Last Updated on April 6, 2023 by PowersToTravel
Many of the travel tips for Japan apply to every traveler, not just diabetics. Japan is a modern, fast-paced place and is easy to visit in a healthy way.
I’ve written a full soup-to-nuts article on Travel Tips for International Travel. Check it out before you continue on. Skip over the diabetic parts if you are not, but there are plenty of health tips which apply to all travelers.
Vaccines and Travel Clinic – before you go
We did not need additional vaccines prior to our trip, and were able to avoid the added costs of a visit to the Travel Clinic. See the CDC website for details.
Feel free to drink the water!
I do tend to drink bottled water when on the road, so did carry and drink bottled water, but didn’t hesitate to freely brush my teeth and eat the fresh vegetables! Vending machines are a fixture on every street corner and every square foot in between, so you should never have a problem finding more water during the day.
Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate
We visited in October, when the summer hot season was supposedly on the way out. Oh, not so! We traipsed around Osaka on Oct 1st drenched in sweat as it was 95 degrees Fahrenheit with full sun. However, ten days later, and in the far north, we were happily in temperate fall weather requiring jackets! I have read that summers in Tokyo can be scorching and humid.
Be prepared to search hard for diet drinks
Our biggest surprise in Japan was the difficulty in finding diet soda. Yes, in a 7-11 or a “Lawsons” you can find “Coke-No-Sugar,” as it is called there. But in most vending machines (and Japan runs on its vending machines), train stations, restaurants and any place you want quick and easy access, you will not find sugar-free soda.
Luckily I am fine with water, and of course that’s everywhere. But Greg, being a Diet Dr. Pepper fiend who tolerates diet colas when he must, and hates water, struggled heroically on the trip to find something to drink.
Everywhere else in the world we have visited sells some version of Diet Coke along with its regular Coke, except Japan. Don’t think it will be easy!
Use your will power with the sweets!
Japan is so colorful and exciting. The Japanese seem to thrive on brightly colored pastries and candies. Everywhere you turn there is a shop dedicated to sugar! It’s so tempting to think, “It’s just this time. It’s a cultural treat!” But don’t. There are plenty of other cultural treats to be enjoyed.
Bring an extra pair of good shoes
If you are traveling on trains, buses and subways as we were, you will find your feet get a real workout. I have never been on such a foot-grueling trip, ever! When we returned home we actually threw out our old shoes. I shopped diligently for new sneakers half-way through the trip, in the Kyoto Nishiki Market, but couldn’t find any that would fit. My American size 9’s just aren’t suitable there! If you use Google Maps to plan your walk each day, double the distance, as you will be standing on the buses, walking miles of underground malls to find train stations, and wandering up hill and down dale at temples.
