What to prepare for while traveling in Japan during Golden Week

NOTE: The following is from dennisamith.com:

The #1 rule for those traveling to Japan… DO NO TRAVEL DURING GOLDEN WEEK.

Unfortunately, many people will avoid doing their research to know that 2019 is different in the fact that it’s an unprecedented 10-day Golden Week holiday which started on Saturday. And on April 30th, it’s the last day of the Heiwa Era before starting the Reiwa Era with a new Emperor.

Needless to say, one of the main reasons why not to travel is that it’s a time when a huge population in Japan are on the move, going on vacation and shinkansen is booked and trains are crammed.

And because this is a rare 10-day vacation, people are going to take advantage of this.

The hotels and airline industry did it’s best to dissuade travelers from going to Japan around this time by increasing flight and hotel prices, but it’s not going to stop everyone.

There are those who are defiant and will say, “bring it on!”.

Here are things to expect:

• TOKYO, OSAKA and KYOTO – No surprise that these three will be the most crowded, trains especially Shinkansen as people are wanting to visit family or travel to a different area. One must remember that although people outside of Japan can get a JR Pass and travel long distance with ease, for many Japanese, riding a shinkansen to a far location is expensive. The JR Pass is one of those things where Japanese feel that people living outside of Japan are fortunate to take advantage of.
• GOLDEN WEEK COMPRISES OF SEVERAL HOLIDAYS – There is Showa Day, Constitution Memorial Day, Greenery Day and Children’s Day.
• REIWA ERA BEGINS ON MAY 1ST – In addition for 2019, with the abdication of Emperor Akihito on April 30th, on May 1st, crown Prince Naruhito will be come the new Emperor to ring in the Reiwa Era. Expect areas near the Imperial Palace to be busy. Also, while changing Emperor’s is a major thing, the changing of an era is a big deal in Japan.In the US, we are used to going by a year such as: This person was born in 1979. That structure was build in 1907. But in Japan, it’s different. Their year is based on when the emperor has began their rule. So, for Modern Japan: 1867-1912 (Meiji Era), 1912-1926 (Taisho Era), 1926-1989 (Showa Era), 1989- April 30, 2019(Heisei Era) and May 1, 2019 – Present (Reiwa Era). So on May 1st, will be Reiwa 1, on January 1st, 2020, it will be Reiwa 2. I discuss more about this here.
• SHINKANSEN IS BOOKED – I just got back from Japan and I can tell you that for the first time traveling to Japan, I was unable to book my tickets the first time. I went to my station’s JR ticket center and there was a 3-4 hour wait. The only way I was able to get my tickets was to go to the JR booth the following morning, waking up at 5:00 a.m. and getting in line by the time it opened at 5:30 a.m. That was in the final week of March and first week of April for me. If you have a JR pass and the shinkansen is booked, your choice is to get on an unreserved cab. Sit in a chair and if someone comes and says they have a ticket for that chair, you must give it up and find another chair or stand. Otherwise, know your body…it’s going to be packed and that’s the price of traveling during Golden Week (this applies to those traveling between Christmas time to New Year’s Eve). If you can bare traveling and standing for several hours, I wish you well! Especially if you are traveling to a far destination. So, expect any transportation to Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto to be super busy!
• YOUR CHANCES OF GETTING SICK INCREASES – Did you get your flu shot? Hope you did. But if not, go to a convenience store, buy a mask because the trains will be so cramped that you are going to be packed like a sardine and chances of being shoulder to shoulder with someone sick is very high. If you do get sick, please click here for my travel guide on over-the-counter medications.
• SLOW SERVICE AT RESTAURANTS – If you thought rush hour had slow service, what if rush hour is non-stop. These workers are tired and while restaurants try to prepare for this during Golden Week, unfortunately, employees must deal with something that frustrates them deeply and that is picky and selective patrons. One of the complaints I hear from friends who work in the restaurant and hotel industry of orders and dealing with foreigners who are selective with food and how it is prepared. Please don’t be offended if you go to a restaurant and add to their busy week. Also, before ordering, if it’s because of religious practices or you are a vegan, please ask before ordering of questions you may have. Not receive the food and send it back.
• PREPARE TO WALK – It’s not just the trains that will be packed, the buses are going to be cramped. Sometimes it’s best to walk and hopefully you brought good socks and shoes. And please practice good manners if someone elderly needs a seat, please offer it to them (especially on the bus, which many of them prefer to ride).
• USE THE LAST TRAIN – If you are arriving on Golden Week, try to use the last cab if you have a lot of luggage. You can move to the back and stand in an area with no bench or seating and it will make things convenient for you to avoid the crowded train cabs.
• USE THE BUS – If you want to avoid the train, you can take the bus. The bus is easy to use, just use Google Maps and also have your IC card ready or yen on hand.
• USE A TAXI – If your feet or legs are tired, taxi is also another option.

I apologize if bringing this up is scary to travelers, but there is no way to make this sound any positive because in reality, traveling during the 10 days of Golden Week is going to be busy and it’s the type of busy that the hotel, airplane industry and many travelers try to discourage people who are interested in traveling to Japan.

But because it’s crowded doesn’t mean it should be a bad trip. You can still enjoy Japan, especially if you travel to non-popular areas or staying in an area where walking is not so bad.

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