music Hey guys it's Kim Dao right here welcome back to my channel in today's video I'm going to be telling you guys 10 Japan travel hacks that will make your travel to Japan a lot easier just before I start the video make sure you guys click the thumbs up button and then subscribe to this channel if you haven't yet For more Japan related videos and also follow me on my social Media to keep up to date with me and what's happening in my life in Japan and lets start the video hack number one: Wi-Fi these days wi-Fi. It is very important to everyone. Let's face it. I'm pretty sure a lot of you guys cannot survive Wi-Fi I'm one of those people too, and yes, I do know it is bad to be so dependent on internet, but It's just how it is these days the first time I went to Japan about five years ago I had this mindset that all Japan is a land of technology right? They must be free wi-Fi everywhere Wrong but , then there was no free Wi-Fi in Japan It was so hard to contact people navigating around the country it was Very difficult back in the day luckily these days there are pieces where you can get free Wi-Fi But will it be more convenient has wi-fi it's everywhere you go That is why you should get your own wi-Fi by getting a pocket WIFI or a sim card I'm going to be talking about both of these so you guys can pick whichever one is more convenient for you first off are going To be talking about the pocket Wi-Fi, so the pocket Wi-Fi got really popular a couple of years ago the second time I went to Japan I rent a pocket wi-Fi, and it made my life so much easier I was able to look at Maps I was able to search up places where I wanted to go when I wasn't at home I was able to contact my friends. It was amazing now typically pocket Wi-Fi if you have to get them before you come to Japan So if you just google up pocket Wi-Fi Japan rentals something like that there are many companies that will rent out a top of Wi-Fi To use now keep in [mind]. They aren't exactly cheap so if I can remember correctly for one month I would pay about maybe $100 for a pocket wi-Fi device now the good thing about the pocket Wi-Fi device Is that it is very fast internet you can connect your phone you can connect your laptop and you can do your work? inconvenient thing about this is that you have charge it So you have to carry around something extra in your bag which is a bit annoying when you're traveling especially? And you also have to keep an eye out on the battery so when your battery dies You won't have wi-Fi and you have to charge it and these days your phone's eyes really quickly right and also if you're travelling in A big group of people and everyone's connected to this wi-Fi, and you guys [will] separate who's going to keep the Wi-Fi device but if you're traveling [by] [yourself], and you use [your] computer I would definitely recommend you get the Wi-Fi device now There are SIM cards , SIM cards recently became super popular in Japan for tourists you can buy them very easily when you come to Japan So you can even get them at the airport, but I recommend you go to a big camera , a Yamada Denki one of the big electronics shops? They would definitely have SIM cards now these SIM cards Don't come with phone numbers You can't get a phone number in Japan unless if u live here, but in the darkest in cars Which is exactly what you need now these SIM cards aren't exactly cheap as well compared to I guess other countries so you can get about I think five gigabytes for about $30 and it only lasts for a [certain] amount of time it depends on how long [you] buy for you can buy it for one [week] two weeks, or one month these sim card. Just put them into your phones, and you have to do some set up So you need some wi-Fi to set it up and voila You've got internet now some cars are more convenient if you're doing in and laptop You just have to put it in your phone and and you've got wi-fi everywhere you go so you don't have to carry it around a pocket wifi device . There is a dose limit . Oh, so that's a downside whereas the pocket Wi-Fi usually There's no limit so you can use as much internet as you want number two getting a JR Pass a lot of people [ask] me if they should get a Jr Puff or not when they travel to Japan and I can't really answer that for you because that's something you should try and Figure out yourself because I don't know where you are going to travel to in Japan, but anyway the Jl Pass is a part of many people and tourist visas are able to get it isn't cheap It's about 300 dollars for one week, but that means you can ride as manyJR trains as you want for the whole week including bullet trains except the fastest one which is nozomi You can use the JR pass to travel to different cities in Japan for example You can go from tokyo to Osaka down in Hiroshima , and it saves you a lot of money because a one-way ticket From tokyo to Osaka is about 150 Dollars so if you think [about] it this way if you're going from Tokyo to Osaka [down to Hiroshima traveling around that area then you go back to tokyo [that] would be worth it because if you calculator or a JR pass is Cheaper than paying for the ticket separately it is a very good path that has if you've had to travel all around Japan because it Will save you a lot of money [number] [three] thinking about [all] [the] travel stuff I want to tell you guys the site called audio JP Now you guys may have known Odigo because I traveled with them last year, but recently they have rebadged our whole website So it is completely different now [so] the website allows you to plan [your] trips to Japan And it makes your life so