So you’ve just arrived in Japan for the first time, excited to get your vacation started. Hold on, before you exit the airport to head to your hotel or first destination, there’s a few things you might want to do first. Here are six things that you should consider doing and could save you some time, headaches, and money.

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Get a Pocket Wifi and/or SIMs

While public wifi is available at most major airports, one of the first things you are going to want to do is to get online. Most cell phone plans either will not cover usage in Japan or are prohibitively expensive. A solution many people like to do is to either use a pocket wifi device or get a temporary sim card for your phone. If you pre-order these, they can be picked up at the airport so you have them right away.

Pocket Wifi - These are small devices that connect to the cellular network and then you can connect your phones, tablets, or laptops via wifi to get internet access. They are a cheaper option if you are in a group that will always be in the same place to share the connection. However, you will need to make sure you have the ability to keep the device fully charged. We ordered our mobile wifi through Japan Wireless. When we ordered, we gave our arrival date, terminal and time. The company delivers the device in a large envelope which you can then pick up at the airport post office. For us, this was located next to the Starbucks on fourth floor of Narita Terminal 1. At the end of the trip, we dropped it off, using the included envelope, in the mailbox at the back of the departure desks area on the fourth floor of Narita Terminal 1 (close to the priority security entrance).

Travel SIM Cards - You can also order a travel SIM that you can use in your phone for calls and data for the duration of your trip. Sometimes it’s nice to just have the peace of mind of being able to use your phone like normal. You can purchase short term plans from vendors like Sakura Mobile. We picked ours up from the luggage delivery counter in the sound wing of Narita Terminal 1. It was very easy to swap out the sim and configure our iPhones. At the end of your trip you don’t have to worry about returning anything, just replace your original SIM card once you’ve left Japan.

Collect Your JR Rail Pass

If you are planning on traveling to different cities in Japan, a JR (Japan Rail) pass could save you a lot of money. The JR pass covers most Shinkansen (bullet train) between cities, and some of the major local train lines such as the Yamanote line that loops around Tokyo. If you are traveling from Narita airport, it even covers the Narita express train, which brings you into the Tokyo city center. There are several sites where you can pre-order a pass. For our trip, we used japanrailpass.net.

For example, at Terminal 1 in Narita airport, there is a desk located at the Visitors Service Center in the space between the north and south wing. Here you can collect your pre-ordered JR Pass. The employees here are incredibly helpful. When we picked up our passes, they helped us sort out how to travel to our hotels and booked our seats on the Narita Express. When you first arrive, you can be quite tired and everything can be overwhelming. Having someone help you figure out these crucial first steps is so valuable. If you are arriving at a different airport, please check for the correct pickup location for your pass.

Update: It was recently announced that JR Rail Pass prices are going up by almost 70% in the near future. Depending on your Japan Itinerary, the pass might not be worth the cost. It’s always wise to calculate how much the trips you anticipate will cost compared to the cost of the pass. The JR fare calculator is very useful in figuring out if a JR Pass will save you money.

Pick Up Some Yen (Cash)

Always having some Japanese Yen on hand is going to make your trip a bit easier. While you can manage with a good international credit card sixty percent of the time, you will often run into situations where cash will be needed. Picking some up sooner than later will save some headaches. If you are arriving at Narita, be sure to find an ATM before heading to the basement where the trains are. You can find the location of ATMs at Narita on the airport website.

Ship Your Bags to Your Hotel

This one may or may not be useful. You’ll see many sites and videos recommend shipping your bags from the airport to your hotel. The one detail that isn’t mentioned is that it can take a day or more for your bags to arrive. You will need to decide if that works for you. We arrived at the baggage counter around 10:30 in the morning and were informed that we could not get same day delivery. If you want to utilise the baggage shipping, I would suggest packing in such a way that you have all your necessary items for the first day in a smaller bag that you keep with you. Thankfully we were able to bring our medium size bags on the Narita express with no issue. There are several kiosks in the airport where you can have your bags shipped.

You can also have your bags shipped between hotels in different cities. This might be very important if, for instance, you have bags too large to bring on the shinkansen trains. You can always speak with the front desk of your hotels about what is possible.

IC Card

Even with a JR Pass, you will eventually need to use non-JR trains to get to some locations. An IC card is incredibly handy to have. They work like prepaid bank cards. You can load a set amount onto the card and then just tap at the train gates to enter/exit the platforms or station. The cost of your trip is automatically deducted from the card balance. You can even use these cards to pay for goods at many other locations like combini stores.

Traveler Tip: There are a few different types of IC cards available

• Suica cards require a small deposit of ¥5, which is refundable with any remaining balance when you return the card at the end of your trip. Learn more about Suica Cards

• Welcome Suica cards are made for visitors. They can be acquired without a deposit and are valid for 28 days. However any remaining balance is not refundable, so make sure to spend it before you leave. Learn more about Welcome Suica

• Pasmo cards are much like Suica cards and also require a deposit. There are quite a few different types of pasmo cards as well. Learn more about Pasmo cards

• Pasmo Passport cards, like Welcome Suica cards, are especially for visitors. You keep the card at the end and no refunds are available for any balance. Learn more about Pasmo Passport

Refreshments

One last thing you might want to do is a bit of self care. The trip from the Tokyo airports into the center of the city can take more than an hour. So before jumping on that train, you might want to grab some coffee or food. After the long flight and checking off our airport to-do list, we really needed a bit of a refuel. On the fourth floor of Narita you will find several shops, restaurants, and a Starbucks Coffee.