Budget for Tokyo?

kraggy · 09-12-2012 2:19pm #1

Hey.

Thinking of heading over to Tokyo for a weekend in February. I live in Seoul.

How much would I need apart from the accommodation costs? How much are the following?

1. A beer
2. Meal such as Mexican/Indian
3. Subway costs
4. Tourist attraction entrance fees?

And what sites/things would you suggest I see/do?

Thanks a million.

TAPA2012 · 10-12-2012 3:22am

Hi,I was in Tokyo in May, I found it a wee bit expensive for accommodation other that that you can do it cheaply. Pubs can be pricey as there can be a sit down charge! Hotels don't have that charge so you could drink there. Hotel was a wee bit pricey and didnt include breakfast! So I would go with a budget place if I went back. Subway depends on how far you travel on that route anywhere from 210+. I would advise walking. Thats what we did. I walked around here for half a day and thought it was out of this world and free!! http://www.tokyojapanguide.com/meijitokyo.php seen loads of shinto marriages....it was beautiful! I also went to disneyland! it was mayhem but a great day of fun.....as for eating out you can choose from very expensive to very cheap. I ate in a korean style high end market restaurant, excellent food costing 5000 per person and then the following day I ate in a 280 yen restaurant and my dinner cost 1500! look at visitjapan on FB they have a competition to win a trip to Japan! Enjoy Tokyo!

Beruthiel · 10-12-2012 9:24am

I was in Tokyo last month.
As with any place, prices depend on where you go.
If you go to a local bar for local people, it will be cheaper.
For example, we went to lunch in Asakusa in a tiny place full of salary men. Lunch for two with rice, tempora, miso soup, veg and one beer cost 17.50 euro. That's dead cheap, you certainly wouldn't get it in Dublin!

Metro prices go from 1.60 euro up to 2.70, depending on the distance.

As you know, Tokyo is huge and it all depends on what you want to see.
We stayed in Asakusa very near the Sensoji shrine. A lovely spot.
I also loved Akihabara for the buzz.
Roppongi is mad on a Friday or Saturday night.
Yoyogi Park on a Sunday morning/afternoon is nice to walk in and we saw 3 Shinto wedding parties while at the shrine.

circadian · 10-12-2012 9:49am

When booking accommodation make sure it's close to the subway, it'll make things much easier. I found eating out pretty expensive there. If you fancy a cheap eat Yoshinoya is great. Entrance fees to sights are reasonably priced compared to others in Asia and Tokyo in itself is a sight. It's a great place to head to a district and soak up the atmosphere. My favourite memory of Tokyo was Odaiba island.

It has a life size Gundam which is pretty impressive but it also hosts the Tokyo Science Museum if that's your kind of thing. There's two demonstrations each day with Asimo and has a wealth of exhibits on all things science, it'll keep you busy for hours.

There's so much to see and do there it really depends on what your interests are. It's an amazing city.

osarusan · 11-12-2012 9:34am

A beer - 290 yen in the 290 yen place, up to 8/900 in some classier places. Guinness maybe 900-1000yen.

Mexican / Indian - probably about 2,500-4000 per person per dinner, but lunch can be substantially cheaper.

Subway costs - depends on the line. JR lines (part/toally government owned) more expensive, private are cheaper. Monorail lines are pricey. Minimum fare is usually 150 yen or so, and then the fare will go up by about 20-30 yen every 2/3 stops.

Tourist attraction fees - generally cheap enough - it's only 400 yen (I think) to get into Tokyo Keiba racecourse, as they hope to make more off of people through gambling. For amusement parks, there is sometimes a 'enter only' ticket, as opposed to a 'enter and get on all the attractions' ticket.

Where to go - Shrines - try Meiji Jingu shrine, or Yasukuni shrine and museum for some controversy.

Sport - Horseracing in Tokyo Keiba might be the only sport, and may not even be on in Feb. Not many winter sports here apart from rugby, although there is sumo, again, if it's on.

Nature - Shinjuku Gyoen national park, Kiyosumi Gardens, Ueno zoo, day out in Takao.

Sightseeing - Shibuya/Ropponig at night, Asakusa for 'traditional Tokyo',Tokyo Metropolitan Gov't building at night for the views,

and lots lots more....

http://www.gotokyo.org/en/index.html

kraggy · 11-12-2012 12:37pm

Hi again,

Thanks a million folks for the great information. Good to hear it's not as expensive as I've been told. Previously, I had heard that you couldn't get a beer for less than 10 euro but according to you, it can be done so that's good to know.

Some more questions if that's ok?

