# Heading to Tokyo? 10 Tips, From Trains to Bathhouses > Ten handy tips for a trip to Tokyo: cultural quirks, getting around and practical hacks that will save you plenty of time and frustration. - URL: https://langandtrip.com.ua/en/article/sobyraetes-v-tokyo-10-sovetov-ot-poezdov-do-ban/ - Language: en - Published: 2025-10-02 - Categories: Culture, Historic Sites, Leisure, Japan, Food & Drinks, Relaxation --- The rise in international travel to Japan shows no sign of slowing down. In 2015 the country welcomed 19.7 million tourists, a record number, driven in part by the city's successful bid to host the 2020 Olympic Games. Naturally, many of those visitors spent time in Tokyo. Planning a visit of your own? From serene, centuries-old gardens to raucous robot cabarets, here is the essential know-how you'll want before setting foot in Japan's sprawling capital. ## 1. Tip No. 1: Don't Tip ![](https://test.langandtrip.com.ua/wp-content/uploads/de_import_uploads/june-article-image-139-1-2025.jpg) Attentive service is the norm in Japan, part of a cultural devotion to hospitality known as "omotenashi." Tips aren't expected in taxis, at hair salons, for doormen or for bartenders. Not only are tips not expected, they won't be accepted. Some restaurant bills will include a service charge. If you leave money behind, no matter how much or how little, don't be surprised if your server chases you down the street to give it back. ## 2. Walk the Right Way, on the Left With more than 35 million residents, greater Tokyo is one of the most densely populated urban centers on the planet. Yet the crowds are orderly. Everyone waits for the traffic signal to change before crossing the street. On wide sidewalks, pedestrians follow an unspoken rule of keeping to the left almost as strictly as the cars do (which also keep left). The exception: On escalators, Tokyoites stand on the left and walk on the right. (Around Osaka the escalator etiquette is reversed.) ## 3. Drink Outside, Smoke Inside ![](https://test.langandtrip.com.ua/wp-content/uploads/de_import_uploads/june-article-image-139-2-2025.jpg) The more enclosed a space, the more likely you'll be allowed to smoke there. The smaller and cozier the bar or restaurant, the more likely smoking is permitted. Many bullet trains still have smoking cars. Outdoors, on the other hand, smoking is banned on many sidewalks (look for signs painted on the pavement), except near public ashtrays. Street patrols stop people from practicing "aruki-tabako," or "walking while smoking." Cracking open a can of beer or a fruity chu-hai, though, while you stroll or ride the train home is a cherished tradition. ## 4. One Card Works for Every Train and Bus Tokyo's train network is actually a web of three separate railway companies. But the rechargeable Suica and Pasmo cards let riders tap in and out seamlessly across all lines. You can pick one up as soon as you arrive in Tokyo, from just about any ticket machine. The 500-yen deposit (a little over $5) on each card is refundable. The time you'll save by not calculating fares makes it worthwhile, even if you keep the card as a souvenir. ## 5. Pockets of Calm Are Everywhere From temples tucked between office towers (Hanazono Shrine in Shinjuku is a favorite) to the tree-lined canal that runs the length of Nakameguro, you're never far from an oasis of quiet in the bustling city. Winding residential streets flanked by walled gardens are often just a block away from busy main roads. Turn down a small unmarked lane (most Japanese streets have no names) and chances are you'll stumble on a tiny cafe, a quirky neighborhood art project, or a mix of ultramodern condominiums and rickety old architecture. ## 6. Japan's Public Bathhouses Public bathhouses, or sento, are a soothing holdover from the days when most homes didn't have a tub. Whether it's a sleek, modern spot in Omotesando with carbonated water and fancy soap, or a creaky neighborhood bath with a coin-operated hair dryer that's been bolted to the floor since the 1960s, every public bath costs 460 yen. The Tokyo Sento Association is doubling down on making them foreigner-friendly ahead of the Olympics, posting cards with etiquette rules and instructions in four languages. ## 7. That Word You Keep Hearing Means "Welcome" ![](https://test.langandtrip.com.ua/wp-content/uploads/de_import_uploads/june-article-image-139-3-2025.jpg) After a few days in Tokyo, you may find yourself wondering, "What is that phrase they always say when I walk in?" Whether it's sweaty guys in aprons shouting it in unison as you step into an izakaya (lively restaurants that serve alcohol alongside lots of small dishes), or a single, perfectly coiffed woman whispering it as you enter the hush of a small boutique, they're saying the same thing: "Irasshaimase." It's a polite way of saying "welcome." Your instinct may be to respond, "Thank you?" "Hello?", but locals insist no reply is needed. Still, a friendly little bow in return won't hurt. ## 8. How to Get Free WiFi While the number of places offering free and easy WiFi in Japan is growing, access isn't something you can count on. Signs everywhere advertise free WiFi, as long as you already have a contract with the provider. But the surge in tourism, along with preparations for the 2020 Olympics, has pushed both municipal and national governments to focus on expanding WiFi access, the Japan Times reports. For instance, Japan Connected-free Wi-Fi, launched in 2014, is an app that offers access to more than 140,000 hotspots. All you have to do is register an email address. Not good enough? Rather than renting a SIM card, many travelers find that renting a pocket WiFi device at the airport to use with their own smartphones is the best way to get online. ## 9. Bacon Turns Up Everywhere ![](https://test.langandtrip.com.ua/wp-content/uploads/de_import_uploads/june-article-image-139-4-2025.jpg) Japan has a long tradition of Buddhist vegetarian cuisine known as shojin ryori. It's carefully prepared and served on elegant lacquerware and ceramics. It's worth trying (the Michelin-starred Itosho is wonderful) and reliably vegetarian, but it's expensive and time-consuming. For quick vegetarian meals, you'll usually need to stay alert. A "vegetable sandwich" may hide a sneaky slice of ham, and "meatless" pasta might be studded with bits of bacon. "Meat" usually means "beef." Listing every animal product you'd like to avoid is the only way to be sure. And your potato salad may still arrive with bacon. ## 10. Clear Umbrellas Are the Best Umbrellas Into every vacation a little rain must fall. If you're in Japan when it does, you're in luck, because it's the perfect chance to buy a clear umbrella. It's such a simple innovation that you'll wonder why it hasn't caught on elsewhere. The moment the first raindrops hit the street, you'll find them everywhere. Convenience stores keep their stock right by the door. One will run you between 300 and 500 yen. The clerk will offer to unwrap it for you if you plan to use it right away. Hold on tight, but let go lightly; umbrellas are one item that's often stolen in Tokyo. If yours disappears, consider it a rite of passage.