Japan - Impressions of Tokyo and Top Tips for Travel

27 August 2015 - RPS Partnership

Director of Objective Travel Safety Charlie McGrath, lands in Japan and as a partner of RPS sends us this exclusive look at what it's like to arrive in Tokyo for the first time. Since Japan is a place that RPS finds interesting and new, we wanted to share this with you as soon as we could. He wrote this today for us. Thanks to Charlie for his impressions and top tips to aid you if you are off there on your travels on holiday or business.

Charlie sends us this report:

My first impression was bizarre to say the least. I wondered whether I had landed in a SARS or Ebola zone. I was greeted by a mask wearing immigration official who was very polite but looked completely ridiculous amongst scores of non wearing human beings!

Its been a delight to be here on business. Tokyo is a modern city (the US Air Force flattened most of bit in the latter months of the war) and works well. Its clean, doesn’t feel very crowded (but suspect I have got lucky) and everyone is so polite. Yes there is quite a bit of bowing that goes on and I have learnt that you either bow or shake hands but don’t do both, an error which President Obama made on greeting the Emperor a year back.  

So some useful advice

Getting from the airport (Henada in my case) to central Tokyo is easiest by Monorail and then Metro to Tokyo central station. The metro is easy to use, is cheap, a 20 minute journey will cost about £1.50. As well as names all the stations have numbers and on the platform there are notices displaying station directions so one is less likely to go the wrong way, that old trick!  The metro opens at 0530 and run until 2300 or so.

Taxis are plentiful. You pay the exact fare and don’t tip. Tipping generally doesn’t happen in Japan, which makes life easier. Of note, taxi rear doors open and close automatically, once again its that great service culture.

It's summer so it's luckily not too hot this week but it was 35c + last week with rampant humidity.  Sensibly, jackets are generally not worn in the summer nor are ties but for a formal business meetings it's best to wear a suit jacket or blazer. Generally every one is well dressed, especially the ladies, so if in doubt go smarter, a concept I tend to struggle with.

Lunch seems to be prompt at 1200 and normal working hours are 9 to 6. The food is a delight, you can eat loads and one don’t feel too full. 

Things to see and do

I got up early to see the Tsukiji fish market, I should have made the effort to get there at 0330 to see the Tuna auction, something worth considering.

For a day excursion Nikko national park & city to the north, about 1 1/2 hrs by train, is apparently worth a visit.

I’m planning to go to Kyoto, the old Imperial city by bullet train on Saturday. Love trains so that is one reason but it's meant to be well worth a visit. The city was spared by US Air Force due to its historical importance and they say it made the shortlist for an H bomb but Nagasaki got unlucky on that one! 

Thanks to Charlie McGrath of Objective Travel Safety. if you need travel support, guidance or training contact us on [email protected]

Photos; thanks to Charlie McGrath