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Great video Nathan! Taxis are expensive in Japan, but I appreciate that they can’t refuse customers because they don’t want to go where you want. I’ve experienced that many times in China and South Korea. You’re always guaranteed to get a ride from a Japan taxi driver once they pull over and stop.
Aren’t most of those hates the reason that we keep coming back, because it’s different than our normal life? There are ways around everyone of them. Squat toilets are the best, and better than just a whole in the ground. Another great video Nathan ❤
@@NinjaMonkeyguy hmmm,... I think [和式] are too easy to get filthy. They are cheap to install and maintain but I think Japan should replace them everywhere to become a clean country ...
Things I hate so far during my Japan vacation: No garbage cans, no benches, the thin toilet paper everywhere, no toilet brushes and that I have trouble to understand cashiers due to them wearing masks (muffled).
@@NinjaMonkeyguy I walked from Shinjuku to Shibuya and not a single bench. The whole trip was 10km. Nasty without benches. Also a nit-pick or hate is the train system. I could not figure out where and how to use it right. Before I ended up god knows where I walked.
@@MrHiroschi In theory it is easy. But if you can't find the line that is supposed to drive from a specific station that can be very annoying. Yeah. The metal things are okay. But between Shinjuku and Shibuya was pretty much Jack on road 305.
I'm prepared for the no benches! I got a tiny fold-up camping chair, lol. it folds up quite small. It's a must because my back muscles tense up after a lot of walking.
I'm in the other camp on Japanese pillows. I generally like the buckwheat-filled pillows, but I know that they're not for everyone. One thing not mentioned on your list that I'm a bit disappointed by -- I don't HATE it -- is hotel clothes dryers. Except on rare occasion, most of these dryers take a very long time to dry our clothes and can only handle very small loads of laundry. Perhaps there's a reason for the lower drying temperatures than I'm accustomed to, but it would be so much more convenient if we could dry our clothes quickly. In general, we do try to choose hotels that have on-site laundry facilities because it allows us to pack less clothes, so this is important to us. Thanks for your interesting video! P.S. You covered squat toilets well enough, and I don't think that anyone will disagree with you on this being #1 on the list.
I know some people like the japanese pillow I guess I’ve got used to them by now.. dryers are dependent on the hotel for example dormí inn (cheap hotel chain seems to do a great job! With their laundry facilities)
From similar experience: I take a walking stick with a fold-up seat on top, a kind of upside down tripod. You'll find them at outdoor/hiking shops. Also great for leaning on in subways.
Good list Nathan. All manageable though (unless you're put into a smoking room). The buckwheat pillows and rooms with no view dont bother me, because I'm always so exhausted after a 30000 step Japan day that I'm asleep before the head hits the pillow (after finishing the daily Travelark trip blog). Managing your coins is a Japan trip right of passage too. Also, I highly recommend Fushimi Inari late at night. We had it all to ourselves aside from the wild boars on our last trip.
Finding coffee hasn't been a problem for me since BOSS coffee from the vending machines is so good! Breakfast in general has been a bit difficult for me to find reliably. There are plenty of gyudon places open early, and cafes scattered here and there, but I've been struggling to find lighter stuff that's easier to stomach in the morning. I've been getting by with cobini onigiri, but I wish I could find places that serve up stuff like what Miwa makes!
@@NinjaMonkeyguy I’m going with my sister and we’re hoping to go for two weeks. I’m really interested in Sengoku-era history, so Himeji and Mount Hiei. And hopefully Miyajima. We’ll probably go to Tokyo too of course.
@@Emily-86mc I did a day trip to Himeji in 2018, and exploring the castle with full bloom cherry blossom all around was so beautiful! Can also highly recommend Miyajima. Have a wonderful trip!
Just recently got back from my first trip to Japan. Usually at the end of the day when I got back to my hotel I was so tired I didn't care about the pillows but agree that they could be softer. I didn't find the taxis to be too expensive but I usually used them for short trips where to the walk from the station to the place I wanted to go was going to be over 10 minutes or so. And yes, the coin issue is real. I did find that if you use a bunch of small currency coins at a combini the cashier will get impatient and lift up the cover so you can dump your handful of coins in and let the machine sort it out. You'll still get a few coins back and it isn't the most polite way to get rid of a bunch of coins but it works.
Yaaa the opening and closing are hours are veeeerrryy annoying but its alrightyyyy and yaaa the last train most of the time I was a bit scared that I miss the last train that i took 1 or 2 trains earlier that im save
I’m coming there in October. I was there last year and hotels were expensive. I’m looking into airbnbs, they seem slightly more reasonable for a week in Tokyo. Any other suggestions on accommodations? Thank you.
