Places you should DEFINETLY visit while in Japan

[Homerduff]

Which places do you recommend to anyone visiting Japan ? Im planning to go to Japan for maximum 2 weeks and for me its so hard to chose. I would start off with Tokyo, but then there are so many choises left !

[tigermilk]

What follows are places that either I enjoyed or those traveling with me have enjoyed (e.g., work colleagues I took around as I'm the most familiar with the language and country, my wife (6+ times with me to that wonderful country now), and my parents (took them earlier in 2006).

- Nagasaki/Kyushu - went there for work in 2005 and found it (the people) to be completely different than the rest of Japan. A beautiful coastline, laid back atmosphere, and the bomb museum leaves you in awe
- Himeji - stunning castle
- Inuyama - Inu what? It's a smaller town outside of Nagoya with a castle. What makes this one special is that the castle is pretty original. Not the biggest, but it is unique
- Nara (or any place with those aggressive little deer) - fun time had by all
- Tsukiji Fish Market (Tokyo) - strange as it may seem, this is always a crowd pleaser. When you see all the seafood come through there, it makes you realize how many fish are in the oceans!
- Nikko - at the right time of year, the natural and man made beauty can't be beat

But probably my #1 thing is something I've mostly done by myself. I'm an avid cyclist and have taken my bike to Japan a few times. Nothing, and I mean nothing, beats finding remote country roads to pass through really small towns and to climb mountains. It's those places Westerners don't go to that give the true essence of Japan.

I still need to get to the northern reaches of Japan. A coworker spent 2 years in Hokkaido during college and has nothing but good things to say (except for those winters).

Have fun when you go and good luck with the planning. When I took my parents, we had the 7 day rail pass and were able to see Nikko, Kamakura, Kyoto, Nara, Himeji, and Hiroshima. It was a busy intinerary, but many places were simply day trips (used Tokyo, Osaka, and Hiroshima as bases).

[Sukotto]

Either Nagasaki or Hiroshima for the Peace Parks/Atom Bomb museum, etc.
Definately.
Even if you already totally agree that the bomb should be eliminated
yesterday.

One thing you might want to consider for your time there is the Japan Rail Pass, maybe if you plan to hit a bunch of cities over one of those weeks.
You can get a one, two, or three week JR pass and ride any JR train any where in the country for that time. Not including trains in cities or subways.
But you must purchase it before you leave for Japan and you can start pass at any time once in Japan by going to a JR office.

http://www.japanrailpass.net/
You can get a pass for the entire country or just one section.
When I went in 2003 we went from Nagasaki all the way to Hokkaido and many places in between over one week.

[Homerduff]

wow I really appreciate your answers ! Thanks !

As im just a student, my budget is pretty tight. I could go for a 7 day rail pass at most. In my oppinion it would be waste of money for the tickets, to go to Japan and only see one or 2 cities..

I may consider landing in Hiroshima in place of Tokyo. And then I can travel further east/north to Kyoto, Osaka and a place called Okazaki where a school is situated which I would really like to visit. Pretty busy schedule for 7 days but you achieved in it so..

So after my pass has expired, I could settle myself in the region of Yokohama/Tokyo and spend my last week there. Much more time for 2 cities but they are also the biggest and for my first trip I think its important to get to know the capital city the most !

Nice.. im starting to get a vision on my trip ! If you have any other suggestions or think you should correct me, I would appreciate it a lot ! I dont have any experience actually with travelling, it would be my first travel on my own. I know Japan is a big step to start with but im so interested in it. Im already learning the language..

[Dutch Baka]

Kansai region, the reason for this is because you have Kyoto, Nara, Osaka, Kobe, and Himeji within a distance of 1.5 hour.

Other than that I think Hiroshima is great for 3 days (1 day in Miyajima).

(There are too many nice places in Japan, so it really depends what you like yourself)

[Homerduff]

thanks for the answer..
I made a small plan already, based on what I read on the internet and my preferences. and also some things suggested here..

day 1 / Hiroshima. visit to peace park + museum. sleeping at hiroshima.

day 2 / Hiroshima. with ferry (free thanks to rail pass !) visiting Miyajima.
Itsukushima shrine and the mountain Misen. Also hoping to see some animals there like monkeys. sleeping at hiroshima.

day 3 / Hiroshima. taking shinkansen to Osaka but getting of at Himeji.
visiting castle + gardens. taking shinkansen further to Osaka and sleeping there.
day 4 / Osaka. kinda rest day, visiting the city and relax. visiting minami part. Sleeping in Osaka.

day 5 / Osaka. shinkansen to Kyoto. visiting sanjusangendo building with all the statues + golden kinkakuji temple. Sleeping at Kyoto.

day 6 / Kyoto. shinkansen to Nagoya. visiting the city + toyota museum (for friend). Sleeping at Nagoya.

day 7 / Nagoya. shinkansen to Yokohama (kinda long trip). looking out of the train window to mount fuji hehe. relaxing in Yokohama when arriving there. Sleeping at Yokohama.

