The Japan trip resource thread 2.

[CMcK]

Cheers for the advice lads. I only have a small data allowance on my phone so a tourist SIM is a good shout. I was kind of wondering if wee ryokan out in the sticks will have public wi-fi but I suppose tourists expect that everywhere these days. I keep forgetting the camera app on my phone can read and offer translations of text. I've still got handwritten note of translations for common phrases in game menus!

No doubt once I hit the big cities I'll need a text translator to help find that elusive faulty FM Towns Marty I'll be convinced I can repair at home...

[wakka]

No need for extra SIM cards or WiFi hotspots these days chaps. Airalo will give you an eSIM for any country you like with extremely cheap data. I use it every time I’m abroad, highly recommended. Just download it from the App Store/Play Store.

[Hirst]

I used to get mobile hotspots, they're good too! I would just stick the unit in my camera bag with a spare power bank in case the battery ran out (mine would do about 8 hours on full charge, a bit less if it was a very hot day). But the prices of tourist SIMs started coming down to the point where it was cheaper to get one of them instead.

eSIMs are all well and good, but then you don't get the absolute joy of handing over a BlackBerry to the young lady who works on the SIM Card desk for installation and seeing their panicked, puzzled face as they were greeted with an exotic foreign artifact (I had to do it for them).

[CMcK]

A good camera is on my list for the trip too. My friend has a Fujifilm XT-3 (IIRC) going spare. Doesn't give me loads of time to get used to it though.

[Anpanman]

Chuffed for you CMcK, another one on the list of sims is Mobal, you don't have to collect in Japan they'll send direct to your house before you travel.

[CMcK]

Got the Mobal SIM the other day. They had a package that suits me to a tee.
Any of you gents based in Japan think it’s worth taking any cash with me? I’m planning on using Revolut / Apple Pay but wonder if there will be places will only take cash. Especially the more remote regions.

[Yakumo]

Got the Mobal SIM the other day. They had a package that suits me to a tee.
Any of you gents based in Japan think it’s worth taking any cash with me? I’m planning on using Revolut / Apple Pay but wonder if there will be places will only take cash. Especially the more remote regions.

First of all, what is Revolut? Never here of that.
While some places use apple pay, the main digital currency is PayPay. Cash is still king though so you should bring some.

[Anpanman]

Yep we use cash when we go, it's a rarity for us to get a card out.

[CMcK]

I will order some cash then.

I’ve seen plenty of people using Revolut seems to be a good way to avoid foreign transaction fees - https://www.revolut.com/

[wakka]

I have used Revolut for many years when travelling and when buying online in currencies other than GBP.

It's useful. I recommend it. I used to have the free tier but now have the £6.99 per month one which grants ongoing travel insurance and £400 (instead of £200) per month foreign ATM withdrawals without fees.

Can't speak to Japan cos I haven't been since 2008 but I'm in Thailand at present which is very cash focused and I'm using my Revolut to withdraw and for occasional card transactions as I always do abroad.

[CMcK]

Cheers wakka that’s good to know.

[cutmymilk]

Monzo amazed me in Japan back in 2015. Zero fees and the amount in pounds would pop up on my phone before a receipt had finished printing.

[DCharlie]

Monzo amazed me in Japan back in 2015. Zero fees and the amount in pounds would pop up on my phone before a receipt had finished printing.

woah - this is good to know.

I switched to Monzo when i got back to the UK and i'm planning a trip back to Tokyo and was wondering how Monzo was out there.

How about taking out cash from ATMs? I am old enough to remember the dark days of having to have a Citibank account.
Though as i type this i remember i still have an active Mizuho account so i could just transfer from Monzo to that if i really need to get cash.

[Anpanman]

A couple of other tips, Google Translate is good, put the camera on everything from bus stops to items in a supermarket and it works well.

If you are travelling about I would recommend Navitime on the phone I personally found it more up to date than Google. One bus stop I was at had times translated by Google as changed the previous week or so but Google still had the old time, Navitime was bang up to date.

[CMcK]

Navitime have an app for visitors to Japan called Japan Travel - Route,Map,Guide.