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Pura Vida!!!!!!!
Jose Castro-Frenzel
I stayed in Osaka (south of Tokyo but still a major city) for awhile, and they have fantastic udon shops where you can get a very filling meal and a Sapporo beer for less than $3. Then you can wander the grounds of Osaka-jo (Osaka castle) and read, write, or brainstorm for hours and hours on end. (And play with the wild kitties for a break!) Curry places are also a good bet for cheap fare -- tons of rice and meat for just a few dollars.
After reading the 4HWW and this blogpost, I can't wait to get a job ( still a student ) and apply the aspects I read in your book. I want to visit Tokyo !
Nice post
Really whets the appetite for a eastern adventure! Better start practicing the chopsticks :-)
Steve
www.worklifeinnovation.com/blog
sorry about the url in the comment...
Note to self: read the rules before commenting!
Thanks for sharing. I had a similar experience when I visited Tokyo for the first time.
Coming from London it was a reminder of how much sweeter life can be when the essentials are reasonably priced. The various ramen and donburi joints were a real culinary pleasure for me. Had my reservations about paying for my meal using a vending machine but once I saw what I got for my money, I promptly got seconds.
One question for you, I was fortunate enough to find accommodation at a friend's but for those without that option, what's a good way to stay on the cheap. Having looked at a few of the prices I could see that this seriously scupper any plans for a long stay.
Cheers
p.s. great to meet you at the London book signing. Loved the message.
"Jia You!"
I laughed when you mentioned 7-11 onigiri. I like them as well, but they are 40% preservatives. That konbini fare is some of the most synthetic stuff in the world. There aren't any books in English on the subject yet, but the ones in Japanese make Fast Food Nation look like a comic book.
Takeshita Doori is a great place. It is also surrounded by very cool places. It is in the middle of Yoyogo Kouen (park), and that borders the ultra high fashion Harajuku. Two more places equally worth mentioning, and free to boot. Well, unless you shop, but the street food in Yoyogi park is not only good it is also cheap, and you don't have to worry about buying a beer and drinking it while sauntering in the park while you eat your takoyaki.
Love this article... I am soo ready for the life of the young and well traveled. :-D
And Tim, I hope you're going to put ramen places in Part 2? I loved getting a ticket from the vending machine and sitting down with sararimen to slurp to a Doris Day soundtrack.
A big shout from party drunk Denmark, a great post - yet again -
keep inspiring and real.
To Tokyo we go!
I went to Japan last year, and I must say - I'm sure I have you beat! I went for free! ;-)
I was fortunate enough to go for a week for business - the law firm client paid for our stay up front. However, my colleague and I completed the work in half the time, so we had over three days to explore. We saw Hachioji, Tokyo, Kyoto, Akhiabara, and took a Japanese language tour of some of the old temples. (We took the bullet train to Kyoto - an experience in itself!) I highly recommend Japan to anyone.
I learned enough Japanese prior to going that I was able to get by - using your method without knowing it! I went to learn-japanese.info, and was able to de-construct enough of the language to get by pretty well. I don't remember most of it a year later, but I'm sure that if I had to go back tomorrow I'd be able to pick it up again on the plane ride.
I took over 1,000 pictures while I was there. (If anyone wants to see the pictures, email me at fhww [at] thomasquinlan [dot] com.) I recommend Akhiabara (though with the unfortunate incidents today, I recommend proper caution), as well as Asakusa. The kobe beef is as good as everyone says so if you can spring for that it's worth it!
If anyone has any questions, and I can answer them, I'd be happy to do so at the above address.
Tom
However, for those looking for the listed convenience stores, it is Sunkus, and not Sunkist. (It is actually pronounced as "sanks," which is the Japanese pronunciation of "thanks")
Another great place to go is the Tama Zoo. You can even ride in a truck surrounded by lions (of course, that is all up to the temperament of the lions), and the whole thing will set you back 5.00 US.
For those of you coming over, have a great time!
Takuin Minamoto
###
Thanks, Takuin! Damn, I always make that "Sunkist" mistake :)
Pura vida,
Tim
And you're right:
Super Urban Intelligent Card is so Japanese. So much so.
I have to chime in here with support that Japan is actually affordable these days. Also the lack of the ability to speak Japaneses is not so important these days. But give yourselves plenty of time to get around. If you get lost be brave and ask for help, most Japanese are very helpful. Just know the key words.
I would suggest though you pay a little more for a better hotel, with good service. From there you can get great recommendations for good and cheap restaurants and directions to go where you need to go.
Go by train for sure, it is cheaper than a cab.
The Fish Market is a must go, but it is not quite clear, that tourists are NOT allowed into the fish auction that runs from 5-6am. Infact tourists are not allowed in most of the areas we see pictures of. So my advice is to get off at Tsukiji station, and sneak in the back way. Also prams are not allowed and the place is not child friendly at all. Needless to day, we learned the hard way, but got to see it all.
