Despite the high prices, Japan is one of the most beautiful and friendly countries in the world. From majestic Mount Fuji to Bustling Tokyo Zen Kyoto, Japan is a colorful blend of a high-tech world with a respect for tradition. If you decide to travel to Japan on your own, then you are in the ares. Our free travel guide to Japan will help you.
I love Japan. It was my old dream to visit this country, and when it came true, the impressions of the country surpassed all my wildest expectations. Japan has fantastic food, beautiful temples and shrines, zen gardens and national parks, a culture with a long and rich history. Although Japan is considered one of the most expensive countries, there are still little tricks that can make it affordable. Don't be intimidated by high prices. And I, in turn, will help you with kind advice on how to plan an affordable trip to Japan.
Travel to Japan - cost
Accommodation
The cost of a night in hostels varies between 2,500 and 4,000 yen for a shared room. Accommodation in a small, separate room will cost 3000-5000 yen. A double room in a budget hotel costs an average of 8,500 yen.
Food
There are many inexpensive places in Japan that serve delicious ramen, soba, and miso noodles. These dishes cost between 250 and 1,250 yen. If you shop for food, your weekly budget will be 3700-5000 yen. You can order a meal at a restaurant for an average of 2,000 yen. Average check in restaurants is about 4,350 yen. Sushi costs 125 - 620 yen apiece. Fast food - 800 yen.
Transport
Transportation costs are high in Japan. Trains are the fastest and most expensive way to travel in Japan. A ticket from Osaka to Tokyo will cost you 20,000 yen. Most subway rides will cost between 125 and 250 yen. In major cities, you can buy a daily pass for 1000 yen, which allows you to travel on the subway an unlimited number of times during the day on certain trains. An intercity bus ticket costs around 2,500 yen.
Leisure
Most temples and museums in Japan are free to visit, occasionally tickets to popular attractions will cost you 1,250 yen, and temples up to 620 yen. Most parks are free to enter.
How to save money while traveling in Japan
Visit only free rides
Most of the museums, shrines, temples, historic districts and parks are free to visit. Japan is generous with the opportunity to experience its culture.
Get the JR Pass
If you plan to travel a lot around the country, then buy the JR Pass - this unlimited ticket for travel on Japanese trains will save you tons of money.
Travel by buses
Traveling by bus is much cheaper than traveling by train, but it will take longer. Compare the 2 hour train ride from Tokyo to Osaka and the 10 hour bus ride on the same route. Although the unlimited train ticket is valid for 7 days and costs ¥ 29,100, if you want to save money and have time, use the buses.
Shops all for 100 yen
There are many discounters in Japan where all items cost 100 yen each. Here you can buy set meals, food, water, toiletries and household items. In general, everything is the same as ours. Shop names vary by region, so ask at the front desk of your hotel or hostel.
Eat at 7-11
At 7-11 (Seven-Eleven), Family Mart and similar small shops you can buy convenience foods for 125-370 yen. Also, in many supermarkets you can buy set meals for the same price.
Cook it yourself
All hostels have kitchens where you can cook your own meals, thus reducing your writing costs to 745 yen per day. By combining the 100 yen all-in-one with self-catering, you can cut your food budget significantly.
Eat curry, ramen, and donburi
I actually lived off these meals for the 3 weeks I was in Japan. A plate of curry costs up to 370 yen. Donburi (meat and rice) - 500 - 620 yen per plate. Ramen to 870 yen. I find such a diet ideal in terms of price / good food and fullness.
Work in hostels
If you live in a shared room in a hostel, you can ask to clean it. Several hours of cleaning in the morning will be rewarded with free accommodation for any length of time.
Couchsurfing
This is my standard advice, if you want to live for a short time for free with a resident of the country who will not only provide you with a roof over your head, but also introduce you to the local culture - use couchsurfing. The main thing is to write to the owner in advance, in Japan for some reason they answer for a long time.
Buy groceries at night
After 20:00, supermarkets significantly reduce food prices, because if no one buys them, then the law will have to throw them away. This little secret will help you save up to 50% on food.
