Top Lessons from Hosting My Mom in Japan

I have been hosting my mom’s first visit to Japan, and I must admit that it’s been a roller coaster of experiences. Time flew by as we explored many beautiful destinations across this remarkable country. With just 15 days, I couldn’t show her all the places I hoped to, as Japan’s vastness and diversity make it impossible to cover every gem. In fact, I haven’t even seen all the spectacular and gorgeous spots myself!

Here are the destinations we visited over the past 15 days:

Mino
Gifu
Gujo Hachiman
Magome-Juku
Tsumago-Juku
Nagoya
Kyoto
Nara
Toba
Shirakawago
Kasamatsu
Inuyama
Kakamigahara

I wanted to take her to many more places like Kamikochi, Takayama, and Seki, but the exhaustion from long hours of driving hit us hard. This brings me to some of the lessons I learned while hosting my mom’s visit to Japan.

First, the driving times to more distant spots in Gifu shouldn’t be underestimated, especially during Japanese holidays when traffic jams can really dampen the mood.

Additionally, I was surprised by the overwhelming numbers of tourists in popular places like Shirakawago and Kyoto. I underestimated the influx of both foreign visitors and locals, especially during weekends and holiday periods—a key consideration for future trips.

One frustrating aspect was that not all places accept credit cards. While I completely understand that small businesses selling artisan goods may prefer cash, it became inconvenient in larger, more upscale restaurants. For instance, in Nara, we dined at a place that only accepted cash, a detail that wasn’t communicated at the entrance. Consequently, my mother often found herself running out of cash quicker than expected in these establishments.

While we navigated public transport in Kyoto, we noticed some inconsistency with boarding procedures on buses and local trains. Sometimes we had to board from the front; other times, from the back. Paying fares also varied: we realized that sometimes we needed to pay while entering, while other times it was required on exit. We struggled to have exact fare amounts ready, only to later discover that it was possible to break ¥1000 notes at the ticket machine near the driver—definitely not the clearest setup. While these may seem like minor details to locals, they can be quite confusing for tourists.

I used an IC card for fare payments, but I didn’t arrange one for my mother until it was too late. While I find IC card payments convenient, I often found myself having to check and top up the balance with cash. I even tried to use Apple Pay, linked to my credit card, at the ticket machines, but it didn’t work. Unfortunately, topping up with my credit card was also not an option. I suspect that it might be possible with the right approach, but I haven’t figured it out yet. Nonetheless, I believe it would greatly simplify travel for everyone if Apple Pay or credit card options were more universally accepted, eliminating the need for IC cards altogether.

Anyway, today marks my mom’s last evening in Japan before she flies home to the Netherlands tomorrow morning. Despite the earlier mentioned minor challenges, she had a fantastic time, and I was delighted to host her visit.