kapooncha

Misaki Maguro pass sounds pretty good for a day.

angra

I have paid as much as 1800Y for a bowl of ramen but even that was an extreme outlier. Other than that one place, I've never seen a bowl of ramen for more than 1200Y anywhere in Japan.

Anyway it is certainly possible to spend a lot of money in Japan, but I find it pretty middle of the road expense wise across the gamut of places that I go. And by a huge margin the best value.

kapooncha

You're probably right on the cost. I tend to drink 1-2 beers with meals so I was probably overpricing the ramen and underpricing the beers I was drinking.

freecia

I've also found Japan to be pretty reasonable compared to Major US cities as a solo thanks to business hotels and nicer ryokans in less densely populated areas. I do a lot of research and pre-planning, though (probably similar to LapLap) and look for value. If one is used to traveling in Thailand, Vietnam, and other SE Asia places Japan could be relatively expensive, but I get a lot more for my money in Tokyo than I do in London, NYC, Paris, or Sydney. Or even tourist portions of Florida during shoulder season. I find Kyoto to be a little expensive (for Japan) due to supply and demand.

I do book more hotels on cash rates than points/points + cash because JP business hotels are usually pretty reasonable and well located while some of the Western chains are a bit far from a station for the price point or chock full of big bus tours.

Budget sushi in Japan is much less expensive than budget sushi in my area and usually a whole lot better tasting. Or even doing as the locals do, going to a good department store food hall or grocery store for sushi or bento near closing time If I want to eat zany sushi-esque concoctions (or sushi with mayo/cream cheese/hit with blow torch), a cheap kaiten sushi place with the most gimmicks would probably do the trick and still be cheaper than home. Even my local hood pancake shop charges $7 for a 2 pancake stack, with a protein for $10+ and I can get a fluffy pancake set in Tokyo for about the same.

kapooncha

See I don't find Paris expensive at all. The food is very reasonable (unless you're talking really high end romantic type places). Subway is very cheap. Attractions/museums are relatively cheap. Even the Disney Paris significantly cheaper than Disney Tokyo. Plus, in Paris, it's really easy to find a cheap bed & breakfast that is in an excellent location for less than $120 per night.

kapooncha

I just received a PM from someone in this thread (I will not name names). But apparently they feel I have insulted them.

I don't think I have been rude at all in this thread. I don't get the internet sometimes.

freecia

It sounds like we should book each others vacations That seems extremely reasonable for lodgings in Paris to me. But I've probably been approaching "Traveling Paris like a non-French" and stuck to the tourist quarters with nary a grocery store to be found.

Anyhow... Back to hanami. You might want to ride the train over to Mt. Yoshino https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e4150.html as it has trees at different elevations so the season tends to be longer. It is also a nice walk and fun to people watch during hanami season. Just be sure to book your return seat reservation when you arrive (or when purchasing your first ticket) as seats do sell out regularly.

FlitBen

You may be a little off about expenses in Japan, but you haven't been rude.

That type of behavior is very rare on FT, but there have been exceptions. If it involves hateful slams or threats, you could click-report it to the moderator. I would write it off in good faith otherwise.

FlitBen

Ironically, Paris seems to be a part model for Tokyo's grocery wraps plus coffee culture. Lots of tasty morning eats can be found on the go in both cities.

We were "traveling Paris like a non-French" until a Swiss student clued us in on the cheaper places near the Sorbonne and gardens. For a newish budget stay that's convenient to trains, you could try the modern chain hotels in Saint-Denis clustered near the RER stations.


Given how iffy the weather can be, a few extra days in April might be an option. That way, if and when hanami graces a sunny morning, he can catch a ride to the nearest local spot before things get cloudy or worse.

LapLap

OK...
Let me introduce you to the Gurutto Pass - opens up a treasure trove of Museums and attractions throughout Tokyo. Currently costs 2,200yen, lasts 2 months, gives you free entry to over 60 important museums, galleries and attractions and significant discounts to about 30 more. https://www.rekibun.or.jp/en/grutto/guide/ Huh? No it isn’t. 1 day Pass to Disneyland Paris costs from 68USD to 100USD depending on the day. A day pass to Disney Tokyo is 68USD (7,400JPY) every day. The food at Tokyo Disney is way less expensive than in Paris, and unlike in Paris, it is actually edible. As well as this, the shows in both Tokyo parks add a great deal of value to the tickets. In Paris you need to pay a hefty premium to access the ugly Studio Park if you want to see a spectacle.
Have been to Paris Disney twice with my daughter, have no plans to go back. Tokyo Disney is a visit we look forward to every time we return to Japan.

