{"id":6183,"date":"2014-06-02T14:27:45","date_gmt":"2014-06-02T13:27:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/insidejapanblog.com\/?p=6183"},"modified":"2015-06-15T12:36:58","modified_gmt":"2015-06-15T11:36:58","slug":"5-reasons-japan-is-the-most-convenient-country","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/2014\/06\/02\/5-reasons-japan-is-the-most-convenient-country\/","title":{"rendered":"5 reasons Japan is the most convenient country"},"content":{"rendered":"<h4>Like this post? Help us by sharing it!<\/h4><ul class=\"wpfai-list\"><li class=\"wpfai-list-item facebook\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F6183&amp;t=\" title=\"Facebook\" class=\"wpfai-facebook wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-facebook fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item twitter\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/twitter.com\/share?text=&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F6183\" title=\"Twitter\" class=\"wpfai-twitter wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-twitter fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item pinterest\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/pinterest.com\/pin\/create\/button\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F6183&amp;description=&amp;media=\" title=\"Pinterest\" class=\"wpfai-pinterest wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-pinterest fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item linkedin\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/linkedin.com\/shareArticle?mini=true&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F6183&amp;title=\" title=\"Linked In\" class=\"wpfai-linkedin wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-linkedin fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item envelope\">\r\n      <a href=\"mailto:?subject=&amp;body=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F6183%20-%20\" title=\"E-Mail\" class=\"wpfai-envelope wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-envelope fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item stumbleupon\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/www.stumbleupon.com\/submit?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F6183\" title=\"Stumble Upon\" class=\"wpfai-stumbleupon wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-stumbleupon fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item reddit\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/www.reddit.com\/submit?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F6183\" title=\"Reddit\" class=\"wpfai-reddit wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-reddit fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><\/ul><p>In Japan, possibly the most orderly country in the world, convenience is king. Here&#8217;s why&#8230;<\/p>\n<p><strong>1) Everything runs on time<\/strong><br \/>\nUnlike certain other countries (mentioning no names&#8230; *cough*&#8230; England) you can actually rely on train and bus timetables in Japan. It&#8217;s possible to plan quite a full-on day of sightseeing and know that you should always be able to make your connection and catch the next bus or train. Of course, delays do happen occasionally, but every precaution is taken to ensure there is the least possible disruption to your journey.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_2194\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2194\" style=\"width: 468px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/shinkansen.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-2194 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/shinkansen.jpeg?w=468\" alt=\"Shinkansen\" width=\"468\" height=\"351\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/shinkansen.jpeg 800w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/shinkansen-300x225.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/shinkansen-720x540.jpeg 720w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/shinkansen-390x293.jpeg 390w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/shinkansen-780x585.jpeg 780w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 468px) 100vw, 468px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-2194\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Trains on time for your convenience<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong>2) No luggage worries<\/strong><br \/>\nJapan has an incredible luggage forwarding service called &#8216;takuhaibin&#8217; (most commonly referred to as &#8216;Takkyubin&#8217;, which is actually Yamato Transport&#8217;s version of the service). The service can be used to send just about anything from any part of the country to another over night. If you&#8217;re travelling to a rural part of the country or only stopping somewhere for one night, you don&#8217;t want to be carrying large cases, and &#8216;takuhaibin&#8217; is the answer! Simply pack an overnight bag and forward your large suitcase on to another destination. As well as this overnight service, a few places in Japan offer a same day short distance forwarding service. Hakone&#8217;s &#8216;carry service&#8217; is a great example of this: for around 700 yen you can send a bag from Hakone Yumoto Station to your hotel or vice versa, allowing you to get rid of your overnight bag whilst sightseeing. Of course, most stations have plenty of coin lockers too, and for a few hundred yen you can leave you bags securely for a few hours \u2013 just don&#8217;t forget where you left everything! In addition, if you do pack an overnight bag and forward your main luggage, you won&#8217;t need to take much with you \u2013 most hotels offer basic amenities such as a toothbrush and toothpaste, shower gel and shampoo, and there&#8217;s usually a yukata to wear in bed too, so you don&#8217;t even need your PJs!<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_6184\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-6184\" style=\"width: 468px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/img_5671.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-6184 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/img_5671.jpg?w=468\" alt=\"Hakone Yumoto Station's 'Carry Service' office\" width=\"468\" height=\"624\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/img_5671.jpg 2250w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/img_5671-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/img_5671-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/img_5671-1200x1600.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/img_5671-720x960.jpg 720w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/img_5671-1440x1920.jpg 1440w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/img_5671-390x520.jpg 390w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/img_5671-780x1040.jpg 780w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/img_5671-900x1200.jpg 900w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 468px) 100vw, 468px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-6184\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Hakone Yumoto Station&#8217;s &#8216;Carry Service&#8217; office<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong>3) Easy eating<\/strong><br \/>\nEven if you can&#8217;t read or speak Japanese, it&#8217;s not too difficult to order food in a restaurant. Most restaurants either have colourful menus full of pictures of the dishes on offer, or they have plastic replica food in the window, so you can always just see what looks good and point. A lot of restaurants and cafes, especially in major tourist areas, also offer English menus, although the staff won&#8217;t necessarily speak English.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_6185\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-6185\" style=\"width: 468px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/img_5824.