(based on my experience)

• Its true that trash cans are hard to find, if you never leave Tokyo.
  • Even with them being sparse in Tokyo, we rarely had trash to carry around. It was a much smaller problem than the internet led us to believe it would be. If you are thinking of bringing your own bags, just incase, don’t bother. We did and used 1 bag. You will go to a konbini, just get a bag and use that. We ended up using those anytime we did need to tie up some trash until we found a bin.
• Its true that a place to sit and rest is hard to find, if you never leave Tokyo.
  • So many places we visited in Kyoto had benches. Lots of older train stations have seating.
• It is false that no Japanese people wear sunglasses.
  • Though uncommon to see, I did see locals wearing sunglasses. I also noticed many wearing transition lenses.
• It is false that you can’t or that people don’t talk on trains or in stations.
  • The idea isn’t not to talk, but to be quiet and read the room. It is exceptionally quiet. Conversations in low volume were common. And in non-commute hours, younger people can be quite talkative.
• It is false that you can’t drink on a train.
  • There is a difference between taking a sip of a sealed drink and carrying on an open container. Trains are too busy for any open containers. If you need to sip your drink and there is no risk of you spilling on someone, do it. Then quickly seal it back up. I saw lots of locals doing this and moms with their kids.
• It is false that you cant eat or drink in train stations.
  • There are literally food and drink vending machines in every station. Many, with seating nearby and you guessed it, trash and recycle bins. The intention is for you to stop, rest and have a snack, not be on the go.
• I heard a little about not being able to share food, but this wasn’t talked about enough.
  • Nearly everywhere has a rule of at least 1 drink and 1 dish per person. We saw this at restaurants, izakaya’s, and cafes at every level.
• I heard a lot about the need to layer because businesses, trains and stations would blast the heat in the winter. This was really 50/50 for me. Though, to be fair, I get cold easily.
  • Shops, I was mostly cold. Restaurants were either freezing or sweltering. Train Stations, so many are outside. If you go down to Tokyo or Kyoto station where there is a lot of shops and restaurants, it is very warm. Now on the train itself, again 50/50. Some blasted the heat and others had none. This might be an older vs newer train situation. All that to be said, Jacob said he was warm most of the time, but that guy gets hot so easily.
• I see some discourse about the customer service. Some expressing that it is beyond over the top. Others calling exceptionally poor.
  • The attention to detail is exquisite, in everything they provide. However, you aren’t always going to get that ‘customer service tone’ many come to expect in the US. Especially if they are speaking English. I noticed lots of our communication is by our tone and you simply can’t compare the cultures in that way. Also, we saw so many disrespectful foreigners. You have to expect at some points, we all get lumped together.
• There was not 1 single situation where it felt like we could tip.
  • I do love everything being lumped in and not feeling the guilt about how much to tip, etc. However, there were some instances where the service was so exceptional, I wanted to tip. Given the mix you see online about who feels its acceptable, I was never sure. The last thing I wanted to do was offend someone. You add to that, the low value of the Yen, and this was really hard for me.
• “Cash is king” or “they take card nearly everywhere”
  • You don’t need cash if you never leave main tourist areas of Tokyo. Think, places you can reserve on Google. We ate and shopped at a LOT of cash only places. Not to mention entry into Temples and Shrines, will you pay the 100 yen for your fortune, will you collect Goshuin, capsule machines. And you cannot forget vending machines. Although, some vending machines take card, the ones on random side streets in the neighborhoods – do not.
• Lets not forget the Suica card!
  • Everyone talks about this from an apple user perspective, but there isn’t enough talk about non-Apple users. As an Android user, you have to buy a physical card. Easy peazy. Refilling the card, also easy – just head to any konbini. What we didn’t know is that you can’t refill the Suica with card. You need cash.