much easier [suppose] over there are a lot [of] people that want to travel to Japan But don't know much about Japan and it's fun because this website makes everything easier for you by giving you suggestions [so] you just put in data when you plan to travel? Where you plan to travel? And in which all you guys suggestions Or where you can go in Japan and how to get around which makes your life so much easier One huge change in audio, which I really like is that you [can] book your whole entire trip using this website You can now book your flight your accommodation [rest] a car. You can book activities You can book tours everything can be done on this one website [so] as you can see the website has improved a lot Now one thing [about] this website that's really new they are trying to make a more community base which means you guys going to be a Contributor [to] the website and then you can get paid for making articles about Japan you can share your Experiences in Japan you can give tips on traveling you can give tips [on] where to shop what takes you must do when you are In Japan things you must eat in Japan the [celeron] is much more like a community now And I'm also going to be making a lot of blog posts About traveling to Japan so make sure you follow me on Odigo Which I'll link that down below as well and a great thing is is that [if] [you] make [sloth] post always be contribute to the Community your own points which turns into money so you actually get paid for the stuff that you do so I need to get paid to travel to Japan you don't know what to do and You [are] stuck on how to plan your trip then definitely check out the odigo website, or if you have already being in Japan and want to help other [alt ] Then make sure you sign up and then try and make some blog [posts] just to help other people out and number four trade apps You can use in Japan [so] you guys probably know that trades are kind of crazy Japan There are so many different train lines And it is very confusing like I mean look at this when I first came to Japan [boy]. I was confused I did not know what I was doing luckily now because [of] train apps. They do make things a lot more easier There are many apps in English that you can use if you just type in Japan travel or Japan trains Just only one of those apps and then put where you want to go and where you're coming [from] and it just makes things So much easier. It will tell you exactly what transient to take What characters. to make It is very confusing at the start, but once you get used to it It's just a lot easier a lot of you guys already probably know this but you can [use] Google maps And I find Google maps is a lot easier if you're putting in landmark for example [I'm] [staying] in a zen B&B in the [Sukkah sabashi ] right now, and I want to go through the Asakusa sky tree I've been just parked in Asakusa sky tree, and it tells me I can walk for 39 minutes Which is probably not what [I] want to do, but it's only a 16 minute train ride I just have to take one train. It tells me I have to walk [to] the train station. It takes four [minutes] paper train It's got four thoughts in between and then I have to go to Australia station and from there I walk so you can just look at the map it tells you exactly where you have to go exactly where the train [spaces] are It's just very convenient or in English, so it makes things a lot easier for you on the [five] get a train card now Why should you get a train card? getting Train card is a lot easier because you don't have the [base] clickers now in Japan especially around Tokyo to big cities. There are many different train companies But as [agile] [iron] the tokyo Metro and there are also private lines Nowadays for example you are traveling from Shinjuku station self sacrifice stations. There is no zero train that takes you from Shinjuku, Filofax Are you need to make some transfers and the easiest way is to? Transfer from different [companies] to different companies the fourth airport if you're on a junior line has a by Ji ticket you want to transfer [to] tokyo Metro you have to enter the [Ji-won] Go to [tokyo] [Metro], and then you have to buy another ticket And then here's the way in [lighting] Certificate is find out how much it costs to buy that ticket? It does take up some time, but with the train card you just beat yourself up And then you feed yourself in again when you go to tokyo metro you save a lot of time now these currently can't get at The airport you can also get them at almost every single train station It costs 500 yen And you can also get a refund so when you leave Japan you can get your refunds back when it's cast you want one of These [cars] then go to one of the ticket machines and you can also present English options But I really recommend you get one because it just makes your life so much easier You can use your phone as to see what? Transfers Disobey, and then just pick [yourself] in and out also if you're too lazy to pay cash You [can] go to convenience stores and pay using this card as well number six with drawing money So [Japan] [is] still pretty much a cash society a lot of places still don't accept credit cards or debit cards So when you travel with your pet I really recommend you carrying a bunch of cash with you usually [what] I do is that I? Try and bring cash from our own country I convert a little bit and I come here on [my] card and I use my card To withdraw cash and this can be done very easily if you go to a convenience store at 7-Eleven family mart or losses now I know that atms and 7-Eleven was the best for a lot of people and family mart is also really good as well It's also very far enough friendly because they've got English Chinese and Korean most of the time on these machines and besides convenience stores You can go to a post office to also withdraw money usually there is a fee when you use a foreign atm It's about maybe 100 to 300 yen Depends on the Atm and also you may be charged fees depending on the bank you are with but withdrawing money in Japan has become very easy
