Hi guys,
Curious as to how much you guys spent whilst in Japan, and for what period of time? And what sort of stuff did you do on this budget? I.e. partying, sightseeing etc
Thanks alot
You will probably find transportation is your biggest expense. Trains in Japan, while incredibly efficient and fast, must be among the most expensive in the world. Your first priority should be to figure out where you want to go and find the best train pass to suit so you don't waste money on transportation when you get there. I can't help with that too much as I've always had a car in Japan and rarely took trains. But start doing some research into that.
Accommodation will be your next biggest expense. Like in any part of the world, traveling solo usually makes things a little more expensive because hotel prices tend to be designed for two. But hostels are becoming increasingly common, and if you don't mind sharing a dorm (great way to meet people), you can stay in Japan for a fairly decent price. I highly recommend looking up K's House Backpackers. I've probably stayed at 100 hostels worldwide and K's rates as #1 by a long shot for service, cleanliness, amenities, atmosphere, everything. I really can't recommend them enough. Second best in Japan is J-Hoppers. Between the two companies they cover most the big tourist destinations. I've never stayed at any, but Hosteling International has tons of hostels around the country as well. Plan on 2500-3000 yen a night for a hostel.
Food can be done surprisingly cheap in Japan, even in restaurants. When I'm traveling I tend to not worry too much about breakfast and lunch. I'll pick up some noodles, sushi or bento lunch from 711 and eat at my hostel or on the street when I'm sightseeing. It wouldn't cost more than 200-500 for a meal. Japan also has it's own style fast-food restaurants that serve up surprisingly good meals for cheap. Look for places like Yoshinoya, Sukiya or similar, where you can get a bowl of rice and meat, udon, or curry, for only a few hundred yen. For dinner it's not hard to find restaurants for under 1000 for a great meal. If you like sushi, don't miss on going to a sushi train (conveyor belt) restaurant where you can get stuffed for around 1000 yen.
Drinking can be expensive in Japan. I was there for a year and drank lots, and honestly I never figured out a good way to drink cheap. You're usually looking at 500 yen minimum for a beer just about anywhere you go. I always found too that if I didn't know where I was going, I would end up at a bar that charges arbitrary fees and a couple beers ends up blowing my nights budget. But I also occasionally stumble across bars that offer an all-you-can-drink for like 1500 yen. If you have a few friends to join you, izakayas, where you can get some grub and drinks, is the kind of place I like to go to. It's also very Japanese, so make sure you hit a few izakayas while you are there. There's lots of Western style bars and Irish pubs where drinking seems to be pretty much identical to drinking at any bar back home. Big clubs in Tokyo will probably charge a hefty cover of up to 3000 yen, but I've had a couple wicked nights out at Tokyo clubs so it wasn't money wasted for me. If you want to have a few drinks at your hostel/hotel before you go out, it's usually around 200 yen for a drink from a convenience store. Generally, (excluding nights at expensive clubs) if I plan on going out on a good bender with friends, I don't expect to do if for less than 5000 yen. But I've also had equally fun nights out at an izakaya for less than 3000.
Sightseeing is not too expensive. I find that in Japan I enjoy strolling around cities and just watching life go by, which is of course free. In a place like Kyoto you'll want to check out the temples and shrines and whatnot, which may have a small fee of a couple hundred yen. To get into a castle or museum or something you might pay 5 or 6 hundred.
Hope this helps. Sorry I can't give a general daily budget as I lived there and often had friends to stay with and my own car. But if you add up all the things you hope to do, hopefully you can figure out how much you'll spend.
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