Japan - spending money?

Old Apr 22nd, 2014, 08:16 AM
  #1  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 172
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Japan - spending money?

Hi guys,

I'm in the middle of planning my Japan trip (work is crazy, so haven't got too far with it yet)...it's still 4 weeks away, but would like to get my Yen sorted out well in advance, as I know Japan is generally a cash society and that my cards probably won't work there.

I know the 'how much money?' question is a difficult one to answer is we all have our own ideas about how much we want to spend, but I'm hoping to get some feedback so I can have at least a rough idea of how much to get. I'm doing a somewhat budget trip, staying mostly in hostels (Tokyo) and a small ryokan type place (Kyoto). I think my accommodation costs come to about 220 GBP, which is about 37932 yen. I then need to take one shinkansen from Kyoto to Tokyo, which I believe is about 13000 yen and another shinkansen for the Tokyo-Hakone return day trip (not sure about price yet) and one night bus, which is around 7500 yen. My next biggest cost is probably food - any idea what sort of figures I should be looking at? I'm not planning on going anywhere 'fancy' but I do want to try plenty of Japanese food. I'd probably be going with take-out bento boxes most lunchtimes (any recommendations of inexpensive but decent places to try?), and unpretentious restaurants in the evening for ramen, tonkatsu, things like that. I want to buy a few things (T-shirts, souvenirs) but don't plan to spend too much money on that stuff because I have very little space to bring it home again (travelling with just a backpack). Not into 'luxury' goods at all - just looking to buy a few pieces of clothing, maybe a bento box and some cute souvenirs for friends and family.

PS Does anyone based in London/UK have any tips about the place to go to get the best rates?
ClementineLdn is offline  
Old Apr 22nd, 2014, 08:49 AM
  #2  
 
Join Date: May 2004
Posts: 6,368
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
You will get your best rate of exchange in Japan. Use the ATM's at 7-11 stores countrywide and more importantly use the ATM's at the Post Offices located all around the country. The best and easiest places I know to get your yen in Japan at a good rate. See here for the details:

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2196.html

Aloha!
hawaiiantraveler is offline  
Old Apr 22nd, 2014, 08:54 AM
  #3  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 9,326
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
For ryokans, I checked in advance whether they accepted card or cash only, and only took cash with me for the ones I needed to.

Western-style hotels all accepted credit card, we mostly used chains like Dormy Inn.

Shinkansen train tickets (on the trip when we didn't use a JR Pass) we paid by credit card. My UK one worked fine.

For food/ drinks we mostly paid cash for smaller casual places, with occasional card payments for more expensive places or where a smaller place clearly accepted them.

For food, it's incredibly hard to know what to suggest you budget per day...

We probably spent around 5000 Yen each per day on lunch dinner but sometimes went significantly over (and sometimes were significantly under). Certainly you could do it for less without struggling, as there's a wealth of ramen, katsu, noodle, okonomiyaki, yakitori places that are really inexpensive.

Where the bill creeps up is with drinks, including soft ones.

We often preferred to grab a soft drink, beer or coffee before or after meals, from konbini (convenience stores) or vending machines, both easily found everywhere.

Konbini are a good option for lunch too, if you're happy with some simple sushi or sandwiches. Likewise, another good way to try lots of specialities is to browse the food hall of a department store, they sell beautiful food to takeaway, of all kinds.

In addition, many department stores have a restaurant floor, where several independent restaurants are located, often decent regular food at fair prices. Unlike shopping centres in the UK, the food here is good!

Gosh, even in train stations, food is good! That is almost unheard of in the UK!!!
Kavey is offline  
Old Apr 22nd, 2014, 09:47 AM
  #4  
 
Join Date: May 2004
Posts: 9,330
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I am from the Uk ask and generally use a prepaid debit card with www.fairfx.com who offer very competitive rates. Just load up a card with a predetermined amount and SE it like you would a normal debit card. They also offer very competitive rates for cash by post the currently ¥169 to the £.

You can use the card to withdraw cash from ATMs ( for a small fee) or pay hotels etc just like a normal card ( no fee)
crellston is offline  
Old Apr 22nd, 2014, 11:59 AM
  #5  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 172
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Re getting my currency in Japan...I had read that many ATMs don't accept European cards and was worried about ending up stuck in Japan with no money and no way of getting any. I figured it might be easier to get cash before I went. Is that not really an issue, then?

I will need to pay cash for all my accommodation and that's OK. Will just need to make sure to hold cash back for all the different hostels.

Kavey, did you reserve the shinkansen in advance from the UK? Is it a good idea to do that? I don't want to have to do it this early but I don't know how booked up they get and if it ever happens that there are no seats for when you want to travel?

