Japan is unfortunately still in full mask-wearing pandemic mode. You can still have a great vacation here but it might be a good idea to set the right expectations well in advance. I had some family come visit a few months ago and while we had a good time, they struggled with going back to wearing masks. Things might change between now and summer but I wouldn’t bet on it.
edit: As for recommendations how about going to an Onsen(Japanese hot spring/spa)?
Whenever you can, use a service to move your luggage. From the airport to your hotel. Pack a light roller and use Yamato (if you have the language skills to do it).
Prepandemic, I have a memory of a French family of four trying to board a bullet train. They had three kids and four full size suitcases and the trains aren’t equipped for that kind of luggage. You only get a few minutes to board and only the Narita Express has accommodations for luggage.
Last year we packed a day early and had our suitcases sent to Haneda ahead of us and it made the return trip so easy. Maybe your hotel has that service (I’m American with some Jpn fluency, so my perspective is based on that).
Congratulations @LyingDalai im really happy for you and insanely jealous!
I am definitely saving this post for the treasure trove of information that it holds… atleast for someone who dreams of traveling to Japan one day… maybe on my fiftiest birthday, one can dream 
Boy this post got me excited.
Last time I was in Japan was in 2017. I travelled with my gf and we planed to travel across Honshu by train. We had bought the JR Pass beforehand, as @obscurerobot mentioned. At some point we had to change trains and only had a couple of minutes to do so, so we run as fast as we could to get to the right platform. My gf who was running in front of me dropped her passport and I grabbed it while running. We got into the train literally two seconds before departure so then I gave her her passport. However, she had her JR pass in the passport and that wasn’t there anymore. It was the start of our trip and we were pretty bummed as one can’t get a new JR pass while in Japan.
We were the only passengers I could see on the train and really didn’t know what to do. I speak japanese but wasn’t so fluent at the time. So we wrote what happened to google translate and showed it to the driver. He read it and asked where we were going and which hotel we are staying in. Then he told us to return to our seats. When we arrived he stood up and showed us out (!). We were convinced that he didn’t understand or there wasn’t any way he can help.
We arrived in Kinosaki. We would stay at a traditional ryokan and were greeted by the owned at the door. He handed us two sets of clothes and slippers, took our luggage and urged us to the local onsen that was closing soon for the day.
07:00 the next day there was an envelope under our room door with the JR pass and a hadwritten note. The owner later explained that the train driver called the station where we lost it but they had closed for the day. He then called the station manager and he arranged so someone would go to the station early in the morning to find it and send it to us.
The next day the hotel owner asked if we had plans. We didn’t. He said he wanted to take us to the seaside. He drove us along the coast the whole day and wouldn’t accept that we would pay for food and beverages.
Sorry for the long post but that’s my experience on japanese hospitality and service. I have more stories from Japan than any other place I’ve ever been to.
Also, if you are in Kyoto you could take a day trip to Arashiyama/Sagano. There’s a bamboo grove there and a monkey park you can walk to. It can be crowded but still beautiful.
Does anyone really stick chopsticks in their rice? Seems an odd habit.
It’s considered gauche to eat while walking, but there is also not much public seating. I got used to standing or perching on low walls. You’re not supposed to eat in trains but I have seen people doing it furtively and we did it ourselves once (late train ride home with no supper). The exception is on the Shinkansen where it’s part of the experience to bring a bento (and a cart comes by with food you can buy).
Re: jaywalking, I would do it but not at major intersections, when waiting in a crowd, or when there were children present. If there were only a few people around and no cars, I would go ahead, and often others would follow (usually younger people or single men). Once I was staying in a hotel in Sapporo with a crosswalk just outside, in the middle of the block, triggered by a button. At one point I arrived back on the other side of the street, and a few people were waiting. We all waited for a couple of minutes. I realized that the light was not working, waited for a break in the traffic (which was quite moderate), and crossed. I went into the hotel, took the elevator to my room, looked out the window, and… everyone else was still waiting. I don’t know how long they held out, I took a nap.
Definitely worth a pilgrimage to 5G in Tokyo
Dang I’ll be leaving just around then, that would have been fun. Hit me up if you change anything and are in the Kansai region in July.
I watch NHK World regularly because it is often airing the best programming I’ve ever seen on any channel/platform. Document 72 Hours and Somewhere Street are great series.
Document 72 Hours recently aired their episode about the roadside udon vending machines, but I think it can’t be streamed any longer. This is the closest I can find.
