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No Japanese? No Problem: What Foreign Visitors in Tokyo Should Bring and Say

Always bring your passport, rely on a translation app plus telling them upfront, and pay only via official channels. All my little mistakes are in here.

Crowds at Shinjuku Station East Exit gates — Shinjuku Station is packed — checking your exit in advance saves a lot of hassle

Photos are freely licensed images from Wikimedia Commons (PD/CC0/CC BY/CC BY-SA; credits on each file page), not shop ads.

My Japanese is just “thank you” and “how much”, so communication was my biggest worry before my first visit. Turns out if you prepare the following, you'll be fine.

Carry your passport. Shops or channels may check your age; under 18 is a firm no.

Language: install a translation app, and state your nationality and languages when booking. Some shops or companions have conditions — their reply applies, so don't wait until you're there to ask.

Staff English in Kabukicho varies a lot — if you can't read the prices, ask before ordering; don't just sit down blindly.

Money: Yoshiwara shops mostly take yen cash, so I withdraw at a convenience-store ATM beforehand; outcall uses the RMB “w” prices on our cards, as confirmed by support.

Ask before paying whether cards are accepted and whether there's a surcharge.

Most important: use official channels only, and refuse any DM asking you to transfer money first to “lock in” a companion.