Recently, Japan is becoming one of the popular countries where people would love to visit. However, many people will actually think twice or thrice before travelling to Japan since it is usually termed as an expensive destination with expensive air ticket price and high cost of living. Thankfully, for some reason, the air fare to Japan seems to be getting cheaper day by day.
I (Mr. J) was lucky enough to visit Japan for a business trip. Hence, I actually saved on the air ticket and accommodation. I only paid a small amount (air ticket) to extend my time in Japan and 3 nights of accommodation. There is no doubt that the living cost in Japan is expensive. A McDonald’s Filet-O-Fish set (with French fries and drink) in Japan costs JPY620. A 6 minutes bus ride (only 1.2km) in Yokohama costs JPY216. Wow, the cost of living in Japan is really much higher than in Malaysia. But, please do not let this demotivate you. There are actually plenty of ways to save some money here and there, and I would like to share some of my money-saving tips in Japan.
N'EX (Narita Express) TOKYO Round Trip Ticket
- Can only be purchased by foreign passport holders only.
- Valid for 14 days only.
- Price: JPY4,000 for a two-way ticket between Narita Airport (Terminal 1 or Terminal 2.3) and one of the major stations in the Tokyo metropolitan area.
- Train Details
- All seats are reserved. You do not need to worry about looking for an empty seat.
- Spaces to store luggage at the front and rear of each car.
- Additional Information
- I used the ticket from Narita Airport to Totsuka Station and from Tokyo Station to Narita Airport. It is not necessary to arrive and depart from the same station (within Tokyo Metropolitan area).
- When you purchase the ticket, you will get one Airport-Tokyo Metropolitan area ticket and one exchange ticket. You will then be required to go to one of the JR stations to exchange the exchange ticket for a Tokyo Metropolitan area-Airport ticket.
Reading the ticket.
1. Departure Station
2. Destination Station
3. Date
4. Time of Departure
5. Time of Arrival at Destination
6. Car Number
7. Seat Number
For more information about this ticket, you can visit their website at http://www.jreast.co.jp/e/pass/nex_round.html.
72-hour Tokyo Subway Ticket
- Passport is required when purchasing the ticket.
- Valid for 72 hours after the first use within the expiry date.
- Price: JPY1,500
- Additional Information
- Can buy in advance and use it only when required. Just don’t forget about the validity period after the first use.
- The expiry date and time will be printed on the back of the ticket after the first use (Just insert the ticket into the automatic fare gate and collect it after passing the gate).
- Can use this ticket for as many times as you like as long as you are using the Tokyo Metro and Toei Subway lines (basically covers the entire Tokyo area).
- There are also 24 hours ticket (JPY800) and 48 hours ticket (JPY1,200) available.
You can refer to their website, http://www.tokyometro.jp/en/ticket/value/travel/, for more details.
Suica
For places that are not accessible by Tokyo Metro or Toei Subway lines, you might need to take the JR trains. Of course, you can always purchase a one-way ticket from the ticketing machines at every train station but it might be a hassle especially during peak hours. Japan has their own version of prepaid card (something like Malaysia’s Touch ‘n Go) in the form of Suica or PASMO (for Tokyo Metropolitan area). Bear in mind that other regions of Japan uses different types of prepaid card. I bought my Suica card while buying my N'EX TOKYO Round Trip Ticket at the airport. The price of the card depends on how much value you would like to store in it. It is actually slightly cheaper if you pay with a Suica card instead of cash when purchasing train/bus tickets. You can also use this card in most convenience stores and vending machines.
You can refer to their website, http://www.jreast.co.jp/e/pass/suica.html, for more details.
Line App
During my time in Japan, I noticed that most of the Japanese uses Line as their main instant messaging service. This was different from us Malaysians which uses WhatsApp more often. Since Line is more popular in Japan, most of the merchants such as Matsumoto Kiyoshi (Japanese’s version of Guardian, Watson’s), Uniqlo, GU, etc. had an official Line account. And you can actually get discounts from there. So, don’t forget to subscribe to their Line account and look for discounts/promotions.
Map Apps
During my stay in Japan, I did not subscribe for roaming mobile data or get a portable mobile Wi-Fi. I relied mostly on Miss J’s thorough itinerary and some free offline apps. The offline map app that I used was MAPS.ME – Travel Map, Navigation & Route Planning. Of course, you need to download Japan's map before you arrive at Japan in order to use it. Another app that I used was Tokyo Subway Navigation for Tourists which helped me to decide which train routes to take throughout my trip.
Accommodation
- Yokohama
I will not talk about my accommodation in Yokohama since it was in the middle of my business trip and was covered by my company.
- Tokyo (ENAKA Asakusa Central Hostel)
Staying in a hotel might not be cheap and since I am travelling alone, I just needed a place to sleep and bath. Luckily for me, I found a decent and affordable capsule hostel at Asakusa. It only costs me JPY9,270 for 3 nights! That came to only JPY3090 per night which was cheaper than what I expected. The hostel was just 3 minutes away from Asakusa Station and was only 300m away from Sensoji Temple (the main attraction in Asakusa). Since the hostel was only opened in 2016, it was still very new. The beds and shared bathrooms were very clean. Towel was provided and you can change them daily. There were locks to lock your luggage beside near your bed. You can only wear the hostel's slippers as your shoes shall be kept in the shoe cabinet at the ground floor. The hotel staff could also speak good English.
I basically had two weekends plus a Friday to visit around Tokyo and Yokohama. What do you think of my 5 days Itinerary in Japan?
Thanks a lot, Miss J, for planning the itinerary even though she was left in Malaysia. I did made it up to her by buying a luggage full of Japan stuffs for her.
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