36; ТОКИО! | ВСЁ, ЧТО НУЖНО ЗНАТЬ ТУРИСТУ О СТОЛИЦЕ ЯПОНИИ В 2025 ГОДУ ПЕРЕД ПОЕЗДКОЙ

How to get to Japan (via China / Beijing)

• As of the video recording, the route from Moscow to Japan is only possible with a transfer in China.
• In Moscow:
  • Luggage is checked through directly to Japan, so you don’t pick it up in Beijing.
  • You receive tickets there—described as convenient and streamlined.
  • A visa-related ticket requirement is mentioned.

Tickets & payment

• Tickets were purchased in the Tenkov app:
  • Round trip: ~65,000 rubles
  • Baggage: 2 bags of 23 kg each
• Seats:
  • Booked via the Air China app, but the speaker’s cards didn’t work.
• Fix:
  • Use Alipay (recommended after a Telegram discussion).
  • Link a Belarusian bank card (the speaker says it may also work with other bank cards).
• In China:
  • With Alipay / QR codes, they also paid for purchases and taxis.

Arrival / customs

• Customs control is described as fast, with a short queue and body screening.
• UnionPay cards work well for airport-related payments (as stated).

Health / forms

• They filled out health code/declarations for Beijing transit and Japan.
• Conclusion: a health code for transit in China may not be needed unless you leave the airport/city.

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SIM card, Wi‑Fi, and connectivity

SIM / eSIM

• Bought in the AO app:
  • Japan: 20 GB initially (they still had 9 GB left)
• Tip: buy fewer GB first, then increase as needed.
• Recommendation extends to other countries as well (including eSIM use for Baku/Dubai).
• Promo: a $3 discount link is mentioned.

Wi‑Fi

• Wi‑Fi is available “almost everywhere.”
• Backup option: Wi‑Fi Map app (public Wi‑Fi shared by users).

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Money tips & transportation

Metro ticketing

• Early confusion led them to buy tickets for the wrong station.
• New tickets could only be purchased for cash, so it’s useful to keep some on hand.

Cash withdrawal recommendations

• Withdraw cash at the airport first, since the exchange rate is lowest there.
• If cards aren’t accepted, the speaker found an ATM hidden inside the station and withdrew several thousand yen.

Taxi cost warning

• Taxis are said to be very expensive.
  • Airport → hotel is described as ~30–40 minutes, up to about 30,000 rubles.
• Recommendation: book a taxi in advance to reduce hassle and surprise costs.

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Tokyo shopping & everyday comfort

• Zara:
  • Prices described as reasonable (roughly similar to Moscow prices).
• Weather & walking:
  • The weather felt “comfortable.”
• City cleanliness:
  • Emphasis on Tokyo’s cleanliness and bright, well-kept vehicles (cars/buses/trucks).
• Uniqlo:
  • Visit described as the largest store in the world, with 12 floors.

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Food and “Harry Potter / theme park” experiences

Disneyland strategy (planning + apps + timing)

• Ticket sources:
  • Recommended via official sites or cluk.com.
• Disneyland app features:
  • Attraction map
  • Expected wait times
  • Food/toilet locations
  • Priority/return-time passes for selected attractions
• Sell-out reality:
  • Many popular rides sell out quickly; some passes are available only until later in the day.
• Key timing tip:
  • When the park opens (around 9:00 am), activate tickets immediately and buy the best passes early.
• Queue expectations:
  • Popular attractions can have waits up to about 3 hours.

Rides

• They enjoy roller-coaster style attractions.
• One ride gets you wet; they adjust makeup afterward using toilet paper.

Butterbeer

• Butterbeer in Japan is described as tastier than in London.

Merchandise

• They buy themed wands/costume items and receive custom inscriptions (e.g., “Always”).
• Favorite moments include character/location photos such as platform 9¾.

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Imperial Palace area

• They plan to visit the Imperial Palace / park area.
• Walking in the park is described as generally free.
• Entering the palace building itself may require a fee (the exact price wasn’t clearly found).

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Odaiba highlights (last shopping and photos)

• They explore artificial island Odaiba and take photos with landmarks in view, including imagery around:
  • the bridge
  • Statue of Liberty
• They do additional shopping for souvenirs/food to take home.

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Hotel & airport logistics (end of trip)

Hotel stay

• Described as inexpensive and comfortable.
• Included amenities:
  • kitchenette (kettle, microwave, mini-fridge)
  • washing machine
  • mugs/glasses
  • ironing request
• Layout notes:
  • multiple beds (including one folding out)
  • balcony view with nearby metro/shopping

Airport

• Getting to terminals:
  • Train/shuttle to terminals (described as about 1.5 hours with multiple lines/terminals)
• Check-in:
  • Long line: ~40–50 minutes
  • Additional cash checking/verification in a separate room
• Duty-free:
  • Described as huge
  • They grab quick snacks before boarding (e.g., banana KitKat) plus small souvenirs like magnets/keychains.

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Notable locations / products / services mentioned

Tokyo districts/areas

• Ginza, Shibuya, Roppongi (spelled “Raponji”)
• Imperial Palace area
• Odaiba
• general “Tokyo” area/street views

Shopping

• Zara
• Uniqlo (12 floors)
• cosmetics shop (tax-free refund mentioned)
• Chanel (foundation purchase)

Apps/services

• Alipay
• Tenkov app (ticket purchase)
• Air China app (seat booking)
• Wi‑Fi Map
• AO app (SIM/eSIM)
• Disneyland app (maps + wait times + priority passes)
• cluk.com (Disneyland tickets)

Attractions & theme park

• Tokyo Disneyland (e.g., Big Thunder Mountain)
• priority/return-time passes
• platform 9¾ photo spot
• rides that get you wet
• Butterbeer
• custom wand inscription (e.g., “Always”)

International landmarks

• Statue of Liberty view in Odaiba

Airports/transit

• Moscow → transfer via China (Beijing transit mentioned)
• Japan airport transit area
• Duty Free