Japan - 14 days in Japan land. Budget first timer could use some help.

So, this will be my first time head to Japan. Always dreamt of it, always said we'd do it, and finally its happening courtesy of THIS fare. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/mileage-run-discussion/1364939-fare-gone-ke-sea-pdf-sjc-smf-nrt-380-up-ai-many-dates.html

Gist of it is, they'll be 3 guys going on this trip. 2 of us have never been to Japan, one has but for the purposes of planning this we're gonna do it like its everyones first time.

We're in our mid twenties, so we will only have so much patience for temples, but we definitely want to see the "real japan" as well and not just the concrete jungle. Balance is key.

Budget, is going to be tight as we're all recent graduates. There will be no 5 star hotels here! Try your hand at your yen saviness. We're all ears.

Here is our itinerary as it looks so far (It heavily borrows from japan-guides sample itinerary for a 14 day trip)

Day 1:
Arrive NRT 3:30
Stay in Tokyo (Shinjuku Tokyo Plaza Hotel).

Day 2:
Train to Kyoto (Redeem 7 day JR Pass)
Stay in Hana Hostel

Day 3:
Stay in Kyoto

Day 4:
Option 1: Stay in Ryokan in Kyoto
Option 2: Train to Hot Spring Ryokan near Osaka/Kyoto
Option 3: Head up to Mt.Koya for a mountain stay.

Day 5:
Train to Osaka
Stay in Hana Hostel Osaka

Day 6:
Stay in Osaka

Day 7:
Train to Hiroshima
Stay in Hiroshima (Undecided where)

Day 8:
Train to Tokyo (End of 7 day JR Pass)
Stay in Tokyo

Days 9 through 14: Tokyo all the way (Side trips undecided)


So in essence. 3 Days in Kyoto. 2 in Osaka. 2 in Hiroshima. Rest in Tokyo+side trips.
We have a few riff raffs that we haven't sorted out yet. Mainly:

Where should we go for the best hot spring experience for a first timer. We don't mind heading out from Tokyo?

Are we missing anything that we should be doing?

Is this too many cities to pack in the 7 days JR Validity?

Many people say to skip Osaka altogether on Flyertalk. We want to atleast see it (timing it to be on a weekend to see it at its busiest?)

Some preliminary thoughts:

If you're going to Kyoto on Day 2, then I think you're better off staying in Shinagawa the first night, so you'll be close to the bullet train.

I think that two nights in Osaka is definitely overkill.

If you want a true hot spring experience, you need to take a trip to Hakone. This is where having a Shinjuku hotel is handy, as there's a train that goes straight from Shinjuku to Hakone in about an hour and a half.

i've never been to onsen in kyoto, but this might be of help:

http://www.pref.kyoto.jp/visitkyoto/en/theme/amusement/hot_springs/

kyoto and osaka are two big cities in kansai, but they have different
faces.


by the way, when (in which month) do you go there ?

I'm not sure how helpful this will be but take it for what its worth...
Japan is a country of a great formality. Talking on phones on public transportation, eating while walking around, shoes indoor (never stayed at a hostel but consider your shoes...) ...little things that we take for granted as "normal" in the West are simply not done. Reading the etiquette section of a guidebook is probably a good starter.

I hope you have a great time!

I'm not sure how helpful this will be but take it for what its worth...
Japan is a country of a great formality. Talking on phones on public transportation, eating while walking around, shoes indoor (never stayed at a hostel but consider your shoes...) ...little things that we take for granted as "normal" in the West are simply not done. Reading the etiquette section of a guidebook is probably a good starter.

I hope you have a great time!
Easier to get oriented about the Japanese people and their customs through YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9IAOpL3yWu8&feature=related#t=2m16s

I would suggest spending more time away from the big cities. Spending at least some of your time in rural areas - Shikoku, Nagano, the San-in coast etc. etc. - is a great way to experience some of the best of Japan without spending a fortune. For a 14-day budget trip, it's better to do that than to base yourself in Tokyo and take daytrips IMHO.

You'll find lots of tips in the budget travel threads:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/archive/t-1107062.html

IIRC, LapLap gave an entertaining account of her trip on a shoestring budget to Shiraishi island. That would be the kind of thing I'd suggest if you want to have some "real Japan" experiences at minimal cost. I can't find that trip report for some reason.

I'd suggest reading The Rough Guide to Japan (available as an e-book) to get a better idea of what you really want to see. At this point, you seem not to have any specific ideas of what to see.

I agree that two nights in Osaka is overkill. It has its fans, but for a first-timer, it looks like just another big city. Even the castle is a postwar reconstruction, but you can find genuine castles in places like Hikone (not Hakone, Hikone--a brief local train ride out of Kyoto), Fukuyama, and Matsumoto

Furthermore, there is definitely a level between hostels and standard hotels with "plaza" in their names. Business hotels offer small but clean single rooms with private bath, TV, refrigerator, and either a wired or wireless Internet connection, for between ¥6000 and ¥10000 per night, sometimes including a breakfast buffet.

An overnight trip to Mt. Koya is a good way to get out into the countryside, but 1) You should reserve your temple rooms in advance (guidebooks tell you how to do this) and 2) You should read up on Shingon Buddhism in order to understand what you're seeing. Staying at Koya is like staying in a ryokan, only with monks.

I just got back from Japan and was kind of on a budget, so I can give some advice.

If you are eating out, just get water or tea to drink. Alcohol can end up being just as much (if not more) than your food bill if you drink a lot. Even a couple of Cokes can really add up.