day 8 / Yokohama. visiting the minato mirai 21 part. visiting landmark tower for a great sight over the city. sleeping at Yokohama.

day 9 / Yokohama. going to Tokyo. having fun in the shinjuku part of the city. sleeping at Tokyo.

day 10 / Tokyo. visiting the tsukiji market + shibuya part. sleeping at Tokyo.

day 11 / Tokyo. visiting some more hehe, looking for some gifts if theres still money left ! sleeping at Tokyo.

day 12 / Tokyo. going back home.

hmm the first week will be kinda hectic but as I will take a rail pass for only 7 days, I will need to hurry. I havent really calculated the time that the shinkansen takes to go from one city to another so I may have made a big miscalculation ! Anyway does this look like a nice and overall cheap schedule ?
in total it would cost me 1170 euros or 1,524 americain dollars for tickets, accomodation and tourist place prices which is barely nothing. So I will still have enough left for food and some gifts..

Anyway this would be more or less my travel program IF I really want to visit as much as cities in Japan. As its my first travel to Japan, and im planning more in the next years, I may decide to visit lets say Tokyo + Yokohama for 2 weeks. I wont have to buy a rail pass then. But I feel its a shame to spoil so much money on fly tickets, if only you are visiting a small part of that country. But then again visiting a lot of cities with just seeing a small part may not be smart either.

Any suggestions are much appreciated !

[Hiroyuki Nagashima]

A method to stay cheaply in Hiroshima.
Hiroshima
Yamato Onsen Monogatari
http://www.yamato-onsen.com/area/area3_1.html
"A YUTTARI course"
It is 1,600 yen for use time ten hours.
You can sleep in a large room.
Other, a capsule hotel of Hiroshima.
http://www4.ocn.ne.jp/~koshigoe/kenko/ken/hirosima/index.html

Hiroshima guest house
J-Hoppers Hiroshima
http://hiroshimahostel.jp/index.htm

Japan's cheapest ONSEN RYOKAN
千代田温泉旅館 (Chiyoda ONSEN RYOKAN)
It is crowded at a rate of breakfast and supper.
2,500 yen.:eek:

http://www.geocities.jp/gauss0jp/osiseno1.htm

[Amos]

Hi,

good to see that you are forming an idea of what to do. It's exciting i'll bet.

One major suggestion is that you don't bother with the night in Nagoya. I'm sure the Toyota thing could be done by popping in on your way through on the train. You'd be better having more time in Kyoto and seeing the masses of stuff there. One day in Kyoto is probably not going to be enough (unless you are not a big fan of temples and such). If you are a fan, I'd be tempted to have an extra day there rather than Osaka as well.

While in Kyoto, you can use the JR buses with your rail pass. There are routes that go up to the Golden Pavillion and the other temple up there with the famous Zen rock garden (sorry I can't remember the name Ryoan ji or similar).

Your schedule doesn't sound that hectic so I wouldn't worry about that. And for the train times, you can download the shinkansen timetables off the JR web site before you go. I'll dig up the link and send it to you later. From memory, it's 4 hours from Okayama to Tokyo on the Hikari rail star (fastest you can use with the rail pass).

i agree that himeji is well worth seeing, as are the gardens adjacent to the main castle. you can get entry to both on a combi ticket that saves money. Also, when you go to the castle, keep an eye open for any of the free goodwill gides. These friendly and informative locals give you a guided tour, well worth it.

Make sure you take the right ferry to miyajima island as there is one run by JR and another run by someone else who won't accept your rail pass. It would also be worth finding out what time the high tide is at so that you see the water underneath the temple and the Tori gate out to sea. i went at low tide and I think the view was probably not as good.

Hope this helps!

Amos

[tigermilk]

One place I forogt - in Tokyo I absolutely love the National Museum in Ueno Park.

[Harvey]

Naoshima is pretty awesome if you have a couple of days to spare and you're in the Kansai region!

Some links in here.
http://www.japannewbie.com/2005/11/13/naoshima-art/

Also you might want to try and go to Miyazaki Hayao's Gibili museum. It's not so far from Tokyo, and I heard nowadays if you go on a weekday you don't need to reserve months in advance.

Hey also if you are in Tokyo, chances are you will pass by Meguro. It's not especially "Japanese" per say, but the ONLY parasite museum in the WORLD happens to be in Meguro.

http://www.japannewbie.com/2006/11/18/parasite-museum-in-meguro/

It's worth a peep if you're into that sort of thing!

[Homerduff]

Hi,
good to see that you are forming an idea of what to do. It's exciting i'll bet.
One major suggestion is that you don't bother with the night in Nagoya. I'm sure the Toyota thing could be done by popping in on your way through on the train. You'd be better having more time in Kyoto and seeing the masses of stuff there. One day in Kyoto is probably not going to be enough (unless you are not a big fan of temples and such). If you are a fan, I'd be tempted to have an extra day there rather than Osaka as well.

I was actually also thinking that spending a whole day in Nagoya may be waste of time im compare with the other cities I will visit (based on information on the web, the city isnt that interesting ?). But how long will I have to travell with the shinkansen from Kyoto to Yokohama ? Its a pretty big distance. Indeed I could get off in Nagoya to visit the toyota thing, and take a shinkansen back to Yokohama. I will take a look to the shinkansen time tables as you suggested..

