10 Most Overrated Things to Avoid in Japan

Japan is one of the most popular travel destinations these days, with more and more tourists flocking there each year, particularly during cherry blossom season in the spring and in the fall when the glorious leaves change color. I was one of these tourists this past Spring, and it did more than live up to the hype! I still think about what an amazing experience it was – from the culture to the people, the food, and the sites. I’m already considering a trip back! But now that I’ve been, there definitely were some tips that were highly overrated. So before you start planning, here are the real things to avoid in Japan: the popular advice that sounds smart but mostly just gets in your way.

As you may know by now, I geek out on planning a trip itinerary – what cities do I want to visit, what sites are must-sees, what unique experiences might I be able to participate it – and also the logistics that go along with that – where to stay? What part of town? Best mode of transport? You know the drill. Now usually, it’s pretty easy for me to get in the groove and plan everything out.

But what I noticed when I started planning for my Japan trip, was there was A LOT more information out there than there are for other places. And not just info on where to go – but rules to follow, things to do BEFORE you go, what to buy, how to pack – so much info, everywhere! I became a bit overwhelmed (not my typical MO), and then obsessed, watching every video and reading every article, and trying to commit all of these things to memory!

The good news is that my planning was great, the trip was phenomenal, and there definitely were some good tips in there. On the other hand, there was also some unnecessary stress I took on by taking some things way too seriously. Partnered with that was listening to advice that, now that I’ve been, I can say firsthand that I don’t really agree with – call it a hot take!

For my full guide to planning and traveling through Japan, start here →

 
The Things to Avoid in Japan (That Everyone Tells You to Do)

These are the things to avoid in Japan, ranked from mildly annoying to absolutely worth skipping.

1. Don’t Bring Pajamas? How well do you want to sleep?

While it is true that many hotels and ryokans provide sleeping attire, I wouldn’t say they are the best to sleep in Don’t get me wrong, I think it’s awesome and it was fun to lounge around in them, but comfort and quality vary by location. I tried to sleep in them at my first hotel, and it was so scratchy and uncomfortable when I moved in my sleep, that it didn’t last. I was so grateful to have my comfy cozies from home because, well, I like cozy! If you really are trying to cut back on luggage, have your comfortable lounge wear like joggers, a tank and a sweatshirt. They can easily be slept in and washed before you wear them on the plan home.

2. Don’t Bring Toiletries? My skincare regimen disagrees

Again, Japan is very gracious with giving shampoo, soap and the like at many hotels. And their water in the shower was great. But I’m a skincare girlie who wants my skincare goods. And I don’t want to stress out about going shopping as soon as I land to have what I need – I’ve been traveling for over 20 hours, and you want me to run to the nearest Donki as soon as I land? Thanks, but no thanks. Instead, try to get samples of your own products, or get travel size bottles you can use so you don’t take up a lot of room.

3. Speaking of Donki – Spend All your time at Don Quijote (if you want to go insane)!

Look, Don Quijote is a vibe. It’s worth seeing for sure. It’s a wonderfully chaotic mashup of pharmacy, department store, designer resell shop, food, gaming, toys, adult goods and so much more. Key word being chaotic. I tend to prefer a calmer shopping experience. So go in, take a look. Soak it in. spend all day there if you want. But if you’re like me, once you’ve gotten a taste, take yourself on over to Matsumoto Kiyoshi, Daiso, or Sundrug for a calmer experience with most of the same products – and often cheaper! Be sure to ask what the tourist discount is and spend up to that amount to get it! Hot take – Donki is overrated.

4. Get a SUICA Welcome Card, a JR Pass and a 3-day Subway Pass? Too many passes for me. I’ll pass.

Another of the things to avoid in Japan is collecting every transit pass you read about. There are quite a few passes tourists can get that can be cost-effective. This worked well in towns like Nikko, Hakone and Takayama, where the price for the pass was a no brainer. In places like Tokyo, just take another look. The metro lines mix between JR and Tokyo metro. So, your JR pass will work on some, and the subway pass on others. And while you may be saving a little money, you’re stressing yourself out by constantly wondering which pass you need when. In some cases, savings might even be only a few pennies. I stuck with my Suica and just tapped and traveled – the seamlessness removed one stress from my day, and I’m all for stress-free travel.

5. See Tokyo from the Sky – from 3 different places! Don’t follow the crowd unless it floats your boat

There’s Shibuya Sky, Skytree, and Tokyo Tower! They’re all great! Are they? I mean seeing a city from the sky is beautiful and I’m sure the view is great and everyone I talked to loved it. But you have to book ahead, and I didn’t want it enough to be locked into a set visit time, so guess what – I didn’t do it! 🫣 I tried a couple of the free ones like the Government Building and Rappongi Hills Mori Tower, but they were closed for private events so no Tokyo from the sky for me – other than the plane! And you know what. I’m ok with that. It’s another travel tip – just because everyone else is doing it doesn’t mean you have to. Go with your gut. You’ll have more fun that way!

6. Make restaurant reservations everywhere – and if there’s a line, stand in it!

Honestly, if you’re looking for Michelin star places and that’s your jam, then yes, make those rezzies or stand in those lines. But I honestly found it so easy to find amazing restaurants with Google Maps, and more often than not got in quite quickly. If you see a place with a line, it likely is fantastic, but it could also just be hyped up. It could also be overrated. And there’s so much good food in Japan, that you could walk down the street or veer off onto a local alley and find somewhere just as good. I did that plenty of times and had meals I still dream about today.