Good to know about the food...I don't want to totally scrimp and miss out on the experience of Japanese food, but it sounds like there are a lot of delicious options for reasonable prices.
ClementineLdn is offline  
Old Apr 22nd, 2014, 03:20 PM
  #6  
 
Join Date: May 2004
Posts: 6,368
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2208.html
hawaiiantraveler is offline  
Old Apr 22nd, 2014, 04:25 PM
  #7  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 20,049
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
(any recommendations of inexpensive but decent places to try?)

MOS BURGER, "making people happy through food"
mrwunrfl is offline  
Old Apr 22nd, 2014, 10:30 PM
  #8  
 
Join Date: May 2004
Posts: 9,330
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
We experienced no problems using UK debit cards in Japan. We used machines at 7-11 , post offices and banks.
crellston is offline  
Old Apr 22nd, 2014, 10:37 PM
  #9  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 9,326
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Clementine
I took a fair bit of cash from the UK, mainly because I didn't know how easy it would be to find cashpoints that would accept my cards.
We did find cashpoints, most commonly in Post Offices and in some convenience stores but I can't say they were all over, like at home.
An additional point is that we always felt very safe in having money on our person, larger amounts than I'd carry in most places we've visited.

For the shinkansen, on our first trip we worked out costs and realised the JR Pass would be cheaper than buying individual tickets, that MUST be purchased in the UK before you leave.

On our second trip, we were only going to make two shinkansen trips over a week apart, so the JR Pass wasn't suitable. Both of us those we purchased in Japan. In both cases, we chose to buy them the day before travel, so we could ensure seat reservations on the trains of our choice, as it was a busy holiday period. For one of them (on the eve of a national holiday), we were already too late to get the train of our choice, even sitting apart, so we opted for a slightly different route (with one change rather than direct). But buying tickets is very easy.

If you speak in English at the ticket counter (which is fine in all the big/main stations that tourists go through a lot), they'll probably automatically do this, as they did for us, but just in case, do ask them to print the actual tickets in English so you can read/ understand the train information, such as coach and seat number.

Use Hyperdia to check which trains you want, maybe write down a few if you're not sure what time.

Also, we found internet useful to have, so we rented a wifi device from rentafone Japan (both trips) which was a godsend when we needed extra information.

We did have a Mos burger on both trips, but it's not something I'd want more than once on any trip. But you won't be able to avoid stumbling across a hundred different local places for all the foods I mentioned and asking your ryokan hosts for local neighbourbood recommendations will help identify good options too.

I wrote about a few places on my blog, but only some so far: http://www.kaveyeats.com/tag/japan
Kavey is offline  
Old Apr 22nd, 2014, 11:07 PM
  #10  
kja
 
Join Date: Dec 2006
Posts: 23,089
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
There apparently were SOME problems with Japanese ATMs recently -- but NOT all cards or ATMS were affected. That's why it is ALWAYS a good thing to check japan-guide.com. hawaiiantraveler gave you the specific link; you already have the general (searchable) link that you have been given before.

As we have already established, it is YOUR trip, Clementine, and if you don't want to consult authoritative sources, that's fine! You are free to keep asking Fodorites for advice, rather than seeking accurate up-to-date info from places like japan-guide.com -- even though the input any one of us might give you could be inaccurate, inapplicable, or out of date (no matter how unintentionally). I'm sure we all MEAN well, but honestly, none of us (to my knowledge) are responsible for being absolutely accurate and current.

Good luck!
kja is offline  
Old Apr 23rd, 2014, 11:23 AM
  #11  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 172
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Thanks so much for the info, everyone!

Kavey - Think I will bring most of the cash with me too, but nice to know ATMs should work if anything goes pear-shaped. That's interesting about the shinkansen - I think I'll just buy them a few days in advance then, when I arrive in Tokyo. I was planning to write down all the info necessary for my ticket purchase in case the people in the station have trouble understanding me. Thanks for the tip about asking for seat numbers etc to be printed in English! I wasn't planning to reserve seats as there's an extra charge...do you know if it's possible to end up having to stand for the whole journey as you would in the UK? Or do they not sell more tickets than they have seats? Haha, I will try MOS burger, but I see what you mean about not wanting it more than once!

