DoubleJ, same at my lab in Tokyo while I was still a student. I once had to go to a conference in Okayama, and the lab paid cash for 2-way Shinkansen and 3 nights in a hotel. I took the overnight bus and stayed at a youth hostel, saving approx. 50k yen. When the conference was over, I proceeded to use the savings to take a week off for sightseeing, staying in ryokan and sitting in hot springs.