For breakfast and lunch, convenience stores are your friend. I budgeted 2000 yen for breakfast and 2400 for lunch and most days we were way under that with a quick conveinience store trip. Dinner can be had for reasonable prices too, just check the menu out front before going in.

Other things that I found useful (not necessarily budget):
- Hopefully you have a smart phone or one of the people you are traveling with does - use Google maps and the pre-cache feature to your advantage. I setup a custom map with all of our points of interest before going to Japan and it really came in handy. Google recently broke the offline maps feature for Japan with the latest version so make sure you have an earlier version (5.8.1 I think).

- Use japan-guide.com. I found it invaluable on our trip, I just wish there was some sort of an offline version. They give you the open and closing times along with admission fees and what the best way is to get to a place. If you are going to Tokyo Tripadvisor also has a Tokyo city guide app that did a decent job of reccommending restaurants in our location (no data connection required).

Are we missing anything that we should be doing?

Mt. Fuji perhaps? Fuji and the onsen of Hakone could be done en route between Tokyo and Osaka or as a day trip from Tokyo. Just a thought. :)

Since Osaka and Kyoto are so close, I'd just skip the Osaka stay and just add a night to Kyoto and another to Hiroshima. Use the rail pass to day trip to Osaka from Kyoto. Other day trip options include Nara and Hikone. With an extra day in Hiroshima, you can use your pass to train and ferry to Miyajima Island for most of a day.

Agree with the above, in many cases, low-cost business hotels offer more value, all things considered, than hostels. Try - http://www.japanhotel.net/ or Rakuten Travel for ideas.

>> Days 9 through 14: Tokyo all the way (Side trips undecided)

If you want to save money, you don't want to do that. hotels in Tokyo are much more expensive compared to Osaka or other smaller cities.

There are many budget hotel chains in Japan (Toyoko Inn, Comfort Inn, Richmond Hotels) - if you look at Rakuten's website you can search for low priced hotels. Be sure to check for a non-smoking room as there are still many hotels that allow smoking. Japan is very safe so don't worry about staying in a "cheap" place. You can eat your main restaurant meal at lunchtime and take advantage of the "set" lunches that are served in most places. You will likely have a fridge in your hotel room so stop in the local supermarket the evening before and get some breakfast things for the morning. There are great supermarkets in the basement of most department stores. If you go after 6pm you will also find that many foods are discounted - look for a red sticker usually showing a percent number i.e. 30% off. You can find lots of great foods to try that way but don't go overboard or you'll spend more than you would in a restaurant. Of course, you should try the ramen places (young males are their natural constituency). If your rail pass is active when you are in Tokyo or Osaka you can use the JR metro lines to get around. You should spend some time people watching - in
Tokyo the best areas to see young people hanging out would be Harajuku and Shibuya. Osaka has a street where the young parade around in their cool clothes. I can't think of the name but it's not too far from Dotonbori. In Kyoto you will have the chance to see junior geisha's (maiko) and maybe some real grown up ones. For geek stuff go to Akihabari and for cheap souvenirs Asakusa. Go to the Time Out Tokyo website for tips on things to do. And if you haven't done so, go to the Japan National Tourist Org (JNTO) website which is full of good information. Have a great trip.

I would cut Osaka down to 1 day. Not much to do there especially on a first trip. Go there to experience the food and take a quick tour of the Osaka Castle. You can probably skip Osaka Castle altogether. I wasn't particularly impressed by it given how "new" it was. IMO if you want to see a Japanese castle Himeji is a better choice.

Your other itinerary looks fine. You can probably do a few days of Tokyo at the start then start using the JR pass and finish off with Tokyo instead of staying in 1 place for so many days. Look into some other places in Japan like Kanazawa as well (historically important areas that was spared in WW2).

I would also reconsider the 7 day JR pass. 14 day JR pass is like $170 more and lets you travel around a lot more instead of staying in Tokyo for 7 days.

Personally, I enjoy big cities and spent three days in Osaka. Sure, no one's going there for temples or sights of that ilk but if you want to spend your time eating and seeing a city, there's nothing wrong with Osaka. Of course, it looks like you have a lot of time planned for Tokyo, so perhaps you can nix Osaka because of that reason.

Osaka does get a really bad rap here for some reason.

I went in June with a tight budget because I left my job for personal reasons. Fortunately I was staying with a friend, but still managed to spend more than I had budgeted...!

I was going to go down to Hiroshima and Kyoto. I thought that the railpass was a little pricey so I didn't, and I'm now glad for my decision to stay in Tokyo for the full crazy experience. I'll probably have to head back to Japan soon for that of course. :D

--

On food, my budget was 500 yen for breakfast, 500 yen for lunch and 1000 yen for dinner (excluding drinks and restaurants when I hang out with friends - this is where my money disappeared). Breakfast because I was staying at my friend's.

Breakfast: 100 yen McChicken & 100 yen coffee. I know, McChicken...?! But I love the one in Japan with the wasabi-flavoured mayonnaise. Plus even though I'm Asian, I can't stomach eating rice in the morning.

Lunch: 2 different flavoured onigiri (~220 yen) from convenience stores. Supermarkets attached to departmental stores have the best tasting ones IMO. Pork cutlet sandwiches (katsu sandwich) are pricey and broke my budget, but so worth it!