How to organize an independent trip to Japan? Useful information for travelers. Prices for tickets, visa, transportation, hotels, food and attractions in 2019.
Exchange rate: 100 yen (JPY) ≈ 55 RUB.
Flights to Japan
Going on an independent trip to Japan, be especially careful when buying tickets. The country is considered one of the most expensive holiday destinations, but if you follow the airlines, you can find very attractive offers.
The cost of travel to Japan will initially be lower for residents of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk and Khabarovsk, since the prices for tickets departing from these cities are the lowest in the country - from 15 thousand rubles.
A flight to Japan from Moscow costs from 25 thousand rubles, from St. Petersburg - from 26-27 thousand rubles. It is also relatively inexpensive to fly from Novosibirsk (from 26 thousand rubles) and Vladivostok (from 16 thousand rubles).
Visa to Japan in 2019
Obtaining a Japanese visa is a very time consuming process. Its type is determined by two main factors: the length of stay in the country and the purpose of the visit. Long-term visas are issued for study and work. Short-term - for tourist trips, business visits, visiting friends or relatives, as well as transit trips. In addition, there are some nuances with the documents when applying for a child visa.
In addition to a voluminous list of documents, you must have a so-called guarantee in the country itself, ensuring both a stay in Japan and a timely departure. The guarantor can be either a resident of the country with a permanent status (individual), or a tour operator (legal entity). In both cases, the inviting party is obliged to provide a package of various papers.
The lists of required documents can be found on the embassy's website.
When organizing an independent travel to Japan in 2019, we recommend contacting intermediary companies for help. They will solve all bureaucratic issues for you and will become your guarantor, taking a fee of about 10 thousand rubles.
(Photo © rurinoshima / flickr.com / License CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
Transportation in Japan
Buses
Both buses and trams are not the best solution for tourists in Japan. On these types of transport, you do not always find route names in English. However, if you can read hieroglyphs, the risk of going the wrong place is minimized. The fare is approximately ¥ 220-420.
In addition, if you study the routes well and do not limit yourself to trips to one city, there is a sure way to save money: it is cheapest to move from one city to another by night buses.
Underground
The most convenient form of transport for movement within the city is the metro. All station names are duplicated in English. Trains run at 5-minute intervals from 5:00 to 23:30. The fare depends on the city and distance. In Tokyo, for example, the price of a trip is approximately ¥ 120-320. A one-day pass will cost ¥ 1,000. Tickets can be purchased at special machines selling them in the metro.
Railway transport
Trains in Japan are considered high-speed transport for travel between major cities and commuter passenger services. They are divided into four main types: Local trains, Rapid trains, long-distance trains, and bullet shinkansen trains. Tickets can also be purchased from special machines. The fare depends on the distance and class of the train: from ¥ 1,500 to ¥ 44,000.
Japan rail pass
When planning an independent trip to Japan, it is quite natural to want to save money, including on transportation costs. A travel card can help with this. Japan rail pass... It was created exclusively for tourists by Japan Rail (JR), the country's main rail company. The travel card is issued in advance before traveling to Japan, usually upon obtaining a visa. It applies to all JR transport: shinkansen, some metro lines, and many commuter trains. There are three types of Japan Rail Pass: 7 days ¥ 28,300, 14 days ¥ 45,100, 21 days ¥ 57,700.
Taxi
This type of transport is considered one of the most expensive in Japan. In addition, from 23:00 to 6:00 taxis provide services at night rates, which means plus 30% to the cost of the trip. The price is formed as follows:
- boarding ¥ 580-720;
- for every 280 meters - 80 ¥;
- for every 135 seconds of inactivity - 90 ¥.
The cost of traveling to Japan as a whole is a considerable sum, even with savings. Still, taking a taxi a couple of times isn't a bad idea. Tired of the flight, with luggage in hand, it is more convenient to get from the airport to the hotel by a pre-booked taxi. You can order a transfer online at the service.
Do you want to know minimum cost of travel to Japan taking into account all items of expenditure? We calculated the main costs: flights, hotel accommodation, meals, public transport, as well as visits to the main attractions of the country. Read about what we have come to in ours.