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-6185 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/img_5824.jpg?w=468\" alt=\"Plastic food in a restaurant window in Tokyo\" width=\"468\" height=\"624\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/img_5824.jpg 2250w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/img_5824-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/img_5824-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/img_5824-1200x1600.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/img_5824-720x960.jpg 720w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/img_5824-1440x1920.jpg 1440w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/img_5824-390x520.jpg 390w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/img_5824-780x1040.jpg 780w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/img_5824-900x1200.jpg 900w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 468px) 100vw, 468px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-6185\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Plastic food in a restaurant window in Tokyo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong>4) Convenience stores really are convenient<\/strong><br \/>\nConvenience stores in Japan sell just about everything you could need, including food that actually tastes good, and many are open 24 hours. As well as food and drinks, both hot and cold, convenience stores tend to sell basic overnight essentials and things to help out in any minor emergence (Ladder in your tights? Forgot to bring clean undies? Run out of hairspray? No worries!). If that&#8217;s not enough, there&#8217;s usually a drinks vending machine on every corner too, and even some vending machines selling food such as instant noodles!<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_6186\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-6186\" style=\"width: 468px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/img_6798.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-6186 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/img_6798.jpg?w=468\" alt=\"7-Eleven: One of Japan's many convenient convenience stores\" width=\"468\" height=\"356\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/img_6798.jpg 2400w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/img_6798-300x228.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/img_6798-1024x780.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/img_6798-1200x914.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/img_6798-900x685.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/img_6798-720x548.jpg 720w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/img_6798-1440x1097.jpg 1440w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/img_6798-390x297.jpg 390w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/img_6798-780x594.jpg 780w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/img_6798-510x388.jpg 510w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 468px) 100vw, 468px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-6186\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">7-Eleven: One of Japan&#8217;s many convenient convenience stores<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong>5) Public conveniences<\/strong><br \/>\nToilets are usually free to use, clean and they&#8217;re everywhere! Most stations will have perfectly usable toilets, usually with paper (although you sometimes need to use your own tissues, but tissues are often given out on the street for free with advertising pamphlets). Sometimes you might need to face a Japanese-style squat toilet, but that&#8217;s a small price to pay really for free loos!<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>I actually could go on \u2013 Japan is a pleasure to travel around, with reliable services, polite staff, and generally helpful and friendly people wherever you go! Wherever you&#8217;re from, when you return home you&#8217;ll be sure to miss the convenience of Japan!<\/p>\n<h4>Like this post? Help us by sharing it!<\/h4><ul class=\"wpfai-list\"><li class=\"wpfai-list-item facebook\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F6183&amp;t=\" title=\"Facebook\" class=\"wpfai-facebook wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-facebook fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item twitter\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/twitter.com\/share?text=&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F6183\" title=\"Twitter\" class=\"wpfai-twitter wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-twitter fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item pinterest\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/pinterest.com\/pin\/create\/button\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F6183&amp;description=&amp;media=\" title=\"Pinterest\" class=\"wpfai-pinterest wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-pinterest fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item linkedin\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/linkedin.com\/shareArticle?mini=true&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F6183&amp;title=\" title=\"Linked In\" class=\"wpfai-linkedin wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-linkedin fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item envelope\">\r\n      <a href=\"mailto:?subject=&amp;body=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F6183%20-%20\" title=\"E-Mail\" class=\"wpfai-envelope wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-envelope fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item stumbleupon\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/www.stumbleupon.com\/submit?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F6183\" title=\"Stumble Upon\" class=\"wpfai-stumbleupon wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-stumbleupon fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item reddit\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/www.reddit.com\/submit?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F6183\" title=\"Reddit\" class=\"wpfai-reddit wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-reddit fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><\/ul>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Like this post? Help us by sharing it! In Japan, possibly the most orderly country in the world, convenience is king. Here&#8217;s why&#8230; 1) Everything runs on time Unlike certain other countries (mentioning no names&#8230; *cough*&#8230; England) you can actually rely on train and bus timetables in Japan. It&#8217;s possible to plan quite a full-on [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":48,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_sitemap_exclude":false,"_sitemap_priority":"","_sitemap_frequency":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2368],"tags":[1432,1433,1678,1838,2242,2243],"class_list":["post-6183","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-only-in-japan","tag-convenience-store","tag-convenient","tag-japan","tag-luggage-forwarding","tag-travel","tag-travel-advice-2"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6183","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/48"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6183"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6183\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8410,"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6183\/revisions\/8410"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6183"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6183"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6183"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}