And yeah I read that Kyoto is a very interesting city with a lot of culture, so Im definetly interested in spending 2 days there.

While in Kyoto, you can use the JR buses with your rail pass. There are routes that go up to the Golden Pavillion and the other temple up there with the famous Zen rock garden (sorry I can't remember the name Ryoan ji or similar).
Your schedule doesn't sound that hectic so I wouldn't worry about that. And for the train times, you can download the shinkansen timetables off the JR web site before you go. I'll dig up the link and send it to you later. From memory, it's 4 hours from Okayama to Tokyo on the Hikari rail star (fastest you can use with the rail pass).

oh not hectic ? I think im underestimating the speed of the shinkansen ! wow only 4 hours from Okayama to Tokyo, indeed I could see even more things.

i agree that himeji is well worth seeing, as are the gardens adjacent to the main castle. you can get entry to both on a combi ticket that saves money. Also, when you go to the castle, keep an eye open for any of the free goodwill gides. These friendly and informative locals give you a guided tour, well worth it.

Thanks for the tip ! I also think its worth seeing. It will also be nice to visit a more quiet and smaller city..

Make sure you take the right ferry to miyajima island as there is one run by JR and another run by someone else who won't accept your rail pass. It would also be worth finding out what time the high tide is at so that you see the water underneath the temple and the Tori gate out to sea. i went at low tide and I think the view was probably not as good.
Hope this helps!
Amos

I was happily surprised that the JR pass also covered this particular ferry trip ! I will watch out to take the right ferry, thanks. And yes I read about it, I will definetly take note of the high tide time..

Thanks a lot for all the information ! I feel a lot more settled now ! Ofcourse its not complete yet, I still have enough time, this is somewhat the way I would like to have it. Maybe I can spend some more days in Tokyo, cause I actually planned to stay in Japan for 2 weeks. We will see !

One place I forogt - in Tokyo I absolutely love the National Museum in Ueno Park.

Noted ! Still have to look up a lot on Tokyo..

Thanks

[leonmarino]

It seems like few people ever recommend going to Touhoku or Hokkaido.. Why is that? I've never been there myself either, but I saw some interesting documentaries about those regions and I wish to go there at least a couple of times before I die.

Maybe off-topic, but I just had to ask.

[Sukotto]

ok, then I will.
I always wanted to go to Hokkaido just because it always seemed ignored.
in 2003 I went w/a friend. it was June so we went hiking up a hill in the small ski resort town of Niseko. It was fun. Shinkansen ended at Hachinohe so the trains got progressively smaller as the trip went on. The last leg was a 2 car train with 1/2 a dozen or so people. Omoshirokatta!

I've heard Sapparo has a winter festival with extravagant ice carvings
and has really wide streets compared to the rest of Japan. Maybe that is worth a visit?
Also I noticed on one website that Hokkaido has a lot of Youth Hostels.

[ArmandV]

It seems like few people ever recommend going to Touhoku or Hokkaido.. Why is that? I've never been there myself either, but I saw some interesting documentaries about those regions and I wish to go there at least a couple of times before I die.
Maybe off-topic, but I just had to ask.

A friend went up to Hokkaido about a year or so ago and he said that there isn't much there to lure tourists. I wouldn't mind going there to see the snow festival.

[Homerduff]

I found out that landing in Hiroshima would be to expensive, because the amount of flights landing there is simply to small to find any cheap ones. So I could land in Osaka, and from there visit Himeji and Hiroshima. Afterwards taking the shinkansen to Kyoto and continue my trip south of Osaka..

hmm I think it looks pretty nice, but because I dont have any experience with travelling (I have never taken a plane before !) im still not shure whether I will do this. I may also go for a 2 week city trip to Tokyo and Yokohama, which would be a lot more relaxing and I shouldn worry about finding all the youth hostels I will staying at and taken a shinkansen on time. AND I would save money on the JR pass..

It also wont be my first and only trip to Japan. im so interested in the country that I will definetly try to visit it more times after. Im also interested in learning japanese in a japanese language school for one year (in three years already maybe). And eventually I would like to work in Japan as product designer, but ofcourse theres still a long way to go... =)

I will think about what I will do. going for the long stressy trip but see many things, or go for the steady city trip to Tokyo. As being only 17 years old, I might be more interested in city life. Maybe I will enjoy visiting Hiroshima and Himije more when im older. I still have plenty of time left to think about it..

Thanks again for all the help ! I will definetly come back for more advice/information about Japan !

Arigatou Gosaimasu ! ありがとう　ごいさます　！

[Amos]

Homer
don't worry about travelling in Japan. It is the easiest country to travel in I've been to, especially if you are just doing the touristy places. The signs are in English and get this, on the shinkansen they have annoucements in English as well! Talk about great service.
Glad that you are steering away from Nagoya. There really are better places to visit first I think.