(Photo © Loïc Lagarde / flickr.com / License CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
Hotels in Japan
There are three main types of accommodation for tourists in Japan: capsule hotels, international hotels and traditional Japanese ryokans.
Hotels capsules
They are considered the most affordable housing option in Japan. The capsules are small sleeping cells that are located next to each other in two tiers. There is enough space to watch TV, read or just sleep. As a rule, in capsules, you can adjust the temperature and the desired brightness of the light. In hotels of this type, there are shared toilets, showers, as well as individual cells for luggage. The cost of a cell is from $ 20 per day. At this price, for example, you can stay at the Capsule and Sauna New Century or Capsule and Sauna New Japan EX.
International hotels
This type of hotel is the most popular among travelers on their own in Japan. According to the level of comfort, they are divided into the following types:
- Delux (DX) - expensive hotels with the highest level of service (about 5 * +);
- Superior (SP) - housing with DX elements, but at a lower price (about 5 *);
- First (F) - living conditions above average (approximately 4 *);
- Standart (S) - standard class hotels with a basic set of amenities (approximately 3 *);
- Econome (E) is a budget accommodation option.
Ryokans
Ideal for those who, during an independent trip to Japan, want to immerse themselves in the atmosphere of national traditions. The floors in such hotels are lined with straw mats (tatami), and the doors and some windows are sliding partitions made of translucent paper in a wooden frame (shoji). It is customary to sleep on the floor here, and wash in the common ofuro bathhouse, however, given the shyness of many tourists, rooms with their own bathrooms are being created. Ryokan can be rented from $ 90 per day for two, for example, at Sakura Ryokan Hotel Tokyo.
Food in Japan. Prices in 2019
Japanese cuisine uses fresh and natural products that undergo minimal heat treatment. This is done to preserve the natural look and, most importantly, the pristine taste. In addition, mixing large quantities of ingredients is alien to traditional culinary creations. Aesthetic minimalism, clarity of details and bright colors are the basis of Japanese dishes.
The main ingredients here are fresh vegetables, seafood, rice and noodles. Sushi, well known to us, are considered far from the main Japanese dish, as the vast majority of tourists believe. We have highlighted several popular national dishes that are worth trying in Japan.
Ramen is a broth with wheat noodles. There are four types of base for this dish: soy sauce, tangotsu (pork bone broth), miso (bean paste), and salty broth. Ingredients can also be: pickled mushrooms, eggs, bamboo shoots and spinach.
Onigiri - rice balls with fish filling, wrapped in seaweed. This common Japanese snack can be enjoyed for as little as ¥ 100.
Yakitor - these are pieces of chicken on skewers, fried over coals. These kebabs are usually served with tare sauce, which is made from mirin, soy sauce and sugar.
Fugu - poisonous fish, which is considered a real delicacy. To neutralize it, certified masters, like surgeons, remove the internal organs containing poison, and only then begin the cooking process.
Shabu shabu is a dish that gets its name from the sound that occurs during cooking. Moreover, the customer is the chef here. In restaurants that offer this dish, small plates are mounted on the tables, on which a bowl of boiling broth is placed. Thin slices of beef or pork are dipped into the bubbling liquid with sticks, and after that the marbled meat is ready for tasting.
When calculating the cost of travel to Japan, we found it useful to provide information on how much food in cafes and restaurants in Japan costs.
Prices in Japanese cafes:
- breakfast - 650 ¥;
- lunch - 850 ¥;
- dinner - 1200 ¥.
Prices in Japanese restaurants:
- breakfast - 800 ¥;
- lunch - 1200 ¥;
- dinner - 2000 ¥.
(Photo © k_t / flickr.com / License CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
Attractions in Japan
Look for interesting excursions on Sputnik and. Individual and group, no crowds of tourists and in Russian.
Every prefecture, city and village has a rich cultural heritage. Here you can endlessly admire both historical monuments and achievements in the field of modern technologies. We've highlighted some of the most popular attractions for those planning an independent trip to Japan.
