5 days in Japan, 30,000 steps in Tokyo

After I came back from Georgia I was working at a cafe in Istanbul. There was nobody in my life back then. I had my own place in Beyoğlu, the rent was 10,000 lira. One room, a tiny hole of a place.

One day Metehan came over and said let's go to Japan, the tickets are super cheap. So we went and bought return tickets to Japan. We were going to be in Tokyo for 5 days in total.

A tourist, not a traveler

I didn't go there with a traveler's mindset, I went more like a tourist. Nice clothes and all that. I took my older brother's credit card, and I had a good amount of my own money too. My brother said don't go crazy, don't buy too much. But I went and bought a drone in Japan, plus the DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro camera I film everything with now. They were way cheaper than the prices in Türkiye.

Back then I didn't buy them to become a traveler. I had other goals and other dreams in my head. Later I realized this stuff isn't easy. I also learned something else, when you spend all your money on a drone, you don't really feel like flying it. What if it breaks, what if something goes wrong.

Tokyo

In the following years I would stay in Korea for 3 months, but Japan is something else. A perfect country, especially Tokyo. In those 5 days I just couldn't get enough of Tokyo.

We walked everywhere

We only used that advanced metro system 3 times. Coming from the airport, going to the airport, and once to get to the Statue of Liberty, which was too far to walk. Tokyo has a Statue of Liberty just like the one in America, a bit smaller. We turned on the location and searched the park for hours, and couldn't find it. We asked Japanese people and they didn't know. Some said it was the first time they'd heard of it. A huge statue and nobody knows about it. In the end we gave up and walked back again. In short, we walked everywhere.

We wore kimonos and took about 30,000 steps in those wooden sandals. Mete and I never once said ugh, I'm tired, because whoever said it first had to pay for the food.

The Japanese and ghosting

It's such a beautiful country, but on some things people got on our nerves. When you get lost you don't find many Japanese people who want to help. Sometimes we managed, but I think we got too hung up on the times we didn't. The ghosting really got to us.

The last day

On the last day, as we were leaving, I had come to love the place. The ground in the streets is so soft. The arcades, the glowing signs, the famous Shibuya crossing, the skyscrapers.

We ate a lot. The best sushi and ramen of my life were here. I couldn't help wondering how long I could live in Japan before I got bored. One day I'll try it.

What you need to know before going to Japan

Visa

• Turkish citizens can go to Japan visa free for tourism and business for up to 3 months. Check the rules for your own passport.
• If you overstay you get deported, be careful.
• At entry they may ask why you're visiting, the address where you'll stay and how much money you have. Have your answers ready.

Arrival card, Visit Japan Web

• Instead of filling in the immigration and customs card on paper on the plane, you can fill it in online in advance. It's called Visit Japan Web.
• When you finish it gives you a QR code, and you scan it at the airport. There may be no internet when you land, so take a screenshot of the QR code.
• It's not mandatory and it's free. If you don't use it, you fill in the paper forms on the plane or at the airport.
• Filling it in 1 to 3 days before you travel is enough.
• Only use the official site, Visit Japan Web. Other sites that ask for a fee are middlemen or scammers.

Departure tax

Since 1 July 2026 everyone leaving Japan pays a 3000 yen departure tax, it used to be 1000 yen. It's usually included in the plane ticket, you don't pay it separately.

Buying electronics

I recommend buying things like drones and cameras in Japan, they're way cheaper than in Türkiye. If you find a cheap ticket, instead of paying a lot for those products at home, put that money into the ticket, get the product and see a new country. But if you're bringing them back to Türkiye, pay attention to these.

• At Turkish customs one video camera and one photo camera count as personal items. For gifts and other items there's a 430 euro allowance per person. Tax may apply to anything above that, and for goods from outside the European Union the rate is 60 percent. Check the current rules on the customs page of the Turkish Ministry of Trade before you go.
• If the drone is over 500 grams, you have to register it with the SHGM registration system within 3 days of bringing it to Türkiye. If you don't, the fine is 50,000 lira. You also need permission in advance to fly it in crowded places.

Shopping and tax refunds

This matters if you're buying something expensive in Japan. The system changed on 1 November 2026.

• Now you pay the price with tax in the shop, and you get the tax back at the airport when you leave the country.
• To get a tax refund you need to spend at least 5000 yen before tax in the same shop on the same day.
• Keep your passport, your receipts and the products you bought. The products must be unused.
• If one item from a receipt is missing, you can't get a refund for that whole receipt.
• At the airport go to the tax refund machine before you check in your bag. You have to do it within 90 days of buying. Go early so you don't miss your flight.

Money

• The currency is the yen.
• Cards work in most places now, but small ramen shops, temples and some hotels still want cash. Keep some cash on you.
• When your cash runs out you can withdraw with a foreign card at the international ATMs in convenience stores.
• When paying by card or withdrawing, if it asks whether to charge in your home currency or yen, choose yen.
• There's no tipping in Japan, you don't need to leave anything.

Getting around

• With a Suica or PASMO card you go through the metro and train gates without buying tickets. You can also add it to your phone's wallet and top it up from there.
• We walked everywhere, but if you use the metro these cards make it really easy.

Internet

You can buy an eSIM before you go or rent a pocket wifi at the airport. There's free wifi at stations, convenience stores and cafes.

Etiquette

• Be quiet on the train and don't talk on the phone.
• In some places you have to take off your shoes, wear shoes that come off easily.
• On escalators stand on the side the locals stand on.
• There are very few bins on the street, carry your trash with you.

Places to see in Tokyo

• The Shibuya crossing.
• Asakusa and Senso-ji Temple. A nice place to rent a kimono and walk around.
• The skyscrapers and neon streets of Shinjuku.
• Akihabara and the arcades.
• Harajuku and Meiji Shrine.
• Tokyo Skytree.