I can't post links yet so I've PM'd the links for the timetables to you. Looks like I was right about the times. And Yokohama from Nagoya is a little under 2 hrs by the look at it.

Have you thought about just landing in Tokyo (not certain, but I'd think it's the cheapest option). From there you can rocket down to see the places of interest. The rail pass is a good idea too particularly if you get a book by Ramsey Zarifeh "Japan by Rail" He sets out some great itineries, including a 2 weeker that maximises the use of the rail pass. It also has lots of really cool tips for train travelling that mean you'll ahve no probs getting around. Have a look at some of my previous posts as I ran through the itinery I used on my first trip - it covered most of the places you are interested in and really gave a flavour of the country. If you want more time in tokyo than I had, then skip the trip to Matsumoto.
Any questions please let me know :)
Amos

[Homerduff]

Hi Amos,

I see you landed in Tokyo and travelled south up to Hiroshima and then took the shinkansen back to Tokyo. I was also thinking about this, and yes I would get the cheapest flighttickets (around 800 euros, which I had planned already). How long is the trip from Hiroshima back to Tokyo ?

Anyway im glad to see someone did it so it should be doingable.

did you have a one or two-week JR pass ?

Again thanks for giving me the shinkansen time tables via PM. I really appreciate the effort you do for helping out people like me..

[Amos]

No problem with the helping, it's nice to relive the excitement of planning a trip :)

I had a two week rail pass and more than made the expenditure worth it. You also get the narita express from the airport to tokyo and most overland lines in tokyo on the pass, so it's well worth it.

As for the times, have a look on the rail timetables I sent you. Horoshima to Tokyo was a long trip (I wouldn't have wanted any longer) but say 5 hrs from memory. You have to change trains at Osaka i think. You could always break the trip by say going from Kyoto to Hiroshima and then stopping off in Osaka on the way back. The aquarium there was pretty special.

On the rail pass you can't use Nozomi - marked N on the timetables. Avoid the slow old Kodomas and stick to the Hikari Rail star - your best friend.

Anyway, hopefully it's given you some more to mull over. You can book hotels online before you go (and there are always some business hotels near to stations for easy). If you are travelling with a friend you can usually get twin rooms for about ｣30 per person a night - ensuit. More than a hostel, but obviously get the comfort.

Cheers
Amos

[Homerduff]

Im currently shure of a budget of at least1250 euros (838 pounds) of my own, so the tickets + 2 week JR pass would leave me with 150 euros (100 pounds). It should be ok as im planning to work in July and go in August-September (the return ticket may be cheaper when I return in September ? I cant leave in September cause my school will start around the 13th).

I found a really great (in dutch) website about youth hostels in Japan. Comfort isnt really important to me. As long as the beds are big enough (im rather tall in compare with the normal japanese measurements) and its clean. I know the price range more or less already. Anyway I would be glad to hear your advices about good hostels/business hotels in the cities you went !

[Harvey]

Homer, could you show us the link to that Dutch website about hostels? I'm interested!

[Homerduff]

Im not able to post any links, so I send it to you via PM..

[senseiman]

thanks for the answer..
I made a small plan already, based on what I read on the internet and my preferences. and also some things suggested here..
day 1 / Hiroshima. visit to peace park + museum. sleeping at hiroshima.
day 2 / Hiroshima. with ferry (free thanks to rail pass !) visiting Miyajima.
Itsukushima shrine and the mountain Misen. Also hoping to see some animals there like monkeys. sleeping at hiroshima.
day 3 / Hiroshima. taking shinkansen to Osaka but getting of at Himeji.
visiting castle + gardens. taking shinkansen further to Osaka and sleeping there.
day 4 / Osaka. kinda rest day, visiting the city and relax. visiting minami part. Sleeping in Osaka.
day 5 / Osaka. shinkansen to Kyoto. visiting sanjusangendo building with all the statues + golden kinkakuji temple. Sleeping at Kyoto.
day 6 / Kyoto. shinkansen to Nagoya. visiting the city + toyota museum (for friend). Sleeping at Nagoya.
day 7 / Nagoya. shinkansen to Yokohama (kinda long trip). looking out of the train window to mount fuji hehe. relaxing in Yokohama when arriving there. Sleeping at Yokohama.
day 8 / Yokohama. visiting the minato mirai 21 part. visiting landmark tower for a great sight over the city. sleeping at Yokohama.
day 9 / Yokohama. going to Tokyo. having fun in the shinjuku part of the city. sleeping at Tokyo.
day 10 / Tokyo. visiting the tsukiji market + shibuya part. sleeping at Tokyo.
day 11 / Tokyo. visiting some more hehe, looking for some gifts if theres still money left ! sleeping at Tokyo.
day 12 / Tokyo. going back home.
hmm the first week will be kinda hectic but as I will take a rail pass for only 7 days, I will need to hurry. I havent really calculated the time that the shinkansen takes to go from one city to another so I may have made a big miscalculation ! Anyway does this look like a nice and overall cheap schedule ?
in total it would cost me 1170 euros or 1,524 americain dollars for tickets, accomodation and tourist place prices which is barely nothing. So I will still have enough left for food and some gifts..
Anyway this would be more or less my travel program IF I really want to visit as much as cities in Japan. As its my first travel to Japan, and im planning more in the next years, I may decide to visit lets say Tokyo + Yokohama for 2 weeks. I wont have to buy a rail pass then. But I feel its a shame to spoil so much money on fly tickets, if only you are visiting a small part of that country. But then again visiting a lot of cities with just seeing a small part may not be smart either.
Any suggestions are much appreciated !
This looks like a pretty good plan. My only suggestions would be to consider trying to add another day to your stay in Kyoto. There is just so much to see there that you'd really be missing a lot if you only budgeted one day there. I would consider skipping either Osaka or Nagoya, there isn't a lot to see in those cities and you already have several days budgeted for Yokohama and Tokyo, which is where you will get the best experience of modern Japanese urban city life. Not that I have anything against Osaka or Nagoya, they are both really great cities for a variety of reasons, but I think that from the perspective of someone with only two weeks to spend you'd be better off sticking to a Hiroshima - Kyoto - Yokohama/Tokyo itinerary.