Dinner: Waiting around supermarkets for the staff to come out and paste 50% stickers on the meal I eyed. Not very cheap, but what an experience waiting around with other Japanese waiting for the same thing. That said, massive discounts rarely found in the touristy area (my friend lives in the "suburb" area 20 minutes from Shinjuku).

Sometimes I "splurge" and go for the enormous 480 yen meal at one of the beef bowl fast-food chain stores for lunch. It will definitely fill you up, and I think it's an experience in itself.

Ichiran is a ramen chain store that you can find near major stations in Tokyo; make your payment using the vending machine and when you're seated, ask for an English ordering form. Surprisingly tasty, and I am not kind on bad ramen!

Gonna assume you like sashimi and sushi (SASHIMI IS THE BEST), so hit up Tsukiji Market in the morning. Lots more information on the web about the FREE tuna auction (which I didn't manage to wake up for) and the numerous sushi restaurants in the area.

I love sashimi and I never made it here, but I have heard that the sashimi in most Japanese restaurants are good so it is mainly the experience of seeing fish being sold and then possibly eating the same school in the next minute? I don't know.

---

Fun spots: Any of the Don Quijote and Daiso outlets, amazing! So much crap you never knew you needed. Akihabara has many gamers sitting outside the station playing on their DS Lites and PSPs, so that might be something interesting?

On Harajuku, I didn't find it that interesting because there are similar stuff in Singapore (of course this is the authentic one). BUT according to my friend, the experience of being in Harajuku is to have crepes! There is Marion Crepes just halfway down the main shopping street (the other one looks good too, but I'm too big a fan of Marion) WHICH YOU MUST HAVE.

There is also Calbee's cafe, where they make fresh potato chips! It might sound boring, but they have so many odd flavours that actually taste good. I love Calbee chips, and being there is great personally.

--

Go up the Tokyo Metropolitan Government building (walk from Shinjuku) for views of Tokyo. Absolutely free! If you want a view of Tokyo Tower, apparently Roppongi has good views at night. I never bothered to look out for it, but my friend was insistent there exists the best views of the Tower from the ground.

--

Day-trips: I went to Yokohama because I wanted to go for the Nissin Cup Noodles Museum. It was not a problem communicating with the staff despite not speaking Japanese myself. Go early, get a queue number for making your own cup noodle and explore the city if you have time. There is a Chinatown in this city; I walked all the way to/from the Cup Noodle Museum through the famous park, and it was exhausting.

Kamakura was another one. I am not a fan of temples especially since I have been to numerous since I was a kid, but there are some amazing temples for those who are interested in their architecture. Enormous and hilly, with a beautiful view along the coast of the Pacific Ocean when you take the train down.

Meiji Temple in the heart of Tokyo (Harajuku station) is probably a good introduction to temples in Japan. But the naturally hilly parts of Kamakura is something a little different from that of Meiji.

--

For travel, as usual, plan most of major travels within 7 days of rail pass validity. Get the Suica card for transport within Tokyo, and use Hyperdia.com to map out cheapest/fastest route because I didn't in my first 2 days and my top-ups were crazy!

I got myself a Data Sim Card (1gb b-Mobile) from one of the electronic stores at Shinjuku because I was meeting a friend there. Ask the staff to activate the card for you using their mobile phones, because otherwise you would have to hunt one down for activation.

I actually spent 10 days in Tokyo with 2 day-trips outside of the city, and it was a bit of an overkill in terms of tourist sights, but there is so much to see and do in the city (exploring Shinjuku, Shibuya... Shibuya 101 is crazy even for girls; guys will be shocked by the frilliness) that I could not bear to leave.

--

Hope the above helps somewhat? Have fun!

OP here. Thanks for all the replies so far everyone. Didn't expect that much to flood in at once! I read through everything.

Some preliminary thoughts:

If you're going to Kyoto on Day 2, then I think you're better off staying in Shinagawa the first night, so you'll be close to the bullet train.

I think that two nights in Osaka is definitely overkill.

If you want a true hot spring experience, you need to take a trip to Hakone. This is where having a Shinjuku hotel is handy, as there's a train that goes straight from Shinjuku to Hakone in about an hour and a half.

Unfortunately, we'll only be staying in Shinjuku for the first night. Chuo will be the longterm Tokyo stay. They are not too far apart from what I can tell though?

I would suggest spending more time away from the big cities. Spending at least some of your time in rural areas - Shikoku, Nagano, the San-in coast etc. etc. - is a great way to experience some of the best of Japan without spending a fortune. For a 14-day budget trip, it's better to do that than to base yourself in Tokyo and take daytrips IMHO.

You'll find lots of tips in the budget travel threads:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/archive/t-1107062.html


Fortunately we found a pretty killer deal for a 3 bed hotel in Tokyo (Which I've found is no easy task), we're pretty set on basing in Tokyo.

We might find the cost of commuting back and forth, swing things in favor of staying elsewhere though. Are any of those places mentioned do-able, and/or highly recommended for day trips, or 1 day 1 night trips.

I'd suggest reading The Rough Guide to Japan (available as an e-book) to get a better idea of what you really want to see. At this point, you seem not to have any specific ideas of what to see.

I agree that two nights in Osaka is overkill. It has its fans, but for a first-timer, it looks like just another big city. Even the castle is a postwar reconstruction, but you can find genuine castles in places like Hikone (not Hakone, Hikone--a brief local train ride out of Kyoto), Fukuyama, and Matsumoto

An overnight trip to Mt. Koya is a good way to get out into the countryside, but...

