JAPAN one of the most amazing and beautiful country in the world with very friendly people. From Hot Springs in Nikko to bustling Tokyo to zen-like Kyoto, Japan is a high-tech world mixed with the politeness and respect of their past. Honestly, this is by far the best travel I have had. It was a life-long dream to go there and it lived up to all my expectations. Japan has fantastic food, beautiful temples and shrines, zen gardens, national parks, and a culture with a long and rich history. It’s a wonderful place and, while it may be an expensive country to visit, there are plenty of ways to make this country affordable. Don’t get scared off by the prices. Actually, I find Japan food cheap. Yes! other stuff like transport and accommodation are extremely pricey but you won’t regret your visit here – it’s one of the most amazing places in the world. In this blog post I will show you how I planned my travel and hopefully this travel guide help you plan an affordable trip to Japan!

VISA

Requirements for Qatar Residence

Tourist Visa Requirement -General – Japan Visa

I find Japanese Embassy in Qatar stricter than other Schengen member countries embassy. I had to come back 3 times before they finally accepted my requirements. They had me explaining every noteable in and out of money in my bank statement plus they also make sure your Itinerary is achievable.

Click here to access the travel Itinerary I submitted for my visa requirements.

TRANSPORTATION

If you are thinking about traveling between Tokyo and Kansai Area like what I did, then JR pass is worth getting. However, if you plan to spend all of your trip in and around Tokyo, then you almost certainly don’t need a JR pass.

What is Japan Rail Pass? – The Japan Rail Pass (JR Pass) is a very cost effective rail pass for long distance train travel in Japan. It can be used by foreign tourists only “Temporary Visitor”, and offers unlimited use of JR trains for one, two or three weeks at a cost that residents of Japan can only dream of. The Japan Rail Pass must be purchased before your arrival to Japan, because it is not available for sale inside Japan.

How much does it cost? – The pass comes in two types: ordinary (normal) and green car (first class). We just purchased the ordinary car and we are surprised on how comfortable it was and it’s also equipped with clean restrooms at the end of each compartments, an overhead storage for small to medium size luggage.

Rail pass can be purchase for 7, 14 and 21 Days. Table prices below is based on the current prices at japan-rail-pass.com which is cheaper from where I actually got mine at jrpass.com.

Aside from the actual pass you also have to pay for the shipping charges to send the pass to your delivery address, mine cost around $25 US from Japan to Qatar. And by the way, they use FedEx to dispatch your pass and they provide a full FedEx tracking details. I received mine after 5 days of purchase, so make sure to purchase it at least 2 weeks before your travel dates.

When should I activate my JR Pass? – The exchange date does not have to be the starting date.

You can choose your starting date when you exchange your voucher, that date cannot exceed 30 days after the exchange. If you hold a 7 days Japan Rail Pass you should be careful about your starting date. On a tight schedule, it is better to use a day rather than to waste one.

In order to activate your Japan Rail Pass you will have to exchange your voucher at a JR office. These offices can be found at the airport or in the main train stations.

Note that exchange offices may have different opening times. At the office, fill out the form at your disposal there and show the entry stamp that is on your passport. When exchanging your voucher you will have to decide on the date you want to start using your pass.

This date has to be within 30 days of the exchange. Once it is validated you will be able to use your pass starting on the date you have chosen for the consecutive number of days for which your pass is valid.

Here is a sample transportation cost break down of my actual itinerary assuming I didn’t purchase a JR pass.

*A Clean saving of $71 US or ¥8,900 enough for a 2 days accommodation in Tokyo at a budget hostel.

We stayed in Japan for a total of 11 days making Kyoto our first stop. Stayed 4 days in Kyoto and did a day tour to Osaka and activated our JR pass in the afternoon of our 4th day to travel to Hiroshima.

You can check train timing and fares through www.jorudan.co.jp.

ACCOMODATION

One of our biggest expense is accommodation, unless of course you can stay at a friend’s or relative’s home. Even a budget hostel in Japan cost like a posh hotel in Bali, but Japan offers a wide range of accommodations from capsule hotels to ryokan to five star hotels. Price Ranges from 2000 yen to 50,000 yen per person.

I always book my accommodation in advance. I recommend to research and reserve your accommodation well in advance, especially when traveling during peak seasons to avoid bad surprises and to save time and nerves during your trip, Some cities gets completely booked out during big events like festivals or the cherry blossom and autumn leaf seasons.