About Himeji, I am heavily biased in favor of it because I lived there for 4 years, so I say that is a good way to spend a day. Though I have to admit that other than the castle the city doesn't offer much to the visitor. The garden next to the castle is nice, but there are WAY better ones in Kyoto and other cities on you schedule.

[reggie]

Personally, I would leave out Osaka and spend a day in Nara instead. There's plenty to see round Nara park.
Also, there's no need to take the Shinkansen between Osaka and Kyoto.

[Amos]

Personally, I would leave out Osaka and spend a day in Nara instead. There's plenty to see round Nara park.
Also, there's no need to take the Shinkansen between Osaka and Kyoto.


Reggie, I was just looking at your website - nice pictures :cool:

Makes me want to plan my own trip :) think I may have to make a start on that!

Amos

[maushan3]

If you are on a budget, you might want to consider going by thumb. I've seen train prices and it is very expensive. So, why not hitchhike. Of course, I would never do this in Mexico and probably not in the U.S. but I've heard many good stories about hitchhiking in Japan. There's even an article on going by thumb in Japan in wikitravel.

Mauricio

[Homerduff]

I have also read something about it on the internet, but as I will have a pretty tight schedule (2 weeks) I think it may be risky to depend on hitchhiking. Taking a JR pass for 2 weeks will cost me 285 euros, which is a lot of money but I wont have to worry about transport and I wont lose much time..

Anyway, its been a while I have left a message here but nevertheless im still interested ofcourse in the trip. Im still not sure yet to make trips between cities or just to stay in one city (Tokyo) for 2 weeks. Its not because the JR pass would be to expensive, but just because I havent figured out yet whether I want to see as much as possible in 2 weeks of Japan or to get to know city life (Tokyo) in a more relaxed way. Trips to Kyoto and Hiroshima are definetly interesting, but then again im a young guy and city life is probably a lot more interesting for me. Im also sure I would visit Japan again (if it isnt a dissapointment, which it wont be ofcourse) lather when im a few olders and maybe also more mature to really enjoy cities like Hiroshima and Kyoto, the cultural heart of the country..

[Sukotto]

Those rail passes are also available for one week
and you can start it up on any day you want after you get to Japan.
Just a couple things about it, that's all...
But have fun

[ZeroS]

If you are on a budget, you might want to consider going by thumb. I've seen train prices and it is very expensive. So, why not hitchhike. Of course, I would never do this in Mexico and probably not in the U.S. but I've heard many good stories about hitchhiking in Japan. There's even an article on going by thumb in Japan in wikitravel.
Mauricio

So the transport is expensive huh!?
Damn, guess I'l have to settle for the 'thumb' way.

What makes hitchiking so different in Japan?

[Alma]

...
Im still not sure yet to make trips between cities or just to stay in one city (Tokyo) for 2 weeks.
...

there is so many thing to see in and around Tokyo, but there is also so many interesting things around, that would be too bad to miss, unless you are planing to visit Japan soon (i mean within one year.. which i doubt)

i was in Japan for two weeks also, but that was organized trip, and we visited Tokyo (and a bit around), Nara, Hiroshima, Miyajima, Kyoto and rest of trip spent in Osaka. i don't have to say it was wonderful ;)

but I am sure, whatever you decide, you will not regret it!

:wave:

[Homerduff]

I have made some changes in my planning..

Day 1 / Tokyo |
Day 2,3,4,5 / Kyoto |
Day 6,7 / Osaka |
Day 8,9,10 / Himeji + Hiroshima ( + Miyajima) |
Day 11,12,13,14 / Yokohama + Tokyo |

Hostels..

Tokyo / Khaosan Tokyo / 82.60 euro
Kyoto / Costa del Sol / 72.68 euro
Osaka / Hotel Chuo / 32.9 euro
Hiroshima / J-Hoppers Trad Guest House / 59.22 euro

900 approx. euros (tickets) + 284.79 euros (JR pass 2 weeks) + 247.4 euros (hostels) / 1432.19 euros

__________________________________________________ _______

I guess there is also an interesting going-out life in Kyoto for the evenings ?

