How expensive is a one-month vacation in Japan?

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ChurchOfSolipsism
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How expensive is a one-month vacation in Japan?

Post by ChurchOfSolipsism »

I'm almost finished with my exams, and I was wondering whether I shouldn't spent my vacation in Japan. Apparently, I can get a flight as cheap as 490€. I was planning to spend one month in a foreign country, and I would love to finally see Japan (initially I was going to spend some time in Thailand... yeah, my tastes are a little middle of the road, I know).

Problem is, Japan is fucking expensive, isn't it? How much can I expect to spend a day "on a shoestring" in Tokyo/ in the countryside? How expensive is travelling? Will I have to go to much trouble to get vegetarian dishes?

Gaijin Punch, I'm looking in your direction.... but anyone with some info or useful tips is welcome. Thanks.
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Skykid
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Re: How expensive is a one-month vacation in Japan?

Post by Skykid »

Hey dude,

When I travelled to Japan back in 03, I had the same concerns. But to be honest, after living in London all my life, everywhere else is cheaper.

Japan isn't cheap no - it's certainly not going to be as favourable as somewhere like Thailand (where your money will go a long way), but if you budget properly there are plenty of ways to enjoy in Japan without cutting too many corners.

I'm going in February next year and I'm shitting myself about the exchange rate. My flight was a good price (similar to what you quoted) but the Yen is really strong at the moment, and I'm praying the pound stabilises a bit when I get there.

Anyway, a few tips:

Go for 'Ryokans' in Tokyo - they're like budget hotels, cheap, clean and traditional. If you're really on a budget, hostels are also fine. Book in advance though!

Buy a JR pass prior to going. You can activate it for a week I believe and travel on it non-stop for no extra money. This will allow you to see a lot of Japan in a short space of time (day trips to Fuji and Kyoto are completely feasable).

For food, just look around: there are loads of very reasonably priced places that are the Japanese equivalent of greasy spoons (or local Cafe's). Don't be shy though, most look kind of small and generally for the 'locals' but fuck it, just go in. Otherwise you'll be spending loads in rubbish commercial places like Macdonalds. :wink:

If you're going to buy games, save, save, save. Don't go for the first thing you find in Akihabara either - it's become like tourist haven I'm told, and with that, there are rapidly inflating prices.

When I'm there I'm going to be spending some time in Fuji where a friend says they'll take me to a dirt cheap game store. It will pay to look outside of the usual spots.

That's all I can offer, I'm sure as a local GP can provide the full lowdown!

:wink:
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ChurchOfSolipsism
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Re: How expensive is a one-month vacation in Japan?

Post by ChurchOfSolipsism »

Skykid wrote:Hey dude,

When I travelled to Japan back in 03, I had the same concerns. But to be honest, after living in London all my life, everywhere else is cheaper.

Japan isn't cheap no - it's certainly not going to be as favourable as somewhere like Thailand (where your money will go a long way), but if you budget properly there are plenty of ways to enjoy in Japan without cutting too many corners.

I'm going in February next year and I'm shitting myself about the exchange rate. My flight was a good price (similar to what you quoted) but the Yen is really strong at the moment, and I'm praying the pound stabilises a bit when I get there.

Anyway, a few tips:

Go for 'Ryokans' in Tokyo - they're like budget hotels, cheap, clean and traditional. If you're really on a budget, hostels are also fine. Book in advance though!

Buy a JR pass prior to going. You can activate it for a week I believe and travel on it non-stop for no extra money. This will allow you to see a lot of Japan in a short space of time (day trips to Fuji and Kyoto are completely feasable).

For food, just look around: there are loads of very reasonably priced places that are the Japanese equivalent of greasy spoons (or local Cafe's). Don't be shy though, most look kind of small and generally for the 'locals' but fuck it, just go in. Otherwise you'll be spending loads in rubbish commercial places like Macdonalds. :wink:

If you're going to buy games, save, save, save. Don't go for the first thing you find in Akihabara either - it's become like tourist haven I'm told, and with that, there are rapidly inflating prices.

