Is Japan Expensive Place?
Friday June 1, 2007
A member of Japan for Visitors forum asks, "I am travelling to Japan either two weeks prior to Christmas or two weeks after new years... My questions is why does everyone say Japan is the most expensive place they have ever visited. When I look at hotels online and food it all seems so cheap. I was planning on buying a two week JR Rail pass to get around and its not too bad..."
Suggestions?
Japan Budget Travel Tips
Suggestions?
Japan Budget Travel Tips
Comments
in my experience Japan isn’t expensive as is famed to be. for some things (transports, fashion and some other thing) surely is but as tourist if you know how to move it’s possible to find good deals on accommodation and eating. on internet can find good ryokans at good price. being able to read and understand japanese is a big help. having a local “guide” is much better.
Japan is ranked as the most expensive for business travel. But for tourists, it needn’t be so expensive. I just returned from a 2 week trip there. I stayed in nice (but not deluxe) hotels every night which cost less than comparable accommodations in American cities. Meals can run the cost-gamut from cheap to very $$$ just as they do anywhere. Travel within Japan can be expensive but the JR Rail Pass makes it very affordable, and fast. Urban transportation is priced is a bit higher than in the U.S. but not hugely. Day passes are often available that can actually make it very cheap. Entertainment is expensive there, but just being in Japan was entertainment enough for me!
Bottom line: Japan is quite affordable if you choose your options with cost in mind.
I’ve been to Japan twice now, both times during peak season. I have the benifit of a Japanese girlfriend and with her help i found my stays far less expensive than if i were on my own. I found venturing away from tourist places was always far cheaper and to tell you the truth more rewarding. I found that the essentials are far less expensive than most countries but luxeries were always the reverse…ie going to the cinema was ridiculously priced whilst having a meal afterwards for 2 cost half as much as the ticket. I would say that Japan is no more expensive for a tourist than any other country.
My boyfriend and I went to Japan for three months in the summer of 2005. It was part of a world trip and we were on a very tight budget. We travelled the length of the country from Hokkaido to the Ryukku islands.
In the end, we found that we spent less per day in Japan than we did for three months travelling in New Zealand.
We discovered a number of ways to save money on accommodation and travel – probably the two most expensive features of Japanese travel – by, for example, volunteering (WWOOFing) and using the local trains (Seishin 18 Kippu ticket).
We’ve written a website on how to travel on a budget in Japan. It includes our own experiences and also tips from travellers we met on the way. Please take a look at http://www.japan-cheap-travel.com
I live here. Japan is expensive on a day to day basis. Running around on the shinkansen bullet train doesn’t count. Try dry cleaning, internet access, laundry , telephone, banking fees and you will find that Japan is expensive -postage and newspapers. Right now the yen is 20% below par with the dollar so its a good time to visit. But if you are on a shoe string you can do alright but it means travelling third class. The economical places are bare-bones and bare budget. I once got into a battle on the internet because somebody wrote that if you were down and out you could always go to the department stores and get free samples of food. Puleeze, my small dog eats more in one meal than you would get altogether in free samples in a month of going around. His idea was to live off those tiny thimbleful samples. Get real. Nothing is free in Japan. If you sit down anywhere its going to cost you money. But have a good time. The people are really friendly, outgoing and helpful. (ha ha ha ha). Repeat, nothing is free in this country.
I also live here. One thing to be careful of with hotels here is that the hotel may be charging per person instead of per room. I would never say that living here is cheap (gas is very expensive for example) but one could travel on a shoestring- stay at barebones hotel, eat 105 yen udon, buy souvenirs at the 100 yen shops, etc. However, you have to pick and choose wisely. It can be very expensive. However, the folks are nice and it is a lovely place to visit.