Is traveling to Japan a cause for concern? You might have various worries, such as budget or the language barrier. Is there a way to travel to Japan that is both reasonable and easy?
Summary
- Package tours are convenient for traveling in Japan.
- Pros: Easy budget planning, potentially lower prices, no need for detailed planning, no getting lost, and language issues are resolved.
- Cons: Fixed schedules, low flexibility, and difficulty in choosing specific accommodations or shopping spots.
Characters
- Mike: A 12-year-old American boy interested in Japan.
- John: Mike’s father, who frequently visits Japan for work.
- Kelly: Mike’s mother, an excellent cook.
- Nobu: A Japanese international student.
Prologue
Although Japan is small, each region has strong unique characteristics, which I believe is what makes it interesting for people from overseas. From the cold winters of Hokkaido to the temperate climates of Kyushu and Shikoku, the features of the land vary greatly.
Accordingly, the food is also different. The seafood culture of the coastal areas differs from the food culture of the inland areas. I believe these regional differences are one of the joys of traveling in Japan. However, I also think that traveling in Japan is not easy.
For example, the language barrier is a significant issue. This is because many Japanese people are not very good at English. While transportation signs may have English notations, restaurant menus do not necessarily have them. Furthermore, transportation requires transfers, which can be difficult for those who are not used to it.
Is there a way to make traveling in Japan easy? Actually, there is. In this article, I will introduce a means to travel through Japan easily.
Traveling in Japan is Not Easy
Mike: “Traveling in Japan sounds interesting, but I hear it’s quite a lot of work. Japanese seems difficult, and it looks like it costs a lot of money… but I’d still love to go.”
John: “I agree that traveling to Japan isn’t easy. To be honest, I didn’t feel much inconvenience on my business trips, but I only went to places related to work, the airport, and the hotel.”
Mike: “What did the city look like when you saw it from a car or something?”
John: “The city certainly looked difficult. The first thing I noticed was that most shop signs were written only in Japanese. What’s more, they are often written in Kanji, so I think it’s tough if you don’t know the language.”
Mike: “Anything else?”
John: “I also felt it when I used convenience stores. They have a great selection of items, but there are very few clerks who can speak English. I’m not sure about international students working part-time, but Japanese clerks seem to have a language barrier.”
Mike: “If that’s the case, wouldn’t language be a problem in restaurants too?”
John: “I suppose so.”
Characteristics of Package Tours
Nobu: “Hello!”
John: “Hi! You’ve come at a good time. We were just talking about traveling in Japan.”
Nobu: “Traveling in Japan? I think it’s fun because there are places and foods you’ve never seen before.”
Mike: “I’m sure that’s true. But Japanese is hard, and I don’t think it’s easy.”
Nobu: “I see. But it’s not like there are no options.”
John: “What do you mean?”
Nobu: “You can use package tours planned by travel agencies. With a package tour, I think you can enjoy traveling in Japan easily.”
John: “I see. A package tour. In that case, there will likely be guides and interpreters, so we can feel at ease.”
Nobu: “Moreover, since they plan tours specifically for people from overseas, you can visit interesting places smoothly. I recommend it for beginners traveling to Japan.”
John: “But aren’t there any concerns?”
Nobu: “Yes, there are. Shall we list the pros and cons?”
Pros of Package Tours
Nobu: “First, let me introduce the merits of package tours.”
Easy to Plan a Budget
Nobu: “The first point is that ‘it’s easy to set a budget.’ Prices in Japan can be high, so if you keep shopping, you’ll quickly exceed your budget. Also, transportation costs can vary depending on the means you use, which can affect your budget.”
John: “For example, what kind of price differences are there in transportation?”
Nobu: “Planes and trains are very different, and even on trains, prices vary surprisingly between reserved and non-reserved seats.”
John: “I see, so even trains have different prices for different seats. In that case, since package tours have a fixed itinerary and price, it’s easy to plan your budget.”
Prices May Be Lower
Nobu: “Next, it may be cheaper than going by yourself.”
John: “Does the total cost of the trip change too?”
Nobu: “Yes. This is because travel agencies have special contracts with hotels and transportation companies. They can often keep prices lower than usual.”
John: “Reasonable prices and a fixed budget—that’s very convenient.”
No Need for Detailed Planning
Nobu: “The fact that you don’t need to make a plan is also a benefit.”
John: “That’s certainly true. To travel in an unknown land, it’s better to have a plan. Especially when going to a place where the language isn’t understood.”
Nobu: “And since the travel agency organizes the itinerary, you can easily enjoy Japan.”
Mike: “By the way, if I were to make a plan myself, how hard would it be?”
Nobu: “First, you have to look up transportation. And that includes how to buy tickets. There are tickets for foreign tourists, but not all transportation in Japan supports them.”
John: “And having to judge from Japanese materials would be truly difficult.”
No Getting Lost
Nobu: “The fact that you don’t have to get lost is another benefit.”
Mike: “Do people get lost that often?”
Nobu: “Yes. It’s unexpectedly risky for people not used to traveling. Stations are large and complicated. The Tokyo subway spreads out like a spider web. Moreover, maps aren’t always written in English. There are countless points of anxiety.”