I will look into acquiring that book. Trip is a little over a month away so I have some time to read it I think. I've heard Osaka is a haven for awesome food though. Would that not justify getting lost in a big city, and just eat our way through it?

I just got back from Japan and was kind of on a budget, so I can give some advice.

If you are eating out, just get water or tea to drink. Alcohol can end up being just as much (if not more) than your food bill if you drink a lot. Even a couple of Cokes can really add up.

For breakfast and lunch, convenience stores are your friend. I budgeted 2000 yen for breakfast and 2400 for lunch and most days we were way under that with a quick conveinience store trip. Dinner can be had for reasonable prices too, just check the menu out front before going in.

Other things that I found useful (not necessarily budget):
- Hopefully you have a smart phone or one of the people you are traveling with does - use Google maps and the pre-cache feature to your advantage. I setup a custom map with all of our points of interest before going to Japan and it really came in handy. Google recently broke the offline maps feature for Japan with the latest version so make sure you have an earlier version (5.8.1 I think).

- Use japan-guide.com. I found it invaluable on our trip, I just wish there was some sort of an offline version. They give you the open and closing times along with admission fees and what the best way is to get to a place. If you are going to Tokyo Tripadvisor also has a Tokyo city guide app that did a decent job of reccommending restaurants in our location (no data connection required).

I'm not too well-versed in google maps, but I think i'll tinker around with it and try to figure it out. If you don't mind, would you be willing to share a sample of your created maps?
Yes. Japan-Guide has been invaluable for me so far as well. Most of this itinerary is straight from there. I wish there was a way to cache the entire website to a phone for on-the-go use.

Mt. Fuji perhaps? Fuji and the onsen of Hakone could be done en route between Tokyo and Osaka or as a day trip from Tokyo. Just a thought. :)

We're limited on our 7 day rail-pass. This would cut away time from Kyoto/Hiroshima. If we did this, we would have to spring for the 14 day pass which I haven't come to justify yet.

Since Osaka and Kyoto are so close, I'd just skip the Osaka stay and just add a night to Kyoto and another to Hiroshima. Use the rail pass to day trip to Osaka from Kyoto. Other day trip options include Nara and Hikone. With an extra day in Hiroshima, you can use your pass to train and ferry to Miyajima Island for most of a day.

Agree with the above, in many cases, low-cost business hotels offer more value, all things considered, than hostels. Try - http://www.japanhotel.net/ or Rakuten Travel for ideas.

We weren't able to acquire a low-cost enough hotel in Kyoto. We don't mind living in a Hostel either. Going through Europe in Hostels was super fun. I hear Japanese hostels are the cleanest in the world?

There are many budget hotel chains in Japan (Toyoko Inn, Comfort Inn, Richmond Hotels) - if you look at Rakuten's website you can search for low priced hotels. Be sure to check for a non-smoking room as there are still many hotels that allow smoking. Japan is very safe so don't worry about staying in a "cheap" place. You can eat your main restaurant meal at lunchtime and take advantage of the "set" lunches that are served in most places. You will likely have a fridge in your hotel room so stop in the local supermarket the evening before and get some breakfast things for the morning. There are great supermarkets in the basement of most department stores. If you go after 6pm you will also find that many foods are discounted - look for a red sticker usually showing a percent number i.e. 30% off. You can find lots of great foods to try that way but don't go overboard or you'll spend more than you would in a restaurant. Of course, you should try the ramen places (young males are their natural constituency). If your rail pass is active when you are in Tokyo or Osaka you can use the JR metro lines to get around. You should spend some time people watching - in
Tokyo the best areas to see young people hanging out would be Harajuku and Shibuya. Osaka has a street where the young parade around in their cool clothes. I can't think of the name but it's not too far from Dotonbori. In Kyoto you will have the chance to see junior geisha's (maiko) and maybe some real grown up ones. For geek stuff go to Akihabari and for cheap souvenirs Asakusa. Go to the Time Out Tokyo website for tips on things to do. And if you haven't done so, go to the Japan National Tourist Org (JNTO) website which is full of good information. Have a great trip.

Thanks for all the great tips.
Particularly intrigued by the supermarket food idea. Are there any ones that have "better" food. What would I be looking to spend, and do almost all of them discount at the same time?



I would also reconsider the 7 day JR pass. 14 day JR pass is like $170 more and lets you travel around a lot more instead of staying in Tokyo for 7 days.

Since we're going to be Tokyo based for the last 7 days. Would it still make sense to get the 14 day pass? I hear it doesn't do much for you in Tokyo. Would the JR Pass help cover all necessary side trips?

I went in June with a tight budget because I left my job for personal reasons. Fortunately I was staying with a friend, but still managed to spend more than I had budgeted...!

I was going to go down to Hiroshima and Kyoto. I thought that the railpass was a little pricey so I didn't, and I'm now glad for my decision to stay in Tokyo for the full crazy experience. I'll probably have to head back to Japan soon for that of course. :D

--

On food, my budget was 500 yen for breakfast, 500 yen for lunch and 1000 yen for dinner (excluding drinks and restaurants when I hang out with friends - this is where my money disappeared). Breakfast because I was staying at my friend's.

Breakfast: 100 yen McChicken & 100 yen coffee. I know, McChicken...?! But I love the one in Japan with the wasabi-flavoured mayonnaise. Plus even though I'm Asian, I can't stomach eating rice in the morning.