My other pick is Akihabara, the electronics city. If you are a foreigner, shop at a large chain store to get duty free, ie a 5% discount. Also do shop in the small stores as they often have massive discounts of products up to 50% off for the older but still new products compared to western shops. Most Japanese electronics brands launch in Japan first before the rest of the world.
Oh one more thing, bring cash and keep your coins so that you can buy drinks from vending machines all over the place. They are the cheapest way to go. They clock in anywhere from 100 to 150 yen for a bottle of coke or ice green tea.
Good Luck and Enjoy!
Training martial arts around the world has been one of my "things" since 19, where I went to train Muay Thai in Thailand. I'm 20 now and heading to Korea for TKD and Judo. The Kodokan is next.
While in Kyoto we had breakfast every morning at Daily Yamazaki (a kind of 7-11) that baked fresh bread and pastries in the store each morning! If you grab a non-meat onigiri (musubi if you're from Hawaii) you can pack it and have it as a mid-morning snack while you decide where to eat. You also will find many hole-in-the-wall udon, ramen, and yakitori joints that are awesome.
Another must do is to bike it in places like Kyoto and Nara. We never felt we were in danger since you can ride on the sidewalks in Japan. It only cost us $5 to rent a bike in Nara for the whole day! Biking is a great way to see the temples and the little nooks and crannies because it's so easy to just stop and get going again on a bike!
unless things have changed since i went to tsukiji last july, tourists are allowed in one specific (and marked, through i can't remember if it was marked in english or in japanese) strip in the middle of the auction. tourists are specifically not allowed on the rest of the auction floor. there are also signs prohibiting flashes on camera, but most tourists didn't notice/care. i felt sort of sorry for the workers that have to deal with the flashes all the time.
also, the rest of the market is, well, a market. while not meant for tourists, i saw no notices forbidding them. i highly recommend a stroll through the market. the variety of sea critters for sale is astounding.
one word of caution though: pay attention! there's tons of workers on motorized carts zipping back and forth. don't get in their way.
I can second the fact that Tokyo is not an expensive city to visit; the trains are excellent and inexpensive, food on the go is really cheap (just don't eat on the run, I've heard it's frowned upon). Most signage is in English and Japanese, and when buying things, pointing and body language go a long way, and many Japanese have a basic knowledge of English, so the language barrier is not as bad as you would expect. I just made sure I remembered a few of the basic phrases from my year of Japanese in college so I wouldn't be the ugly American.
My next trip there, I'm hoping to stay in a capsule hotel, just because it's a completely foreign idea, and it's cheap (around $40/night). What more is a hotel room than a place to sleep anyway?
And I'm definitely going to the Ghibli Museum next time around... Didn't even know about it until this post. I'm looking forward to the next post to collect some more ideas. :-)
Rich in Japan (but only 7 weeks left!)
My friend is currently TEFLing it in Osaka.
As a sushi addict, I've been fancying a trip to somewhere in Japan within 12 months. I can't wait for part 2.
:-D
Jeff
Now you know. And knowing is half the battle.
Certainly Japan can be fairly inexpensive and on the flip side it can be ridiculously expensive. It depends on what you want and trust me that you can have anything you want, it only takes money.
Here are the things that you just cannot get away without paying more than you're used to which I refer to as the 3B's:
Beer = $6-10 per bottle
Beef = Not so cheap (even at an all you can eat Shabu-shabu)
B*tches = Gentlemen's clubs and/or Hostess clubs (if you can even get in, foreigners are often discriminated against and barred entry from these establishments) are fairly expensive ... uh... not that I would know ;D
That is actually good info, and it is all very true, luckily, it doesn't effect me at all.
1. I don't drink often enough for it to make a difference.
2. I don't eat meat.
3. I'm married.
So, if any one else lives under the same criteria, you'll find paradise. Haha.
Noodle shops abound, if you know where to look...well, that isn't exactly true because where I live (close to Ikebukuro) throw a rock and you'll hit a noodle shop...or a Japanese person...so its best not to throw rocks. But you get the picture. You can practically find them without looking.
If anyone decides to visit Japan, and if you have a friendly guide, you can find food that will spoil your palette for anything else. If you don't have a friendly guide, get a map and go it alone. Try to stay out of the tourist places, if you really want to get into Japanese life.
After all, you are not really coming here in order to hang out with people from your own country, are you?
Now most of the young people could speak English, although not so fluent, but if you ready want to ask for directions or where you are, my experience is those young ladies on the street could provide more help than those guys, they are more patient to point you the right direction.
Also talking about food, ramen and sushi locate in Shinjuku are also great
I was just in Tokyo a few weeks ago during sakura (cherry blossom).
