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We finally made a trip to Japan after three long years of waiting to see our family. Every year we visit, there is always something new and exciting to see and do; however this time, we noticed some changes that we weren’t expecting.

Before we get into the list, there is one significant change that has been made that you should take care of before your flight. That is to download the MySOS app. This is mandatory for everyone (even Japanese citizens).

This is the procedure for now; however, the MySOS app is ending its run on November 14th. Starting November 1st, you will need to use VISIT JAPAN WEB.

Ok, now that you are out of the airport, here are five things we noticed that changed since our last visit. Number five on the list is our favorite and we think you would enjoy this too.

1. Semi Self Checkout Registers

We did a lot of shopping in our hometown from bakeries to convenience stores and everywhere we went, there was a semi-self-check-out machine at the register.

The reason why I say “semi” is that it’s not a fully self-automated checkout. There is still an attendee at the register to scan your merchandise, but when it came to handling money, the transaction was all operated by the buyer through the checkout machine.

Basically, we had to select how we were going to pay and also had to accept the change amount as well. It’s very easy once you get used to it, but initially, we weren’t quite sure what to do so our mom had to guide us through it.

Our visit was mostly spent in the suburbs of Narita, but if you’re in the Tokyo area, be on the lookout for touch-free floating holographic self-checkouts. How cool is that?

2. Eco Bags

We’re pretty used to paying for plastic bags (shopping bags) at checkout in California, so the concept isn’t new. However, this was the first time we had to pay for shopping bags in Japan.

Whenever we began checking out, the cashier would ask us if we would like to purchase plastic bags. The average cost we saw in the suburbs was about 3 yen per plastic bag. This fee can go up to 10 yen per bag at the most.

You can simply say “irimasen” which means “don’t need” or just say “no” and point to your own shopping bag, tote, or eco bag. Eco bag means eco-friendly bag and it’s pronounced “echo baggu” in Japan.

So if you want to save money on plastic bags (and reduce waste), we recommend carrying your own bag. Crystal usually had a large tote bag with her, so on most occasions, we stuck our small purchases in there. We also borrowed our sister’s large IKEA bag when we went to places like the grocery store.

3. Mandatory Masks Indoors

We’ve become pretty accustomed to not wearing our masks for almost a year now, so going back to wearing them again was a bit of a drag. It’s not mandatory to wear them outdoors in uncrowded spaces, but it is still required indoors.

We noticed that pretty much everyone wore masks, regardless if they were indoors or outdoors. The children were especially obedient when it came to wearing masks. Our niece and nephew were often wearing their masks in the house so we rarely got to see their faces.

Our mom said that her friends like wearing their masks because they’ve gotten used to hiding their faces. It seems some people have different reasons for keeping their masks on even if it’s not mandatory.

4. Disinfection Stations & Temperature Screenings

Every establishment (restaurants, hot springs, grocery stores, etc.) we walked into had a disinfection station and an automated temperature screening device. It’s a fast and painless process, but we sometimes wondered if everyone was doing it since there wasn’t necessarily an attendee keeping an eye on it.

The majority of the time, the temperature screenings were done by aligning your face to a smartphone-looking device, but there were some devices that checked your temperature by placing your wrist over a small device.

5. Robot Servers, Guides, and More!

Japan has always been a leader in technology, but we were especially impressed by the increased use of robots. The pandemic has definitely sped up the process for a contactless experience.

However, the main reason for the increasing number of robots is due to Japan’s labor shortage issues owing to its aging population.

At Aeon Mall, we saw a robot that was tasked to guide or help shoppers locate shops and restrooms. At Narita Airport, we spotted Cocobo, which is a security robot that patrols the airport. When Cocobo detects unusual activity, it sends data to the disaster-prevention center and then coordinates with security guards to handle the situation.

One of our favorite robot encounters was when we were dining at a family restaurant called Gusto. When we sat at our table, we placed our food order on an iPad (instead of the server coming to our table). Then our food arrived via a cute cat-themed robot server named BellaBot. Every time BellaBot arrived with our food, we were so thrilled by the experience.

Now that travel restrictions to Japan have eased up, we hope those of you who have been waiting to visit, find this information useful. If this is your first time visiting Japan, we recommend checking out 10 Simple Steps to Prepare for Your Trip to Japan. Safe travels!

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