Lunch: 2 different flavoured onigiri (~220 yen) from convenience stores. Supermarkets attached to departmental stores have the best tasting ones IMO. Pork cutlet sandwiches (katsu sandwich) are pricey and broke my budget, but so worth it!

Dinner: Waiting around supermarkets for the staff to come out and paste 50% stickers on the meal I eyed. Not very cheap, but what an experience waiting around with other Japanese waiting for the same thing. That said, massive discounts rarely found in the touristy area (my friend lives in the "suburb" area 20 minutes from Shinjuku).

Sometimes I "splurge" and go for the enormous 480 yen meal at one of the beef bowl fast-food chain stores for lunch. It will definitely fill you up, and I think it's an experience in itself.

Ichiran is a ramen chain store that you can find near major stations in Tokyo; make your payment using the vending machine and when you're seated, ask for an English ordering form. Surprisingly tasty, and I am not kind on bad ramen!

Gonna assume you like sashimi and sushi (SASHIMI IS THE BEST), so hit up Tsukiji Market in the morning. Lots more information on the web about the FREE tuna auction (which I didn't manage to wake up for) and the numerous sushi restaurants in the area.

I love sashimi and I never made it here, but I have heard that the sashimi in most Japanese restaurants are good so it is mainly the experience of seeing fish being sold and then possibly eating the same school in the next minute? I don't know.

---

Fun spots: Any of the Don Quijote and Daiso outlets, amazing! So much crap you never knew you needed. Akihabara has many gamers sitting outside the station playing on their DS Lites and PSPs, so that might be something interesting?

On Harajuku, I didn't find it that interesting because there are similar stuff in Singapore (of course this is the authentic one). BUT according to my friend, the experience of being in Harajuku is to have crepes! There is Marion Crepes just halfway down the main shopping street (the other one looks good too, but I'm too big a fan of Marion) WHICH YOU MUST HAVE.

There is also Calbee's cafe, where they make fresh potato chips! It might sound boring, but they have so many odd flavours that actually taste good. I love Calbee chips, and being there is great personally.

--

Go up the Tokyo Metropolitan Government building (walk from Shinjuku) for views of Tokyo. Absolutely free! If you want a view of Tokyo Tower, apparently Roppongi has good views at night. I never bothered to look out for it, but my friend was insistent there exists the best views of the Tower from the ground.

--

Day-trips: I went to Yokohama because I wanted to go for the Nissin Cup Noodles Museum. It was not a problem communicating with the staff despite not speaking Japanese myself. Go early, get a queue number for making your own cup noodle and explore the city if you have time. There is a Chinatown in this city; I walked all the way to/from the Cup Noodle Museum through the famous park, and it was exhausting.

Kamakura was another one. I am not a fan of temples especially since I have been to numerous since I was a kid, but there are some amazing temples for those who are interested in their architecture. Enormous and hilly, with a beautiful view along the coast of the Pacific Ocean when you take the train down.

Meiji Temple in the heart of Tokyo (Harajuku station) is probably a good introduction to temples in Japan. But the naturally hilly parts of Kamakura is something a little different from that of Meiji.

--

For travel, as usual, plan most of major travels within 7 days of rail pass validity. Get the Suica card for transport within Tokyo, and use Hyperdia.com to map out cheapest/fastest route because I didn't in my first 2 days and my top-ups were crazy!

I got myself a Data Sim Card (1gb b-Mobile) from one of the electronic stores at Shinjuku because I was meeting a friend there. Ask the staff to activate the card for you using their mobile phones, because otherwise you would have to hunt one down for activation.

I actually spent 10 days in Tokyo with 2 day-trips outside of the city, and it was a bit of an overkill in terms of tourist sights, but there is so much to see and do in the city (exploring Shinjuku, Shibuya... Shibuya 101 is crazy even for girls; guys will be shocked by the frilliness) that I could not bear to leave.

--

Hope the above helps somewhat? Have fun!

Holy. Talk about an insightful post. I think I'll have to re-read that a few times to digest all the information in it! I'll hit you back with questions for sure.

Thanks again for all the help so far again everyone!:)

Osaka does get a really bad rap here for some reason.

I agree that there's nothing wrong with doing two or three days in Osaka. It isn't chock full of tourist attractions the way that Kyoto or Tokyo is, but it has a unique big-city vibe and you can have lots of fun just wandering around. If you do get bored, you have a lot of other options within day or half-day trip distance (Kobe, Nara, more Kyoto, go up to Minoo Park and see the monkeys).

You can probably skip Osaka Castle altogether. I wasn't particularly impressed by it given how "new" it was. IMO if you want to see a Japanese castle Himeji is a better choice.

Not right now, because it's under renovation and covered by a giant tent (http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:姫路城.JPG?uselang=en). But ordinarily, yes.

Not right now, because it's under renovation and covered by a giant tent (http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:姫路城.JPG?uselang=en). But ordinarily, yes.

But when it's done, it will be even newer than Osaka Castle!

But when it's done, it will be even newer than Osaka Castle!

Lets hope they keep things real under there. A multi-year renovation/preservation had better be worth it.

Not right now, because it's under renovation and covered by a giant tent...
Hence my recommendation for Hikone. I actually saw the "giant tent" the last time I was in Japan a few months ago. Pretty impressive as tents go but probably not worth a special visit. :p ;)

To the OP, if you have found a cheap hostel you like in Osaka, my advice would work in reverse. Stay in Osaka and use the Pass to day trip to Kyoto. It is less than 1/2 hour on the shinkansen from Shin-Osaka Station or less than an hour on locals from Osaka or Namba Station. The point is to avoid changing hotels for such a short distance and using up time better spent actually seeing and doing things. Some day trips, like Nara, are actually easier from Osaka.

