearby.

4. Nara Park · Nara

   Todai-ji's giant Buddha and free-roaming deer, an easy day trip from Kyoto or Osaka.

5. Mount Fuji and the Fuji Five Lakes · Kawaguchiko

   Classic Fuji views; climbing season is July to early September and requires a fee and booking on some trails.

Unterwegs vor Ort

• Öffentlicher Nahverkehr

  Suica / PASMO / ICOCA

  IC cards for trains, subways and buses nationwide, also used in convenience stores. Mobile Suica and PASMO work in Apple Wallet. Tap in and out.

• Züge

  Shinkansen and JR lines

  Fast, punctual bullet trains. The Japan Rail Pass rose sharply in price in 2023 (7-day ordinary pass about 50,000 JPY) and is now often more expensive than single tickets; it does not fully cover Nozomi trains without a supplement.

• Öffentlicher Nahverkehr

  Tokyo Metro / Toei subway passes

  24, 48 and 72-hour tourist passes for Tokyo subways can be good value if you ride a lot.

• Fahrdienst-App

  GO

  Japan's main taxi app; books licensed taxis at metered rates and supports in-app payment.

• Fahrdienst-App

  Uber / S.RIDE / DiDi

  Mostly book licensed taxis at normal taxi prices in big cities; Uber also has premium cars. Taxis are expensive; doors open and close automatically.

• E-Scooter

  Luup

  E-scooter and e-bike sharing in Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto (varies by city); road rules apply and helmets are recommended.

Geld und Bargeld

Währung: JPY · Japanese yen

Cards and IC cards (Suica, PASMO, ICOCA) are now accepted in most city shops, chains and taxis, but Japan still relies on cash in small restaurants, temples, rural areas and some ticket machines. Carry yen and a coin purse. Foreign cards work at 7-Eleven and Japan Post ATMs. Choose to be charged in yen, not your home currency.

Wechselkurs nach JPY prüfen

Trinkgeld

Japan has no tipping culture. Good service is considered part of the price, and leaving money can confuse staff, who may chase you to return it. Some hotels, ryokan and upscale restaurants add a service charge instead.

Nützliche Sätze

• お会計お願いします (o-kaikei onegai shimasu) The bill, please.
• カードで払えますか？ (kādo de haraemasu ka?) Can I pay by card?
• ごちそうさまでした (gochisōsama deshita) Thank you for the meal (said when leaving).

Umgangsformen

• Remove shoes when entering homes, ryokan rooms, some temples and restaurants with raised floors; use the toilet slippers only in the toilet.
• Onsen: wash fully before entering the bath, no swimwear, and towels stay out of the water. Many onsen restrict visible tattoos; check first or use a covering patch.
• Keep quiet on trains and do not talk on the phone; set it to silent mode.
• Eating while walking is frowned on in many places, and some streets in Kyoto ban it.
• Queue in marked lines on platforms; stand on the left of escalators in Tokyo and the right in Osaka.
• Carry your rubbish home; public bins are rare.
• Do not stick chopsticks upright in rice or pass food chopstick to chopstick.
• In Kyoto's Gion, private lanes ban photography and touching or chasing geiko and maiko.

Maschen und wie du damit umgehst

• Street touts leading to bars (kyakuhiki)

  Wo: Kabukicho (Shinjuku), Roppongi, Shibuya, Ikebukuro

  So funktioniert’s: Touts, often speaking English, promise cheap or free drinks, then the bar charges entry fees, 'table charges' and inflated prices.

  So vermeidest du es: Do not follow street touts into bars. Choose venues yourself and check price lists before ordering.

• Drink spiking and credit card fraud

  Wo: Kabukicho especially, also Roppongi, Shibuya, Ikebukuro

  So funktioniert’s: Victims are drugged in bars, lose memory and later find card charges of hundreds or thousands of pounds.

  So vermeidest du es: Refuse drinks from strangers, never leave drinks unattended, carry little cash and set card spending limits.

• Hostess and host club billing

  Wo: Nightlife districts

  So funktioniert’s: Bills include per-hour charges, hostess drinks and service fees that reach huge totals; disputes have led to visitors being arrested.

  So vermeidest du es: Confirm all fees in writing before entering; walk away if staff will not show prices.

• Robbery and extortion in entertainment districts

  Wo: Late-night Kabukicho, Roppongi

  So funktioniert’s: Foreign visitors have been targeted for robbery or forced to pay after being lured into venues.

  So vermeidest du es: Stay with friends, avoid touts and leave if pressured. Call 110.

• Fake monks asking for donations

  Wo: Busy Tokyo and Kyoto streets (varies)

  So funktioniert’s: People dressed as monks offer amulets or blessings and then demand money.

  So vermeidest du es: Politely refuse and walk on.

Sicherheit

• Japan is very safe overall; the main risks for visitors are in nightlife districts (drink spiking, card fraud and overcharging).
• Groping on crowded trains is a known problem; women-only cars run at rush hour on many lines. Shout to attract attention and alert staff.
• Earthquakes and typhoons occur: download the Safety Tips app (JNTO) for alerts in English.
• Drug laws are strict, including some common medicines; check before bringing them.
• Carry your passport (required by law for foreign visitors) and keep it safe.
• Lost items are very often handed in; check with station staff or the nearest koban police box.

Wie verbreitet Englisch ist

Transport signs and main-line announcements are in English in big cities. Spoken English is limited outside hotels and tourist sites in Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka, and rare elsewhere. A translation app helps a lot.

Quellen

• GOV.UK Foreign travel advice: Japan, safety and security
• Wikivoyage: Japan
• JNTO: Japan Visitor Hotline
• japan-guide.com: Japan Rail Pass
• Wikipedia: List of tipping customs by country

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