Japan... in a nutshell

Japan is definitely a budget blowing destination that needs to be compensated for in a RTW trip by skimping somewhere else. As we had been travelling around the rest of Asia beforehand, we were able to budget accordingly for this part of the trip and also save money in the next place (Mexico).  It is, however, cheaper than you probably think it is, and can be done on a tight budget if you keep some of the tips below in mind…

 

Visas

Being from the EU, we didn’t need a Visa to visit Japan. Most countries have a Reciprocal Visa Exemption Arrangement with Japan, which allows citizens to visit for less than 90 days without any additional requirements. You can check whether or not you need one here: http://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/arrange/essential/visa.html

 

 

Accommodation

A large portion of your budget for Japan is likely to be spent on accommodation. The bedrooms tend to be quite small, often with no space to open up a backpack (with the exception of our hotel in Hiroshima which was enormous). But double rooms, in our experience, are always clean, and have large size, luxury toiletries that can be used during your stay, bathrobes and even Japanese style pyjamas - a much appreciated luxury for anyone travelling.
Here’s a breakdown of our costs:

€22 (per person) for a small flat in Tokyo*
€24 (per person) for a double room in in Kyoto
€28 (per person) for a double room in Osaka
€27 (per person) for a double room in Hiroshima

These were fairly upmarket 3 star hotels that were not the cheapest option, but fairly central in most cases. There is always the option to stay in a hostel or budget hotel for a lot less, but the above is the amount you would expect to pay if you were on a normal holiday where you can afford to spend a “normal” amount.

*As there were four of us travelling, we were able to get a shared flat in Tokyo via Air BnB and share the cost between us, which worked out a lot more economical than two rooms in a hotel. It also meant we were able to stay in the lively Shibuya area, which may have been otherwise unaffordable.

If you require specific reccommendations send me a tweet or an email: mika.kohli@gmail.com

 

Food and Drink

Eating out in Japan is a pleasure as the service is second to none, the kitchens are open until very late (we ordered food on the first night at 2.30am), and the food is generally of a good standard, even if you’re not after sushi dishes. The food is not unreasonably priced, at least if you are from the more expensive parts of Europe; in fact, sushi will cost you much less than you would ordinarily pay in Madrid or London - but a few things need to be taken into account if you’re trying to do Japan on a budget:

- For a resaurant, standing up at a sushi bar with a conveyor belt will be your cheapest bet, although there are sushi bars where you can sit at the counter.

- With the exception of the above, pretty much every restaurant has a table charge that is often not mentioned until you get the bill. Sometimes a small dish is given in return for this in restaurants, but not in bars. This charge can cost anything between ¥300 and ¥450 yen per person, which is around €2.50 or €3 per person depending on where you go.

 

- Watch out for the tax - it’s not always included in the price they advertise on boards and is usually 8%.
- Remember there are restaurants on the second and third floors of buildings as well as the ground floor. The rent is cheaper as you go up, which can often reflect on the prices charged.

- The street food in Japan is very tasty, and is obviously the cheapest way to eat and try different things. Here is a great list of street food that you should look out for (and try): http://food.japan-talk.com/food/new/japanese-street-food. Takoyaki (balls stuffed with octopus, pickled ginger and onion) and Gyoza (pan fried dumplings made with mince pork) were my two favourites. There are “famous” streets in each area where you can get your hands on this kinda grub, although a lot of it can be found in Japanese restaurants too.  

 

A great place that we found with large portions, no table charge and good food was a chain known as: Ootoya Gohan-dokoro (大戸屋 ごはん処) The president of the company decided to make a somewhat fashionable restaurant at affordable prices that would appeal to a younger crowd.

You can normally expect to pay from ¥650 to ¥900 for a main in a normal, standard Japanese restaurant, which works out at €4.50 - €6.90.
Set meals in Ootoya cost around ¥850, which is just over €6 and they are very filling.

A bottle of beer in Japan usually costs around €3.50 - €4 which is not cheap, but sometimes a necessary evil. Bottles of wine may work out economical if you're sharing, but are generally very expensive for Europeans. The trick is to stay in one place after a restaurant so that you can avoid paying numerous table charges. Some places don't have a table charge, but prices don't include tax, so remember to ask about both before ordering if you're on a budget!

You might be tempted to tip in Japan, as the staff are always so efficient, attentive and polite, but it is actually seen as offensive in Japanese restaurants, so just sit back and enjoy the wonderful service.

In total we spent around €28 a day on food and drink, which involved a lot of alcohol and an abundance of sushi. But hey, it was my birthday! You can spend a lot more quite easily, or a little bit less if you’re on a tighter budget and choose to eat more street food rather than going for sit-down meals as we usually did.
 

Transport

If you’re travelling around the country, a Japanese rail pass or 'JR pass' is undoubtedly the best way to go, even though it may seem expensive at first.

It is a railway pass exclusively for tourists that can be used on high speed trains linking each city, some buses, and even the underground system (on certain lines). The only thing you need to do is get it in advance (it can not be bought once you’re in Japan).

Here is a step by step guide on how to get one:

1a) Buy an “exchange order” for a JR pass online. It costs around €336 per person for 14 days, and is delivered to your house.

You can do this by visiting sites like these: http://www.jrpass.com/es

b) Alternatively, you can physically visit a Japanese Travel Centre such as the one in Holborn, London: http://www.japantravel.co.uk.

c) If, like us, you’re travelling around Asia first, and don’t have the time or an address to receive an exchange order by post, take a look at this site for places to purchase it in person on the same day. It’s worth calling the offices first to ensure they offer rail passes, and also to find out working hours.
Do not forget your passport, as they will need to see it before issuing the exchange order. They usually accept cash in the local currency, so visit the cash machine first.

2. You can trade in your exchange order for the actual pass once you’re in Japan, as long as the offices are open. The airport JR pass office closed around 8pm.
 

Excursions
The entrance fees to most places were surprisingly cheap, apart from a very expensive one to see Mount Fuji from Tokyo, which I really don’t think was worth the money if you're young and don't have a special love of souvenir shops! Here are some examples of what we paid:

Hiroshima peace memorial museum: ¥50 each / €0.40
Osaka's Floating Garden Observatory Rooftop entrance: ¥700 / €5.10
Ethnology Museum in Osaka: ¥420 / €3.06  (keep in mind, this requires spending a lot of additional money on different railway and metro lines that are not covered by the JR pass).

 

Money makes the world go round

At the time of writing this post in July / August 2014, 1 Euro was equal to 137 Yen.

 

So how much?!
Visas: €0 (European citizens. See link at top of page to see if a Visa is necessary for your country.
Accommodation: €25 a night (per person) see more detailed breakdown and accommodation section above.
Food and drink: €25 - €28 a day (including alcohol and a birthday!)
Transport: €336 per person for a 14 day rail pass*
 

*We spent an additional €39 each on inner-city transport on the rare occasions that the JR pass couldn’t get us to our destination (and an unavoidable taxi charge when the metro stopped running due to our very late arrival in Tokyo airport). It may be possible to avoid any additional costs, depending on the places you want to visit.