Tips

Living in Japan gives you a massive advantage for learning Japanese — immersion is the best teacher. Here’s what actually works, from complete beginner to conversational. Start Here: Learn Hiragana and Katakana First Before anything else, learn the two phonetic alphabets: Hiragana (ひらがな) — 46 characters, used for Japanese words Katakana (カタカナ) — 46 characters, used for foreign words Both can be learned in 1–2 weeks with daily practice. Once you can read these, everything opens up — menus, signs, apps. ...

Japanese convenience stores (konbini) are unlike anything in most other countries. Open 24/7, they handle banking, bills, printing, food, medicine, and more. If you’re new to Japan, this guide will save you a lot of time. The Big Three Store Notable For 7-Eleven (セブンイレブン) Best food quality, ATM (accepts foreign cards) Lawson (ローソン) Best snacks, Loppi terminal for tickets FamilyMart (ファミリーマート) Good selection, Famiport terminal There are also Ministop, Daily Yamazaki, and others, but 7-Eleven, Lawson, and FamilyMart are everywhere. ...