1. Are the 290 places a chain? Are they widespread?

2. What's the cheapest kind of non-fastfood place to get food? Is there a certain type of place?

3. Is Roppongi trashy or is it decent? I don't mind a place with a bid of edge, I like it actually, but I'm not in to Temple Bar kinds of places.

4. Considering a lack of time, would you recommend Roppongi or Shubaya for nightlife?

5. Not sure if ye're into this type of music but do you know if there are many deep house/techno/minimal clubs in these 2 places are anywhere else for that matter?

6. Where would you recommend to stay?

That's it for now, might think of some more questions later.

Thanks again guys.

Beruthiel · 11-12-2012 2:21pm

kraggy wrote: »

2. What's the cheapest kind of non-fastfood place to get food? Is there a certain type of place?

I would suggest you just wander around and look at places with pics of food (tempora and the like), lots of them have the prices listed outside.

Is Roppongi trashy or is it decent? I don't mind a place with a bid of edge, I like it actually, but I'm not in to Temple Bar kinds of places.

I had been in Tokyo for nearly a week before going there.
Compared to the rest of the city, there was a lot of foreigners, especially Africans trying to sell their 'wares'. If you are a single bloke by yourself, you will get hassle from them, but it's light. It's a bit sleezy, but in an amusing kinda way.
Don't get involved with cute girls offering to buy you drinks, I've heard stories about how a night like that could end up, and not in a good way.

Where would you recommend to stay?

We stayed in this apt and loved it. It's in Asakusa. There is a cheap noodle restaurant right across the road.
Also a convenience store open 24/7 and a Cafe de Crie for breakfast. It was perfect for us.

shindig-jp · 11-12-2012 6:19pm

kraggy wrote: »

5. Not sure if ye're into this type of music but do you know if there are many deep house/techno/minimal clubs in these 2 places are anywhere else for that matter?

You'er staying for two days , would that be "One Night over a weekend"? You fly in on day 1 and head for Makuhari Messe , Check into The Womb , knock yourself out all night on and fly home on day 2

http://www.womb.co.jp/#!/schedule/index.html

johnny_ultimate · 11-12-2012 6:32pm

I would say you'd need a bare minimum of 3,000 yen a day - excluding accommodation - to get by in Tokyo. You'll struggle with that as expenses do inevitably accrue. Comfortably, probably up around the 5,000-7,000 mark would be reasonable. Again, that's within the budget range, which is the only way I've ever traveled in Japan

kraggy wrote: »

2. What's the cheapest kind of non-fastfood place to get food? Is there a certain type of place?

Well some of the faster food is actually great in Japan. Ramen bars tend to be dirt cheap and it's like getting a glorious hug in a bowl. A trip to a Coco Curry House is mandatory for any curry / spice fans.

If I was to recommend one culinary treat, it would be breakfast sushi in Tsukiji fish market. Will set you back a good 3,000-4,000 yen, but man its ****ing spectacular. There's always Jiro's place if you want to go even more extravagant

3. Is Roppongi trashy or is it decent? I don't mind a place with a bid of edge, I like it actually, but I'm not in to Temple Bar kinds of places.

Trashy, although I'm sure there are classy places if you have a plan. When we went there we were assaulted by so many people trying to get us into clubs that we just bolted for Shibuya instead. Only time over more than two months in Japan I ever felt uncomfortable. Although wander into love hotel district in Shibuya by accident and that's the trashiest of them all! In general, though, it's a great city in terms of nightlife, and decidedly non-trashy at that.

4. Considering a lack of time, would you recommend Roppongi or Shubaya for nightlife?

As above

5. Not sure if ye're into this type of music but do you know if there are many deep house/techno/minimal clubs in these 2 places are anywhere else for that matter?

Only major nightclub I've been to is Air, which has the added benefit of being in Lost in Translation (I geeked out when I heard that). Steep entrance fees though. I forget how much it was exactly, but you're talking a couple of thousand yen.

I would highly recommend Tokyo Karakoe though, it's a wonderful experience even if you don't enjoy it usually. Going with accommodation randomers or locals is the optimal way to do it though!

6. Where would you recommend to stay?

If you're into hostelling, I cannot recommend K's House Asakusa enough. Asakusa is a great place to stay in general though, although I may be biased due to its ease of access to Akihabara

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safetyboy · 09-10-2013 9:43am

Right just having a read through this and good stuff so far, I've been checking out some airbnb in tokyo and they are pretty reasonable. I'm heading over christmas eve till mid Jan. Going to do a week J rail pass too. Is this place really 10000€ (edit that was chinese yen)
a week

http://retrotokyo.com/reservations/

I will have a look at K's place too as I have read good things about it.