It is believed that at least once in his life, a real Japanese must conquer a sacred volcano on the island of Honshu. Climbing the top of Mount Fuji is officially allowed only from July 1 to August 27, when the snow melts. In turn, in winter the mountain is especially beautiful: you can contemplate the snowy peaks of the legendary volcano while lying in a hot spring (onsen).
Ancient castles
More than a hundred ancient castles have survived in Japan. Here are the most famous residences in which the history of the great state was born:
- Nagoya Castle - located in Aichi Prefecture. Built in 1612, it was once the main residence of the Tokugawa shogun line.
- Inuyama Castle - located on the border of Aichi and Gifu prefectures. Built in 1440, the castle is listed as a national treasure of Japan.
- Kochi castle - was founded in Kochi Prefecture in 1601 after the Battle of Sekigahara. Ranked as an important cultural property of Japan.
- Kumamoto Castle - erected in 1601, bears the middle name "Crow Castle", and is also included in the list of Japanese national treasures.
Tokyo Disneyland
This is the first Disney park outside the United States. On 465 thousand square meters there are 47 attractions of the famous cartoon brand. You can visit the park by purchasing a ticket, which is called here a passport in connection with the age categories of guests:
- from 18 years old - 6200 ¥;
- from 12 to 17 years old - 5300 ¥;
- from 4 to 11 years old - 4100 ¥.
Ancient temples
There are two main religions in Japan: Shinto and Buddhism. The first is based on the ancient animistic beliefs of the Japanese, and the second was brought in by Chinese monks. The most famous Japanese temples are located in Kyoto, including: Ginkaku-ji or Temple of the Silver Pavilion, Buddhist shrine Tongasan Kesan-ji and the temple of the resting dragon Rean-ji.
(Photo © Travelbusy.com / flickr.com / CC BY 2.0 License)
Introductory image source: © zoonyzoozoodazoo / flickr.com / CC BY-SA 2.0 License
Briefly about the upcoming trip to Japan: how it happened, about fears and mediocre knowledge of Japanese culture and history. Questions are accepted.
Life is amazing. At the end of last year, I realized that I missed. By its night lights, screeching sirens and the subtle smell of chocolate. I ought to come back - I decided, but it was not so! Cthe chain of events led me to exactly the opposite result. On the first day, I fly with a great company to the other side of the Pacific Ocean. Japan is waiting for us!
About fears
I have never been to Asia, but here I have to visit two countries at once. On the way back, we will have 12 free hours in Beijing during the docking. To be honest, I am alarmed by unfamiliar hieroglyphs, my mediocre English and possible problems with logistics. We made a busy route: Moscow - Beijing - Osaka - Nara - Kyoto - Tokyo - Osaka - Beijing - Moscow. I would not want to be stuck halfway. Especially at the Beijing airport during the first hour and a half transfer.
About the cultural code
In addition to incomprehensible squiggles instead of letters, there is another moment that confuses. We know a lot about Europe thanks to the history at school. We are also aware of the USA. Thanks to Hollywood movies. But our ideas about Japan are close to zero. In the classroom, of course, they study the Battle of Tsushima, Pearl Harbor and the bombing of Hiroshima, they even briefly mention the Meiji restoration, the period of isolationism and the post-war economic miracle, but the rest of Japan's history is covered with a fog of war. So it turns out that for most people, including me, the image of Japan is a porridge of works, names and traditions that have gained worldwide fame.
Beautiful Fuji. A huge tsunami. Sushi and rolls. Karate, sumo and judo. Hachiko, waiting for his master to the song Big in Japan. Samurai, geisha and ninjas who watch anime and read hokku under sake in the shade of sakura near the rock garden. Pokemon, Godzilla and Sailor Moon. This is the yellow-haired lady who was remembered for the phrase: "Lunar prism, give me strength!" What else is there? Japanese policeman, tea ceremony and origami.
I suspect that such a vinaigrette can be considered an adequate representation of Japan with the same degree of conventionality with which vodka, matryoshka and ballet describe the entire depth of the Russian soul. Unfortunately, in a couple of weeks it is hardly possible to understand what Japan is like, but you can make a first impression. Which I will try to do, and then set out here.
