Traveling to Japan will involve a lot of preparation and planning. You need to contact one of the real estate agencies in Sapporo or any city or town you are visiting so you can book accommodation. You will also need to book flights and organize work if you want to earn money while you are away.
After this point, you can start researching more about Japanese culture and laws to prepare yourself before moving. If you plan to work in Japan, you should be aware of tax and employment laws.
To help with your research, here are four things to know when you’re traveling to Japan for several weeks or months, whether you’re going downtown or to a remote Japanese ski resort.
- Japan Has a Unique Culture
If you are planning to relocate to Japan for an extended period of time, whether for work or pleasure, it is important to learn more about Japanese culture. Japan has a unique culture that is unlike any other culture in the world, and if you don’t do your research, you’re in for some serious culture shock.
For example, Japan has a very polite culture, and everyone is expected to respect the elderly population. You will be expected to remove your shoes when you are inside, he is illegal to playand tattoos are a no-no in Japan.
Spend some time learning about the dos and don’ts of Japanese culture before you leave on your travels so you can avoid offending the locals!
- Japan’s Popular Zones are expensive
Japan is known for being very expensive, especially in large and populated cities like Tokyo. It’s not just the rent that is relatively expensive in these areas either; groceries, transportation, and entertainment facilities can also be expensive.
If you are traveling on a budget, you need to be careful where you stay. Choose quieter areas that are a little further out in the suburbs where accommodation is much cheaper. You can use the reliable public transport system to travel into the city for work if necessary.
- Japan Doesn’t Have Much Vegetarian Food
Those of you following a vegetarian or vegan diet may struggle to eat well in Japan. While there are a few veggie restaurants here and there, you will be restricted to what you can eat for the most part.
Even dishes that appear to be vegetarian at first glance may contain pieces of chopped meat or may be cooked in broth derived from animals.
- There is a ‘Golden Week’
Between April 29th and May 5th, Japan celebrates something called Golden Week.
In this week, there are four of the 16 national holidays, so the majority of Japanese workers try to book it off work. If you are working during your travels in Japan, you may struggle to get paid holidays during Golden Week for this reason.
If you’re someone who hates the hustle and bustle of large crowds, it’s probably best to avoid traveling too much during this week.