Budget: How much does it cost to go to Tokyo Japan?

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How much does it cost for a trip to go to Japan? Is Tokyo or Japan expensive? Maybe not when you compare Tokyo with Singapore, London or New York City. I believe if your Tokyo Japan trip is planned carefully, money can be very well spent. I have dedicated this blog post to the overall planning and budgeting for your first trip to Japan. Compare Tokyo to Manhattan, Paris, or London, the cost of visiting these modern nation cities could easily exceed the amount spent in Tokyo, Japan.

Apple store in Ginza Tokyo

The flight ticket prices in the months of shoulder season have been more stabilized. I have found ticket price around 700 USD (LAX to Tokyo.) Because of the reasonable flight ticket prices and great currency exchange rate (1 USD to 110 Yen), I recommend booking flights and hotels as early as possible.

Affordable Cheap Reasonable Hotels in Tokyo

Updated on June-10th-2018


Where to stay in Tokyo Japan?

Central, Clean, and Convenient and hopefully CHEAP are the fundamentals of good Tokyo Hotels in my opinion.

My secret of being able to travel to Japan very frequently is being budget smart and location efficient with my hotel stay.

With my almost 20 years of travel experience in Japan, I have hand picked a few lists of reasonable and convenient Tokyo hotel accommodation with highest values in this blog post. 

Toyoko Inn, a popular budget hotel franchise in Japan.

- I recommend booking the flight ticket first. Be specific about your travel dates. Then compare Hotel TOTAL PRICE after tax and service charges are added.

Kobe Beef in Kobe 2016 - Ishida Kobe Beef Steak Restaurant

In October 2016, I traveled to Japan using the 14-day Japan Rail Pass. While I was traveling from Kanazawa 金沢 to Kagoshima 鹿児島, my cousin and I decided to stop by Kobe for a few hours of sightseeing and for Kobe Beef 神戸牛 lunch. I did some research prior to my arrival in Kobe, we decided to visit ishida Kobe Beef Steak Restaurant 神戸 石田 屋 based on their recent rise in popularity and well labeled online menu.

Best Kobe Beef in Kobe 2016. ishida steak teppanyaki restaurant. A5 BMS 10-12 grade Steak

Kobe Beef in Kobe, Japan: My Kobe Beef experiences.

Updated on 01/31/16

Only the specific breed of cattle, processed in specific areas in Japan, raised by special methods, and graded by strict Japanese beef rating system, are qualified to be the real "KOBE BEEF" Real Kobe Beef are rarely exported outside of Japan, and when they are exported, they are usually served at very expensive restaurants overseas.

Nicely marbled intramuscular fat Kobe beef steak.

Night Out in Tokyo: Tokyo Nightlife

After a typical day in Tokyo with sightseeing or a side trip to Hakone for hot spring.
The nightlife could start around 5pm to 6pm or later depending on your day plan.

My typical night out would be:

- 5pm to 6pm (time of sunset): Tokyo City View Observatory for the beautiful night scenery;
- 8pm: Sushi dinner at Midori Sushi in Akasaka.
- 10pm to 11pm: Second stop for quick bite at Miroku Standing Yakitori bar in Akasaka.

Exciting Tokyo nightlife could start in Shibuya

For some travelers, they could stop there but remember Tokyo is a city that runs 24 hours a day. I would recommend adventurous and energetic travelers to maximize their Tokyo experiences by going further:

Japan Rail Pass Journey - Introduction to my JR pass Experience and Itinerary

In May 2010, I traveled to Japan using the 14-day Japan Rail Pass. I traveled solo. I visited as south as Kumamoto in Kyushu to as north as Asahikawa/Furano in Hokkaido, passed by many cities and walked through many local streets. I would like to start blogging about The Journey Series to share my travel itinerary and experiences with travelers who are thinking about using the JR rail pass to see more of Japan.

Japan Rail Pass Route

Planning for your trip to Tokyo

Updated on February-28-2016


Featured article in issue 40 of MyM: The official magazine of MCM Expo Group 

Why should you plan your own trip to Tokyo or Japan instead of joining a guided tour? because it is more adventurous, flexible, and fun!

Moderate to large size guided tours are unlikely to take the entire group to the best sushi or ramen restaurants simply because of the long wait in line and lack of profit for the tour company.