We are back and here are the important texts:
And more on the topic (dry and to the point):
Now is the time to put together our entire itinerary in Japan, which was from April 19 to May 4, 2017 in a single post - maybe this will help someone in planning their vacation and answer the question "What to do in Japan 2 weeks." The post will contain our locations, housing and briefly what to look for, as well as an attached link to my post, where you can see the photos, description and routes in more detail.
First of all, I want to note that with such a travel schedule - without it, you will simply go broke on transport, well, take PASMO in the Tokyo subway - so the price for the trip will be lower.
Briefly about the Internet in Japan: we ordered pocket wifi three times. I wrote about how to do this. From the comments: twice it worked perfectly, without any complaints at all, but the third time it was hell! The connection was lost, the connection was interrupted, I did not take it everywhere, the apparatus quickly sat down and generally exhausted my nerves. Therefore, when we go next time, we will take SIM cards at the airport for tourists, they are sold there everywhere and the prices with wifi are the same.
We start from Tokyo. (fast
In Tokyo, we laid 4 days - from 19 to 23 April. They were more than enough, even to meet friends 🙂
Most likely, you will arrive at Narita Airport (if you flew by Aeroflot) or Haneda (we flew there on Emirates). Our JR pass was only for a week, so we didn't activate it right away, but when we left Tokyo for Kyoto. So we bought a bus ticket to the city for 3000 yen per person. If you activate the JR pass right away, you can use it to take train tickets to the city (just be sure to take the express train, otherwise you will go an hour longer).
What you can plan in Tokyo:
- Tsukiji Fish Market
- Ginza crossing and Shibuya crossing are two interesting intersections
- Itoya - stationery paradise on all 9 floors
- Tokyo sky tree
- Thoria Hie Shrine
- Tokyu plaza omotesando harajuku
From advice on housing in Tokyo: the fact that the center will be expensive is clear without words, just like at Disneyland. So my advice is to take hotels near metro stations. About accommodation, I also do posts: about where we stayed in 2015, and about from the 2017 sakura trip (one of them was recognized as one of the 25 best hotels in Japan and won the "Travelers' Choice" from TripAdviser in 2016)
2. We are going from Tokyo to Kyoto. (post)
In Kyoto, we had everything two and a half days - this is probably why it was the most complete city in terms of saturation. In the post I laid out 3 complete routes, bypassing which with my legs - you will see classic Kyoto from all sides.
- South Higashiyama
- North Higashiyama
- Arashiyama and Sagano
- Temple of the Thousand Gates Fushimi inari
On an April trip to Kyoto, we stopped right at the train station, so I repeat the words said there - this location was incredibly good for us: there was no desire to waste time getting to the subway on foot, then rush to the station, then find and drop in 7/11. Again, I emphasize that this idea does not work with all countries, but in Japan the central city station is usually one of the main hubs of the metro, shinkasens, trains, electric trains, so when planning a route, look in advance how and what you will get to and based on this, look for housing. Because it may turn out that by renting a cheaper apartment, you will fly in on transportation costs.
3. We are going from Kyoto to Fukuoka. (post about the city and immediately about the hotel)
We added Fukuoka after all the logistics planning, because we realized that we needed to take a break somewhere in the busy schedule of getting up at 5 am. Why Fukuoka? Initially, in Kyushu, we only planned to visit Beppu. It is not easy and long to get there, so we set up a staging post in Fukuoka ( two nights).
I wouldn't stay here the second time, because I didn't find anything interesting for myself 🙂 We only went to Fukuoka Tower and to the bar near the hotel after walking around the city.
4. We are going from Fukuoka to Beppu. (post)
The post will be useful not only for vivid photos of Hells of Beppu, but also for information on how to get to Beppu. Here we were all day and on the same day they returned back to Fukuoka - but according to the impressions it was one of the most delightful and memorable days!
5. From Fukuoka we go to Osaka with a stop in Hiroshima.
In Hiroshima, we dropped by only half a day, to stroll through the main memorable places - it probably makes no sense to stay there longer. I did not write the post, although I did photographs.
