Japan Recs BY ALLSTARSTEVEN Get the Japan Map →
← All cheat sheets

First 24 Hours in Japan

What to do, in order, the day you land.

Suica, ¥20k cash, eSIM. The rest is detail.

Visit Japan Web (VJW)

It’s optional. Fill it out anyway.

VJW is Japan’s pre-arrival digital form. You enter passport info, accommodation, and customs declaration before you land. At immigration, integrated kiosks at NRT, HND Terminal 3, and KIX can process passport + customs in one shot if you’ve completed it.

Skipping it isn’t a problem — you can still arrive with paper forms. The integrated lane is faster.

Fill out Visit Japan Web.

IC card (Suica / PASMO / ICOCA)

Anonymous Suica and PASMO sales resumed March 1, 2025 after a two-year suspension. Buy them at JR machines or station counters.

  • Physical Suica/PASMO — buy at any JR or subway counter. ¥500 deposit + load.
  • Welcome Suica — tourist version, no deposit, valid 28 days. Sold at Narita and Haneda.
  • Mobile Suica (iPhone) — set up in Apple Wallet before you fly. Welcome Suica Mobile (launched March 2025) can be issued pre-arrival.
  • Mobile IC on Android — most foreign Androids don’t support it. Samsung adds support around 2027. Plan for physical IC.

Use the same card for trains, buses, konbini, vending machines, lockers. ICOCA works in Kyoto/Osaka. All IC cards interoperate nationwide.

Which card to buy and how to top it up: the IC cards sheet.

Cash

Pull ¥10,000–¥20,000 before you leave the airport. Yes, even in 2026.

  • Seven Bank ATMs — at every 7-Eleven. English UI. Accepts foreign cards.
  • Japan Post ATMs — at post offices. English UI. Foreign cards work.

Skip DCC (“convert at terminal? Yes/No”). Always pay in yen. DCC is always a worse rate.

eSIM

Set it up before you fly. Activate on landing.

Provider options worth checking: Airalo, Ubigi, Sakura Mobile, Mobal, Klook. Pick a Docomo-network plan if rural coverage matters. Tokyo doesn’t matter — every plan works.

Full setup steps and which plan to pick: the phone setup sheet.

Free station Wi-Fi exists at major JR and Tokyo Metro stations. Backup, not a primary plan.

Luggage forwarding (Yamato)

If your hotel isn’t a 30-min ride from the airport, forward your bags. Walk into Japan without dragging a suitcase up Shibuya station stairs.

Yamato (黒猫ヤマト) accepts at airport counters at NRT, HND, KIX. Up to 200cm linear (length + width + height) and 30kg. ¥660 airport handling fee at all three airports, plus a ¥660 counter usage fee at NRT and HND (KIX is handling fee only). Per-route shipping on top — typically ¥2,500–¥3,000 from airport to Tokyo hotel. Arrives at your hotel next day.

Sizes, fees, and how to fill the counter form: the luggage forwarding sheet.

Power bank rules (new, April 2026)

Effective April 24, 2026, mobile batteries and power banks have new carry-on rules. Check JNTO’s current notice before you pack.

Tourist departure tax (July 2026)

The international departure tax rises from ¥1,000 to ¥3,000 starting July 1, 2026. Under-2 exempt. Built into your departure flight ticket — you won’t pay separately.