A dummy's guide to arriving in Tokyo

Let’s just put it this way. Japan has pushed Paris off from the Eiffel Tower to become my favourite place. But if I had to choose between Japan and Kerala as “heart”land, I would be quiet for a very, very long time.

So my Japan travelogues are long overdue. For a bit of clarity, I’ve been to Japan in 2023 (arrived late at 8.30 PM) and 2025 (arrived around 2 PM) - the experience was a bit different both times. To begin with, this is strictly for if you land at Narita Airport. Narita is in fact in Chiba and a good hour away from Tokyo. So here we are with the first set - my tips for a Japan first-timer.

1. Arrive early. Book a flight that allows you to arrive early - at least before 7 PM. Why? Because this is going to be a shock where and when you realise what it feels like to be illiterate. You’ll feel lost. You’ll be disoriented. It’s a bit terrifying. Though I have to say this - between 2023 and 2025, I found English being used exponentially. But nevertheless, arriving early means all the Help Desks and Easy Access Kiosks are still open and you can run around figuring things - what things exactly we will get into a little later.

2. Fill in your visa details two days before your trip on https://services.digital.go.jp/en/visit-japan-web/ - You will get a QR code that will help you get through immigration a lot faster. If you don’t, you’ll find yourself rummaging through your handbag to find a pen, in order to fill some intimidating little yellow form as you wait in line for Immigration. So when we arrived in 2023, we’d taken a 8.30 PM arrival flight, and we literally waltzed through immigration (not the same in 2025 in peak Sakura season) - which was great because it gave us enough time to find our bearings, albeit on headless chicken mode, take one of the last trains that connects Narita to Tokyo city with enough time to spare, for losing our way in Ueno Station (well after 10 in the night) and finally, taking a cab to our hotel. You’re probably wondering “Cabs? Now that’s an idea. Why don’t we take cabs?” NO, we don’t take cabs in Japan. Why? That’s point three

3. Cabs in Japan are freakishly expensive. If you want to take a cab, which you might need to if you’re travelling with a child or maybe with enough heads to split the fare - it will cost you anything between 7K to 15K INR. A one ticket on the Keisei Skyliner will cost you around INR 1500. So if the math (or the comfort) makes sense, cab away!

4. Factor in the time you’ll need in the airport. If you are like me - useless anxious panic traveller, or if you’re like Sahit - Overtly optimistic about ‘figuring it out’, there is a high chance that you’ll arrive “raw”. No phone connection, no inkling about the metro situation (or as in my case, plenty of inkling to be TERRIFIED but no real positive action taken), no SUICA card, etc. Here’s where the helpful kiosks come into play. To begin with, as soon as you clear customs, you’ll arrive at a great big lobby where you will find

- the tourism help-desk with super helpful folks (provided you reach before 9pm)

- You’ll be able to pick up your JR pass if you decide to go for it and even book your seats in advance. About the JR pass. It’s not necessary if you’re doing just Kyoto, Osaka and Tokyo - in fact, it’s absolutely not worth it. But hey don’t tale my word for it - you can actually check if it’s worth it right here https://www.japan-guide.com/railpass/ If on the other hand to plan on exploring more, it makes a lot of sense. 2023 had us wanting to just explore Tokyo and Kyoto - so we pretty much stood in long lines and booked each individual ticket at the counter, But in 2025, we took a 5 day JR East pass and it was magnificent.In fact, we took our own advice, arrived early at Narita - and booked our seats as well, all before leaving the airport. We rode the Shinkansen (bullet train) like we were made of money. Saw so much more of Japan. I’ll definitely be getting the JR pass again on my future trips.

- You can pick up your Welcome Suica or Pasmo card which will help you navigate public transport easily

- Kiosks to buy your eSIMs. When we arrived late back in 2023, we found most of these places closed and our only option (though a great one) was a Seven 11 near the Train station. Things may have changed now.

- ATMs to withdraw money. Though these ATMs are 24x7, finding them at your leisure is nice, right? In 2025 we literally went with zero currency. Having enough time has a lot of benefits.

- And lots of places to begin the amazing sub-journey which is Japan’s yummy food. Downtown Tokyo is almost an hour away and you’ll be hungry for sure after landing. Open food stores mean lots of yummy stuff to eat.

5. Withdraw cash at the airport. We found that it’s a lot more convenient to withdraw cash at the airport than bringing currency with us. And Japan is big on cash. Many places only accept cash - a bit of a culture-shock for us spoilt by UPI.

6. Be armed with Google Translate. Though in 2025, we did find that Japan was a lot more comfortable with English than in 2023 and continues on that tangent, it’s generally better for everyone concerned if they can focus on helping you rather than doing some annoying translation brainwork.

7. Pick up your eSIM at the airport and don’t leave the airport without internet. It’s not an experience I would recommend.

8. Limousine Buses are a lot more comfortable than taking the train. Your baggage isn’t in anyone’s way, you get a comfortable seat and there isn’t half the hassle. Also the bus stop is a lot easier to access. The Keisei Skyline platform is down some very intimidating steps - if I remember right. Not exactly what you want to be navigating with huge suitcases in tow.

9. Not a paid post. But Japan Airlines is fantastic.

10. Pack light. I can’t emphasise this enough. Japan is great for shopping. And you’re going to want to come back with loads of stuff. I promise you. The second time around, I literally packed just three days worth of clothes. Best decision ever. And yet, I ended up paying extra for excess baggage while returning. Also if you pack two days worth of clothes separately in a carry-on, you can have your luggage sent directly to your hotel. Services like Yamato are so valuable - look for the mommy cat carrying the baby cat insignia. Most hotel desks offer the luggage transport service as well. Saves you the trouble of lugging heavy suitcases up and down Japan’s nefarious metro stairs. Trust me, you’ll think of Yamato with such warmth after your trip.

In my opinion, arriving early is the biggest game changer and can make all the difference. Japan is a lovely destination and if I had it my way, I would visit the country every year.