Majority of the all-inclusive guided tours are likely to put you on a tour bus and take you to very touristy places instead of showing you the real Tokyo/Japan when you can only experience on foot or when taking the city's public transportation.

View from Odaiba, Tokyo Bay.

Japan Budget Hotel Breakfast

Many of the hotels in Japan offer high cost/performance value hotel breakfast set or buffet at reasonable prices. With huge variety of traditional Japanese family cuisine and Euro/American selections to accommodate international guests, hotel breakfast is one of the best way to start your day while traveling in Japan.

Travelers often plan having sushi, ramen, and tempura as part of their must-eat items on their trip itinerary. However, family style Japanese breakfast is also a good way to enrich food experiences in Japan. Budget hotel breakfast usually costs an additional $8 to $15 per person at the time of hotel reservation. I recommend booking the hotel room along with the breakfast option for better package discount.

Many budget hotel in Tokyo Japan offer great breakfast buffet

Money Exchange ATM Credit Card issues in Tokyo Japan

Cash is still the preferred travel expense payment method in Tokyo and most parts of Japan even though major hotels and department stores and some fancy restaurants do accept big bank international credit cards for payments. There are many ways to get your home country's currency exchanged into Japanese yen after arriving in Japan. I have listed some of the most convenient methods in this blog post. Very few stores will accept foreign cash money, therefore, carrying Japanese yen on you is critical when vacationing in Japan.

Most convenient way to get Japanese yen is to use the ATM cash machine inside of Seven-11 Convenience Store.

Japan Rail Pass

Ultra modern Shinkansen Bullet train. JR pass rocks!

Imagine having Sushi breakfast in Tokyo, Takoyaki for lunch in Osaka, and dinner in Fukuoka, without worry too much the pricey cost of Shinkansen bullet train. With careful planning prior to your trip, travel with Japan Rail Pass is definitely one of the best way to budget and save money.

Hotels and Accommodations in Tokyo

Where to stay in Tokyo Japan? What type of accommodation should stay at during your first trip to Japan?

Tokyo city offers different types of accommodation that will suit different budget and style of travelers. Types of accommodation were briefly mentioned in my "budget" post. In this post I will go into a details and introduce a few links on the choices that are either popular in my opinion or have decent reviews on TripAdvisor.

Typical budget hotel room in Tokyo

Tokyo Orientaion

Tokyo Metro Map, from http://www.tokyometro.jp/en/index.html


Orientation of Tokyo city may be very challenging to first time travelers in Tokyo. I believe Tokyo has the most extensive metro system in the world, far beyond Manhattan and London in the western world. This post is to introduce a few of the simplified maps that I drew on Paint so that visiting Tokyo would be less intimidating.

Preparation for Tokyo

I often tell people that all you need is a valid passport, some cash, and hotel reservation before you fly over. As long as your passport is valid, you can plan the trip 1 day before takeoff. Apparently, it might be a bit more complicated than that for the first time travelers, but the fundamentals for world travel: Money, Time, Energy, and Interest will always apply.

Tokyo Street

Access to Tokyo from the world

Access...so how do I get to Tokyo?

About Tokyo

Tokyo, capital of Japan, with a population of more than 35 million people in the greater Tokyo area, it has become one of the must-visit destinations for world travelers.

Roppongi, Tokyo.

Do they speak English?

Certain areas in Tokyo are known to have higher number of English speakers from North America, Europe and Australia, while other areas are known to have large numbers of residents from mainland China and South Korea who speak both Japanese and their native languages.

Shinjuku, Tokyo. English

Introduction

Love to travel but I have never been to be Asia.
I have always wanted to go to Japan because of blah blah blah...

I love Japanese food, anime, karate, ninja, AV, etc.

Shinjuku, Tokyo. Kabukicho

If you answer yes to any of those questions, you are definitely reading the right blog.

First time to Japan?

I remember visiting Tokyo in 2001. I was fortunate to have a friend who went to Narita airport to guide me to the city. Years have past, I thought to myself, if I did not have any guidance on traveling in this mega city, it probably would have been very panicking.

Narita airport. First time in Tokyo. Tokyo Consult. TokyoConsult