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In early March of 2014, I embarked on a 2 week adventure with my sister, brother-in-law and my nephew. We visited Japan, Macau, and Hong Kong during this stint. I have never been to Japan before nor have I learned anything about the Japanese language and culture prior to this trip. I was excited for a great challenge to a world of unknown.

We started our trip to Japan on March 6, 2014 from Hong Kong, flying Delta on an 8am flight to Narita International Airport. We got there at 1pm. Upon arrival at Narita, we had plans to take an express train from the airport to Ueno Station. After claiming our luggage, we easily saw the Keisei Skyliner ad plastered on the walls screaming to us to buy tickets. The fare from Narita to Ueno Station costs 2400 yen, which was approximately $24 USD, one way. It took only 41 minutes.

To purchase transportation tickets to elsewhere or further than Ueno Station, purchase a PASMO pass (equivalent to a debit card/metrocard) available at vending machines where indicated. You can personalize your PASMO card so that in the event it gets lost, you can have it reissued. Please see the recommendations page for direct links to more transportation details. PASMO can also be used at their 7-Eleven's or Family Mart or wherever you see the PASMO sign on their entrance doors.

Upon arriving at Ueno Station, we looked for an information desk so that we can find the directions to our hotel. The information booth was very helpful and provided us with a map and told us clear directions. As we left the station, we saw the JR Train Station directly across the street. The JR line system is a major transit hub that have railways all over Tokyo. Ueno is northeast of Tokyo Station and has a lot of eateries, stores, arcades, clothing/shoe stores.

Ueno Station JR Ueno Station

The many lines on the JR Line:

Our hotel was about 8 minutes from Ueno Station. We stayed at the Super Hotel Ueno Iriyaguchi. I totally recommend the Super Hotels which is a chain all over Japan.

Before I blog my day to day adventure in Japan, I would like to share some important tips and these may be repeated on the last page of this site.

IMPORTANT TIPS:

1. The Japanese use yen (money) which is easy to convert approximately into dollars. For example if you had $1dollar, it would be 100 yen. If you had $100, then you have 10,000 yen. Anytime I see a price in yen, I just ignore the last two digits to get the USD value.
2. It is important to observe the Japanese culture. People bow a lot and the Japanese people are VERY patient. People wait for the traffic lights to turn and rarely does anyone jaywalk.
3. Be careful of bikes, people ride them on the sidewalks and they can come in any direction!
4. When you take public transportation, people line up before boarding.
5. There's no need to tip for service. At all.
6. There are many types of trains. The most popular are the ones that run on the JR lines...see map. Always go to a JR station agent for directions if you feel lost. They have maps and will tell you exactly what track you should go on if you know what station you are going to.
7. PASMO is the equivalent of a Metrocard. It acts like a debit card. You tap the card when you enter a station and when you exit. Consider the JR Rail Pass if you are staying longer than 2 weeks.
8. The time difference is 13 hours ahead of NYC.
9. The weather is very similar to NYC. When I went it was 40-50 degrees Fahrenheit, early March.
10. Speaking of measurements, Japan use Celcius and meters, for temperature and distance, respectively.
11. You do not really need an international adapter/charger as the plugs are very much the same as the US. Voltage may be different though.
12. Try using your yen coins first before the big bills.
13. Some food shops operate on ordering through the coin machine.
14. Hotel rooms are really small. The Super Hotels have tv, fridge, bathroom, and hairdryer. Ironing board and phones are outside of the room.
15. The Japanese drive on the left side of the road so the steering wheel is on the right side of the car.
16. Many food places do not have English menus but a lot of have picture menus.
17. A lot of people wear masks to cover their mouths.
18. It's strange that this is a tip but toilet seats are heated.
19. Always take the free tissue packets that they hand out in the streets.
20. I did not come across this, but be prepared to take off your shoes any time you enter a place with a rug.
21. A lot of places do not accept credit cards. It's best to carry yen.
22. Oh, and YOU WILL BE JETLAGGED when you come back to the US. Why? It's a 13 hour time difference and I just finished this website at 4:33 am in the morning!
23. And lastly, there's not a lot of people that speak English, at least where I stayed around.