Though speaking of covid… I was last there in December/January off this year, and it was masks everywhere all the time. I think copying locals is a good idea, so if they were wearing masks, I was too. There are no legal restrictions, however.
I had a passmo the first time I went, but having it on my phone was GAME CHANGING. I think there’s some part shortage, but tbh I’m pretty sure the 30-day tourist one isn’t suffering… Just I’d always choose to not have a card over one!!
But most of all, you will get a free pass because you’re a foreigner & the Japanese recognise there is A LOT of nuance to their culture. They will want to help you and go out of their way to do so :) you’ll have a great time, don’t get super hung up on the formalities - you’re not expected to know!
Because you will (obviously) be a tourist, there will be club people who try and get you into their club. Don’t go because there are reports of people having their drinks spiked and bank accounts emptied…
Don’t buy street food and walk and eat. Step to the side to eat. Japan, especially Tokyo is v quiet, basically no one talks on public transport. Osaka is much livelier. “Oshiikatta desu” means “it was delicious” and is nice to say to people when you leave a restaurant.
We often split our chopsticks and rub them together to get rid of splinters - also don’t do this - it implies you think the quality of their chopsticks is bad! Book ahead for restaurants or be prepared to wait. “PLACE wa doko desu ka?” Is “where is PLACE?” and like the most valuable sentence EVER!
Get suica/passmo on your Apple Pay/Google wallet - there’s a shortage of cards atm. You can top up and use it to pay for things, transport, anywhere that takes IC payment. Don’t leave chopsticks stuck in your rice (funeral imagery) Don’t tip - considered exceptionally rude In the U.K. we often
I wrote a thing a long time ago and posted it for the NSFW Eruri week event happening on Twitter: https://archiveofourown.org/works/50307112
You get them every two weeks