Everything I wish I'd known before traveling to Japan

There are things no blog tells you until you live them, no matter how many times you reread the guide before leaving. After 17 days in Japan, here's what I wish I'd known before packing.

The country runs on cash a lot more than I expected. I came in with the idea that Japan, being so technological, would be all card and contactless payment. But there are markets, temples and small restaurants that only accept yen in hand, no exceptions.

Do the maths on the Japan Rail Pass before buying it. I didn't buy it: adding up the journeys on my route, individual tickets came out cheaper. If you do buy it, remember it has to be activated on arrival at a JR office. I explain it in is the JR Pass worth it?.

Not every shinkansen is covered by the pass. The fastest ones, the Nozomi and the Mizuho, are entirely excluded. It's the first thing to check if you're thinking of buying it.

English works a lot less than you'd imagine outside the big cities. In Takayama or small towns, having Google Translate downloaded makes the difference between being understood or not.

Last trains and ferries genuinely matter, it's not an exaggeration. On Miyajima the last ferry is around 10:00 PM — arriving late isn't a funny story to tell afterward.

You're going to walk a lot more than you think. Comfortable shoes aren't optional, they're basically mandatory.

None of this will ruin your trip if you don't know it beforehand. But knowing it ahead of time saves you some surprises, and above all, real time.