I may go for a one week JR pass, cause I would only have to make one big distance travel in the 2nd week from Hiroshima to Tokyo. A one week pass would cost me at about 175 euros, how much would a shinkansen ticket cost from Hiroshima to Tokyo ?

And does anyone has an idea on how much food and drinks would cost me in Japan every day ? Can you buy food in 100 yen stores ?

I havent taken the cheapest Hostels because its not that im staying somewhere for just one night. Internet is pretty important for me, and also to be able to rent a bike.

Thanks in advance for helping me out ! and if you have anything to add, please say so ! :-)

[ZeroS]

WOW! Looks like 1500 euros are gonna last you 2 weeks.

And I was planning on ~800 euros for 1 and a half months.....
You think it's possible on a budget?

[Homerduff]

well, the most expensive part of my trip will be the tickets. I see you are from South Africa ? hmm im kinda confused you would be able to get along with 800 euros ! How much are tickets from SA to Japan ?

Im shure you can get yourself cheaper accomodation. just to let you know, the prices are all for private double bed rooms.

[ZeroS]

Actually the ticket will cost me about 800 euros. The 800 euros I mentioned was airfare excluded.

I'll be moving along with friends but we'll all pay for our own expenses. I was thinking of budget all the way. From food to accomodation. Also I was hopeful of visiting the entire of Japan. It will probably be really tight though.
Any advice?

[Homerduff]

if you want to visit japan entirely, I think you should get at least a JR pass for 2 weeks which will already cost you quite a lot (280 euros) but its definetly necessary if you want to visit lots of cities..

then for accomodation, it will be cheaper because you will either take the same room as your friends or maybe even a dormitory. So I guess it would be 180 euros for 2 weeks, so multiplied by 3 thats 540 euros.

So roughly, you may get around for the travelling in Japan and the accomodation..

[ZeroS]

So I think it might be possible to budget on 800.

But are the good places that are mentioned above accessible via bus?
I've heard that busses are cheaper than trains and the overnight rides sub for cheap accomodation.

In the end we'ld like to make the trip semi backpack. We'ld like to visit the not so famous tourist attractions like one member above was saying.

[Homerduff]

I guess they are accessible by bus, allthough you may have to take a lot of different busses to get there eventually, its also a chance to step off at places which arent that populair for tourists..

is there anyone who could give me an answer on the following questions ?

I guess there is also an interesting going-out life in Kyoto for the evenings ?

I may go for a one week JR pass, cause I would only have to make one big distance travel in the 2nd week from Hiroshima to Tokyo. A one week pass would cost me at about 175 euros, how much would a shinkansen ticket cost from Hiroshima to Tokyo ?

And does anyone has an idea on how much food and drinks would cost me in Japan every day ? Can you buy food in 100 yen stores ?

[Sukotto]

on JAPAN RAIL GROUPS website I used the HYPERDIA
search from Tokyo to Hiroshima and came up with
¥17540 which looks like 110.820 Euro at an online exchange rate site.
This looks like one way.

Here is JRGroup site and the result page
http://www.japanrail.com/JR_hyperdia.html
http://grace.hyperdia.com/cgi-english/hyperWeb.cgi

Others may have better responses?

[Amos]

I guess they are accessible by bus, allthough you may have to take a lot of different busses to get there eventually, its also a chance to step off at places which arent that populair for tourists..
is there anyone who could give me an answer on the following questions ?
I guess there is also an interesting going-out life in Kyoto for the evenings ?
I may go for a one week JR pass, cause I would only have to make one big distance travel in the 2nd week from Hiroshima to Tokyo. A one week pass would cost me at about 175 euros, how much would a shinkansen ticket cost from Hiroshima to Tokyo ?
And does anyone has an idea on how much food and drinks would cost me in Japan every day ? Can you buy food in 100 yen stores ?


While I'm sure there is a lot going on in the evenings in Kyoto, it struck me as a city where the action is not that easy to find. I suggest that you do plenty of research before you go to find your way in. It didn't bother me when I was there though - I took the view that there was so much to see during the days that I didn't want to be out very late in the evenings - saved it for other cities.

Food - it's easy to eat cheaply, especially if you are not too fussed about having a foody trip. You'll find little fastfood vending machine places - sorry can't remember their names but there were two big brand name places.
http://www.2600.com/travel/data/2005-09-11/IMG_1952.JPG
Just inside the door there will be a vending machine with pictures of meals and their prices. Pay and take the ticket to a free seat at the counter and your dish will appear shortly. Beef and rice was a good one - very filling. Prices were between 300 and 600 yen by memory.

Or you can get cheap food at the always present 7-11 or Lawson mini-marts.

Train fare for Hiroshima to Tokyo. If I've read the table on page 2 of this...

http://www.japanrail.com/pdf/Timetable1-fare.pdf

then it seems an unreserved seat will cost 11,340Y and a reserved seat would be an additional 6,710Y. If you are travelling outside of the peak times then getting an unreserved seat should be no problem (and even in peak times is possible if you get there say 20mins before it leaves). Make sure you learn the Kanji for 'unreserved' and also 'non-smoking' if that is what you want. Whole cars will either be reserved or unreserved, smoking, non-smoking etc. You find the one that is for you and then que in the painted lines on the platform.

