Monday, December 12, 2011

Japan On A Budget

Hi All,





Sorry for posting this in the Tokyo forum I wasn%26#39;t entirely sure where to post it.





Ok, so a question that seemingly gets asked quite often, can Japan realistically be done on a budget? I%26#39;m thinking 拢1000 for me and my girlfriend(Approx Yen 136,700) for two weeks (this is a rough period of time, it%26#39;s entirely based on what we can afford)?





Unfortunately we have to fly in an out of Narita airport as we will be flying from the UK and then on to New Zealand.





So far hostels we%26#39;re looking at are 拢25 (Approx



Yen 3,420) a night at most, so in theory that%26#39;s 拢350 (Approx Yen 47, 845) out of the budget straight away, so the rest would be for transport between destinations, food and other spending money.





With regards to transport we intend to take buses from destination to destination as this seems much cheaper than that of Shinkansens, we have been using 123bus as our source for routes and prices, though I wanted to ask how much a bus from Kyoto to Osaka would cost?





Just to let you know our must see destinations are Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka and Hiroshima.





Any help would be greatky appreciated.



Japan On A Budget


In regards to Kyoto and Osaka, they are right next to each other, local trains can connect you within 20-40 minutes, ranging from 400-600 yen approx (depending on start and end stations).





Want to save money and only have one week, then knock out Hiroshima from your trip. It%26#39;s a great city, fantastic place to visit, just too far away, you%26#39;ll be spending much on transportation to/from it, especially if your on a budget.





Nearby cities around Tokyo and Kyoto/Osaka can probably make up for the time and keep you more then occupied.



Japan On A Budget


I%26#39;m going to go with ';yes';, but ask me at the end of the month when we return! I plan on documenting exactly how much we spend, to quell the naysayers.





We%26#39;ve booked hostels. They all look fine. Safe, clean, etc. None of these hostels cost more than 65 USD a night for BOTH of us. Double bed, two twins, whatever. I%26#39;m seeing that hostels aren%26#39;t as cheap as what you%26#39;d find in Europe, but no problem. Make sure you%26#39;re looking at prices for two, not one!





We also purchased the 7 day rail pass since we want to go to Nagano, Kyoto, Hiroshima, etc. That%26#39;s an upfront cost since you have to buy it BEFORE you arrive in Japan. So we already paid about 290 USD for that, each.





When will you be going? I%26#39;ll have more information after the fact!




123bus is a good option for long hauls, not short Oska-Kyoto. Use a train.



If you need shower/bath after long overnight to Kyoto, use this sento right in front of Kyoto station. It opens early(7am) %26amp; catered for the bus travelers. Make sure to print out the discount coupon(600yen) at the page bottom.



kyoto-tower.co.jp/kyototower/bath/index.html



At other places, I once used a net cafe for shower and e-mail update for a few $.



For bf %26amp; lunch, 500 to 700 yen each is more than enough. Dinner may be 700-1,000 yen to unlimited at restaurants. 2,000yen ppd budget is not bad with occasional splurges, if some money left. Cheaper does not mean less tasty(but depending on your likes). The lowest priced places may have food ticket vending machines but you need to ask which dish ticket to buy, if you don%26#39;t know. Yoshinoya(everywhere) seems to be popular. Inside or around Train stations offer good low cost dishes, too. No need to go to US type fast food chains unless you want to.



You can always go to convenience stores/bento box stores or pick %26amp; choose freshly prepared good food at train station/department store basement food court.



Buy mikan oranges which are the Japanese traveler%26#39;s staple.




...and wherever you go, keep an open for the %26#39;100yen stores%26#39; where you can pick up tasty Japanese snacks and nifty souvenirs to take home.




i%26#39;ve just come back from japan



and i said its not as expensive as what people say it is





however 2 weeks on a budget of 拢1000 and you got your accomodation to pay for





i%26#39;m going to say no it cant be done!!!!





you have to be realistic





if you had your accomodation paid for then maybe at a push





think of it like this... could you live, travel and sightsee in london for 2 weeks on 拢1000? bearing in mind japan dont have travel lodges where you can book for 拢9 a night!!!




Traveling on budget doesn%26#39;t mean missing out interesting places/cultural things. Actually more interesting to me.



In Kyoto, you might try staying at a cheap shukubo(temple lodging). One Zen temple I stayed at is in a huge quiet temple complex that very few westerners(even Japanese) visit and back way walking distance to Kinkakuji and Ryoanji. Expensive Shojin Ryori or morning zazen(meditation) is optional. maltesegallerie.com/supertemples/archives/20鈥?/a>



Or another one in the same complex:



http://www.shunkoin.com/direction.html

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