Use the internet to compare hotel rates. Some of the best hotel reservation websites for Japan are in Japanese, such as Rakuten Travel, Jalan and Ryokan. All three websites also maintain English versions, but they feature considerably fewer listings than the Japanese versions. International booking websites, such as Booking.com and Agoda, have also improved their database of Japanese budget lodgings a lot in recent years. Another good website for budget travelers is Hostelworld.

My total Accomodation cost for 9 Nights in Japan is in the table below.

BUSINESS HOTELS

Business Hotels are clean and comfortable “no-frills” lodgings often conveniently located within easy reach of public transportation. These hotels are usually smaller and offer fewer facilities than their deluxe counterparts. Room service is not generally available but most business hotels provide vending machines for snacks and drinks and many have their own restaurants. Accommodation is usually limited to single rooms – ideal for the business traveller. Prices generally range between ¥6,000 and ¥9,000 per person, per night.

For this, I recommend HOTEL HORIDOME VILLA

This hotel lies in a relatively quiet neighborhood near Nihombashi and Tokyo station. Making it ideal for exploring Tokyo with public transportation. If you are planning to visit main sights spots in Tokyo, including Odaiba, Tokyo Dome, Shinjuku, Roppongi and Disneyland these are all accessible within half an hour. Hotel and lobby look very nice and free Coffee and tea are offered every morning. While breakfast is not available, there are many other options available in short walking distance from the hotel and there are multiple convenience stores next to it.

The rooms are small and basic, but offer all the luxury you need on a budget trip.

I have paid around $55 US for a 1 Night stay. This is in my opinion well worth the price. If you have more to spend or require a larger room this is probably not your best choice, but on a budget this is ideal!.

RYOKAN

A typical ryokan is a Japanese-style inn. Like a Western-style inn, maintaining the special, atmosphere and appearance is more important than providing the latest modern conveniences. A ryokan is for travelers who wish to experience Japanese culture and enjoy the comforts of Japanese hospitality and service.

For this I recommend KIMI RYOKAN

Kimi Ryokan is about 15 minutes away from Ikebukuro metro station, Ikebukuro is close to the center of the city so it’s a convenient start point for city tours. Kimi has wooden floor, tatami bedrooms, the room is very tiny, which is common in Tokyo. There is a lounge area where you can eat and watch TV.

The room is clean. The futons were fresh, the bedding is changed after 3 days. The futons were very comfortable to sleep on. The tatami mats had a very faint odor but is only noticeable if you put your nose right next to it. There is a balcony with a laundry Coin Machine on the 3rd Floor for 100 Yen of 15 minutes laundry with free detergent.

We stayed here for 2 nights and paid 69us dollars in total. If you are looking for great value without bells and whistles, Kimi is a great place to stay. And did I mentioned It’s very Cheap for Tokyo.

By the way, I booked mine on their own website. http://kimiryokan.jp/resengine.html which is a bit cheaper than using an international booking sites.

HOSTEL

Another unique accommodation for budget traveller. Hostels come in different shapes and sizes. Japan is a very welcoming and cultural country and this is incorporated into their hostels as well, with tatami floored rooms and futon mattresses instead of beds. Many places have a combination of Japanese and western living. The main cities like Tokyo and Kyoto have the largest selection of hostels, but many hostels are also available in smaller towns and around the national parks.

We stayed in Kyoto for three nights and were so happy to have booked Piece Hostel. We paid 189us dollars for 3 nights.

The hostel is about a 10-minute subway ride from Nijo-jo Castle, and a 10-minute drive from popular Kiyomizu-dera Temple. Fushimi Inari with hundreds of red gates can be reached in a 10-minute train ride.

Kyoto Piece Hostel provides a full kitchen, a library with international books and guidebooks, and internet PCs for free. Laundry machines and clothes dryers can be used for an extra fee and shared shower rooms were better than I expected, toilet bowl have heated seats and bidet functions. Bicycles can be rented for a day to explore.

The best hostel stay I’ve had to date. The place was very accessible to the nearby Kyoto station, the place itself is simple but functional, very clean and well maintained, staff was very accommodating and friendly. We stayed at a Double room but even the 18 bed dorm room was surprisingly comfy. Both check-in and check-out was straightforward and easy.