The reason for suggesting Kyoto over Osaka is that you are already planning 7 days in Tokyo. Osaka will pretty much be more of the same - big city, night life, noise and hustle-bustle. For 3 young guys looking for action that could be great but 3 guys with no money, not so much. :cool:

I highly recommend you plan a day trip to Nara from Osaka; you will be happy you did. Read up on it!

Not right now, because it's under renovation and covered by a giant tent (http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:姫路城.JPG?uselang=en). But ordinarily, yes.

Nice...tent. Didn't know they covered the entire place up. When I went they were doing renovation using "traditional techniques". That tent doesn't look that traditional.

The reason for suggesting Kyoto over Osaka is that you are already planning 7 days in Tokyo. Osaka will pretty much be more of the same - big city, night life, noise and hustle-bustle. For 3 young guys looking for action that could be great but 3 guys with no money, not so much. :cool:

Pretty much this. When I first went to Osaka I had the same feeling. Being a college student with fairly meagre means there wasn't much to do besides maybe eating okonomiyaki. That isn't to say there is nothing to do, just that there isn't obvious go to places like there would be for say Kyoto, Nara etc. It was amusing though seeing some of the weirder (ex escalator) etiquettes in Japan.

Osaka does get a really bad rap here for some reason.


This could be because, Kyoto has many old temples and may be
on the next to Tokyo in the travel guide. While Osaka has
many cultural differences than Tokyo, that may not be visible
to those who are the first timers to Japan.

14 days are long enough to enjoy the visit to (not only Japan) any country.
I believe you can do more than sampling the chapter titles of travel
guide books for Japan. My suggestion is to stay at least 3 days
in one place.

But if you're interested in sampling major cities, this could be an option:


http://www.hatobus.com/en/

I went to Yokohama because I wanted to go for the Nissin Cup Noodles Museum. It was not a problem communicating with the staff despite not speaking Japanese myself. Go early, get a queue number for making your own cup noodle and explore the city if you have time.

Crazy. I went to the one in Ikeda (north of Osaka) back in May and didn't realise there is one in Yokohama. Looks to be really similar, except newer and bigger.

Crazy. I went to the one in Ikeda (north of Osaka) back in May and didn't realise there is one in Yokohama. Looks to be really similar, except newer and bigger.
The Minato Mirai museum has only been open for about a year.

The Minato Mirai museum has only been open for about a year.

I haven't been yet, but I am pretty sure that it has been around for several years, just in a different location (I vaguely recall hearing that it was around Shin-Yokohama somewhere).

Kyoto has most of the hostels in the Kansai area. Try these; I've stayed at them before and they were very clean and civilized:

Tour Club (http://www.kyotojp.com/)
K's House (http://kshouse.jp/kyoto-e/index.html)
J-Hoppers (http://j-hoppers.com/)

Tour Club and K's House are very international and have lots of resources for international visitors. J-Hoppers (when I went) had a lot of Japanese and Chinese visitors. The guy who opened J-Hoppers rode a motorcycle around the world and had a lot of photos up on the wall. Way cool.

Also, if you need a place in Tokyo to crash, I'm partial to Ace-Inn (http://ace-inn.jp/). Unlike most budget lodgings way out in Taito or near Minami-Senju, Ace-Inn is in the eastern part of Shinjuku, right off the Toei Shinjuku line (Akebonobashi). Choose the luxury floor; it's not as packed and there's more room for baggage and stuff. You also get a locker too. ^

OP here. Thanks for all the replies so far everyone. Didn't expect that much to flood in at once! I read through everything.

We weren't able to acquire a low-cost enough hotel in Kyoto. We don't mind living in a Hostel either. Going through Europe in Hostels was super fun. I hear Japanese hostels are the cleanest in the world?


Since we're going to be Tokyo based for the last 7 days. Would it still make sense to get the 14 day pass? I hear it doesn't do much for you in Tokyo. Would the JR Pass help cover all necessary side trips?


See my post above for Kyoto hostels. They are quite nice and used to dealing with the needs of foreign visitors.

Regarding the JR Pass; If you're going afield, use it. The JR Pass isn't really that helpful in Tokyo proper. Once you're in Tokyo, get yourself a SUICA card and put Y3000 on it. That should be worth a few day's worth of puttering.

Keep in mind that there are two separate subways (Toei and Tokyo Metro) as well as several major railroads (JR, Keisei, Keikyu, Keio, Tokyu) operating above ground in Tokyo. They all accept the SUICA and in some cases, you get a discount when transferring to different lines.

Crazy. I went to the one in Ikeda (north of Osaka) back in May and didn't realise there is one in Yokohama. Looks to be really similar, except newer and bigger.

I only knew of the one in Yokohama because I saw it on a travel show on telly, and my dad was insistent I visit the city because he worked there for a couple of months before I was born.

Both look the same in terms of offerings though. I "designed" my own cup noodles and chose my own toppings. Can I say that it tastes better than the ones I buy? :p

Once you're in Tokyo, get yourself a SUICA card and put Y3000 on it. That should be worth a few day's worth of puttering.

Keep in mind that there are two separate subways (Toei and Tokyo Metro) as well as several major railroads (JR, Keisei, Keikyu, Keio, Tokyu) operating above ground in Tokyo. They all accept the SUICA and in some cases, you get a discount when transferring to different lines.