When I'm there I'm going to be spending some time in Fuji where a friend says they'll take me to a dirt cheap game store. It will pay to look outside of the usual spots.

That's all I can offer, I'm sure as a local GP can provide the full lowdown!

:wink:
Thanks man, this is much appreciated. Mh, going to Japan becomes more and more tempting...
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Post by Icarus »

Everyone goes to Tokyo, LOL.

Well, in '04 I visited Kyoto and took around £3k as a precaution. But if you're pretty safe with your money and don't spend on impulse, you can make it last - I personally didn't even get near the £1k mark on my six days there, most of my spending was on presents for friends and family, I had my hotel booked and paid for well in advance, and I have a light appetite, making meals quick, cheap and easy.

Agreed with Skykid, if you're going for a month, book into ryokan and hostels, you can find them quite easily, and they're affordable. Make sure you pick up a guidebook of some description before you go, Lonely Planet usually do good guides, and I found my LP Kyoto guide invaluable. A map or two from the local info kiosk when you get there is also a good idea. A good guidebook will point you in the right direction of affordable accommodation and other things, saving you the hassle of wandering blindly around the streets.

Public transport! Get a JR Rail pass if you're planning on going long-distance, and week-long bus+subway passes are easy to get. When I was there I pretty much hiked everywhere as I liked to go off the beaten path and investigate places not in the guides, but if you're pressed for time, you can get transport to anywhere you want to go quite easily. And unlike Newcastle's public transport, Japan's transport is punctual. (And you have to go on the shinkansen at least once while you're there.)

And dear god, learn a bit of the language, at least to read common signs, for example. You won't believe the amount of people who walk into the wrong toilets in traditional restaurants. ;p
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Post by ChurchOfSolipsism »

Icarus wrote: And dear god, learn a bit of the language
Yeah, I'm planning to - I think it's common courtesy to at least try to communicate with locals in their own language.

Thanks for the tips mate!
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Post by jpj »

Icarus wrote:I personally didn't even get near the £1k mark on my six days there
:lol:

abhi had a thread recently about this. and you should check out sven's tour of japan as well. i would provide links but i'm allergic to the search function :)
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Post by Sandlegs »

Come to Okinawa! It's the cheapest place in Japan! (because nobody has any money). tourism is all they have here!
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Post by neorichieb1971 »

I would put down 500 pounds per week. Just for basic living, travelling and food.

Personally, I wouldn't go without a tour guide, a friend who lives there or some person that speaks Japanese.
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Post by Skykid »

neorichieb1971 wrote:I would put down 500 pounds per week. Just for basic living, travelling and food.

Personally, I wouldn't go without a tour guide, a friend who lives there or some person that speaks Japanese.
When I first went to Japan I blew £1000 in two weeks. The exchange rate was a LOT more favourable then and I literally (bar the Ryokan of course) lived like a king. I did anything I wanted, went anywhere I wanted and plundered Akihabara like there was no tomorrow.

However, the exchange rate has changed, Akihabara is prohibitively expensive and I just don't think I could do all that I did then, now.

If you want to go for a month (long time btw!) but you're planning to really budget, then you may still be able to get away with £200 a week as long as accommodation is covered and you're literally just sightseeing. You'll still have an awesome time though.
Just remember, your JR pass is limited in activation time, and after than you'll be paying for transport (which to be fair, is very reasonable for standard underground journeys, but you'll need to factor in.).

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Post by ChurchOfSolipsism »

Thanks thanks thanks. Lots of useful info, excellent.
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Post by Lordstar »

ive been to tokyo this year and it was not cheap. I was living on a shoe string for the three weeks i was there I only had about 2000 in GBP. it was more anoying when two of my travel companions had about 3X as much as me. Saying that I still had a great time and it never stoped me from eating where i wanted to eat or doing what i wanted to do. I did have to be careful though.
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Post by antares »

I stayed in Tokyo two years ago for two weeks. All in all it cost me about 1500 Euros. That was 700 for the flight and about 200 for videogames so the costs for living, eating, playing in arcades, subway tickets and everything else were about 300 Euros per week.

I can recommend this really cheap "hotel":

http://www.spocom.net/open.html

There's a subway station 5 minutes away and you can be in Akihabara in 20 minutes.

