The more rural/traditional a place is , the less likely they are to have English translations but there are exceptions to every rule!

Google translate isn’t as inaccurate as I thought so using the photo translator function can sometimes be very helpful

Some restaurants do have a “no foreigner policy” so keep an eye out for signs in the window (I didn't encounter one myself so you should be okay)

Personal opinion: after you’ve seen one or two shrines/temples, they can become a bit repetitive so I’d personally pick the nicest looking ones and go there if you're not heavily into historical attractions

If you have a tattoo then certain establishments will turn you down straight away e.g. Onsens (public baths) or gyms. Safe thing to do is cover exposed tattoos with clothes, makeup or skin coloured bandages/plasters. From what I’ve heard some places will kick you out otherwise

If you ever need to charge your phone , check for a Family Mart that has seats inside as they have plugs. Did this once when I was in Tokyo and it helped preserve battery

Some food places won't tell you in advance if they have a service charge per person (not that common though)

HALAL FOOD/FOOD REQUIREMENTS: If you have dietary requirements I would definitely triple check the establishments menu as a lot of dishes e.g. ramen tend to use pork as a base ingredient. Looking for vegan friendly spots can often be an issue if you're not located somewhere with loads of options (especially if you're out late as some Japanese areas close early e.g 5pm/6pm)

If you can't use chopsticks it's okay trust me a lot of places should have forks available if you ask the staff (lifesaver)

When it comes to potential language barriers, it's unpredictable whether you'll be spoken to in Japanese or English. On some occasions, staff will see that you're a foreigner and automatically speak to you in English. On other occasions staff will ONLY speak to you in Japanese. Japanese workers tend to be very patient so if you end up using broken English or a translator - they will bear with you

A lot of guides place a lot of emphasis on short clothing being taboo but wearing shorts and skirts (mainly in urban areas/cities e.g. Tokyo) is okay as long as it's not overly revealing. Trust me there will always be someone wearing something shorter than you

If you have braids or a protective hairstyle be prepared for compliments and touching (especially if it's coloured). I've had multiple encounters where I've received lovely compliments but also had the odd hair strand touching from a staff member or customer behind me

Beware of the word 'Gaijin' which can be a slur. It's the shortened version of Gaikokujin which means foreigner. A teacher of mine let us know that it can be used in a derogatory way

Common tip but a majority of places are still cash only.

Only place I've withdrawn money from is Family Mart (I'm with Lloyds). Sadly their ATM does charge a small fee of ¥100/¥220 depending on how huge the amount is (check if your bank charges you themselves otherwise you'll be hit with x3 fees)

I bought ¥ on the Eurochange site as they were the closest place in my area that had the highest ¥ rate

There are stores that have a ‘tax-free’ exception on purchases made by tourists. You keep your passport on you to show proof of your short stay. You either pay the full price and get the tax money refunded at the airport (using the tax receipt) OR you'll have the tax removed at the store.

UNIQLO and a few other stores have the tax free option if you spend over 5000 yen (around £28.50) A lot of skincare/drugstores tend to have this tax-free option also. There will always be huge white and red signs outside or by the till (written in English) signifying so

If you're buying skincare products I would avoid anything that has 美白 'bihaku' on it as the term refers to whitening

If you're paying for something Japanese online, check if you can switch the currency to £ beforehand (saves you from fees!)

When taking trains, there's maps above the ticket machine. The system works similar to the zone 1-6 function in London but unfortunately sometimes the maps aren't always translated.

If you go onto your phone's ‘Apple Wallet’ you can add ICOCA or SUICA cards to your wallet and pay for travel that way (they’re the Japanese equivalents of an Oyster card) Some cards only work within certain areas of Japan so I recommend researching which one is suitable) You can also buy the physical cards (deposit required)

> Link to a site that explains the different transport cards: 'IC CARDS'

I used Google maps to help me out in Kyoto and both the journey and local train cost tend to be accurate. I've noticed the price accuracy in other places is slightly off.

In Tokyo, whatever price Google Maps tells you, round it up to the next multiple of 10 (e.g. if Google maps says the ticket is ¥252 then it's really ¥260)

If your journey requires switching Tokyo metro lines, just buy a ticket straight to your final destination rather than separate tickets for each line as it's cheaper

There are ‘fare adjustment machines’ close to the train barriers if you switched train lines and your ticket price didn't cover the cost of your full journey. If you switched train without having to exit any barriers then you can insert your original ticket and it will calculate the difference in fare that needs to be paid

If your phone company has high data roaming fees then Ubigi or similar sites are a lifesaver. They have different plans e.g. “one off payments”. If you’re doing a multi-tour holiday you can find plans that cover multiple countries in Asia. You can also rent Wi-Fi hubs at the airport

If you’re into collecting items, some JR/train stations have stamps you can collect. There are special stamp books you can buy/order online but any paper you want to use is fine as you stamp them yourself. A lot of Temples/Shrines also have stamps you can collect (some charge you for them)

There are indeed trains with 'Women Only Carts' however not all of them run 24/7 so you sometimes see men sitting in there

If you want to save money, check if the airport you're arriving at has an 'Airport Limousine Bus'. I used this to go from Osaka (ITM) to Kyoto Station and I only paid around £7

If you're a Londoner then you may be immune to this but I would say please triple check that you're taking the right entrance/exit and that the metro line you're heading towards is correct!! With how huge and busy the stations can be in Tokyo, I've often gone the wrong way or been confused by the signs. The exits sometimes can be extremely long to walk through also.

Stations and some public areas have coin lockers of different sizes that you can store stuff in while you're out and about.

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TOKYO SYSTEM

The Tokyo train companies are the JR trains (think of it as the London Overground) Tokyo Metro and Toei Subway

Different day tickets: Buying day tickets for the metro is something I'd definitely recommend as it's often more cost friendly HOWEVER be careful with which ticket you buy. There are 3/4 options at the machines:

Tokyo Metro 24hr Ticket: self explanatory, an unlimited rides ticket that lasts 24 hours from the time of purchase

Tokyo Metro & Toei Subway 24hr Ticket: although the metro line logos all look the same, not all subway lines are actually under the 'Tokyo Metro' company. This means that a standard Tokyo Metro ticket^ will not permit you to ride certain lines (I learnt this the hard way) I'll insert a photo underneath!

Tokyo Combination Ticket: This ticket "allows unrestricted travel on all nine Tokyo Metro lines, all four Toei Subway lines, the Tokyo Sakura Trams (Toden), Toei Buses, all zones of the Nippori-Toneri Liner and all JR lines within the wards of Tokyo.

If I remember correctly, there is also a ticket combo for the Tokyo Subway and JR trains. In conclusion it's best to check your journey beforehand so you can assess which ticket is best so you can save money.