My friend said that the Metro is the cheapest, so to try and use them as much as possible. Transferring to different lines is okay, but can be pricey if it includes Toei because it is the most expensive.

JR Lines are not too pricey but very busy because it covers a lot of suburb areas; I stayed in Mitaka and tried to avoid peak hour rush as much as possible.

I haven't been yet, but I am pretty sure that it has been around for several years, just in a different location (I vaguely recall hearing that it was around Shin-Yokohama somewhere).
Shin-Yokohama has the Ra(u)men Museum, which features couple shops from across Japan. Quite a bit different from the Nissin Cup Noodle, IMO. ;)

Ah, got it. Thanks.

My friend said that the Metro is the cheapest

Actually, JR is slightly cheaper than Tokyo Metro, which is in turn slightly cheaper than the Toei subway. JR fares start at 130 yen, Metro fares start at 160 and Toei fares start at 170.

In the Osaka/Kobe/Kyoto region, the cheapest train is usually Hankyu, followed by JR and the Osaka subway (which cost about the same as each other, but are quite a bit more expensive than JR and Metro in the Tokyo region).

For someone who commutes daily and has a choice of lines, deciding which commuter pass to buy (and which one to claim from your employer) can be a pretty big deal. But for a tourist in Japan for a couple of weeks, trying to travel with Tokyo Metro rather than with Toei might save you the price of a can of soda. You'll probably need that can of soda to quench your thirst from the extra walking you do by not taking the easiest route.

I only knew of the one in Yokohama because I saw it on a travel show on telly, and my dad was insistent I visit the city because he worked there for a couple of months before I was born.

Both look the same in terms of offerings though. I "designed" my own cup noodles and chose my own toppings. Can I say that it tastes better than the ones I buy? :p

Yes! I don't know how much they deviated from the original Cup Noodles in the US, but the Japanese Cup Noodles taste less bland and has those yellow chunks of egg that the US version nixed as soon as they started making them there.

And isn't it a coincidence that ICE now searches for instant noodles and soup packets when you return to the US? Bah! :mad:

Shin-Yokohama has the Ra(u)men Museum, which features couple shops from across Japan. Quite a bit different from the Nissin Cup Noodle, IMO. ;)

It's supposed to be outposts of the top 8 ramen shops from across Japan in the basement. Come by with a very empty stomach. :D

My friend said that the Metro is the cheapest, so to try and use them as much as possible. Transferring to different lines is okay, but can be pricey if it includes Toei because it is the most expensive.

JR Lines are not too pricey but very busy because it covers a lot of suburb areas; I stayed in Mitaka and tried to avoid peak hour rush as much as possible.

I'd say that the Tokyo Metro and JR have the bigger footprints in the Tokyo area. They both cover a lot of ground. However, there are differences between them in what they connect to. For example, JR does NOT go to Roppongi or Asakusa while Toei and Metro lines do. JR is often more direct as the crow flies between major points (Tokyo to Shinjuku or Narita to Tokyo/Shinagawa/Shibuya/Shinjuku for example) and has the all purpose Yamanote loop line. If you look at a subway map, you'll see that the lines rarely go in a straight line, instead taking a crooked route to serve as many areas as they can while avoiding the Imperial Palace.

Knowing this is useful to plan your days and so you're not surprised when you have to transfer to different lines. Best advice for a visitor: don't worry about having to switch about. People there do it every day. And you'll get a taste of local life too.

Or, if you have a smart phone, utilize one of the many train route finders out there, like this one:

http://www.jorudan.co.jp/english/norikae/

Or, if you have a smart phone, utilize one of the many train route finders out there, like this one:

http://www.jorudan.co.jp/english/norikae/

I find Google Maps to be more useful for finding routes around Tokyo, particularly if you're going to/from somewhere that has more than one station within walking distance.

It's supposed to be outposts of the top 8 ramen shops from across Japan in the basement. Come by with a very empty stomach.

It's nine now, actually - they closed one of the little snack bars and turned it into another ramen shop.

IIRC, LapLap gave an entertaining account of her trip on a shoestring budget to Shiraishi island. That would be the kind of thing I'd suggest if you want to have some "real Japan" experiences at minimal cost. I can't find that trip report for some reason.
Your memory slipped about the 'entertaining' part :) It was a pragmatic account.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-reports/836563-af-web-ward-lhr-cdg-ngo-af-jal-j-y-my-budget-trip.html

teriyaki - with three of you, make sure you start watching the pennies/yen from the beginning. One of the ways that costs will start mounting up alarmingly is with the vending machines. Each drink will cost around 120yen.
4 each a day over 14 days is... 21,000yen
I'd advise you to take control from the moment you arrive.
You'll naturally want to try lots of the options you've never seen before, so include this in your budget. 100 yen shops often sell you two or three drinks for ¥100 in their deals, this is an economic way to experiment (this is how I buy Gokuri and Tropicana drinks in Japan). The main way to save money is to keep your PET bottles and buy large family packs of your favourite drinks and decant them. You can easily save 10,000 or 15,000yen this way.

I mostly visit Tokyo and I'm always on a budget. It can be done. Just watch out for mounting 'silly' costs. It's the tempting low expense items that accumulate and get you.

