Your first day in Japan, sorted.
The simplest way from the airport to your area, how to turn on your eSIM, and the small things that make the first hours easy. Figures are approximate as of October 2026; confirm times and fares with the operator before you ride.
1. Turn on your eSIM when you land
Connect to the airport Wi-Fi first if you still need to install the QR code. Then: Settings → Mobile/Cellular → choose the iroiro eSIM for mobile data → turn on data roaming for that line only. Your home SIM can stay in the phone with its roaming off. The plan's validity starts at this first connection in Japan.
2. From the airport to Sapporo
New Chitose Airport (CTS)
| Route | To | Time | Fare (adult, approx.) |
|---|---|---|---|
| JR Rapid AirportEvery 15 min; reserved seats cost extra. Covered by the JR Pass. | Sapporo Station | about 33–40 min | about ¥1,230 |
| Airport busUseful with luggage; slower in snow. | Central Sapporo and hotels | about 70–80 min | about ¥1,300 |
With heavy luggage, the airport limousine bus drops you at major hotels and terminals without stairs or transfers. Trains are faster and cheaper. Taxis from Narita or Kansai cost well over ¥20,000; from Haneda or Itami they are reasonable for a group.
3. Get an IC card for trains, buses and shops
A prepaid IC card (Suica, PASMO, ICOCA and others) works on almost every train, subway and bus nationwide and at convenience stores and vending machines. Tap in, tap out. iPhone users can add a Suica in Apple Wallet before landing and top it up with a foreign card; many Android phones sold outside Japan cannot. Physical cards are sold at airport stations: Welcome Suica (Tokyo airports, no deposit, 28-day validity) or ICOCA (Kansai). Contactless credit cards are also accepted on a growing number of lines.
4. Cash and cards
Cards and phone payments work at hotels, chains, stations and most restaurants, but small shops, shrines, some ramen counters and markets still take cash only. Withdraw yen at 7-Eleven (Seven Bank), Lawson and AEON ATMs, which accept foreign cards 24 hours; airport exchange counters give worse rates. Tipping is not expected anywhere.
5. The convenience store solves most problems
7-Eleven, FamilyMart and Lawson are open 24 hours: water, hot food, phone chargers and cables, umbrellas, ATMs, clean toilets, and tickets for events. Prices are the same as elsewhere. Carry your rubbish: public bins are rare, but stores and stations have them.
6. Small things worth knowing
- Stand on one side of the escalator (left in Tokyo, right in Osaka) and keep phones silent on trains.
- Shoes off where you see a raised floor or slippers: some ryokan, temples, restaurants and changing rooms.
- Tap water is safe to drink. Free toilets are in every station, department store and convenience store.
- Most shops open around 10:00; last trains run shortly after midnight, and taxis are the only option after that.
7. If something goes wrong
Emergencies: dial 110 (police) or 119 (ambulance and fire). The Japan Visitor Hotline (JNTO) answers 24 hours in English, Chinese and Korean at 050-3816-2787. For anything about your eSIM, or a phone call you need made in Japanese, open the chat: iroiro AI answers first and a member of our team takes over in your language whenever you ask.