Tag · Audience

#First Time in Japan

Essential basics for first-time visitors—transportation, etiquette, currency exchange, SIM cards, and more.

116 articles
Neon signs lighting up Kabukicho in Shinjuku, Tokyo at night, with a Don Quijote store and taxis at a busy intersection
Shopping

Don Quijote (Donki) Tax-Free Guide 2026: Pay Tax at the Register, Get It Back When You Leave Japan

Jun 22, 2026
Train
Culture

Japan Train Etiquette (2026): 8 Unwritten Rules Every Tourist Should Know

Jun 19, 2026
Collage of six major Tokyo summer fireworks shows lighting up the sky over rivers, bridges, city skylines, and Tokyo Skytree.
Things to Do

Tokyo Fireworks Festivals 2026: 6 Major Hanabi Shows to See This Summer (Dates, Access & Tips)

Jun 19, 2026
A three-panel image of the three ways to get online in Japan: a pocket WiFi router (left), a hand holding a smartphone showing "eSIM" (center), and a physical SIM card being inserted into a phone (right).
Know-How

How to Get Internet in Japan (2026): eSIM vs SIM Card vs Pocket WiFi — and Where to Pick One Up at the Airport

Jun 16, 2026
Four ATMs found at Japanese convenience stores and post offices — from left: Japan Post Bank, Lawson Bank, Seven Bank, and Japan Post Bank — all of which accept foreign cards for yen withdrawals.
Know-How

How to Withdraw Cash in Japan with a Foreign Card (2026): 7-Eleven, Japan Post & Konbini ATMs That Actually Work

Jun 16, 2026
An onsen bath fed by hot water pouring from a wooden spout, with steam rising
Culture

Visiting Onsen with Tattoos in Japan: Can You Bathe if You Have Ink? A 2026 Guide to Cover-Ups, Private Baths & Tattoo-Friendly Spots

Jun 15, 2026
Insect repellent being sprayed from a pump bottle onto a person's bare forearm outdoors in a sunny park
Know-How

Where to Buy Mosquito Repellent in Japan (2026): A Traveler's Guide to DEET vs. Icaridin

Jun 15, 2026
Night view of the garden at Hotel Chinzanso Tokyo, with the illuminated three-storied pagoda (Entsukaku) rising above the trees and Tokyo Unkai mist drifting in the foreground
Things to Do

Fireflies at Hotel Chinzanso Tokyo 2026: See Genji Fireflies in the City (Dates, Times & Prices)

Jun 10, 2026
Storefront of a UNIQLO shop inside a shopping mall, with shelves of color-sorted folded T-shirts, polo shirts, and mannequins.
Shopping

UNIQLO F.RISSO Drops June 19, 2026: Ex-Marni Designer Francesco Risso's Summer Capsule — Prices, What to Buy & Tax-Free Tips for Travelers

Jun 9, 2026
 Inside a UNIQLO UT graphic-tee section, with “UT POP OUT” on the floor and tables of colorful folded T-shirts
Shopping

UNIQLO × mofusand UT Drops June 19, 2026: 4 Camping-Cat Tees at ¥1,990 — Where to Buy & How Tourists Shop Tax-Free

Jun 8, 2026
Two Shinkansen side by side at a Tokyo Station platform—a green E5 series ("Hayabusa," Tohoku Shinkansen) in front and a blue E7 series (Hokuriku Shinkansen) behind.
Know-How

How to Ride the Shinkansen in Japan: A First-Timer's Guide for 2026 (Tickets, Luggage Rules & Etiquette)

Jun 6, 2026
Eight 7-Eleven Seven Café Smoothie cups in assorted flavors—matcha, melon milk, açaí banana, banana, and more—held in front of a convenience-store freezer case
Food & Drink

How to Make a 7-Eleven Smoothie in Japan: A 70-Second Step-by-Step Guide (with Photos)

Jun 5, 2026
Four Japanese sunscreens—ALLIE, ANESSA, Biore UV, and Skin Aqua—lined up against a sunny summer beach-and-sky background
Know-How

Best Japanese Sunscreens in 2026: What to Buy, Where to Find Them, and How to Shop Tax-Free

Jun 3, 2026
A stone path lined with blue hydrangeas, leading past a small tiled-roof temple hall
Things to Do

Kamakura Hydrangeas 2026: A Guide to Meigetsuin, Hasedera & How to Beat the Crowds

Jun 2, 2026
Article thumbnail titled "Narita / Haneda to Tokyo 2026," a collage of an airplane in flight, a navy Keisei Skyliner train, a white JR Narita Express (N'EX), and an orange Airport Limousine bus.
Know-How

Narita & Haneda to Tokyo: The Cheapest and Fastest Ways In (2026)

Jun 2, 2026
A collage of indoor things to do in Tokyo on a rainy day: an aquarium tank with rays and fish, a department-store food hall, a museum building, a sento bathhouse, and an immersive digital art space.
Things to Do

Rainy Day in Tokyo? Your 2026 Guide to the Best Indoor Things to Do

Jun 1, 2026
A glass tip jar filled with US dollar bills and coins, tagged with a handwritten "Tips" label, beside a coffee cup on a wooden table
Culture

Do You Tip in Japan? A 2026 Guide to Tipping, Service Charges, and Kokorozuke

May 31, 2026
Hie Shrine's distinctive gabled Sanno torii gate in Akasaka, its "Sanno Hie Jinja" plaque at center, with a modern Tokyo high-rise rising behind
Things to Do

Sanno Matsuri 2026: Tokyo's Grand “Shogun's Festival” Returns June 7-17 — Don't Miss the Once-Every-2-Years Procession on June 12

May 30, 2026
 7-Eleven Japan Fried Food Super Sale promotional image showing a plate of fried items including fried chicken, corn dogs, a sausage, and croquettes, with text reading "Fried Food Super Sale," "4 Days Only, 4–8 PM," and "Half Price"
Food & Drink

7-Eleven Japan’s Fried Food Super Sale: Half-Price Nanachiki & More, 4 Days Only (June 3–6, 4–8 PM)

May 28, 2026
All three Mocchurin donuts — kinako, mitarashi, and strawberry — lined up side by side with "Mocchurin Returns June 3" text overlay
Food & Drink

What Is Mocchurin? Mister Donut's Chewy Mochi Donut (2026 Flavors & Prices)

May 27, 2026
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