[ZeroS]

Hmmmm... valuable information. Thanks!

[Homerduff]

Indeed very usefull information. Thanks a lot, and btw good to see you back Amos !

I can understand that the days in Kyoto will be already tyring enough, so during evening I shouldnt really look for any more tyring activities. So I guess it will be ok.

Good to hear I wont starf to death if my budget would shrunk to a minimum hehe.

I could save up some money if I take the JR pass for one week and buy an unresearved ticket from hiroshima to tokyo, so I will definetly consider doing this. Talking about Hiroshima, how was city life there ?

[Jay&Simone]

another tip is to buy an All Day Bus Pass in Kyoto. you can pick one up from the JR Railway Station or at any Lawsons or 7/11. Grab yourself a Bus Map from the station and you can travel on any bus in Kyoto for the day hopping off wherever you like. the map is easy to read with coloured routes and bus numbers and all the buses have bold numbers on the front/back and sides. its a great way to get around the city to see the sites as the buses get you closer than the JR trains do.

the Bus Pass is 500 Yen otherwise every bus ride no matter how far is 210 yen. pays for its self in 3 rides!

Riding Buses - you jump on at the back door and insert your card into the machine next to the driver when you get off. the are buttons all over the bus to press when you want to get off but the buses stop at every stop anyway if your not sure if your stop is next.

Good Luck and as everyone else has mentioned a visit to Himeji Castle is a definite must!!

[Sukotto]

another tip is to buy an All Day Bus Pass in Kyoto. you can pick one up from the JR Railway Station or at any Lawsons or 7/11.


aww, I wish I would have known about this when we stayed there 2 1/2 days.
& 500 yen?!

Well, maybe I wouldn't have found that little shrine in the woods at the end of a road up a mountain if I'd been on bus? Or even stumbled upon Heian Shrine taking a different route back to our hostel.

Still, would've been useful.
Now I know for next time.
thanx

[Homerduff]

another tip is to buy an All Day Bus Pass in Kyoto. you can pick one up from the JR Railway Station or at any Lawsons or 7/11. Grab yourself a Bus Map from the station and you can travel on any bus in Kyoto for the day hopping off wherever you like. the map is easy to read with coloured routes and bus numbers and all the buses have bold numbers on the front/back and sides. its a great way to get around the city to see the sites as the buses get you closer than the JR trains do.
the Bus Pass is 500 Yen otherwise every bus ride no matter how far is 210 yen. pays for its self in 3 rides!
Riding Buses - you jump on at the back door and insert your card into the machine next to the driver when you get off. the are buttons all over the bus to press when you want to get off but the buses stop at every stop anyway if your not sure if your stop is next.
Good Luck and as everyone else has mentioned a visit to Himeji Castle is a definite must!!

thanks for the tip. I was planning to do the trips inside the cities by bike (renting one from the youth hostel Im staying at), my Lonely Planet book says its convenient to do it this way, but I was randomly looking up the rental price of a bike for one day and I already came across 700 yen. I tought it would be a lot cheaper..

So I will definetly consider buying an All day bus pass in Kyoto.

[Civic]

Hey Homerduff,

Thanks for asking the right questions. Since I have the same questions, I can find all anwers here. I'm planning a trip for Japan in May for about 4 weeks. What to see, where to travel and which book to read ... all part of the preparation.

When do you leave? Where do you buy a ticket of 900 euro's?

[Homerduff]

Hi Civic,

I will leave in August probably, havent set up an exact date yet. Some weeks ago I did some research on the ticket price and I came on 900 euros aprox., but a few minutes ago I did another research and now prices are 750 euros minimum (mind that these are the prices from Paris to Tokyo). From Amsterdam to Tokyo, prices seem to be a bit higher..

I dont really know why the difference is pretty big. I dont really have much experience with booking flight tickets. Is it wise to book now already ? As prices may go up, and 750 euros would fit perfectly in my budget..

Oh and if you are still looking for a book, I can highly recommend Lonely Planet Japan. It contains a lot of information on what places you should visit, cheap accomodation, good places to eat, transport possibilities and maps.

[Anohito]

If you plan to spend a day in Yokohama, you might consider spending the day at Sankeien, a beautiful park/garden/museum of japanese buildings.

http://www.city.yokohama.jp/me/naka/contents/english/life/recreation/sankeien.html

It can be a bit tricky to find for those unfamiliar with Japan, so get good directions beforehand, if you wish to go. Or, find a friendly English-speaking Japanese person and go with him or her!

(Warning! Shameless self-promotion ahead! :-) )

These are galleries on my Smugmug photo pages. The first URL is for the early spring 1984 gallery, and the second URL is for the spring 1990 gallery.

http://edgarjlaw.smugmug.com/gallery/1397435#80338823

http://edgarjlaw.smugmug.com/gallery/1430119#69502403

[Homerduff]

Thanks a lot, nice pictures you have there !

