Purchase a prepaid, rechargeable Suica card, which offers a seamless and cashless way to travel on public transportation and make small purchases across Japan. This includes JR local and rapid-trains, most subways, buses, and private railways in major cities. This does NOT include Shinkansen (bullet train) travel or local travel in Hakone.
In Tokyo, use Suica on JR lines (like the Yamanote Line), subways, and buses to explore efficiently. In Kyoto, use Suica for JR trains, subways, buses, and even private lines like Hankyu or Keihan for temple visits and other attractions. Use Suica on either the JR Nara Line or Kintetsu Line for convenient travel from Kyoto to Nara. Suica works on both JR (e.g., Special Rapid Service) and private rail lines, like Hankyu or Keihan, for quick and easy travel from Kyoto to Osaka.
Purchasing: You can purchase a mobile Suica card (iPhone ONLY) via Apple Wallet app: Click + (Add) > Transit Cards > [Search for Suica]. Enter a minimum amount for the card (¥1000 = ~$6) and add the card to your wallet! For Android users, you can't get the digital card, so you'll have to buy a Welcome Suica physical card, found at most Tokyo stations, or get a Pasmo card, which you can purchase at most Tokyo metro stations, and afterwards use it from your phone.
For Shinkansen travel from Odawara (Hakone) to Kyoto and from Kyoto to Tokyo, buy a separate ticket for the specific route. You can purchase bullet train tickets on the JR East Train Reservation System. Tickets for a specific date are usually available a month or so in advance. The best app to reserve Shinkansen (bullet train) tickets in Japan is the "smartEX" app from the Central Japan Railway Company, which allows you to easily book most Shinkansen trains online, including seat reservations, and is considered the most user-friendly option for direct booking on your phone
Purchase a Romancecar seat reservation to get from Tokyo (Shinjuku Station) to Hakone (Hakone-Yumoto station) via a scenic route with panoramic views. Get the Hakone Free Pass to cover all local trains, cable cars, ropeways, pirate ships and buses in Hakone. Both can be purchased at https://www.odakyu.jp (mobile device only). Tickets for a specific date are usually available a month or so in advance.
Luup is a sharing service in Japan offering e-bikes for short-distance travel in urban areas. Users can locate, unlock, and rent vehicles through the Luup app, available for iOS and Android. Simply scan the QR code on the vehicle to unlock it, ride to your destination, and park it at a designated Luup port to end your trip. Luup operates in major cities like Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka, providing a convenient and eco-friendly way to explore the city.
To make the customs process faster, fill out the Visit Japan Web form. You can pre-register your information online using the Visit Japan Web service. This will save you time and frustration by eliminating the need to fill out forms at the airport. You can generate a QR code that you can use at the arrival computer and the customs declaration computer.
Transport to Shinjuku Station West Exit:
Consider an eSim instead of your carrier:
For ATM withdrawals, use a debit card that doesn't charge foreign transaction fees and covers any ATM fees. If you don't have a debit card like that, you can apply for a checking account through https://www.betterment.com/checking. There are no fees to open their checking account, no minimum to keep it open, and their debit card doesn't charge foreign transaction fees and covers any ATM fees.
When withdrawing cash, iIf prompted to allow the ATM to execute the currency conversion - do not allow. Not allowing the ATM to provide currency conversion, currency conversion will be done by your bank instead which is always a much better rate.
When dining or shopping, if prompted to pay in Yen or dollars, pay in the local currency- same principle as the above point applies.