7 Japan Travel Myths We're Done Letting Stop People From Going
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Japan is one of those destinations that lives rent-free in everyone's head. The bullet trains, the temple streets, the convenience store snacks at midnight — it sounds almost too good to be real. And yet, a surprising number of travellers talk themselves out of going based on rumours, outdated advice, and things they half-heard from someone who went in 2009.
We're here to fix that. Let's bust the most common Japan travel myths — one by one.
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Myth 1: You need to speak Japanese to get around
You really don't. Japan's major train stations, airports, and tourist spots are well-signed in English. Restaurants have picture menus or plastic food displays (genuinely one of the best inventions). And translation apps do the heavy lifting for anything else.
A few words go a long way — arigatou (thank you) and sumimasen (excuse me) will earn you a lot of goodwill — but fluency is absolutely not a requirement. Stay connected with a Japan eSIM and you'll have Google Translate, Google Maps, and train apps ready to go the moment you land, no Wi-Fi hunting needed. Grab your Japan eSIM here before you fly.
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Myth 2: Japan will empty your wallet
Japan has a reputation for being expensive, and sure, it can be — if you're booking luxury ryokans and Michelin-starred dinners every night. But that's not the whole picture.
Business hotels run around £44–£80 a night. Capsule hotels and guesthouses start from roughly £22–£35. A convenience store meal — onigiri, sandwiches, hot bento — will set you back the equivalent of €3–€8 and it's genuinely good food. Many temples, parks, and neighbourhoods are free to explore. If you plan your train routes ahead and avoid last-minute decisions, Japan is far more wallet-friendly than its reputation suggests.
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Myth 3: One wrong move and you'll offend everyone
Japan does have cultural customs worth knowing — line up properly, keep your voice down on public transport, be respectful at shrines. But the idea that locals are waiting to be offended by clueless tourists? Not accurate.
People notice genuine effort and forgive honest mistakes. Watch what those around you do and you'll naturally pick things up as you go. Japan is one of the most welcoming countries for first-time international travellers, full stop.
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Myth 4: Tokyo is chaotic and overwhelming
Tokyo is big, yes. But chaotic? Not the right word. Trains run exactly on time. Crowds move in organised flows. Streets are clean. It's one of the most efficiently run cities on the planet.
And if the energy of Shibuya feels like a lot, you're thirty minutes away from quiet residential neighbourhoods, neighbourhood cafés, and peaceful parks that most tourists never find. Tokyo rewards the curious. It also rewards the strategically timed visit — January to early March is genuinely one of the best times to go if you want breathing room before cherry blossom season descends.
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Myth 5: Japan is cash-only
This was largely true a decade ago. It's much less true now. Hotels, convenience stores, shopping centres, and most tourist attractions take credit cards. Mobile payments are expanding fast, especially in cities.
That said, smaller local restaurants and rural spots still sometimes prefer cash, so it's smart to carry some. IC cards (like Suica or Pasmo) are also worth getting — they work on trains, buses, vending machines, and plenty of shops, so you're not constantly hunting for coins. And with a TravelGator Japan eSIM keeping you connected, you'll always have Google Maps on hand to figure out which station has the nearest ATM.
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Myth 6: Japanese food is just sushi and ramen
Sushi and ramen are brilliant. They're also just the opening act. Japan's food scene spans curry rice, tempura, yakitori, okonomiyaki, donburi, regional street food that changes completely depending on which city you're in, and convenience store snacks that people genuinely travel for.
Vegetarian and dietary-specific options are growing too, especially in larger cities. The food alone is reason enough to go. Give yourself permission to eat your way through this trip — that's not a side activity, it is the activity.
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Myth 7: You need to plan every single detail in advance
Japan is efficient, not rigid. Booking the Shinkansen and any high-demand attractions ahead of time? Smart. Colour-coding a minute-by-minute itinerary for every day? Completely unnecessary.
Some of the best Japan travel moments come from wandering into a neighbourhood you weren't planning to visit, following a smell to a ramen shop with no English menu, or spending two unplanned hours in a 100-yen shop. Leave room for that. Japan rewards spontaneity more than most places.
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The bottom line
Japan isn't intimidating. It's just misunderstood. Once you cut through the myths, it becomes obvious why it's one of the most-visited countries in the world — and why people almost always go back.
The one thing that genuinely makes a difference on the ground? Staying connected. With a TravelGator Japan eSIM, you're online the moment you step off the plane — no SIM card queues, no roaming shocks, no dead-zone panic when your train connection gets confusing. Instant data, no fuss. The way travel should be.
Travel Later, TravelGator.