All the most basic things in Hiroshima are actually in one place:
- Peace Memorial Park
- Atomic dome
- Peace Memorial Museum
- Monument to the Children of the World
- Hiroshima Castle - you will have to walk a little to it, maybe 15 minutes
This is what we visited. There is also a zoo, a children's museum, you can get to Miyajima Island (which we did in November), a botanical museum and more.
6. From Hiroshima we go to Osaka. (post)
We stayed in Osaka three nights, and for me it was too little. Not enough, due to the fact that we went to Nara to see the deer (I will sign a little below) and went quite far from the city to a huge store to capture a wall of books. In my personal to see list, we have not completed even half, unfortunately :(
Catch a list of what we did in the post as usual with details, maps and photos:
- Tempozan Ferris Wheel
- Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan
- Hirakata T-SITE (awesome bookstore)
- Daiki Suisan Kaiten Sushi Restaurant
- Umeda Station - and nightlife nearby
- Osaka Science Museum
- Umeda sky building
We reached Nara from Osaka on the Kintetsu Limited Express on the Kintetsu-Nara Line. And go to the end, then you will leave almost in the park, then you will not get lost 🙂 We got out earlier and took the bus, although we could have walked 15 minutes on foot.
Initially, when planning a trip to Naru, we decided to go there from Osaka and set aside a little time 🙁 We need to allocate a separate whole day for Naru and not plan anything else - keep this in mind.
8. From Osaka we go to Fujiyoshida. (post)
Fujiyoshida is our last point of the April trip in Japan, after that there was only a day in Tokyo before departure. And what I want to say: it is definitely not in vain that we came here, although one day was not enough. More precisely, we arrived here after Osaka already in the evening (settled, ran to the pagoda), had dinner. We spent the night (breakfast, Fuji-Q and left for Kawaguchiko, ran around the lake and left for Tokyo) - in total, not a day, but 20 hours was maximum.
List of what we managed in 20 hours, except for getting some sleep:
- Arakurayama Sengen Park (Fuji Sengen-jinja) - beautiful pagoda
- Fuji-Q Highland - Amusement Park
- Gyu-shige - Korean restaurant
- Kawaguchiko
- Mystays Fuji Hotel
I hope someone will find all this information useful for planning a route in Japan. We tried to cover all the most basic. The fast, of course, did not include all kinds of everyday things: going shopping, buying masks and vitamins, sometimes aimlessly wandering around the streets or silently eating eel on rice at 5 am in a small cafe under the bridge.
May 24th, 2016, 03:59 pm
Before describing the beauty, uniqueness and attractiveness of Japan, I would like to give some practical advice and answer the questions that I myself had when planning a trip to Japan.
1. Route through Japan. How to build? What to see? How to choose?
When planning my route, I focused on the historical sights of Japan, deciding that I would like to see Kyoto more than Hiroshima. Here, of course, everything is individual, but for example, here is my route for 10 days plus the day of arrival and day of departure:
Arrival day and one full day in Tokyo - two days in Nikko - five days in Kyoto with outings to Himeji, Nara and Osaka - passing to Kamakura - one and a half days in Tokyo.
Great site in English with detailed information about the sights of Japan, opening hours, recommendations on how to get there, etc. - http://www.japan-guide.com/. It was this site that helped me plan the route for the day, and it was from there that I printed out the names of all the places I needed in Japanese - it helped a lot when traveling in a taxi!
2. When to go to Japan?
And again - everything is very subjective! Traditionally, there are two periods when everyone wants to go to Japan. The first, of course, is the cherry blossom (as usual, from late March to early April). The second is the time of "red leaves", in our opinion - golden autumn \u003d)
Japan is very hot in summer and chilly in winter. The weather in May suited me completely - almost all days it was more than 20C, we wore T-shirts and shorts, and only a couple of days it rained.
3. How to get around by train and metro? Why do I need a Suica card?
Japan has a very developed railway transport network, which, unlike Russia, belongs not to one Russian Railways, but to several private companies, which, of course, have their own trains and platforms and their own tickets. In big cities, underground and elevated metro and monorail lines are added to this, which can drive the untrained traveler crazy.