I’ve found that too for Paris. I’ve also found that it is just as true for Tokyo.

No desire to flog a dead horse here. Japan does have a horrible innate ability to separate visitors from their money. As a country it excels at this task. But how much you are prepared to part with and for what is down to you (and your self control) as a visitor.

kapooncha

The Disney ticket is cheaper in Tokyo, I'll give you that. I found food prices to be fairly equal across the parks (there is too much variance here depending on your taste). Both offer high end options as well as inexpensive counter service though I will concede the food in Disney Tokyo completely blows away the food in Paris. So there is value there.

But you left out the hotel component. I'm going to guess that you opt not to stay at a Disney property but we usually stay so I have to factor that in. The MiraCosta is SIGNIFICANTLY more expensive than anything in Paris, I just looked up a couple random dates to verify that. The Disneyland hotel in Paris is about equal with the Disneyland hotel in Tokyo. But then the problem is that Disney Tokyo only has 2 other Disney options (both pretty poor, IMO) where as Paris has 5 or 6 options (all usually below $150 per night).

And you mentioned value with the food being in Tokyo's favor so we must also be fair here. While guests at Disney Tokyo hotels only get an extra 15 minutes in the morning, Disney Paris hotel guests get an extra hour. So that's a pretty significant difference value wise.

All this being said, I far enjoy Disney Tokyo and looking forward to my visit there. But after I add the expenses up from everything, Disney Tokyo will hurt me worse than Disney Paris did.

LapLap

I personally wouldn’t stay in Kyoto in late March.

Here’s a pragmatic trip report of when I went to Osaka and Nara at a time I was convalescing after being unable to move for over a year. I had very little money back then. The report concentrates on the transport and hotels.
AF Web@ward. LHR-CDG-NGO in AF & JAL J&Y. My budget trip

If I had gone to Kyoto, I would have booked somewhere like the guest house Uronza. I see it now costs more than it used to, but still affordable at 4,000yen a night.

LapLap

I don’t agree about the food, but am not going to comb through the different price points.
Will stick to a family decision to eat Italian style food at a non “high end” establishment:

Paris: set menu (pasta with drink and dessert) 17Euros https://media.disneylandparis.com/d4...ella-notte.pdf
Tokyo: set menu (pasta with drink and dessert) 1,500yen/12 Euros https://www.tokyodisneyresort.jp/tds...rant/menu/403/
Paris: pizza 11Euros
Tokyo: pizza 670Yen (5.5Euros)

I’ll end with this as it is an excellent point.
This is an example of you wanting to pay for a premium experience.

But here’s the sting. As a solitary female with a child in a buggy, I wouldn’t feel too comfortable leaving Disney Paris at closing time, getting on a train and heading into central Paris to a hotel room there. I feel the situation forces me into going to a Disney or Partner Hotel.

At Tokyo Disney, my kid would gasp with wonder at the closing show and fall into a deep sleep at the exit gates. From there, I’d just push her to Maihama station and be back to our room, safe and sound, with no anxieties or scares, in central Tokyo an hour later (she happily walks now). The rail/subway journey from Maihama to Shirokane-Takanawa takes 40 minutes. I seem to remember it taking about 30 minutes to reach our room via the shuttle at the grim Hotel Cheyenne from the Paris Disney Park exit.

My own kid didn’t sleep much and never napped during the day if there was something remotely interesting to do, so an onsite bedroom was pointless. I can also see the appeal of staying in the Tokyo Disney area during a summer visit. But for October through to April it’s just unnecessary. As AlwaysAisle said “ Japan is expensive if you want to vacation like you vacation back home”. I agree.

angra

well, if there is one thing the late part of this thread illustrates its that the cost / value proposition of visiting any city is largely personal and has a lot to do with the specific choices, preferences, and travel patterns of the people involved.

Regardless of the individual element, I think most of us that love being in Japan would say that Japan has gotten at least an exaggerated bad rap in terms of being an expensive place.

kapooncha

Good post, the thing people have to remember is that travelers have different priorities and interests when traveling. For me, no matter the destination, the food and drink is always at the top of the list for me. I derive a great deal of pleasure from that. Now I'm not saying that people can't derive pleasure from cheaper meals but I'm not going to go out of my way to eat something I want just because it's priced rather high.