Your memory slipped about the 'entertaining' part.
I've just scanned it again. I think it's quite entertaining - e.g. "Would I get an older Mr Hyde or a newer Dr Jekyll?" Certainly, it's impressive that you did so much and spent so little.

teriyaki - with three of you, make sure you start watching the pennies/yen from the beginning. One of the ways that costs will start mounting up alarmingly is with the vending machines. Each drink will cost around 120yen.
4 each a day over 14 days is... 21,000yen
I'd advise you to take control from the moment you arrive.
You'll naturally want to try lots of the options you've never seen before, so include this in your budget. 100 yen shops often sell you two or three drinks for ¥100 in their deals, this is an economic way to experiment (this is how I buy Gokuri and Tropicana drinks in Japan). The main way to save money is to keep your PET bottles and buy large family packs of your favourite drinks and decant them. You can easily save 10,000 or 15,000yen this way.

I mostly visit Tokyo and I'm always on a budget. It can be done. Just watch out for mounting 'silly' costs. It's the tempting low expense items that accumulate and get you.

Good advice, LapLap. ^

How plentiful are 100 Yen shops? Are there areas where they're easily found such as outside rail stations? I'm on a similiar length of stay in Tokyo and wouldn't mind keeping a few more dollars in my pocket if I can without too much effort. The moderate hotels I've booked all have fridges so if it means stocking up on a few at a time rather than using vending machines for their conveniences that's definately doable.

Good advice, LapLap. ^

How plentiful are 100 Yen shops? Are there areas where they're easily found such as outside rail stations? I'm on a similiar length of stay in Tokyo and wouldn't mind keeping a few more dollars in my pocket if I can without too much effort. The moderate hotels I've booked all have fridges so if it means stocking up on a few at a time rather than using vending machines for their conveniences that's definately doable.
I've found that most of the non-high end retail areas, particularly shoutengai, have a hyaku yen (¥100) store or two. But you'll find them near rail stations also. Best ones for cheap drinks tend to be the ones near family orientated supermarkets.

But definitely keep an eye out for good deals for the very large bottles of tea and water (tap water in Tokyo tastes vile), you might find an unexpected source, like a drug store, has the most economic options.

Love all the advice here, just one more in support of the conbini (convenience store) experience for at least one budget daily meal. Even with my severely limited travel diet I love getting food for cheap at conbinis and just combing the aisles for strange foods and other items. Plus some drinks come with little gifts attached that can make for fun free souvenirs.

For someone who commutes daily and has a choice of lines, deciding which commuter pass to buy (and which one to claim from your employer) can be a pretty big deal. But for a tourist in Japan for a couple of weeks, trying to travel with Tokyo Metro rather than with Toei might save you the price of a can of soda. You'll probably need that can of soda to quench your thirst from the extra walking you do by not taking the easiest route.

For someone who had less than 200 yen left and was relying on the refund on the Suica to purchase that one-time travel card to Haneda on her last day, the price of that can of soda was priceless.

:p


I decant from large PET bottles whenever I travel because I'm a bit of a tree-hugger, and it definitely has brought costs down everywhere I go.

For someone who had less than 200 yen left and was relying on the refund on the Suica to purchase that one-time travel card to Haneda on her last day, the price of that can of soda was priceless.

So it would be beneath you to walk to Haneda? :p

I would suggest spending more time away from the big cities. Spending at least some of your time in rural areas - Shikoku, Nagano, the San-in coast etc. etc. - is a great way to experience some of the best of Japan without spending a fortune. For a 14-day budget trip, it's better to do that than to base yourself in Tokyo and take daytrips IMHO.

You'll find lots of tips in the budget travel threads:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/archive/t-1107062.html

IIRC, LapLap gave an entertaining account of her trip on a shoestring budget to Shiraishi island. That would be the kind of thing I'd suggest if you want to have some "real Japan" experiences at minimal cost. I can't find that trip report for some reason.

Though they might pay quite a bit just to get to those bucolic settings. Might the new entries to the Japanese skies, Peach, Air Asia and Jetstar assist the OP in his/their pursuit for a balance of urban/rural offerings?

Also, I'm not sure how low your budget is, but at least for Tokyo, try looking at the Weekly Mansions website for accommodations; they offer daily, weekly and monthly plans. Or if a bit more desperate, you can always roost in an internet cafe.

Though they might pay quite a bit just to get to those bucolic settings.
Well, LapLap's report shows us all how to do this kind of tourism "for a few dollars less".

Might the new entries to the Japanese skies, Peach, Air Asia and Jetstar assist the OP in his/their pursuit for a balance of urban/rural offerings?

Probably not, since they only fly to other major cities...

Probably not, since they only fly to other major cities...

Peach at least goes to Nagasaki, Kagoshima and Naha. Major locations, yes, but not in areas known for their urban settings. Besides, if it was a less "major" location, that would be on JAL or ANA, and unless OP already figured out how to link his international ticket into Japan with the domestic ticket deals those two airlines offer, then it would cost much more to get somewhere like Aomori, Takamatsu or Ishigaki, for instance.

So it would be beneath you to walk to Haneda? :p

Darn, never thought of that or I would have bought another bottle of drink!

:p

Lol I did try to save 200 yen by walking from Doraemon Museum back to the station, and I really bought a can of coffee along the way (and too many Japanese words = my least favourite unsweetened black coffee :mad: ). Don't really understand myself.

Not certain of your dates (check http://www.japanball.com/schedules.htm for schedules), but I highly recommend going to a baseball game. Pick up some unreserved outfield tickets and then get some food/beverages on your way to the stadium.