Random thoughts from my Japan trip: 1. It was amazing to be a Black woman & experience ZERO staring which I experienced often in South East Asia. 2. Get the Suica welcome card at the airport but put no more than 5,000 yen on it to start bc it's non-refundable. Don't get the JR pass - it's not a great value for most folks and you can buy individual JR tickets when needed. 3. The trains are cheaper and faster than Uber by a LOT. Continued...