You get a room which is about double the size of the bed, there are lavatories on each floor and a shower in the 1st floor. Also you get free green tea in the morning :) If I remember correct it cost about 18 Euros per night.
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Post by ChurchOfSolipsism »

antares wrote:
I can recommend this really cheap "hotel":

http://www.spocom.net/open.html

Haha, their price list is quite amusing:

2,600 Small single tatami mat room
2,700 No smoking small single tatami mat room

WUT



Anyway, I shortened the vacation to 3 weeks, there's no way I can earn enough money for four weeks. Three weeks is plenty of time, though, I can travel around for two weeks and still have one week to savour Tokyo. I'm not that much into partying & shit anyway, so no clubbing etc. for me. I hope to catch some noise shows, though. If I'm lucky, I get to see Government Alpha.
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Post by Icarus »

You'd think sleeping on the floor would be really uncomfortable, but it's the nicest thing in the world. And yeah, despite being an ex-smoker of around 18mths, I'd pay an extra 100Y for a room that didn't smell like an ashtray.
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Post by ChurchOfSolipsism »

Icarus wrote:You'd think sleeping on the floor would be really uncomfortable, but it's the nicest thing in the world. And yeah, despite being an ex-smoker of around 18mths, I'd pay an extra 100Y for a room that didn't smell like an ashtray.

Wow, is it that bad? I still smoke a cigarette occasionally but I hate that stale cigarette smell. 100yen is an acceptable price to ask for a smoke free room...
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Post by Cthulhu »

The people here have given some pretty good advice, but I'll chip in too.

1) Since you're obviously into gaming, try and -carefully- plan out how much you want to spend on shopping and don't let yourself hit the stores until the end of your trip. Shopping is where you're the most likely to totally blow your money. :wink:

2) Transportation costs can add up pretty quickly within Japan, especially if you do any long-distance travel. Get a JR Rail Pass (look this up on Google separately) if you'll be moving around different cities, it'll save you LOTS of money and you can use the Shinkansen over and over to save time. Plus it's comfy.

3) Food costs also vary wildly - you can eat cheaply or have gourmet food all the time. Unless you're somewhere that you can fix your own food though (which sounds unlikely), figure 3 meals a day eating out will cost a minimum of 1500 - 2000 yen.
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Post by ChurchOfSolipsism »

Cthulhu wrote:The people here have given some pretty good advice, but I'll chip in too.

1) Since you're obviously into gaming, try and -carefully- plan out how much you want to spend on shopping and don't let yourself hit the stores until the end of your trip. Shopping is where you're the most likely to totally blow your money. :wink:

2) Transportation costs can add up pretty quickly within Japan, especially if you do any long-distance travel. Get a JR Rail Pass (look this up on Google separately) if you'll be moving around different cities, it'll save you LOTS of money and you can use the Shinkansen over and over to save time. Plus it's comfy.

3) Food costs also vary wildly - you can eat cheaply or have gourmet food all the time. Unless you're somewhere that you can fix your own food though (which sounds unlikely), figure 3 meals a day eating out will cost a minimum of 1500 - 2000 yen.
Sounds like good advice. Yeah I was planning to travel around first, so if I blow my money on shit it's at least going to be cultural shit like admission fees etc. I do like gaming, of course, but apart from hanging around in arcade once or twice I probably won't spend that much money on it - I can get most games I want from home, after all, and I'M not too much into overpriced merchandise (a Cave poster for a hundred bucks? suuuuuuuuuure).

Fcuk yeah I just remembered I can pay the Studio Ghibli museum a visit!
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Post by PC Engine Fan X! »

Or you could try visiting the famous Namco Wonder Tower or Nintendo HQ...they are both based out of Kyoto. ^_~

Staying the local Japanese youth hostels is recommended if you want to stay on the cheap. Plus the fact that they serve both breakfast and dinner is another nice perk to consider. I recall trying to eat some pesto-flavored spagetti with chop sticks. And I'm clusmy with chop sticks anyways...a good ol' fashioned fork would've helped me eat a mean plate of spagetti though. ^_~

If you do check out some of the cool Japanese gaming centers, figure out on spending 100 yen per credit is the norm. Their may be some older arcade games set up to take 50 yen coinage which a better bargin. Please do take advantage of 50 yen priced arcade games if they come your way...easier on the wallet indeed.

