Preparing for a Week in Tokyo: Culture Crash Course for First-Timers

Your relative's year teaching English is the ultimate insider access. A week is short — prepare wisely to go beyond tourist Tokyo.

1. Master the Micro-Etiquette (High ROI)

• Bowing: 15° (casual), 30° (standard), 45° (formal/apology).
• Shoes off: Homes, temples, ryokan, some restaurants — look for slippers/genkan.
• Chopsticks: Never stick vertically in rice (funeral rite); don't pass food stick-to-stick.
• Queueing: Sacred — train platforms, convenience stores, ramen shops.
• Quiet: Phones on manner mode; no calls on transit; low voices everywhere.

2. Learn 10 Survival Phrases

Sumimasen (excuse me/thank you), Arigatō gozaimasu, Onegaishimasu (please), Wakarimasen (don't understand), Oishii (delicious), Kanpai (cheers), Toire wa doko desu ka (where's the toilet), Ikura desu ka (how much), Daijōbu (OK/no thanks), Yoroshiku onegaishimasu (please treat me well).

3. Digital Prep

• Apps: Google Maps (transit), Navitime/Japan Travel (rail), Google Translate (camera), Suica/Pasmo (IC card on iPhone Wallet), Line (messaging), Gurunavi/Tabelog (restaurants).
• Pocket Wi-Fi / eSIM: Reserve pre-arrival (Sakura Mobile, Ninja WiFi, Ubigi).

4. Neighborhood Mental Map

• Shibuya/Shinjuku: Youth, neon, chaos.
• Ginza/Tokyo Station: Luxury, business, history.
• Asakusa/Ueno: Old Tokyo, temples, museums, market streets.
• Shimokitazawa/Koenji: Vintage, indie music, vintage.
• Yanaka/Nezu/Sendagi: Survived firebombing — wooden lanes, cats, temples.

5. Food Strategy

• Convenience store (konbini) meals are legit — onigiri, sandwiches, salads.
• Department store depachika (basement food halls) — artisanal everything.
• Standing bars (tachinomi), yakitori alleys (Omoide Yokocho), sushi trains.
• Tell your host: "Take me where you eat on nights off."

6. Cultural Immersion (Ask Your Host to Arrange)

• Morning zazen at a temple (e.g., Sōji-ji, Engaku-ji).
• Workshop: calligraphy, indigo dyeing, knife sharpening.
• Neighborhood association (chōnaikai) festival or clean-up.
• Onsen/sentō etiquette — tattoo policy check.

7. Practicalities

• Cash still king (¥10k, ¥5k, ¥1k notes; coins). 7-Eleven ATMs take foreign cards.
• Trash cans rare — carry a bag.
• JR Pass likely not worth it for 1 week Tokyo-only; Suica + occasional Shinkansen if day-tripping.
• Travel insurance — medical costs high for non-residents.

Your host is your cultural decoder. Ask questions, observe, say sumimasen often. Tokyo rewards the respectful.