Johnny Novgorod said:
I've been doing some hard thinking for about a couple of years now and I've decided I want to travel to Japan. I've been checking the internets for people who've gone there as tourists to see what kind of budget you need to visit for 2 weeks, a month maybe (I'd really like to travel around the country as opposed to staying in Tokyo)? But most posts are horribly dated. If you've been to Japan (better yet, if you live there) could you give me a rough estimate as to how much money I should carry on myself, how much the trip would cost overall? Assuming I play it safe and I'm not a big spender (I really am not, I'm not thinking of making any major purchase, I assume most money will go on the tickets, lounging and eating whenever I'm on the edge of starving). By the way, this is a long-term plan, I'm thinking late 2013, early 2014.
Hi there. I live in Japan and have been doing so for almost 5 months now. I'm currently living in Kyoto, but I'll be moving to just outside of Tokyo in a month's time from now.
I can write a heap load of stuff to you, but best to do it by PM rather than on a forum, but I'll give you a basic heads up.
- Most places in Japan DON'T accept credit cards. They only accept cash. So enter the country with cash, preferrably a big wad of cash so you don't have to withdraw from the bank often (which incurs lots of overseas charges). Luckily, if you're only staying in Japan for 2 weeks, this isn't a big problem.
-The cost of where you're staying depends on what kind of place you want to stay. If you're staying in a hotel, I suggest you google places. When I first travelled to Japan 2 years ago, I went to hostals in Kyoto. Very good. They cost between 1500-2400 yen per night. To find out how much that is in your currency, check out the converter here.
http://www.expedia.co.uk/p/currency-converter
You should find hostels equals very cheap, but of course you'll likely be sharing a room with other people.
- Regarding food, the cheapest places eating out, on average, are between 400-850yen a meal. These are usually places such as Sukiyaki, Nakau, etc. Places that sell rice or noodle dishes (I personally find these places rather tasty). Generally, sushi places will cost more. At least 1200 for a decent meal. More expensive sushi places cost amounts of money that will make your wallet cry.
- Buying food to cook is a mixed bag. It can be either super cheap, or super expensive. You will find that western food, in supermarkets, go through the roof. Blocks of cheese, for instance, are inexistant in Japan. pizzas cost a bomb most places (We're talking 2500yen at the cheapest, but regularly cost 4000yen on average). However, if you like rice or noodle dishes, there are plenty of places where you can buy the ingrediants for these meals for just 200-500 yen a go. Again, check out the converter to get an idea.
- Regarding travel, the best way to travel around the country is by train. There is a special train ticket you can buy PRIOR to entering Japan, that can be either 2 weeks or more, unlimited travel on just about any train in Japan (including the bullet train) for a set price. Someone once told me it was about £250, but I don't know if it costs more or less than that now, 2 years later. If you're seriously thinking of going around the whole of Japan, I highly recommend you check the internet about this ticket).
So, if you want to know how much it cost me per day, I would say, in Kyoto, I bought an all day bus ticket for 500 yen, spent about 1000-1400yen on food per day, and about 2000 average per night at a hostel. That's on average 3500-4000yen a day. Use the calc to find out how much that is in your country. This is living in Kyoto though, NOT Tokyo. So, 42000-48000yen over 2 weeks.
However, this REALLY depends on what kind of food you like to eat. Because I'll eat just about anything, sometimes I was spending less than 1000 a day on food. But if you like quality foods.... you could be spending a heck of a lot more.
FINALLY, take into account what you're wanting to do over there. If you're looking to going sightseeing a lot, find out how much places charge. Going to shrines, or historical places cost me about 300-600 entry fees each time.
Oh, yeah, if you do come, don't forget to give me a shout. If I'm still in Japan by the time you come over, I'll see if I can help make your time easier/ better here. Maybe we can meet up. Any more questions, give me a PM (or ask them on this thread if you'd prefer).
Regarding Kyoto, it's a fantastic place to go to in terms of safety, and if you love temples and shrines, you'll have a field day here. The people are generally pleasant, and a fair few people know English. The ones that don't, it's easy to get or do anything i.e. order foot, etc, but simply pointing or using hand gestures.