@@NinjaMonkeyguy I’m not looking for anything fancy or large or even a hotel or apt with breakfast. I’m a solo traveler but a clean place to sleep and a tv would be nice.
🪙🗾 i look forward to using coins, keeping them in a cute coin pouch. I plan to visit lots of gachapons and restaurants that use vending machines before entering. The one thing i do not look forward to are the pillows😫 thanks for the tips!
Coming from NZ, a (practically) cash-free country. I already know that I'm going to hate the lack of places that accept Credit/Debit cards. I'd much prefer to use that over IC. I don't get the appeal. My card uses my own money and earns me air points. I don't see why Japan's YTers feel IC vending machines are better than PayWave vending machines.
Oh it’s not that we say it’s better it’s just that cards are NOT accepted for local transport unfortunately. It’s just the way it is. So we try to direct people to the easiest method which in my opinion is iPhone iOS Suica because you can top up with your card!!
The thing I hate about Japan is accidentally dropping a single coin on the ground . Instantly 50 people will materialize to point it out to make sure you don't lose that 1 yen purchasing power. Edit: I'm surprised that 1 ply toilet paper didn't make the list. I actually don't think 2 ply toilet paper exists in Japan.
I feel like a good option would be to splurge all your coins at a convenience store before u head to the airport on your last day of travel. Buy some snacks, get some drinks or whatever. I always do it. 😂 Might even go the extra mile of making sure the amount of my purchase is enough to clear all my coins away LOL
People walking in the bike lane! Try holding back an argument with that one happening on a daily base. Big disappointment on those not failing their own rules in their own country
Ah the joys of squat toilets. Especially if you get a slight case traveler's diarrhea. Wonderful way to spend a half an hour cleaning up a shitty situation or so I've heard.
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www.sakuramobile.jp/ninjamonkeyguy-top Consider improving your upcoming trip by using my Affiliate Pocket wifi link: You'll receive a trusted product and also help the channel out! (I receive a small bonus at no additional cost to you!)
Great video Nathan! Taxis are expensive in Japan, but I appreciate that they can’t refuse customers because they don’t want to go where you want. I’ve experienced that many times in China and South Korea. You’re always guaranteed to get a ride from a Japan taxi driver once they pull over and stop.
If taxi’s refused customers then that might be top of my list! Glad they don’t too. I never experienced that in Korea, I must have been lucky
Aren’t most of those hates the reason that we keep coming back, because it’s different than our normal life? There are ways around everyone of them. Squat toilets are the best, and better than just a whole in the ground. Another great video Nathan ❤
Hehe ye .. my list is quite tame after all
@@NinjaMonkeyguy hmmm,... I think [和式] are too easy to get filthy. They are cheap to install and maintain but I think Japan should replace them everywhere to become a clean country ...
Things I hate so far during my Japan vacation: No garbage cans, no benches, the thin toilet paper everywhere, no toilet brushes and that I have trouble to understand cashiers due to them wearing masks (muffled).
Ooh yes mask wearing and talking is so hard to hear .. and you make a good point with the lack of benches too
@@NinjaMonkeyguy I walked from Shinjuku to Shibuya and not a single bench. The whole trip was 10km. Nasty without benches. Also a nit-pick or hate is the train system. I could not figure out where and how to use it right. Before I ended up god knows where I walked.
@@geralt7144 Huh in Shinjuku / Shibuya you may have no benches but you have thoose Steelthingys and the train system were super easy for me atleast
@@MrHiroschi In theory it is easy. But if you can't find the line that is supposed to drive from a specific station that can be very annoying. Yeah. The metal things are okay. But between Shinjuku and Shibuya was pretty much Jack on road 305.
I'm prepared for the no benches! I got a tiny fold-up camping chair, lol. it folds up quite small. It's a must because my back muscles tense up after a lot of walking.
So helpful. Excellent Review again on "basics"
Glad it going to be useful
I'm in the other camp on Japanese pillows. I generally like the buckwheat-filled pillows, but I know that they're not for everyone.
One thing not mentioned on your list that I'm a bit disappointed by -- I don't HATE it -- is hotel clothes dryers. Except on rare occasion, most of these dryers take a very long time to dry our clothes and can only handle very small loads of laundry. Perhaps there's a reason for the lower drying temperatures than I'm accustomed to, but it would be so much more convenient if we could dry our clothes quickly. In general, we do try to choose hotels that have on-site laundry facilities because it allows us to pack less clothes, so this is important to us. Thanks for your interesting video!
P.S. You covered squat toilets well enough, and I don't think that anyone will disagree with you on this being #1 on the list.