I really, really appreciate all the tips in this thread. I was invited to join for a Japan trip this month, but didn’t renew my passport in time and am in the middle of a move. I could have attended the sumo tournament in Osaka this month 
Make sure no one has visible tattoos, or come up with a plan to keep them covered if they do. Tattoos have strong associations with organized crime (“yakuza”) in Japan. While I’ve heard that foreigners sometimes get a pass, I wouldn’t want to risk it.
All this talk of Japan has made me thirsty. Fortunately, I stopped by the Korean market today.
(don’t forget to turn on subtitles)
It doesn’t have to be sticking straight up. I’ve seen people stick them in diagonally while they stop to drink beer or talk, especially people not used to using chop sticks on regular basis, and this is also viewed as unsavory by Japanese people. Anyway, no point getting hung up on this, as people assume visitors don’t know anything about this kind of etiquette and this is not the type of party foul that will land you on morning TV (which has been spotlighting bad behavior by foreign tourists lately, like posing for photos on railroad track crossings).
I’m not saying it’s not done. I’m saying it’s not the norm like it is in a city like New York. I also almost got killed by a bus my first week in Japan doing it (I was jet lagged and looked the wrong way since driving is on the other side of the street from what I was used to). The cops in my area have actually started ticketing people for jaywalking in certain intersections during the pandemic, something I’ve never seen before in Japan. They are also cracking down on bicycle violations, which is actually long overdue. I got pegged by a guy riding a bike quickly on a narrow sidewalk a couple of months ago.
The tattoo thing is no joke, if you go to an onsen in a very urban area they might not mind. But anywhere outside of large cities there’s a good chance you’ll be asked to leave. Large bandages on your tattoos are an acceptable compromise.
I don’t know about that, I have visible tattoos and I never had an issue going to onsens in small towns.
The best tip I got from an experienced traveller is to always use ATM’s in 7Eleven when you have western bank cards. Worked every time with my European debit card and Mastercard.
I jaywalked only one time while I was living in Japan. The streets were quiet and no cars were on the road. The red man was there singing his song and I thinking 
why the hell am I standing here waiting for the signal to change. I make my move and out of nowhere comes a black taxi cab blasting the horn like I was running 
♂ from the konban box. I felt much shame that day with the people across the street not five feet away staring like I had no sense of traffic laws.
No tattoos here. I enjoy them on other people, not on my body.
Plus I’m not into fashions.
A yakuza tatto, yet, can be quite a beautiful thing.
“Sumimasen, killer-san, you have to leave the onsen at once because of your tattoo, onegaishimasu” is taking a risk ^^
Tons of great advice in this thread. I was in Japan for 3 weeks last summer. I haven’t read everything here, but one thing I want to mention is that depending where you’re currently living, and when in the summer you’re going, you might not be aware of how hot and humid it can get there. July/Aug can be extremely sweat-inducing.
Tokyo is absolutely incredible and offers anything you might be interested in. I highly suggest doing research into the things you like and creating daily plans where you know your path and can hit up the places you want to see. It’s such a huge city that until you’re been there a few times, you probably don’t want to spend your time aimlessly wandering as it’s easy for a first timer to get lost and disappointed when they can’t find what they’re looking for.
In terms of customs, I feel Japanese people don’t expect foreigners to understand all of their societal norms, however I would say to pay attention to how people around you are acting. If everyone is wearing a mask, wear one as well. If the place you’re in (this counts especially for trains) seems quiet, then don’t be the loud foreigner.
Also (not sure if this came up already) but there was a time when it was more rare for many establishments, especially restaurants, to accept credit cards. This has changed a bit, but still have cash on hand since you may find yourself in many situations where that’s the only form of payment accepted.
Be present and enjoy! Regardless of where I find myself in Japan, whether it’s a tiny town or huge metropolitan area, I find it extremely relaxing every time and I never feel like I’m anywhere except Japan. It is so different and wonderful, especially if you’re from a Western country.
This is all excellent advice.
One other thing to consider is that some years July is still the rainy season, so it is possible that it could rain every day and even be quite cool. Best to be prepared for anything weather wise.
I’ve been using an older version of this North Face ultralight jacket for a few years. It worked just as well over a t-shirt on hot rainy days in Singapore as it did over Uniqlo heattech on a snowy day in Kobe (same trip - Jan/Feb 2020).
The only “problem” is that my wife loves the soft & supple fabric, but doesn’t like the colors offered in the women’s version, so it is effectively hers now. But it packs up into a small bundle that is easy to carry.