Beruthiel · 09-10-2013 10:05am

safetyboy wrote: »

Is this place really 10000€ (edit that was chinese yen)
a week http://retrotokyo.com/reservations/

JP ¥90,000 = approx 900 euro for 7 day.

You're going at a cold time of year, wrap up!

safetyboy · 09-10-2013 11:16am

Cheers, http://kshouse.jp/tokyo-e/rates/index.html or http://www.toyoko-inn.com/e_hotel/00078/ it looks like, they all end up a similar price. Airbnb seem to add on an extra 100€ fee for themselves so it ends up the price of a hotel anyway. I'll have a look about a bit more.

this looks a bit roughing it

http://www.cheap-accommodation-tokyo.com/

Caybar · 09-10-2013 11:30am

Yen has gotten alot weaker over the past 6 months so your euros will go alot further. ¥90,000 is €683 as of today.

i would reccomend planning ahead for any sight seeing, some places will be closed over the new year period.
Tokyo is alot quieter than usual as many Japanese will travel back to their hometowns.

Some good info at the below link -
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2276.html

safetyboy · 09-10-2013 11:51am

Cheers, another question, my passport expires June 2014 will that be OK to travel with or will I need a new one? I'm trying to keep as much money as I can for over there. I cant find anything online about how many months it needs to be in date.

shindig-jp · 09-10-2013 9:17pm

safetyboy wrote: »

Cheers, another question, my passport expires June 2014 will that be OK to travel with or will I need a new one? I'm trying to keep as much money as I can for over there. I cant find anything online about how many months it needs to be in date.

A passport needs to have at least six months before expiry for an airline to allow you board and disembark at a geographical point outside Europe. If you are a borderline case (days until expiry) where said passport is used at a point of entry to a visa weaver country.. It is at the discretion of an immigration officer (Japan) to stamp you in on a 90 day visa or give you a 72 hour landing card , same applies should you disembark at a seaport. You must show an onward and dated ticket for departure ... trust that helps and makes sense.

The 72 hours allows you to get to an Irish Embassy and have the passport extended

micar · 09-10-2013 9:32pm

was in Japan a few years ago. Love it sooo much.

When I was in Tokyo, I stayed here

http://www.tripadvisor.ie/Hotel_Review-g1066461-d1742785-Reviews-Capsule_Hotel_Asakusa_Riverside-Taito_Tokyo_Tokyo_Prefecture_Kanto.html

It was perfect for a night or two and cheap. They are an experience!!!!!!

Other than that I stayed in Youth Hostels. I never had any issues with them

I ate very cheaply. too cheaply.

Get yourself Lonely Planet.

Get yourself the Japan Rail Pass. This can get for 1, 2 or 3 weeks. This is excellent for the Bullet trains. It also might work for the subway in Japan but I can't remember. A week rail pass might to too expensive for a weekend.

Try and get another 2 days and visit Kyoto. It's gorgeous!!!!! you get a glimpse for Mt Fuji.

So jealous!!!!!

Will def be heading back at sometime. Probably for the Olympics in 2020. Only 7 years to go

Konata · 10-10-2013 7:11am

micar wrote: »

Get yourself the Japan Rail Pass. This can get for 1, 2 or 3 weeks. This is excellent for the Bullet trains. It also might work for the subway in Japan but I can't remember. A week rail pass might to too expensive for a weekend.

Nope. The rail pass works on any JR line (Chuo, Yamanote etc. in Tokyo) but JR don't own any of the subway lines so it won't work on that.

safetyboy · 10-10-2013 8:58am

shindig-jp wrote: »

A passport needs to have at least six months before expiry for an airline to allow you board and disembark at a geographical point outside Europe. If you are a borderline case (days until expiry) where said passport is used at a point of entry to a visa weaver country.. It is at the discretion of an immigration officer (Japan) to stamp you in on a 90 day visa or give you a 72 hour landing card , same applies should you disembark at a seaport. You must show an onward and dated ticket for departure ... trust that helps and makes sense.

The 72 hours allows you to get to an Irish Embassy and have the passport extended

I better get a new one to be safe so. cheers

Beruthiel · 10-10-2013 10:17am

micar wrote: »

Try and get another 2 days and visit Kyoto. It's gorgeous!!!!! you get a glimpse for Mt Fuji.

