Japan is a country many of us have on our bucket lists. Planning is essential no matter the country. Japan has so much to offer that planning is even more essential, especially when you are coming for the first time. If you love planning, it will be bliss for you to go through this adventure; however, if planning is not your favorite activity, it can be a nightmare, particularly if you don’t speak Japanese.
Don’t worry. You are not alone, and there are a lot of helpful sites and social media accounts you can utilize in your planning. Below find tips and tricks when planning your first visit and account worth following.
When I started to browse the internet for some good advice on what to see, what to do, how much Japanese I need, and all of the other questions that are as well in your mind, there are many communities you can join or videos to watch no matter the social media.
Below find my recommendations.
Facebook is among the first social media I recommend. Various groups helped me out when I was planning the trip. The communities in these groups are very welcoming.
Japan Travel Planning is my favorite group, and most of my information was from there. People share anything of interest and help to answer all the additional questions you might have.
TOKYO Travel Tips is another good group to join. For a first-timer, Tokyo is the city where you should spend some time. And because it’s enormous, you need as much information as possible.
Of course, you will find much more groups, but those two will give you what you need, and as mentioned, the whole community is very welcoming.
While still on Facebook, there is one more guy you should follow. He is the admin of the TOKYO Travel Tips and posts very regularly while giving the best tips for places to visit that are not touristy. And he does not restrict himself only to tips for Tokyo.
Do not hesitate and follow Nobu Yoshioka. He regularly also posts video guidance and is very seasonal. You will get to know what is happening at the present moment in Japan.
Let’s move to Youtube. When you first enter the search field “visiting Japan,” you will be overwhelmed by the number of videos that will pop up. And there are a few channels and videos you should not miss out on.
Among channels you should start following are:
The channel started in 2013 and soon became one of the top 5 channels when planning your trip to Japan. The channel features a variety of topics, from best travel spots to street food, subculture, and much more. You really can find everything here.
Rachel and Jun are an international Japanese-American couple that initially started their channel to keep each other updated during their long-distance relationship. Later they married and now post their adventures from Japan. It gives you a vibe of Japanese culture, and both of them are very pleasant to listen to and it is also a lot of fun.
Angela moved from New Zealand to Tokyo, and since the move, she has tried to share destinations and attractions that people usually do not hear from. She shares lesser-known spots and encourages us to visit more remote areas of Japan. If you plan to see also other parts of Japan, this channel is for you. And even if you have no plans to visit more remote places, after watching her videos, you will want to go.
You can find a variety of travel content on the channel. They had a very famous series where it was about going on a biking journey around Japan. Chris’s humor gives the channel a great vibe, and they show places you should know about.
As with other social media, there is much more you can find on Youtube, but those four are a good start.
Now let’s move on to another social channel. Instagram. With over 1 billion people on Instagram, there are for sure channels to help you plan your trip to Japan or at least get into the mood.
There are many more accounts worth following; however, those are the ones you should not miss.
If you enjoy night views, check out this account here that captures the beauty of Japan at night.
And let’s not forget TikTok. There are many unique accounts worth following.
I hope this will help you to get into the right mood and find places to visit. For me, it was primarily the Facebook pages and Youtube channels that helped me the most.
