Current Events > Japan is currently one of the cheapest place for tourists

(+) Yeah! (+)

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/9/9b258276.jpg

https://www.forbes.com/sites/laurabegleybloom/2024/03/30/15-cheapest-places-to-travel-in-2024/

Weebs rejoice, you can finally afford to make the pilgrimage.

Getting there is still pretty damn expensive.

I'm living here and yeah its quite cheap.

Yeah, I was told it was really expensive by a lot of people but having been there twice in the last two years, that wasnt my experience.

Glob posted...

Yeah, I was told it was really expensive by a lot of people but having been there twice in the last two years, that wasnt my experience.

I think that comes from people who have no idea what they're talking about. Been to Tokyo twice, and living in Osaka now. My rent is barely 450 with a kitchen area, toilet, shower and tub, with a pretty good sized room. Something like this would have set me back 1200 in London.

Food is cheap as fuck, even convenience stores. Travel is cheap, although Osaka's trains are more expensive than Tokyo's for some reason. The only thing more expensive than London is fruit.

Edit: And yes salary would obviously be lower. But the gap between the salary and cost of living standard in Japan is much MUCH smaller in my experience than London.

1200 pounds in London for a 1 bedroom or studio? here in California a one bedroom apartment is $2000 easily.

SpiritSephiroth posted...

I think that comes from people who have no idea what they're talking about. Been to Tokyo twice, and living in Osaka now. My rent is barely 450 with a kitchen area, toilet, shower and tub, with a pretty good sized room. Something like this would have set me back 1200 in London.

Food is cheap as fuck, even convenience stores. Travel is cheap, although Osaka's trains are more expensive than Tokyo's for some reason. The only thing more expensive than London is fruit.

Edit: And yes salary would obviously be lower. But the gap between the salary and cost of living standard in Japan is much MUCH smaller in my experience than London.

In fairness, these were all people who had been there. I feel like their information may just have been out of date.

Also, youre comparing to London, which is expensive as fuck.

Arcanine2009 posted...

1200 pounds in London for a 1 bedroom or studio? here in California a one bedroom apartment is $2000 easily.

I would say studio but thats being generous. A good flat in a good area is a room and a "kitchen stall" in the corner, with a small bathroom with a toilet.

Glob posted...

In fairness, these were all people who had been there. I feel like their information may just have been out of date.

Also, youre comparing to London, which is expensive as fuck.

True.

swag. i'll be there on monday, glad to hear it's going to be cheap :D

The cost of living in Japan is cheap (outside of Tokyo)

The cost of being a tourist is expensive.

But the USD is strong against Yen now, so its a good time to go.

SpiritSephiroth posted...

True.

Its also the case that the majority of those same people spend a lot of time in Hoi An, which youll notice is top of the list.

Japan used to be expensive. Back when the bubble economy was in full swing, prices were ridiculous. But it's gradually been getting cheaper and cheaper.

Since the pandemic the exchange rates on yen have become extremely low, which has made it jump up in the rankings compare to other countries.

Yeah, you can tell a lot of people's beliefs on Japan are from the 2010s, sometimes the 2000s.

I'm currently ending my last day of a 2.5 week vacation, and I can confirm that everything has been incredibly cheap, especially food and travel. On my first day I got a chicken katsu lunch for 900 yen, or like $6 usd. Even my friend asked me to get perfume, and in America a 50 ml bottle cost $138, and the same thing but a 100 ml bottle cost $131 in Japan.

The plane ticket here was incredibly expensive though, but once here, it's been smooth sailing.

Costa del Sol is one of the cheapest tourist destinations? That tracks, Shinra would never let Hojo vacation somewhere expensive

I want to go with a girl later this year or next year to Japan since we'll have all our main debts & such paid off then. Hopefully this stays the course by then

You could spend 2 days in Tokyo Disney for less than the price of a single park single day ticket to Disneyland.

I'm going in August

Im here now. The flight was expensive as fuck. We splurged on fancy hotels too. But food/getting around is super cheap. I think if you get a lower end hotel (which is still probably really nice), you can have an enjoyable trip on a tight budget.

Cap

Winnsock posted...

Im here now. The flight was expensive as fuck. We splurged on fancy hotels too. But food/getting around is super cheap. I think if you get a lower end hotel (which is still probably really nice), you can have an enjoyable trip on a tight budget.

I was going to go big and fly first class, but round trip was 20K. Like, holy shit

Winnsock posted...

Im here now. The flight was expensive as fuck. We splurged on fancy hotels too. But food/getting around is super cheap. I think if you get a lower end hotel (which is still probably really nice), you can have an enjoyable trip on a tight budget.

Can you quote what class you took & roundabout what fare/Hotels have been?

Bad_Mojo posted...

I was going to go big and fly first class, but round trip was 20K. Like, holy shit

First class is crazy expensive on long haul. I only do it when my employer pays for it.

hereforemnant posted...

Can you quote what class you took & roundabout what fare/Hotels have been?

Round trip from DFW - HND American Airlines Premium Economy for 2 people was about $7000. 4 nights at Swissotel Nankai in Osaka approx $2000. 3 nights Keio Plaza Shinjuku approx $1050.