kja - again, I HAVE checked Japan Guide. I checked that very page before I made this post and reading it several weeks ago was the basis of my decision to bring lots of cash with me. The page itself said that many ATMs in Japan won't take foreign cards and even the 7-11 stores temporarily stopped accepting Mastercard. Which is why I felt it was better just to bring as much cash as I thought I needed. I've never felt very comfortable relying on a piece of plastic anyway - even here in London I make sure to have some cash on me/at home in case my card gets swallowed by an ATM (has happened several times). I don't think I'd ever want to be on the other side of the world, on my own, with no local currency. Note that my original question wasn't even asking anything about ATMs...I stated that Japan is generally a much more cashless society than here (ALL my accommodation MUST be paid in cash) and I have already decided to bring all/most of the cash with me (although it is great to know that foreign cards do work in many places, just as a backup or in case I run out of cash).

kja, I'm sure it's not your intention, but I'm really starting to feel very uncomfortable posting here. You're making me feel as if I'm looking for definitive answers here, when I really just want to get some personal input and opinions and clarification about what I've read (some sources online are confusing and/or contradictory). Kavey's posts in particular (although all the posts are helpful) are EXACTLY what I was looking for - extra pieces of info and personal anecdotes. These have always served me well on previous trips and I really enjoy reading about what other people did and things to watch out for. I have two guide books as well as Japan Guide, Wiki Travel and other websites and they are great for info, but no personal touch or personal recommendations. I'm obviously not holding anyone responsible if it turns out that things are different now! That would be ridiculous. Of course I could plan the whole thing on my own and not seek any input, but it's way less fun! Posting here and on other forums and reading other people's stories is part of the travel experience for me.
ClementineLdn is offline  
Old Apr 23rd, 2014, 04:36 PM
  #12  
kja
 
Join Date: Dec 2006
Posts: 23,089
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Clementine -

It is not my intention to do anything other than provide you with the best answers I can to the questions you ask. You asked, "I had read that many ATMs don't accept European cards and was worried about ending up stuck in Japan with no money and no way of getting any. I figured it might be easier to get cash before I went. Is that not really an issue, then?" I pointed you to the best source of information of which I am aware.

My impression -- perhaps an incorrect one -- is that you were spending a lot of the little time you have left ["I'm in the middle of planning my Japan trip (work is crazy, so haven't got too far with it yet)...it's still 4 weeks away, but would like to get my Yen sorted out well in advance, as I know Japan is generally a cash society and that my cards probably won't work there."] on a non-issue and were turning to Fodor's for information that would be better sought elsewhere. I thought it might be helpful to direct your attention to the relevant information so that you could better allocate your limited time, particularly because some of the answers you received appear to have reflected conditions that were in place at the time the posters travelled, and not necessarily the current conditions.

If my answers are not helpful to you, please ignore them!
kja is offline  
Old Apr 24th, 2014, 01:22 AM
  #13  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 172
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Well, the money is the last 'essential' left to do - I've sorted out all the transport, accommodation, travel insurance, directions to/from places, metro map etc, so I'm really mostly looking for personal input on my ideas and suggestions (and more detailed itinerary when I get around to sorting it out...don't want to rush it!)

Your answers ARE helpful but you implied that I hadn't bothered reading anything myself, when in actual fact, that very Japan Guide page was my main source of information on this matter. We seem to have interpreted differently...for me, if there's even a smidgen of doubt that the ATMs may not work, I'd rather be on the safe side I've received so many useful nuggets of information from posting here which I may not have picked up while researching, and hadn't read in my guide books.
ClementineLdn is offline  
Old Apr 24th, 2014, 08:24 AM
  #14  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 9,326
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Clementine, others here are better at shinkansen ticketing advice than I but I think I'm right in saying that reserved and unreserved seat price are not really much different. For some reason, which is no doubt intricately linked to the vagaries of the JR system's charging structure, the price you pay is divided between the ticket to travel and the seat fare. You will need to pay a seat fare (I think) whether you reserve a specific seat or not.

Most trains have one or more carriages of unreserved seating but majority is given over (or was on the trains we used) to reserved seating.

If you're not sure whether it's a busy travel day, pop into a JR station a few days ahead of travel, ask them whether the trains are filling up around the time you want, if so, go ahead and buy a ticket with seat reservation for particular time, if not you can play it by ear and buy nearer time of travel, and hope for an unreserved seat.

Absolutely no idea on whether you are even permitted to stand when no shinkansen seats are available? I would check into that...
Kavey is offline  
Old Apr 25th, 2014, 08:59 AM
  #15  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 20,049
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
If all else fails, I would take a Visa card to a bank for a cash advance. I haven't done this in Japan.

A reserved seat on most shinkansen costs ¥520 while on a Nozomi it costs ¥720. I think the price might vary a small bit depending on season.

At hyperdia.com click on the drop-down in the "Seat Fee" column. That dropdown list shows prices for Green, Reserved, and Unreserved seats (when the train has such seats). The difference between the Reserved and Unreserved prices is the price of the reserved seat ticket. The price shown for "Reserved seat" is actually the limited express surcharge which everyone riding the train pays.