To prevent this from happening, the Japanese made a website where you can get directions by indicating the destination stations. The smart system will offer you several route options, calculated in minutes, indicating platforms, lines, travel time and cost. The name of this router is http://www.hyperdia.com. Unfortunately, their iPhone software cannot be downloaded in Russia, so you have to use the site.
Public transportation fares in Japan depend on the distance traveled. Each station has giant maps above ticket machines, showing the cost of travel to different stations. Looking at these cards, you feel dizzy, you want to hide in a corner and, wrapping your arms around yourself, cry \u003d)) Therefore, to facilitate your plots, you need to purchase a card on which a certain amount of money is put and debited when passing through the turnstiles - and you do not have to puzzle over the cost tickets and wasting time buying tickets from a machine or a ticket office. The most common such card is Suica. You can also use it to pay in supermarkets like a regular credit card, spend the rest at the airport or return it back, having received a deposit of 500 yen (~ 300 rubles).
The Suica balance is refilled through the machines at any metro station
For big cities with tons of subway lines like Tokyo or Kyoto, the Suica card is irreplaceable!
4. What is Japan Rail Pass? Do you need it?
As I mentioned, the rail network in Japan is owned by different companies, but the largest carrier is JR. Their branches cover almost all of Japan, they are the "owners" of high-speed trains, the so-called. shinsansen.
Transportation in Japan is very expensive. For example, a trip from Tokyo to Kyoto will cost ~ 8,500 rubles one way per person!
To ease the lot of travelers, JR offers the so-called. Japan Rail Pass is a kind of all inclusive travel pass for 7 or 14 days, which allows unlimited use of JR lines.
The JR Pass voucher can only be purchased by foreign nationals and only outside Japan. There are several authorized offices that sell passes, there even seem to be offices in Moscow. But I ordered online here https://www.japan-rail-pass.com. Vouchers delivered by Fedex 3 days after purchase!
Upon arrival at the airport, vouchers must be redeemed directly for the JR Pass at the JR East counter.
The cost of the pass is rather big - $ 260 per week or $ 420 for 14 days. It is easy to understand, pay off the cost of a pass in your case - make a route of your movements on the website http://www.hyperdia.com and calculate the total cost of tickets that you will have to buy without a pass. In principle, the pass pays off only on the Tokyo-Kyoto-Tokyo route. If the cost turns out to be slightly less than or equal to (or even more so) the cost of the JR Pass - feel free to buy it! The pass saves a lot of time - showed it to the controller when passing through the turnstile and off you go! No box office, no ticket purchases, no queues ...
By the way, the JR Pass also covers the cost of the express from Tokyo (Narita) airport to the city, and it costs about 1,500 rubles!
However, it is worth remembering that some trains (especially high-speed or long-distance trains) require seat reservation - in this case, you just need to go to the cashier, show a printout of your route (I just took screenshots from the hyperdia website and showed it to the cashier on the phone) and you free tickets will be issued indicating the carriage and seats.
A few words about the Green JR Pass - this pass gives the right to travel in high-comfort cars. The seats in such cars are wider and more comfortable, there is more legroom and less people. But in general, there is not much difference. Our trip fell on the peak season (public holidays "Golden Week", when the Japanese travel en masse to travel around their country), and besides, we had men under two meters in height in our company, so we bought a Green JR Pass, which cost ~ 150 dollars more (~ $ 90 cheaper for a weekly pass).
JR Pass is also sold for children 6-11 years old and costs 2 times cheaper than an adult ticket.
Conveniently, the JR Pass does not have to be activated by the date of exchange of the voucher at the airport - you can specify any date! For example, if your trip will last 10 days, but only 3-9 days will be active for movement between cities, feel free to activate the pass from day 3 and in this case a weekly pass will be enough for you.
5. How are things going with Internet access? Do our mobile phones work in Japan?
We had MTS and Megafon on iPhone and Samsung phones - the cellular connection worked perfectly everywhere!
In my opinion, mobile internet is extremely important when traveling in Japan! Will he make a route? Specify the train departure time? Read about the attraction? You almost always need the Internet for this! You can get it in two ways - by renting a phone with a Japanese SIM card or a portable wi-fi router. All these services are offered immediately at the airport.