Mike: “I see. That’s scary.”
Nobu: “In that regard, with a package tour, a tour conductor will guide you. You won’t get lost in transportation or on the streets.”
Language Issues are Resolved
Nobu: “And the biggest benefit is that ‘language problems are resolved.’ While machine translation is available, it has its limits. Not all travelers know about devices that can perform automatic translation.”
John: “By the way, in what kind of places would we have trouble?”
Nobu: “You might not have trouble in major cities across the country. However, I think it’s different in rural towns. With a guide, they will translate for you, so the language problem won’t be as big.”
Cons of Package Tours
John: “Next, could you tell us about the disadvantages?”
Nobu: “Yes, I think the disadvantages include the following.”
Fixed Schedules
Nobu: “The first thing that can be mentioned is that ‘the time is fixed.'”
John: “Specifically, what does that mean?”
Nobu: “A good example is that stay times are fixed. For instance, at a museum, some people might want to take their time and look at things in detail. However, in a package tour, the time and itinerary are decided, so it’s difficult to be flexible with time.”
Low Freedom in Traveling
Nobu: “There’s also the point that the freedom of the trip is low, such as destinations being limited.”
John: “Freedom of travel? What kind of points are there?”
Nobu: “For example, the destination. People from overseas might enjoy seeing historical buildings in Kyoto, but someone who wants to know about tea ceremony culture would be interested in Kyoto’s tea utensils. However, a package tour won’t necessarily go to such specific places.”
Nobu: “It also applies to those who want to enjoy Japanese food. You can enjoy food cultures known overseas like sushi, but you rarely encounter ‘B-grade gourmet’ (cheap local soul food) enjoyed by common people.”
Kelly: “What? What is this B-grade gourmet?”
Nobu: “If I start that conversation, we’ll get off track, so I’ll explain it another time.”
Difficulty Choosing Accommodations and Shopping Spots
Nobu: “It might also be difficult to choose accommodations and shopping spots. The travel agency decides the accommodation, so you might not be able to stay in a place you like. For example, you might want to stay at a Ryokan (inn) with a remote hot spring in the countryside, but you’re made to stay at a hotel in a big city.”
About Meals
Kelly: “I’d like to ask, can’t we have meals freely on a package tour?”
Nobu: “That depends on the tour. For example, if it’s a tour with free time, you can eat what you like. However, since the overall freedom of the trip is low, it won’t be a case of ‘eating whatever you like from all over Japan.'”
Nobu: “And again, language will be an issue. There are interpreters on the tour, but they won’t necessarily be with you during free time. Certainly, automatic translation is possible now, but it’s hard to say it’s completely reliable.”
Which One Should You Choose?
Mike: “Then, which is recommended: a package tour or a self-guided trip?”
Nobu: “That depends on the person. If someone is an experienced traveler, has plenty of time and budget, and knows some Japanese, I think it’s better to travel freely. However, for a person visiting Japan for the first time with limited time and budget, a package tour would be better.”
Nobu: “But ultimately, it’s a case-by-case basis. For example, people who want to walk through a city that was the setting of an anime should go freely. Also, people with small children might prefer a package tour. If the risk of a child getting lost is low, it’s much safer.”
From My Own Experience
The content of this article is based on research, but the reason I wrote it is due to my own experiences.
This is because I have seen people from overseas having a hard time during their travels in Japan and have helped them. I wrote this hoping there would be information that makes planning a trip to Japan easy.
I have many such experiences, but here are a few episodes:
Episode: Staff at a Zoo Information Desk Couldn’t Speak English
This happened at Ueno Zoo in Tokyo. While walking through the zoo with my family, I saw someone appealing for something in English at the information desk. Looking at their appearance, they seemed to be of Indian descent. They were hurriedly appealing in English, but unfortunately, the staff could not understand it.
When I called out to the person, “Can I help you?”, they said, “I lost my wallet.” I immediately told the staff, and the wallet was returned safely.
By the way, many readers might think, “There’s no way a lost wallet would come back,” but this is a true story. Japan is such a safe country that wallets sometimes do come back.
Episode: Guiding a Lost Person
I have also guided someone who was lost. They were an elderly British couple I met in a complicated neighborhood near my house; even looking at smartphone maps, they didn’t seem to understand. When I called out to them, they said they were heading to a convenience store quite far away. I thought they wouldn’t be able to reach it easily, so I ended up guiding them.
Episode: Guiding Someone from the Station to Accommodations
I once helped someone who was lost inside a station. The person seemed troubled at a subway station ticket gate. When I spoke to them, they said they wanted to go to a nearby accommodation but had gotten lost. Indeed, accommodations don’t have conspicuous signs, so they aren’t easy to find. Even with smartphone maps, it looks difficult. In the end, I took them there myself, but traveling in an unknown land without a guide and with a language barrier seemed very tough.
Conclusion
We have discussed package tours in Japan. You have likely seen that while there are great benefits, such as the language barrier being resolved, there are also pros and cons, such as not being able to set the itinerary freely.
Also, I hope this has served as a criterion for deciding whether you would use a package tour yourself.
In any case, it is possible for even beginners to enjoy a trip to Japan. Even if you are not used to traveling, please look forward to visiting Japan!