Buying a ticket without a reserved seat does not commit you to a specific train departure.

Using the shinkansen for the Tokyo-Hakone return day trip is probably not your most economical option. You may have figured that out, as you say you have sorted out the transport. What is that plan?
mrwunrfl is offline  
Old Apr 26th, 2014, 03:28 AM
  #16  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 172
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Kavey - it's given on the Japan Guide as being a 'a few hundred yen' more, which is about 520 yen, as mrwunrfl says. The fact that people are sometimes told that trains are 'full' leads me to believe that buying an unreserved seat guarantees you a seat and that standing is not permitted (although if buying an unreserved seat doesn't commit you to a specific train time, how can they control how many passengers get on a certain train?), but I can ask that when I get there.

mrwunrfl - the shinkansen for Tokyo to Odawara and back is apparently around 3500 yen each way (couldn't find return prices). It's not the most economical option but I figured it made more sense just to pay a bit extra given that it's a day trip and I don't want to spend too much time on getting there and back. That said, it appears that I could use Odakju Railway to go to Hakone from Shinjuku station in around 90 mins without having to change at Odawara for slightly less money, or a number of other trains to Odawara which are considerably slower than the shinkansen. What I am interested in knowing is how scenic the routes are? If the slower trains go through beautiful countryside, that could be part of the fun, rather than whizzing through on the shinkansen?

I decided against the JR pass, as the only shinkansen trips I'm planning to make are Kyoto-Tokyo one way and Tokyo-Odawara return, which I think come to far less than the cost of a JR pass (but please correct me if I've missed something!)
ClementineLdn is offline  
Old Apr 26th, 2014, 03:32 AM
  #17  
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Posts: 780
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I've been in Japan for the last several weeks and had no problems getting cash from Post Office ATMs using two different bank cards, one with a 4-digit PIN and one a 6-digit.

I seldom pay more than $10 for lunch: most ordinary places have specials around 600-800Y; fast udon places are as low as 420Y for a decent meal. Breakfast is included in low-end places like Toyoko Inn, but if it is lacking or expensive at your hotel, a breakfast setto at a kissaten (coffee shop) is about 400Y (look for chains like Dotour--or McDonalds!), but I often grab an egg sandwich from a convenience store the night before for 170Y and enjoy it with some green tea that's always available in the room. Dinner depends on your tastes, but there's no problem getting food and drink for under $20. Japan is by far the cheapest and easiest first world country for extended travel.

A train seat reservation costs about $5 but is free if you have a pass of some sort. However, I've largely stopped making reservations as I prefer aisle seats and when I request these I'm usually assigned next to the only other passenger in the car. When I move to another aisle seat, its window seat is invariably claimed by someone boarding at the next station. My Japanese isn't up to requesting an aisle with an empty window. No problem in jyu-seki: pick what suits you.
someotherguy is offline  
Old Apr 26th, 2014, 08:13 AM
  #18  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 9,326
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
"I've been in Japan for the last several weeks"...

... trying to curb my envy! ;-)
Kavey is offline  
Old Apr 26th, 2014, 08:29 AM
  #19  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 20,049
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Standing is permitted and may be required. They don't control the number of pax boarding unreserved cars. If all the seats in the unreserved cars are taken then you stand.

I have a vague recollection that the Odakyu train was somewhat scenic. I did enjoy it and it was a bargain compared to JR especially when the Odakyu train tix are combined with a Hakone Freepass.

The JR trips are going to be pretty much all the same for scenery: urban megalopolis of Tokyo and Yokohama. When you get to Odawara you will then have to pay for getting around Hakone (i.e. Hakone-Fuji National Park). Here are JR options from Tokyo station: http://tinyurl.com/mb424wn There is also the Shonan-Shinjuku Line that would get you to Odawara.

If you make your Kyoto-Tokyo trip during daylight then you will see all there is to see on that trip between Odawara and Tokyo.

The Odakyu "Romance Car" train, Shinjuku <-> Hakone-Yumoto, with a Hakone Freepass is what I recommend.

You are almost certainly correct that you don't need a JR Pass for your itinerary. That is especially true if you use the Odakyu train for Hakone. I say "almost" only because I don't know the bus fare you will be paying and don't know if your research into the Hakone Freepass and the Odakyu train will convince you that the shinkansen to Odawara is your best option.
mrwunrfl is offline  
Old Apr 26th, 2014, 08:32 AM
  #20  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 20,049
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
... is not your best option.
mrwunrfl is offline  

Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Manage Preferences - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information -