I know some people like the japanese pillow I guess I’ve got used to them by now.. dryers are dependent on the hotel for example dormí inn (cheap hotel chain seems to do a great job! With their laundry facilities)
@@NinjaMonkeyguy Yes! Dormy Inn's have had the best dryers, in our experience!
A tip from someone who once wore a long scarf while using a squat toilet- they can wreck your clothes!
omg! sounds horrible! more reason to hate them haha
Wow. This is sooooo helpful! Such small details that are often overlooked and you cover them all ;)
thanks! always finding more!
the lack of benches is my gripe, since i have bad legs
Yes! this can be a problem for sure! certainly a good addition to the list!
From similar experience: I take a walking stick with a fold-up seat on top, a kind of upside down tripod. You'll find them at outdoor/hiking shops. Also great for leaning on in subways.
Yeah, here now and i swear the napkins im getting are made of plastic 😅
Lack of benchs, my calves are killing me
hahah walking! its normal on a trip to Japan to have your calves hurt! and yep napkins are a bigger deal than i expected (because im so messy eating )
You nailed it Ninja 🐒 I agree 💯 with everything dood , my all-time biggest peev would have to be no bins !!!😅
no bins = carrying excess amounts of trash ALL THE TIME.. yep I hate it too!
dept stalls close at 2000, rural areas stalls close at 1800
rural areas is a whole different thing!
Good list Nathan. All manageable though (unless you're put into a smoking room). The buckwheat pillows and rooms with no view dont bother me, because I'm always so exhausted after a 30000 step Japan day that I'm asleep before the head hits the pillow (after finishing the daily Travelark trip blog). Managing your coins is a Japan trip right of passage too. Also, I highly recommend Fushimi Inari late at night. We had it all to ourselves aside from the wild boars on our last trip.
Yep I agree managing your coins in Japan is a right of passage.. I guess ive not passed that test yet haha
Finding coffee hasn't been a problem for me since BOSS coffee from the vending machines is so good! Breakfast in general has been a bit difficult for me to find reliably. There are plenty of gyudon places open early, and cafes scattered here and there, but I've been struggling to find lighter stuff that's easier to stomach in the morning. I've been getting by with cobini onigiri, but I wish I could find places that serve up stuff like what Miwa makes!
Yes I agree breakfast can be hard too!
@@NinjaMonkeyguy Do you know if bottled protein shakes are common in combini or vending? That's my usual breakfast
Thank you so much for this. I’m hoping to go to Japan for my first time within the next year, and your channel has been so helpful.
I'm glad the content is useful and will help you with your trip next year! what are your plans?!
@@NinjaMonkeyguy I’m going with my sister and we’re hoping to go for two weeks. I’m really interested in Sengoku-era history, so Himeji and Mount Hiei. And hopefully Miyajima. We’ll probably go to Tokyo too of course.
@@Emily-86mc sounds like a nice different type of trip to what everyone else seems to do! Well done :)
@@Emily-86mc I did a day trip to Himeji in 2018, and exploring the castle with full bloom cherry blossom all around was so beautiful! Can also highly recommend Miyajima. Have a wonderful trip!
@@frangipanisandgirl thank you!
Another good video - thank you! Do you have a list of the national holidays in Japan so we can try to plan around them?
I just put out a video that might help you ruclips.net/video/Hq-BpJewHoo/видео.htmlsi=m5GdCYYVVvMqfqM_
O.o note to self: bring a mini camping pillow to Japan....
hehe.. not all are like that, and you can buy a pillow there if you feel you need to
Japanese tend not to eat while walking along or standing around on the street. Which may explain the lack of hand towels and trash cans?
Looks like the Japanese have mastered the art of mindful eating! No wonder they have such a strong focus on cleanliness in their streets.
Just recently got back from my first trip to Japan. Usually at the end of the day when I got back to my hotel I was so tired I didn't care about the pillows but agree that they could be softer. I didn't find the taxis to be too expensive but I usually used them for short trips where to the walk from the station to the place I wanted to go was going to be over 10 minutes or so. And yes, the coin issue is real. I did find that if you use a bunch of small currency coins at a combini the cashier will get impatient and lift up the cover so you can dump your handful of coins in and let the machine sort it out. You'll still get a few coins back and it isn't the most polite way to get rid of a bunch of coins but it works.
coins.. can never get rid of them fully hehe
@NinjaMonkeyguy , eventually I got a coin pouch and saved my coins for the next trip to Japan.
I hate having to eat fast because people are waiting outside....
yes this is also a great point!
hmmm,... this is utter respect to others ... otherwise, why did you come to Japan ?
@@towada1066 And now the ticks are coming to post comments....
@@towada1066 Were you born that way or have you become stupid over the years?