Check out some the Japanese arcade PCB shops like G-Front or others...you never know what you might find inside them. You could find such rarity arcade PCBs that can not be found elsewhere. Good luck. ^_~

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Post by Taylor »

I'd be careful with the JR Pass because it can work out being more than just buying tickets each day, depending on where you plan to go.
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Post by ChurchOfSolipsism »

PC Engine Fan X! wrote:Or you could try visiting the famous Namco Wonder Tower or Nintendo HQ...they are both based out of Kyoto. ^_~

Staying the local Japanese youth hostels is recommended if you want to stay on the cheap. Plus the fact that they serve both breakfast and dinner is another nice perk to consider. I recall trying to eat some pesto-flavored spagetti with chop sticks. And I'm clusmy with chop sticks anyways...a good ol' fashioned fork would've helped me eat a mean plate of spagetti though. ^_~

If you do check out some of the cool Japanese gaming centers, figure out on spending 100 yen per credit is the norm. Their may be some older arcade games set up to take 50 yen coinage which a better bargin. Please do take advantage of 50 yen priced arcade games if they come your way...easier on the wallet indeed.

Check out some the Japanese arcade PCB shops like G-Front or others...you never know what you might find inside them. You could find such rarity arcade PCBs that can not be found elsewhere. Good luck. ^_~

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~
Thanks for the tips. I'm not really interested in PCBs as I don't own a supergun or an arcade machine, so one less opoortunity for me to blow cash on! I'm considering buying the three cave games for the xbox 360 there, though (if they have been released yet), and a Japanese Xbox 360. Maybe I can get past the customs unscathed hehe

Taylor wrote:I'd be careful with the JR Pass because it can work out being more than just buying tickets each day, depending on where you plan to go.
Good point. Yeah I'll plan my route meticulously first and then get train tickets.
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Post by Skykid »

Taylor wrote:I'd be careful with the JR Pass because it can work out being more than just buying tickets each day, depending on where you plan to go.
If you don't plan to go outside of Tokyo,absolutely. If you're planning on taking the Shinkansen, it's unlikely!

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Post by mulletgeezer »

For vegetarian food you may have to spend a little effort - Japanese food contains a great deal of hidden fish so you'll need to do some research if you want to find proper veggie stuff. If possible I'd recommend taking some nutritious snacks with you, for those times when you can't find somewhere decent to eat. Also if you learn the kanji for Meat and Fish it will make buying food at convenience stores a little less traumatic as you'll be able to look for them on the ingredients lists of items you aren't sure about.

And if you do go to Kyoto be sure to visit the famous Tofu restaurant in the grounds of Ryoanji - it's a fine place.
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Post by ChurchOfSolipsism »

mulletgeezer wrote: And if you do go to Kyoto be sure to visit the famous Tofu restaurant in the grounds of Ryoanji - it's a fine place.
Oh I'd love to but I fear it's a little bit too expensive...?
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Post by mulletgeezer »

ChurchOfSolipsism wrote:
mulletgeezer wrote: And if you do go to Kyoto be sure to visit the famous Tofu restaurant in the grounds of Ryoanji - it's a fine place.
Oh I'd love to but I fear it's a little bit too expensive...?
When i went six months ago the price was quite reasonable (comparable to a fairly cheap restaurant in England) but with the strengthening yen it may be a little pricey right now. As well as nice food you get a view of a lovely garden with a pond and koi and an island with a funky tree, something usually associated with really expensive japanese cuisine. Kyoto in general is (relatively) great for Vegetarians so I'm sure there are some cheap places you'd like there.
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Post by ChurchOfSolipsism »

Passed my last oral exam today, fuck yeah hahahhaa JAPAN I'M COMING

anyway, thanks a bunch to all the people that gave me advice in this thread. Maybe I'll pester you via pm in the next couple of weeks :x
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