How Much for a 2 Week Trip to Japan?

[kuraudo]

I also want to thank everyone for their comments. I've been studying Japanese on my own, and I was thinking next year I'd like to take a trip there for three reasons:

#1 Most Important: To play Go there
2: To "experience" Japan
3: To scout it out as a potential place to live

Judging by Sangetsu's estimates, I'd want to at least budget ¥10,000/day---more if I wanted to have a less-than-barebones experience. The basics, plus ¥45,100 for one 14-day adult JR pass (necessary if I'm looking around for potential places to live!) would put me at ~¥185,000 minimum, weighing in at around $2,000. That plus the cost of plane tickets---which I hope aren't too expensive---comes out to a pretty hefty sum for sure, likely $3,000+.

I'm hoping by this time next year I'll have saved enough and acquired enough language proficiency to pass the JLPT level 2. The latter is not a requirement, but would be nice in terms of comprehending the environment---especially if I'm scouting to live there. Only time will tell for either of those. In either case, there was a purpose to this post besides summarizing already-known details.

I'd like to ask about the actual tourist-amenities available in Japan. For instance, do the hotels provide any manner of cooking apparatus? ¥2,000/day for food is all well and good if I'm to be eating out of restaurants twice a day, but I think I could cut a fair amount of it if I were cooking my own foods right? I don't need to be eating out all the time; I'd be fine with 1 restaurant meal every day or two, and for the rest I'd happily settle for whatever the equivalent is to the 30-cent, three-minute ramen noodles I survived so well on not long ago. Naturally with a budget reaching upwards of $3,000, I'll be looking to cut costs in many departments, and eating gourmet has never been my perogative.

Aside from cooking away my costs, are there any other suggestions for what to do or buy while there that will save money? All advice welcome, and thanks again for the enlightening posts! ^^

[MMM]

Cooking solo in a hotel? Bento and convenience stores will be cheaper, but you will be sick of it after a week. A 2000 yen a day food budget for a tourist is WAY low. Plan on any "restaurant" lunch meal starting at 800 to 1200 yen without beverages. Dinners start at 1000 yen, but it is very easy to spend 5000 yen on a filling meal at a yakiniku place or a sushi place that could throw your budget off. My point is, I worry about people that budget so little for food, as 1) Japanese food is delicious and 2) the good stuff isn't cheap unless you know exactly what you are doing, which tourists don't. 2000 yen a day is eating crummy food, and what are you coming to Japan for in the first place?

If you plan on being in one place for a while, then forget the JR pass...unless you are doing a Amazing Race tour of Japan, I haven't found it that amazing a deal.

[hippykiller1]

Around 10,000yen per day is a good way to go about it. But its nice to have more saved up to experience different aspects of Japan. Just so you can be more comfortable and worry less about your budget.

If you're running around Japan and you see a place where you can have a gourmet meal, and its 4,000yen; its nice to know you won't have to worry about the costs.

If you decided to stay at some hostels ($30 or so per night) or do some overnight train/bus trips and sleep there, that can help you cut some corners. Homestays is something I'd also suggest. I did this and payed around $175 per WEEK with MEALS. Of course, with all the places you plan on visiting, it might not be practical. Maybe if you have an early flight leaving Japan and slept in the airport (although not too comfortably), you can cut some cost there.

But still, I say figure out your budget, then double it. Cause when I went, the cost of Japan snuck up on me quick.

[godwine]

Originally Posted by hippykiller1

Around 10,000yen per day is a good way to go about it. But its nice to have more saved up to experience different aspects of Japan. Just so you can be more comfortable and worry less about your budget.

If you're running around Japan and you see a place where you can have a gourmet meal, and its 4,000yen; its nice to know you won't have to worry about the costs.

If you decided to stay at some hostels ($30 or so per night) or do some overnight train/bus trips and sleep there, that can help you cut some corners. Homestays is something I'd also suggest. I did this and payed around $175 per WEEK with MEALS. Of course, with all the places you plan on visiting, it might not be practical. Maybe if you have an early flight leaving Japan and slept in the airport (although not too comfortably), you can cut some cost there.

But still, I say figure out your budget, then double it. Cause when I went, the cost of Japan snuck up on me quick.

Most business hotels i found are around 40 a night, with private bath, an alternative to hostel if you want some privacy... I'd say an average of 130 a day, including transportation is likely my average (40 on hotel, 60 on food, 30 on transportation)

[MMM]

Originally Posted by godwine

Most business hotels i found are around 40 a night, with private bath,

Is that right? I remember staying at a business hotel in Tokyo in the early 2000s and it was about 100 dollars a night. I remember thinking a love hotel might be cheaper and have 10 times the space.

A friend stayed in a capsule hotel for a few nights a couple years ago and I think it was about 50 dollars a night. Where are these 40 dollar a night hotels?

[spicytuna]

$40/night is possible... if you use the old exchange rate of around 130 yen to a dollar.

These days, it's more like $60/night in the Kanto area at least.

As for love hotels, they're a better deal as far as dollar/space is concerned but I don't think they'll let you in if you're by yourself. Might be a good deal if you're traveling with your significant other.

[hippykiller1]

I was lost in tokyo, every hotel was booked. I got lost on my way to the hostel and the doors closed there at 10:30pm. After wandering for a few hours I stumbled upon a love hotel. It was about 12:30am, every legit hotel was booked and I asked if I could have a room. They refused me service cause I'm a foreigner. I'm serious to. She pulled out a card that said something like "Because we can't speak English, we refuse to book a room to foreigners."

I WAS HOLDING CASH IN FRONT OF HER FACE!

Only use them if its a last ditch effort. Actually scratch that, if you have a last ditch moment, go to a 24hr internet cafe and stay for the longest you can; usually 5 hours. They vary between 500-1000 yen per hour and you'll have your own cubicle. I contemplated this after the love hotel mess.

Plan out your trip better than I did. But if you don't plan it well, you get cool stories to tell people when you get back.

[godwine]

Originally Posted by MMM

Is that right? I remember staying at a business hotel in Tokyo in the early 2000s and it was about 100 dollars a night. I remember thinking a love hotel might be cheaper and have 10 times the space.

A friend stayed in a capsule hotel for a few nights a couple years ago and I think it was about 50 dollars a night. Where are these 40 dollar a night hotels?

I stayed at Oak, and also stayed at Sun Targas, which both comes out to be around 4700 yen a night... Both around Ueno area. There is also one I tried to reserve - FAMILY RESORT FIFTY'S FOR MAIHAMA, 8400 yen a night for double occupancy, but they are usually booked, this one is by tokyo disney

[chompalomp2]

With regards to food, I found you could get 2 meals a day from a decent bakery for very cheap (~ 700 yen), however, these kinds of meals are very unhealthy for you, and I could only do it twice a week maybe; otherwise I'd get sick of it straight away. Also, for drinks, try to find a good vending machine. Just outside the place I was staying in Tokyo was a vending machine with 120 yen 500 mL cans of soft drink and bottles of water, but you might find yourself paying 300 yen for this around tourist attractions (or a 200mL can at the top of Miyajima for 300 yen!).

[samurai007]

Originally Posted by spicytuna

$40/night is possible... if you use the old exchange rate of around 130 yen to a dollar.

These days, it's more like $60/night in the Kanto area at least.

As for love hotels, they're a better deal as far as dollar/space is concerned but I don't think they'll let you in if you're by yourself. Might be a good deal if you're traveling with your significant other.

In most places outside of the Tokyo region, $40 a night was quite possible. That's about what I paid in places like Fukuoka, Nagasaki, Matsuyama, etc.