Japan - how much per day?

[pintsizedblondie]

Hi all,
Trying to cost out our 14 day trip to Japan next year and wondering how much is needed per day for food/drinks etc. We have budgeted separately for flights and accommodation but just wondering how much spending money would roughly be needed.

Many thanks.

How many people are you? You say "we", so I presume more than one. Also, how old are the kids, if kids are travelling with you.

Oh sorry it would just be me and my fiance.

Also, we plan to spend a week in Tokyo as a base and a week in Osaka as a base and visit surrounding areas, would the JR rail pass be a good purchase?

Ah, right. In that case, I'd probably budget 15,000 yen per day for the both of you. That would include sightsighting, food, drinks, local travel.

I'd definitely get the JR rail pass. The trains are so expensive in Japan.

Depends on where you’ll be staying or eating. £150 per day per person (not including hotel) is usually sufficient. Japan is fairly expensive especially as you leave Tokyo and you start needing to pay to visit temples etc.

We were working on a rough figure of £1000 spending money each which would equate to 273,430 yen or 19,530 per day for the both of us. Does that sound doable?

Yeah, I think that's a good amount. I'm sure you'll have a great time!

That works out almost £150 each so should be okay provided it doesn’t include hotel. If it’s a strict budget then you should probably stay away from western food / alcohol, which tends to be more expensive, and get local recommendations from your concierge. You could also make your pennies go further by eating in temples where possible as it’s often free / discounted (if it’s a temple restaurant).

No it wouldn't include the hotel

My wife and I went a few years ago and are going again next month. I think last time we budgeted £100 per person, per day. That's not including the hotels and jr passes. With the £100 pppd we weren't scrimping at all (by our standards at least). That included breakfast from a convenience store, lunch and dinner at restaurants, coffee breaks, drinks from vending machines and drinks in the evenings. Hope this helps!

Definitely get a rail pass.
Definitely stay in Kyoto.
Eat in the basements of department stores for lunch, they have big food halls and you can make up bento boxes / picnics of brilliant /slightly weird food. Just be conscious of where you eat it (not the done thing to eat in the street in some places).

Kyoto is a better base than Osaka. It has a great bus system and you can walk to the sites from bus stops. It also has rail links elsewhere but it has 17 world heritage sites and is amazing for culture and food. There are plenty of cheaper cafes and our hotel was brilliant at suggesting evening restaurants. Nothing wrong with Osaka but it’s more of a day trip from the main attraction of Kyoto. You will be travelling to Kyoto and wasting time if you don’t stay there.

I don't know. There are plenty of other places to visit in Kansai other than just Kyoto. You should definitely try and go to Nara and Himeji Castle (best castle in japan) too. Kobe is worth a visit as well. If you buy the rail pass, I'd consider a trip to Hiroshima as well. The peace museum there is really worth a visit. I think the nightlife in Osaka is more interesting as well. Head down to Dotonbori. It's really fun.

What I mean is, that I think Osaka is a better base than Kyoto. But, neither is a bad choice. Osaka is more central.

Agree don't stay in Osaka stay in Kyoto! Found Osaka really boring personally but loved Kyoto. Osaka is really just shops and tech. Easy to get to Osaka from Kyoto.

Ha ha - different opinions crossing!

For sure!

For me, I think Kyoto is more interesting during the day. But, I think Osaka is more interesting at night. Osakans are famous foodies, so there are some really great restaurants and bars to explore, plus the city at night has that kind of Bladerunner feel, which I love. I think wherever you stay, Kyoto, Osaka, or Kobe, you'll have a great time though. Just a different vibe.

I would suggest doing some train research before buying a rail pass. The fastest of the bullet trains are not included in the pass and also private rail lines are not included. There are plenty of sites which give detailed train costs so you can work out if the pass is worth getting.
Definitely go to Nara. Agree with pp - Osaka by night and Kyoto by day.
If you stay in Osaka I recommend this hotel
www.hoteltheflag.jp/
location is brilliant and staff are great

I found hotels in Kyoto hugely expensive so we stayed in Osaka. It was about 20 minutes on the bullet train to Kyoto and we sort of got temples out after 2 days so we did trips to Hiroshima and Himeji. We also rented a car from Tokyo and drove to Mt Fuji and had 3 nights there including one in a ryokan.