Some other interesting stuff to do:
- Have a cocktail at the New York Bar in the top floor of the Park Hyatt (This is the bar in Lost in Translation) - one of the best views in Tokyo. If you haven't seen Lost in Translation watch it before going to Tokyo or while you are there.
- Go to a sumo-tournament, or even better: go to a sumo-stable and watch a training session. Some stables even let you in for free if you ask nicely.
- On a sunday go to the Yoyogi koen - park and watch all the action there (crazy!)
- If you plan to travel by train in Japan get a "Japan rail pass" (before you go there!) - Saves you a lot of money!
Japan is an awesome place.
Kamakiri - haha I call it sun r us (like toys r us)... if you look at the signs it makes sense ok!
Yokohamagaijin - I don't know where you come from but alcohol is like half price in Japan compared to my Australia. Granted if alcohol was any cheaper in Australia we'd all be brain dead by now ;)
$20 for all you can eat meat (???????isn't a bad deal.
Tips :
You don't need Japanese to get around, just some creative interpretation.
Living in Japan will teach you how living in a small space is possible.
Girls will jump on you from across the room if you speak English, it's not just being White.
Each city / town ahs their own signature dish. Its kinda fun getting an unlimited JR pass (apply overseas) and getting off every so often to try what they offer.
Kyoho grapes are the best tasting fruit in the world. bar nothing. just try them ok la.
Another outstanding travel resource which I think 4HWW blog readers would love is Rick Steves' website. Someone mentioned Greece; Rick recently visited and you can read about that - and his recent tour into Iran in an effort to understand more about the *people* of this country - in his blog. Click on my "name" and go see the site when you can.
I have no affiliation with Rick Steves except as a very satisfied customer of his London and Ireland books. I suggest Rick's "through the back door", spend less and experience more perspective is a great compliment to Tim's perspective.
In fact Tim, might you consider connecting with Rick and posting a travel related discussion with him in the future? You could trade stories over who lived better in Berlin, for example. :-) I'd love to get Rick's perspective on the mini-retirement too. I think you'd really hit it off. Hope you'll consider it and thanks again for your blog and book!
Mikey
This is a little off topic but I found an interesting article. It is 4HWW related in that it tells people to slow down and reinvest your time. It also tells of groups related to the "Slow down" movement.
http://www.cnn.com/2008/LIVING/worklife/06/06/b...
I think it would be interesting if you started a "Where in the world is Tim Ferriss ?" like they do on the Today show and do video blogs.
Some people that talk about how expensive things are in Japan or other countries probably don't find many good deals in their home land either. Anybody can live right in the action at an affordable price, you just have to look around. Besides... what do you really need to visit short term, long term, or even move some place? Laptop, clothes, and some money for food, shelter, and entertainment. You could always do some networking or couch surfing to save yourself money and make friends along the way. No tipping, great customer service, and an excellent public transportation system are just some of the amazing things in Japan.
Here are some frugal tips when looking for some snacks or food. You can find a 500ml can of Coca Cola for 100 Yen at the Daily Yamazaki and a decent Teremasu at Family Mart for 105 yen. For an affordable lunch you could head to the nearest Hotto Motto and get a bento style lunch for 300-600 Yen. There's a nodi-ben which is 290 Yen and tasty, and there's also Karage (fried chicken) which runs about 350 yen with rice. Bento is a great idea for a picnic.
Kejia Zhu - You asked about staying in Japan for an affordable price. You might check out couchsurfing.com or search Google for Tokyo (or Japan) hostels. There are weekly apartments available but sometimes it's tough to find things like that in English. Also capsule hotels are more affordable than regular hotels. And another one day alternative is spending $10-15 for a small booth at an Internet Cafe overnight. These usually have a small shower available in the morning.
I look forward to Part 2!
Downtown Vancouver has so many 7-11s and exchange students from Japan.
Too bad they don't have them here.
:)
everyone has pretty much summed up what could be said about this post- you have successfully summarised the best information and thwarted all those rumours about Japan for the good of everyone- Japan too expensive?? hahaha Sydney, Australia must be the most expensive city in the universe if Tokyo holds number 1 spot in the world!
I also was an exchange student to Japan, I went in 2005 for a year and it really is a life changing experience. Much of what I do now is based around Japan and East Asia, I was really excited to see that you were also an exchange student to Japan as well- I'm hoping to do many things that you have done with languages and life also, everything you have written has been a major inspiration. Thanks for everything.
Jesse
Sydney, Australia
Hopefully, I can fly there next year 2009..
Thanks for sharing this information Tim
I was really hoping for a little more than this. All these tips were fairly mundane and ordinary. This article should be called "Traveling on a budget in Japan", not "Hacking Japan". Next time give us some real hacks or "urawaza.
Next time you see a 7-11 look around for a Lawson Station. That's the local's fav.