Swissotel in Osaka was fantastic, and right on top of Namba Station. I would stay there anytime if I returned.

action52 posted...

Japan used to be expensive. Back when the bubble economy was in full swing, prices were ridiculous. But it's gradually been getting cheaper and cheaper.

Since the pandemic the exchange rates on yen have become extremely low, which has made it jump up in the rankings compare to other countries.

What I've read is that prices in the bubble economy were insane compared other countries, then Japan basically went into a deep recession from the early 90s until today. Because of this, prices froze while inflation kept ticking along in the rest of the world.

Don't know how true that is, but when I lived in South Korea I went to Japan five times I think and always found it surprisingly reasonable. Hotel rooms in the big cities were small and a bit expensive but like half the price it would be in a big American city. Food was pretty cheap, and you could fill yourself up with a massive sushi meal with beer for like $20, or get a quick lunch for like $5.

Don't know what prices are like today but it's nice to hear that it's still cheap. The Japanese really don't like raising prices on anything.

I've spoken to a few people here and they have said bentos in Konbini's have gotten a bit pricier.

flying to Japan is still expensive, sorry that not everyone wants to drop $2000+ a person on roundtrip plane tickets. Sure if you live in a sleep pod i'm sure actually staying there isn't that expensive

sfcalimari posted...

The Japanese really don't like raising prices on anything.

Only reasonable since wages for the natives had remained stagnant too for about 30 years and their economy had been living on their past glory on borrowed time as a whole.

What happened with Japan now is only because of the current perfect blending International storm that resulted in a reckoning.

Those costs per day must be based on a month minimum which few working people can do.

The plane ticket and hotel package I got to Saigon was just over $2k for 2 weeks and that was a budget package. Then food, travel, and entertainment expenses once there. For an average vacation you're looking at close to $200 per day at any of those places unless you can teleport there.

1600 to $2,000 no thank you

Akagami_Shanks posted...

flying to Japan is still expensive, sorry that not everyone wants to drop $2000+ a person on roundtrip plane tickets.

That depends on where youre flying from.

LeoRavus posted...

Those costs per day must be based on a month minimum which few working people can do.

The plane ticket and hotel package I got to Saigon was just over $2k for 2 weeks and that was a budget package. Then food, travel, and entertainment expenses once there. For an average vacation you're looking at close to $200 per day being conservative with spending at any of those places unless you can teleport there. If only staying for a week even more per day.

Try going off the beaten path and avoid the known tourist traps ? As an example, Gaijin Tax is a known thing in Japan.

jwlim80 posted...

Try going off the beaten path and avoid the known tourist traps ? As an example, Gaijin Tax is a known thing in Japan.

That won't help with the $1500 round trip ticket cost. Even if you go there and lay on the beach the whole time it's going to cost more than those numbers per day.

These list usually dont include travel cost for some reason. Which is probably the most significant expanse.

I vacationed to Columbia last year and on top of how strong the dollar was there the flights only cost a few hundred dollars. Even for businesses class. Plus flying city to city was also dirt cheap.

Saving up to go next summer. Cant wait.

TIL that Costa del Sol is a real place.

It was relatively cheap for me last year. It costs $1200 for a round trip ticket that was 14 hours each way, and was ~$700 for 6 nights in a hotel in Shibuya that was actually pretty nice (comfy bed, had a communal bath on the ground floor with ice cream lol). I probably spent like 70-100 a day on various things (like food, souvenirs, experiences, drinking, etc.). The whole trip for a week was definitely under $3000 and the yen being so weak helped that a lot >_> I just went to Germany for a week and it was more expensive there lol

Prismsblade posted...

These list usually dont include travel cost for some reason. Which is probably the most significant expanse.

Probably because youd then have to have a small sample size and only be able to apply the results to a very small number of people, proportionally, as where your starting point is massively changes the cost of flying somewhere.

Xenogears15 posted...

TIL that Costa del Sol is a real place.

Lmao, this. Also you can find deals for trips to Japan from around 500 flying from LAX.

jwlim80 posted...

Weebs rejoice, you can finally afford to make the pilgrimage.

nah it is just a trick to get you spending all your savings on the gacha machines and pricey figures

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/c/c0c87c51.jpg
We have a low not seen in ages now.

jwlim80 posted...

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/c/c0c87c51.jpg
We have a low not seen in ages now.

Holy shit, I remember when it was closer to $1 USD = 99-101 JPY. That's crazy.

Xenogears15 posted...

Holy shit, I remember when it was closer to $1 USD = 99-101 JPY. That's crazy.

It would have been almost double if the US dollar wasn't so weak now.

I just returned from Japan 2 weeks ago and can confirm that it is not cheap in any manner.

Glob posted...

Yeah, I was told it was really expensive by a lot of people but having been there twice in the last two years, that wasnt my experience.

It used to be expensive, but right now the Yen got weaker so if anything it's the best year right now to be a tourist in Tokyo.

jwlim80 posted...

Weebs rejoice, you can finally afford to make the pilgrimage.

*As long as you stay the fuck away from Akiba, and don't go in mid-August or end of December