I decided to leave my phone - it's more comfortable and convenient for me. But the wi-fi router (in order to save time) ordered online in advance here: https://www.econnectjapan.com/. The envelope was waiting for me at the reception of the hotel, the kit included additional charging (a very necessary thing, since the charging of the router itself is enough for half a day), as well as an envelope with a return address, in which on the last day I just put the router with all the bells and whistles, sealed and threw it into the first mailbox that came across.
A router with maximum speed (you could even download a movie!), The ability to connect up to 10 devices cost me ~ 3,600 rubles for 12 days of use. Discounts are given for early booking.
6. Luggage delivery in Japan? Is it true that you can send your luggage to the next hotel and go with a minimum of things yourself?
I do not know of other countries, except Switzerland, where there is such a mega convenient and inexpensive (this does not apply to Switzerland \u003d) way of moving luggage between cities.
Imagine - in the morning you make a check-out at a hotel in Tokyo and set off for Kyoto, deciding to visit a few more interesting places along the way. And all this time you drag a suitcase with you, rush with it through the stations in search of the right line, looking for a storage room of the right size, so that at the intermediate destinations at least the city is normal to see ... Now think how much better your life has become, because you travel lightly - with a backpack or a handbag, and the Tokyo hotel has sent your suitcase to the Kyoto one!
This amazing service costs ~ 900 rubles for a large 25 kg suitcase. You can drop off your suitcase directly at the reception of most hotels or at any pick-up point (http://www.kuronekoyamato.co.jp/en/), or pick it up at your next hotel or pick-up point.
The only negative is that the suitcase must be returned before 12 noon on the day following your check-in at the next location.
7. Can I pay with credit cards in Japan? How do I withdraw cash from an ATM in Japan?
Credit cards are accepted almost everywhere except for some taxis, restaurants and souvenir shops. Cash, of course, is much faster and more convenient to pay - for example, when buying tickets to churches.
There are currency exchange offices, but you still need to look for them. And if you fell down during public holidays, then the opening of the bank will have to wait \u003d)
We are supporters of ATM withdrawals. What a shock we had when the cash began to run out, and the ATMs of different banks in which we tried to shove our cards, either were only in Japanese (!), Or rejected the operation under various pretexts like "wrong pin", " authorization denied "," try again later "!
An Internet friend helped, who said that Japanese ATMs work on some other platform that is not compatible with the platform of European banks and therefore they do not consider cards of our banks as human! \u003d)) There are only a few banks whose ATMs are kind to tourists , - the largest of them is 7 Bank, which is owned by - ta-da-dam! - the Seven-Eleven supermarket chain, so almost every supermarket has an ATM suitable for international cards!
8. Tax free in Japan
VAT in Japan is small, about 8% (but still money!) And is provided for purchases of 5,000 yen or more.
Tax Free can be provided in two ways. 1) In small stores, a discount is made immediately at the checkout and you pay a lower amount. 2) In large department stores, after paying for the goods for the full price, you must go to the tax free counter and receive a cash refund.
In both cases, a check will be attached to your passport with a stapler (!) And stamped, and the goods will be packed in sealed bags as in duty free (clothes are put in a regular bag). Further, according to the rules, kindly given in the brochure that will be given to you in the store, packages with purchases (without unpacking!) Must be presented at the airport (before check-in - if you check in your purchases) or after passport control (if you take the purchase in hand luggage) ...
In practice, which is confirmed by my experience and the reviews of other travelers that I studied on this issue, no one looks at purchases, and you can either tear off the checks from your passport yourself or go to the Customs window after passing through security and kind Japanese customs officers, who, in theory, should check your purchases, take the checks from your passport (even despite the list and the cost of what you bought!), smile and let go in peace.
I took out all my purchases from the bags, took off the packaging and other tinsel that took up space (I bought mostly cosmetics), packed it into a suitcase, which I put in luggage. I had no problems with returning tax free.
9. Visa to Japan
About obtaining a visa to Japan, I already wrote a separate post on my blog, for those who are interested and relevant - go \u003d)
