[trunker]

that internet charge thing sounds very odd. its not that expensive here really.

on the other hand, it could be that they are putting it in for you?

you can bring in up to 1 million yen on your person through the airport.

if you can, get a debit ATM card. credit cards will kill you cos you'll be charged for both the service, buying or getting cash, and then you'll lose out on the exchange rate. som of them have massive spreads. but its good to have in case of emergency.

debit cards work pretty much everywhere, make sure you have soemthing like visa electron or maestro on it. i know citibank atms have english, i think some of the big ones have that option as well.

bring as much cash with you as you like. it is very safe here and provided you're not careless, its unlikely anything will happen to you. walking around with Y100,000 in your pocket isnt really dangerous unless youre flashing it around.

and yeah at $10 per meal, i would be making my own food as well, regardless of the vegan thing. average decent meals here can range from Y298 for the cheapest bento, to 500-700 for some thing nicer, but still average. so $10 is quite much.

your homestay people are definately in it for the dough.