7. You Have to go to the Top of Himeji Castle! Umm, Are Cattle Cars Your Thing?

I’ll start by saying Himeji Castle is beautiful. Especially from the ground, and during cherry blossom season with blossoms all around, it’s lovely. But going to the top of the castle was anything but. It was crowded, as Japan can be (us pesky tourists making it unbearable for the rest of the pesky tourists, how dare we). But more than that, it was single file up narrow stairs or ladders in parts, and in all honesty, it wasn’t all that impressive inside. Once you saw the first floor, the others were very similar. And at the top? A grand view? A wonderful surprise? Nope. Just more of the same. Highly overrated. I’d recommend seeing the first floor, then spending time exploring the castle grounds – those were much more lovely and are definitely worth the visit.

8. Your travel day is a waste

Many times, we count our travel day out. It’s pack up, get to the airport and get on our way day. But in Japan, depending on where you’re flying to, many flights may not leave until the evening. I was on a 5pm flight, and someone else I know was on a 10pm flight. That left a whole extra 1/2 to 1 full day to add to the itinerary. I treated myself to a Japanese massage, did final bits of shopping and tasty Japanese meals before begrudgingly boarding my flight home. If you spent more time in Kyoto but are leaving from Osaka, you could even fit in a day visit there. It would only be an amuse bouche of what the city as to offer, but it would give you enough of a taste to want to come back!

9. Cherry Blossom Dates are Exact – Because Mother Nature Loves Abiding by a Calendar

You will see dates. All the dates. When are they blossoming? Where are they blossoming? It’s all so official. Until it isn’t. I bought the hype. I planned my trip specifically around these very official sounding dates. It may sound crazy but I just blindly believed. And when I made a plan, Mother Nature laughed. They had unusually cold weather. Then hot weather. Then the dates got skewed, and you know what? It’s all ok.

I was supposed to land in Tokyo as they were blossoming, then see them in full bloom throughout my trip. Luckily, they came out on my last day in Tokyo, and it was quite lovely seeing them build up at each new location we visited. But regardless, I told myself and will remind you – Japan is so much more than the blossoms. There’s beauty everywhere. Blossoms add a little more magic, but you won’t be underwhelmed without them.

10. Buy ALL the Things and Suitcase! That seems a bit excessive even for me, a known shopper

Buy alll the beauty things. And the food things. Don’t forget the clothes things. And then buy a suitcase to carry it all home in! I mean yes, there are some key things that are fab. And I definitely got them. But others are overhyped. And if you don’t reallly need another cleanser, it’s ok to pass on that cleanser.

And guess what – a lot of these things can actually be bought at home, or online. So only pick things up that call to you and you think you’d use, and don’t be afraid to buy something else that isn’t on anyone’s radar – it could be great! If you’re strapped for room, focus on those things you wouldn’t find back home. But if you love it? That doesn’t matter, get what brings you joy. As for the suitcase – I packed a packable duffle, so it didn’t take up much room but was fantastic for bringing back all my purchases since my carryon bag was already filled to the brim!

Inspired to Make Your Own Visit? Visited Before and have other Tips to Share?

None of this means skip Japan, just skip these things to avoid in Japan and you’ll have a smoother trip. If you’ve been to Japan, I’d love to hear your hot take! What did I miss? What overrated tips do you agree or disagree with? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

And if you haven’t been but you’re thinking about it, or weren’t thinking about it and this inspires you, now you know what to avoid! It’s not so intimidating – the people are lovely, the country is beautiful, you will have an amazing time.

The best part of Japan is that you really don’t have to take things as seriously as all those travel bloggers, tik-tokkers and youtubers would have you believe. Anything you forget can be found or bought there. And mistakes? They’re part of the memories you look back on fondly – like me going the wrong way on the metro once, twice, three times – all you can do is smile!

Wherever you go, whatever you do, I want you to have a trip to remember.

Happy travels, kindreds!

RELATED POSTS

• For my full guide to planning and traveling through Japan, start here
• Now that you know the things to avoid in Japan, ready to see the ones that you really want to pay attention to? Check out my Top 10 Essential Japan Tips for 1st Time Visitors
• Ready to visit? Take a look at my 5 Day Itinerary for Tokyo – Solo Traveler Edition
• Only have 3 days to spare? Take a look at My Exact 3-Day Tokyo Itinerary
• Ready to do more of Japan? Here’s how I saw Japan in 2-3 Weeks: Itinerary Ideas 
• Kyoto is a great addition to any Japan itinerary. See how I spent 4 days there.
• I did part of this trip solo, and part with an Intrepid Group. For more info on traveling solo, check out 10 Reasons to Travel Solo.
• If group travel may be more your thing, take a look at 10 Things You Didn’t Know About Group Travel

HELPFUL LINKS

• Planning your own Japan trip and want a hand? I help women plan trips like this every day →
• eSims are a life- (and money) saver! It allowed me to have a ton of data, use my apps and What’sApp to stay connected, without the high price of my Verizon plan. I used Airalo, and it worked great! Airalo eSim: https://www.airalo.com Promo code: use ANDREA68732 for $3 off
• Favorite luggage – I went with their bigger carry-on, as it was easy to transport on the trains and had just enough room for all my layers: https://www.awaytravel.com
• Great app for Japanese events and booking (found a cool cherry blossom event here that I didn’t see anywhere else): https://www.klook.com
• Event and car bookings: https://www.viator.com
• Hotel and activity comparison: https://www.tripadvisor.com
• Intrepid Travel – I did part of this trip with Intrepid, a small group tour company, and highly recommend them! https://www.intrepidtravel.com