Quick Tips:
The people of Kyoto are extremely polite, well-mannered, and expect their visitors to be of the same calm nature even when flustered, lost, and riddled with jet-lag. If you are arriving in Japan for the first time and don't speak a lick of Japanese, be prepared to display a large amount of patience when asking for directions or instructions. Although many locals speak English very well, there are also many that don’t. As easy as it may be to get lost in the city, it’s also just as easy to get un-lost. Be prepared to do a bit of asking, pointing, walking a few meters in the suggested direction, and then asking another passerby. Eventually you will get to where you are going, or at least escorted to a “Police Box” where you can ask for a more accurate set of directions.Best Way To Get Around:
Japan has such a wonderfully clean, safe railway, subway, and bus system connecting the major cities to the suburbs and smaller remote areas that renting a car or hiring a taxi becomes almost useless. As efficient as the systems are, the electronic ticket vending machines' instructions are often in Japanese script, which makes purchasing them difficult for foreigners. Look for an Information Center while having the address or name of where you are headed in hand and ask for help. Much of the time, the person on duty will demonstrate how to use the machines along with writing out a rough sketch of how many Yen to drop into each, which train or subway line to take, what stop to get off at, and what line to connect with. It’s common to have to pay 1250 Yen for the JR (Japan Rail) from Narita Airport to Ueno, pay another 290 Yen in the subway system to Tokyo Station, and from there pay 130 Yen for a transfer to Ginza, and then walk 15 minutes to your hotel if you choose to stay in the Tokyo area before heading off to Kyoto.