Lessons from Japan: 10 First-Timer Travel Mistakes I’m Ready to Fix on My Second Trip

by Zion James

1. Not packing enough Winter Clothing

Around the time we visited Japan was around the early beginning of Spring. So imagine in America when it starts to warm up but there are still cold days and Japan is the same but the temperatures are a high of 50 degrees and low of 30 degrees especially at night. Just imagine if you are in New York during January what you would wear when you walk out the house.  PLEASEEE I am begging you to please pack that puffer jacket/trench coat if you can. You will thank me for it.

Sidenote: You will regularly see the people of Japan decked out/fitted in trenchcoats looking amazing, so outfit ideas incorporate a trench coat or puffer jacket into your wardrobe when you pack

2. Not Preparing in advance for free time excursions

On this trip and during many study abroads you will have free days to do your own adventures and have a lot of free time after the program's excursions. While in Tokyo many of us went to Tokyo Disneyland on our Free day and on our second day in Tokyo around nighttime, a group of us went to a soul food restaurant. (They had some of the best catfish I have ever eaten in my life and Nashville Hot Chicken Nacho.. I THINK YES!) Nevertheless, plan out things that you want to do outside of the scheduled group programming as you do not want to be stuck in hotel all day.

Sidenote: Certain things you have to plan out in advance like Mario Karting around the city which requires you to have an international driver’s license, which can take some time to attain. So please start searching now.

3. Not journaling enough

In 2022 I bought a journal to document my trip to Ghana and it made the trip so much more meaningful and triggered so much nostalgia for me. This time in Japan I did not journal as much as I did. I probably wrote a good three pages compared to the last time. I challenge you to journal everyday for at least 10 minutes. In Ghana I did it every morning as I felt more clear and determined to do it in the morning. This time around I plan to do it every morning starting from when I go to board my flight in Austin Bergstrom until when I finally reach my apartment in Austin. 

Sidenote: Do your journal entries however you want, I found it better for me to be as clear and specific as possible. Also you can do any time limit for writing sometimes I would write for like up to 20 minutes.

4. Americanizing my trip

One thing that I won’t be doing this time around is engaging in American chain restaurants or foods. I found myself eating Domino’s and burgers (highly don’t recommend) most of the time when I could have eaten more authentic  Japanese food. I did the same with my excursions as well. Instead of going to Disneyland I could have climbed Mount Fuji or went shopping in Shibuya. Regardless, don’t go looking for America in Japan when you can look for Japan in Japan. (I hope that sounds right)

Sidenote: There is also nothing wrong with this, however you will miss out on many genuine experiences getting to explore Japan

5. Not Bringing things to pass time while traveling

You are going to fly on a 10+ plane, take multiple charter bus rides, multiple subway rides, and a bullet train. You are going to want something to help pass the time up. At the time I was reading a book, As I Am by Cicely Tyson (great read by the way) and I finished on my flight and relied on my phone or other electronics to help me pass time on these long rides. This would result in my devices dying a lot, so this time I’ll have more books and possibly a portable charger.

Sidenote: Take this time to pick up a new hobby that you can do while traveling and you can talk about it when you come back to the states. Who knows, maybe you can pick up sewing and after the trip you could have made a sweater…or hat… or scarf… really whatever you want.

6. Not focusing on fashion

While packing for the trip I did not buy any new clothes, I just took what I had and went. (This is most definitely fine by the way, don't feel compelled to buy a new wardrobe) However as soon as we landed I saw a young man in a Boohoo Mens blue mohair sweater and I knew at that moment that I was not in Kansas anymore.  I packed a lot of outfits based in UT hoodies and should have actually been a little more thoughtful in my attire. The people of Japan stayed in the best clothes ever, I would take pictures of some of their pieces and try to find them when I got back home. The fashion culture is so INSANE (I mean this in the flattering way ever)  So to all my fashionistas, fashionistos, fashionistx, and gender non conforming fashionst, try to put your best game up if you want to be fashionable in Japan.

Sidenote: Please do not feel pressure to break the bank in getting a whole new wardrobe. This one is for the people who have a passion for fashion and are trying to prepare for the fashion culture. There is nothing wrong with jeans and a hoodie and I have the pictures to prove it.

7. not being careful about food

Please I beg you all to make sure that you let us know your dietary restrictions even if you are allergic to anything. Also, though I would love for you all to eat as much Japanese food and enjoy it, do not feel bad if you are too scared to try anything out of fear for how your body will absorb it. I personally was very fearful to eat any raw food because of how it possibly would have affected my body however I ate, and I was fine. Although the dessert had nuts in it (which I am allergic to and if you now must take that to the grave with you) and having the sweet tooth that I have I dug in and almost had an allergic reaction. So please be very vigilant of the food if you have any fears for how your body may react to it.

Sidenote: Please do not use this as an excuse to simply not eat the food because of what it looks like, nor have any xenophobic thoughts towards the food. If you think Japanese food looks weird, just imagine how they would think any of the processed food in J2 looks like. No shade, just a comparison that needed to be made.

8. Not knowing enough of the language

First off, do not fear that Japan is very easy to navigate without knowing the language. Many times people would pull out Google translate to communicate with us instantly and multiple people could speak in English. However I personally felt that I could have learned more Japanese to not have the people conform to me. During pre-departure sessions we learned multiple phrases and I used them but I really wanted to have more of a beginner’s knowledge of Japanese rather than a tourist's knowledge of Japanese.

Sidenote: Duolingo is a great resource that I have been using; I am at a section where I have to actually write the words and put letters together to form words and uhhhhhh, I’m praying that I come out strong.

9. MONEY MONEY MONEY

WI was extremely unaware that multiple places in Japan use Apple Pay. I am not saying do not convert your money to yen (Japanese currency), I am telling you not to convert all of your money saved up for the trip. Most of the time I was using Apple Pay to buy everything from food, clothes, and almost some rare Dunks I seen at the Nike Store by our hotel in Kyoto. This time around I am only going to convert half of my money to physical money and use the rest on Apple Pay. Additionally, I’m going to try to save a dollar bill as a keepsake instead of just coins, Which leads me to tell you to PLEASE invest in a coin bag because most of our dollar bills are coins in Japanese yen and the larger values are dollar bills. I had to use my wallet and backpack to hold all the coins and 0/10 do not recommended. (You can find coin purses in Japan- they make great souvenirs!)

Sidenote: You can convert money at the airport and at the Barton Creek Mall at a little kiosk right under Forever 21. I converted my money at LAX which was a little more expensive because you know… LA, so I recommend doing it at Austin or any Texas Airport. You also should be able to do it at your bank as it should be cheaper.

10. Wandering by myself at times

At times, I would wander by myself and explore and at one point I was exploring by myself for hours. As much as I enjoyed my peace and was free from the restraints of a group holding me back I did miss out on some good bonding time with people and good experiences. This time I am doing everything with a group so I can experience the all-round experience and have memories to share with people that I will carry on into our next chapters of lives. 

Sidenote: If you would like to be a part of the Zion crew most definitely let me know, it is not a set group and will be interchangeable so I can meet new people and make memories with them.

I cannot wait for you all to experience this trip and get to see the Japan that I got to see. Please take heed of lessons and use them to amplify your experience and avoid the mistakes I made. I have way more mistakes I learned from so of you would like to hear please reach out to me so we can both have a better experience.

zion james

Trip Mentor

‘Tradition and Innovation in Japan’

Spring Break 2025