Where to visit in Japan?

I am thinking about visiting Japan. Japanese culture has always
interested me. Yet I know also that it can be extremely expensive
(for americans at least). I was wondering if anyone can recommend an
itenerary for visiting Japan that would avoid the exhorbitant expenses
(i.e. avoiding Tokyo)? Thanks in advance...

"Raphael Anderson" wrote in message
Yet I know also that it can be extremely expensive
(for americans at least). I was wondering if anyone can recommend an
itenerary for visiting Japan that would avoid the exhorbitant expenses
(i.e. avoiding Tokyo)? Thanks in advance...


Everywhere in Tokyo is expensive - for anyone. It might actually be cheaper
to stay in Tokyo because of the costs of travelling - it is expensive to get
around. This is why many Japanese go overseas rather than travel in their
own country - it's cheaper.
Staying at a guest house, weekly mansion or traditional inn (ryokan) will
cut costs significantly over a hotel. Eating your big meal at lunch time
will as well - many restaurants have great lunch sets for about $10 US.
Don't take express trains cuz this adds 30% or more to the cost of the
ticket but often doesn't save that much time. Go to museums and stuff
without an entrance fee - although I'd say you're looking at an average of
$10 per museum or historical site.
My parents both came to visit me this year (separately) and both of them
commented on how cheap it was to eat here compared to North America (I'm
Canadian, but from a border city so eat in the States a lot). The big
expense is the hotel. Don't stay at any major chains and you can find nice
rooms for $60 to $80 a night. Guest houses / youth hostels are around $40.
Depends on what your minimum standard is.
Liz

On Thu, 19 Feb 2004 22:53:55 +0900, "Liz" wrote:


"Raphael Anderson" wrote in message
Yet I know also that it can be extremely expensive
(for americans at least). I was wondering if anyone can recommend an
itenerary for visiting Japan that would avoid the exhorbitant expenses
(i.e. avoiding Tokyo)? Thanks in advance...


Everywhere in Tokyo is expensive - for anyone. It might actually be cheaper
to stay in Tokyo because of the costs of travelling - it is expensive to get
around. This is why many Japanese go overseas rather than travel in their
own country - it's cheaper.
Staying at a guest house, weekly mansion or traditional inn (ryokan) will
cut costs significantly over a hotel. Eating your big meal at lunch time
will as well - many restaurants have great lunch sets for about $10 US.
Don't take express trains cuz this adds 30% or more to the cost of the
ticket but often doesn't save that much time. Go to museums and stuff
without an entrance fee - although I'd say you're looking at an average of
$10 per museum or historical site.
My parents both came to visit me this year (separately) and both of them
commented on how cheap it was to eat here compared to North America (I'm
Canadian, but from a border city so eat in the States a lot). The big
expense is the hotel. Don't stay at any major chains and you can find nice
rooms for $60 to $80 a night. Guest houses / youth hostels are around $40.
Depends on what your minimum standard is.


Minimun standard is as low as possible. I heard they rent tiny
closet-like spaces where people can sleep for the night.

$10 for a meal is high. Aren't there any places with cheap ramen and
rice and really cheap sushi with the imitation crab meat?

"Raphael Anderson" wrote in message
Minimun standard is as low as possible. I heard they rent tiny
closet-like spaces where people can sleep for the night.

Check out the guest houses or hostels then (also called gaijin houses). You
can get them for about 4000 yen for a night if I remember correctly. There
are quite a few listed in the Lonely Planet. Other option is called a
weekly mansion - they charge about 28,000 yen for the week. You'll need
some basic Japanese to set this up though. Mansion = concrete apartment
building in Japan. You'll get a room with a bed, a wardrobe, a small
bathroom and possilby a desk and TV.


$10 for a meal is high. Aren't there any places with cheap ramen and
rice and really cheap sushi with the imitation crab meat?

If you look really, really, really hard you can find cheap restaurants. It
took me over 3 months of living here before I found places. Unless you know
Japanese writing, basically you are illiterate in a country you cannot
communicate verbally in. That makes it pretty hard to find things.
Lots of fast food places - you can get a combo for about 550 yen. That's a
sandwich American med sized fries and American small sized drink (FYI - in
Japan both of those sizes are considered Larges).
As for sushi, even the kaiten (rotator belt sushi) will only give you two
pieces of the cheapest sushi for about 110 yen. Five plates (10 pieces)
might fill you up, but you're probably looking at 8 plates worth. (A plate
comes with 2 pieces usually). Don't go bargain hunting for sushi - when
dealing with raw fish you want to make sure it is fresh. American sushi and
Japanese sushi are not the same - in the US sushi tends to be immitation
crab, cucumber and mayo. In Japan, it is raw fish, raw fish and raw fish.
You can get cooked shrimp, cooked egg and cooked crab. But the crab will be
real.
Ramen, sometimes you can find cheap places. But most places start at 700
yen. You'll have to really search to find cheap ones. See comments about
language. The cheapest I have found for a basic bowl of ramen is about 400
yen.
To save money you can go to the convenience store and cook your own meals.
You can buy instant noodles starting at about 100 yen. Convenience stores
also have "bento" (meals) that are not too bad. Most of them are about 500
yen. Half of the meal will be white rice.
$10 is not expensive for an industrialized country - other than fast food
places, where can you eat a meal in North America for that price? I say
spend the ten bucks on lunch so you can experience Japanese cuisine, and
cook your own dinners and breakfasts.
Liz