I spent a week in Kyoto and it wasn't enough.
You could easily spend a month there and still not see all the shrines and sights.
A wonderful, beautiful place to visit and should not be missed if at all possible.

safetyboy · 10-10-2013 11:11am

Going to get a week JR pass and hit Kyoto and Nara, Went to Osaka, Kyoto and Hiroshima in 2007. Hiroshima is a very humbling place, I remember it pissing rain and I was standing looking lost after getting off the tram and an old women came and took my hand walked me to a shop and bought me an umbrella and walked off.

Beruthiel · 10-10-2013 12:01pm

safetyboy wrote: »

I remember it pissing rain and I was standing looking lost after getting off the tram and an old women came and took my hand walked me to a shop and bought me an umbrella and walked off.

Japanese people rock!

micar · 10-10-2013 9:25pm

Beruthiel wrote: »

I spent a week in Kyoto and it wasn't enough.
You could easily spend a month there and still not see all the shrines and sights.
A wonderful, beautiful place to visit and should not be missed if at all possible.

Totally agree. I think I spent 3 0r 4 days there. Got to see as much as I could.

Cravez · 11-10-2013 12:14pm

I'd say overall it would take a lifetime to even explore somewhere like Tokyo. I remember taking the Subway and it took 10 minutes going from one District to another (IIRC Shibuya to Asakusa) but taking a Taxi to and from the same place took over an hour. Just goes to show how quick and efficient the railway systems are over there but also the expansiveness of the city to cover that much ground in a short time.

Fell Ill for a couple of days when in Kyoto so didn't get to see as much, if I'm going back it's definitely one of the places ill spend more time in.

Cravez · 11-10-2013 12:18pm

safetyboy wrote: »

Going to get a week JR pass and hit Kyoto and Nara, Went to Osaka, Kyoto and Hiroshima in 2007. Hiroshima is a very humbling place, I remember it pissing rain and I was standing looking lost after getting off the tram and an old women came and took my hand walked me to a shop and bought me an umbrella and walked off.

Actually it reminds me when I was in Nagoya with a few friends. We were looking for the robotics museum and checking our guide/map but couldn't find it anywhere. An elderly Japanese man came up to us, speaking okay English and offered to lead us in the right direction. He lead us to the area but it seems that the robotics museum either moved or closed down (this museum was recommended in the lonely planet! tut tut) but we were appreciative of him showing us the way and he was happy because he got to practice his English, to which he said he couldn't wait to tell people in his class.

Beruthiel · 11-10-2013 1:11pm

Michael Cravez wrote: »

An elderly Japanese man came up to us.

They were unbelievable for that.
If we stopped to look at a map while in Tokyo someone would offer help withing 60 seconds. For a city that size we found it truly amazing.

just-joe · 12-10-2013 1:40pm

Is someone still about to visit Tokyo? A quick tip which worked well for me is to look up and look down as so many bars/restaurants/cafes etc etc are in the basement or high up, and it can be difficult to see things at eye level.

That and gyu don is very cheap and quite passable. Suki-ya, matsuya or yoshinoya are the ones i can remember, mostly the same thing and fairly decent.

safetyboy · 24-10-2013 1:48pm

Is it better to bring cash, or just use cards as you go along?

Konata · 24-10-2013 2:03pm

safetyboy wrote: »

Is it better to bring cash, or just use cards as you go along?

In my opinion anyway, it's much easier to use cash. Buy a load of yen before you leave and that way you'll avoid ATM charges etc. when you're over there. Plus it saves on the hassle of not having your cards work on occasion in stores/ATMs etc. I live here and still use cash 95% the time, it's just easier.

Cravez · 25-10-2013 11:52am

Not to mention that Japan is primarily a cash based society, in a good amount of places they don't use cards so best to bring as much cash as possible when you're out and about. I wouldn't worry about carrying a lot of cash as you will feel safe.

Beruthiel · 25-10-2013 12:42pm

Michael Cravez wrote: »

I wouldn't worry about carrying a lot of cash as you will feel safe.

Yup. You could leave your wallet on the table of a restaurant, go to the counter or toilet and it will still be there when you get back.
I've looked in awe at lads with their wallet hanging out of their arse pocket. That wouldn't last five seconds in most other places on this planet.

Cravez · 25-10-2013 12:56pm

Yep pretty much

. I regularly kept about €400-€500 in my wallet when I was there. IIRC the ATM charges were steep enough but thankfully didn't go to the ATM too much.

The only time I felt unsafe with my wallet at all was when in Roppongi. Only stayed in Roppongi for about 10-15 minutes before getting a subway to Shibuya because the amount of other foreigners trying to hassle you into clubs was very over-bearing.

Budget for Tokyo?

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