And you should really [have] any problems finding [a] convenience store that has an atm in our number seven bring a power board now this Is especially useful for those [who] live in different countries? And you guys don't use the same outlet as Japan so almost all my electronics are australian And they have the australian plug which is different [to] Japan and unfortunately I forgot to bring my power board and I'm having a hard time tracking all my [electricity] [new] cultures take your own advice, [but] anyway this airBnb this come with a Japanese power board and Honestly guys if you are traveling with a lot [of] stuff to charge You should bring your own power board because you don't have to buy multiple adapters. [I] only have Australia to Japan adapter Which I use, I have a power board which is [auto] Australian plugs And I charge all my electronics on there usually it just honestly makes your life easier and especially if you've got everything in one place You don't forget charges if you leave them in the bathroom or in a kitchen Or you know in other rooms even if you kind of use the same plugs that depends probably still recommended to bring a Power board So you can change everything in one area of eight get a car and travel to other places in Japan now if you want to Travel to the countryside in Japan or the places where not many people go through I? Highly recommend [get] the car now you can get the car pretty easily in Japan if you have an international license [I've] never really thought about driving around in Japan myself and to be honest, okay I'm not the greatest driver out there [and] the thought about driving in Japan freaked me out because it's a different [country] and they had [different] rules, so yes It was really scary But after when I was going on all these trips around the countryside in Japan I realized that Having a comics been so much easier because imagine this you're in the countryside. There are not that many trains There are not that many buses you have to take the taxis everywhere. Which is expensive. You've got your luggage with [you] You're lugging your luggage around in train stations [up] and down stairs And it's that that was a nightmare hurry part is cheap and easy especially if you're with a bunch of people there one Just put their money in and it makes your life [so] much easier because you can put your luggage in there You can go anywhere you want driving around Japan for me. It was very easy Just because in Japan the drive on the same side of the road as in Australia Finding many people in the us who have an international license and to drive around Japan [if] you want to go to places with not Many people go [through] or if you want to go up mountains always want to explore Then definitely getting a car and going on a road trip would be a lot [of] fun other time heat packs [I] talked about these in so many videos And I just have to keep telling you guys because I think they are amazing now these heat packs are fucking that you only use during winter so you stick them on [your] clothes and they warm up and Keeping warm throughout the day I don't know why other countries [bitterly] use these, but I feel that they should because they are amazing You just [stick] a few on your body, especially if you want to wear cute clothes, and it just gives you whole-body more But there's me if you're someone I can reach there was cold very well Then I think that you should try out this because even though it's not as caught in tokyo for example It's so sauce when you are feeling cold And you just I'm really in the mood to walk around when it's that freezing and number 10 The last [hack] [didn't] take a photo of the landmark [II] [was] going [to] or where you are going to now this [hackers] probably better back in the Day This is what I used to do myself Back in the day where there was no wi-Fi and smartphones were not seen as well when I was traveling every day I would have a plan of where to go I would take a photo on [my] camera or maybe on my flip phone or something like that [and] then if I get lost, I would show the picture to a random japanese person to ask them to help me It was just a lot easier than trying to explain [to] them even in our sub internet We've got Wi-Fi which makes things a lot more easier to do ourselves Sometimes you just get so lost [or] you just don't know where you are and it's just a lot easier to ask Someone to help you if you show them a picture of the landmark and where you want to go if you're close by People will be able to help you out a lot easier that way that is it for this video? Hope you guys found it helpful And hopefully you have a great trip to Japan if you're planning to go through make sure you thumbs up this video if you enjoyed [it] and if you found it helpful [also] Let me know down below what other tips you have on traveling to Japan because I'm sure you'll be able to help out a lot Of other people as well subscribe to this channel if you haven't yet And follow me on my social media also follow me [on] my blog channel to see what I get up [doing] in my everyday life and I see you guys in the next video. Bye