@@florared6432 Please go on,... I have no idea what you are saying ...
Yaaa the opening and closing are hours are veeeerrryy annoying but its alrightyyyy and yaaa the last train most of the time I was a bit scared that I miss the last train that i took 1 or 2 trains earlier that im save
I always try to go for 1 or two trains before the last train too.. it’s smart!
I’m coming there in October. I was there last year and hotels were expensive. I’m looking into airbnbs, they seem slightly more reasonable for a week in Tokyo. Any other suggestions on accommodations? Thank you.
I think it depends on the type of accommodation you are looking for. Business hotels like APA, Dormi inn and Toyoku ins can also be a good option
@@NinjaMonkeyguy I’m not looking for anything fancy or large or even a hotel or apt with breakfast. I’m a solo traveler but a clean place to sleep and a tv would be nice.
🪙🗾 i look forward to using coins, keeping them in a cute coin pouch. I plan to visit lots of gachapons and restaurants that use vending machines before entering. The one thing i do not look forward to are the pillows😫 thanks for the tips!
Coins might be cute to start with hehehe .... but the Gachapon plan is genius!
Last train. Everyone gets caught out on that. Tourist and locals alike.
Yea hate the last train it’s too early
@@NinjaMonkeyguy Hi, may I know just how early??
@@aiafumya generally between midnight and 12:30. Depends on the line and station
Coming from NZ, a (practically) cash-free country. I already know that I'm going to hate the lack of places that accept Credit/Debit cards. I'd much prefer to use that over IC. I don't get the appeal. My card uses my own money and earns me air points. I don't see why Japan's YTers feel IC vending machines are better than PayWave vending machines.
Oh it’s not that we say it’s better it’s just that cards are NOT accepted for local transport unfortunately. It’s just the way it is. So we try to direct people to the easiest method which in my opinion is iPhone iOS Suica because you can top up with your card!!
darn! those with disabilities would have issues with those toilets!
OMG yes,
The thing I hate about Japan is accidentally dropping a single coin on the ground . Instantly 50 people will materialize to point it out to make sure you don't lose that 1 yen purchasing power.
Edit: I'm surprised that 1 ply toilet paper didn't make the list. I actually don't think 2 ply toilet paper exists in Japan.
lol yea the toilet paper haha
hmmm,... really ?!! ... there is, especially, Marutomi toilet paper ...
so many squat toilets at nature parks grrrrrr, and some don't have water to wash your hands with!
Oh thats even worse!
Coins 😂..I'm at a vending machine now ...using Pasmo 👀
Lucky haha
This reminds me I still have no idea what to do with my bag full of Japanese coins from my recent trip.
hahah it cot you too! .. only one thing to do.. return to japan!
hmmm ... in major train stations and street corners there will be a young Buddhist monks begging ... you can put all your coins there. (^_^)
I feel like a good option would be to splurge all your coins at a convenience store before u head to the airport on your last day of travel. Buy some snacks, get some drinks or whatever. I always do it. 😂 Might even go the extra mile of making sure the amount of my purchase is enough to clear all my coins away LOL
Haha ..thats a great way to do it lol @@leontnf6144
Sounds like you've truly became a tourist.
hehe professional tourist by now!
Squat toilets are the worst
Squat toilets .. nuff said!
Trying to think of anything else, but can’t. Ah… endless spoken instructions and rules before entering event spaces, I can do without those.
Yea I didn’t mention rules because .. it’s a love hate thing rules lol
People walking in the bike lane! Try holding back an argument with that one happening on a daily base. Big disappointment on those not failing their own rules in their own country
Ah, the eternal struggle of people in the bike lane. Maybe we should start offering bike lane etiquette classes? Or hire bike lane referees hehe
...WHY! (That last point about the toilets.) Who does that? I know its a different culture but come on.
It’s surprising most people expect technological toilets with the bidet feature
i cannot take out the garbage when i stay in airbnb. it smells bad 😥
OMG .. I hadnt even thought about that! wow true fact
Drinks are so cheap in 7/11s but go to a bar and your paying over 5 times the price
this is also true!
Ah the joys of squat toilets. Especially if you get a slight case traveler's diarrhea. Wonderful way to spend a half an hour cleaning up a shitty situation or so I've heard.
Don’t tell me this is a true story
@@NinjaMonkeyguy Let's just say my personal knowledge of this type of situation is based on facts.
I think no trash cans is my biggest dislike.
yes its something you need to get used to and is annoying!
Ugh, and even when they have napkins they're tiny and glossy and don't absorb anything!
You found napkins?! Wow haha
@@NinjaMonkeyguy mostly at sit down restaurants, but they're unusable lol