Im actually close to joining some kind of exchangement program for the summer (5 weeks), to stay with a japanese foster family and do all kinds of stuff like visiting a japanese high school. Dont know yet where I will stay and what kind of trips they offer, but I tought it would be my last chance to participate with this kind of program as im almost 18 and thats the maximum age to participate with it. I do hope there are still places left for the program..

[Anohito]

Thanks a lot, nice pictures you have there !
Im actually close to joining some kind of exchangement program for the summer (5 weeks), to stay with a japanese foster family and do all kinds of stuff like visiting a japanese high school. Dont know yet where I will stay and what kind of trips they offer, but I tought it would be my last chance to participate with this kind of program as im almost 18 and thats the maximum age to participate with it. I do hope there are still places left for the program..

Glad you enjoyed the photos.

An exchange program will be a very different experience than traveling around the country on your own. Traveling by yourself gives you much more opportunity to do and see what you want, when you want, especially if you will be there for a while. On the other hand, participating in an exchange program will give you much closer and more personal experience with the culture. Good luck, whatever you do!

[Homerduff]

Heres an update for those who have helped me out (thanks again !)..

Today I received confirmation that I have been accepted for a 4 week Japanese Summer course program in Tokyo, while staying with a homestay family. I know its a lot different than what I first had in my mind, but I think I will experience things a lot more as a person who lives in Japan and not as a tourist. Im very interested in learning Japanese so the Japanese language lessons are definetly useful for me. I look forward to participate with any activities of my homestay family, and ofcourse I will have plenty of time to experience Tokyo in all its facets..

[BulletsFearTheBrave]

maybe you should ask people were you shouldn't go...

(and then go there to see why...)

its a good thing im not a cat. :p

[Mars Man]

Congradulations !! I wish you all the best in every way !! Then, if you have the time, on good place to go visit would be...let me see...YEAH !! Shiga area in Matusmoto !! It's very, very, couldn't-be-any-closer-to where I live. It's a nice place too !! hee, hee, hee....

CONGRADULATIONS !! MM

[Keigo Kanzaki]

One of Yoshinoya's branch?

[Homerduff]

At last, tomorrow I will fly to Tokyo and I will stay there for a month. Again thanks to everyone who has helped me out.

[Sukotto]

がんばって
Good luck & I wish you a fun and safe trip.

[Amos]

Have a great time Homer. Glad you are finally on your way!

Take plenty of pictures

Amos

[Homerduff]

I got back yesterday from Tokyo after a month. Ofcourse I had a great time. Japan was more or less what I was expecting. It was pretty hot, people were very kind, the food was weird and english was rarely understood. My host family was great too, and by having the japanese lessons my japanese has improved greatly. also because I had to communicate in japanese with my family, cause they didnt knew any english.

I also went climbing Mt. Fuji which was amazing. Also went to Kamakura and Yokohama. And in Tokyo itself Ive been to Shibuya severall times, Shinjuku like every day cause my school was there, Harajuku, Akihabara and Ueno. I have made so many friends over there and I will go back asap. Maybe already in december if I get the money for the tickets. My host family would love to have me back so I could stay with them for free (I already said that one of them could come to Belgium for free to so we got like a deal here).

[Amos]

Welcome back! Sounds like you had a great time.

And you've caught the j-bug as well. I too can't wait to get back, but won't be able to for a some time due to ill health. I hope you can ge the cash together for another trip soon.

:)

[Amenat]

I went to Japan a year ago and I hope to go back there next year for two weeks.
Last time, I visited all the temples in Kyoto and toured Osaka.
My group hit Osaka castle, which was awesome especially the view from the top.
My host family took me to Kyoto and we hit all the temples which was an interesting experience. We literally walked from one side of Kyoto to the other side in one day. We also went for dessert and went shopping for small trinkets in the market place near a really big temple.
Next time I want to go to Tokyo and hit all the big places. Of course it would be on sunday so I could see everyone in Harajuku in thier clothes. :love:

[Homerduff]

one thing that surprised me were the prices in Japan, they are LOW ! I bought great T-shirts for 1500 yen, I bought books for 105 yen. I had good meals for 500 yen. I bought beautiful Japanese drape things with great drawings(for hanging on the wall) for 300 yen ! In general, souvenirs are very cheap ! I bought a great headphone set for 2000 yen. headphones are way more expensive in Belgium. its also logic that these things are cheaper in Japan. I mean, big technology manufactories are situated in Japan/China so its logic that countries who are further away from these companies have higher prices. Even the clothes shops in Harajuku and Shibuya sold things at reasonable prices (expensive but not extremely cause you are buying quality stuff there). Maybe Belgium is just a very expensive country, if I compare it to Japan then I must say it is..

I do know that going out in Tokyo was very expensive and im also aware that house and landprices are very high. but if you just want to do travelling in Japan and sightseeing while having enough food and being able to buy enough souvenirs, really dont worry that you wont have enough money with you. Also transport prices are decent, only taxi is a rip-off.