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irateplatypus · 08-28-2005, 11:46 AM

tokyo eh? congratulations... you're going to have a great time.

the good news: there are plenty of things to see and do that are relatively inexpensive

the bad news: things that you see and do will be a small part of your total financial picture. food, lodging, and especially transportation will likely be your costliest expense-types.

things to do...
- spend time in ueno or yoyogi park, watch the people.
- go to a baseball game. tokyo swallow tickets are pretty cheap. i sat a few rows up on the first base line for close to 15 bucks.
- lots of shrines and gardens about
- find a few museums you are interested in, you can get a whole afternoon's entertainment for a modest ticket price
- walk around the big neon districts at night (ginza, ikebukuro, shibuya). the spectacle is amazing, and free
- visit the emperors palace grounds & garden
- the sony building (in shibuya, i think, hard to remember) has whole floors devoted to letting you try out their latest gadgets and games.
- japanese arcades are a cultural experience in themselves. even if you aren't a big vid-gamer $5-10 bucks goes a long way for entertainment.
- don't be afraid to spend a little time doing "normal" things (eat at mcdonald's, go the mall, see a movie). they don't have to be expensive, but it's sometimes surprising to see how those common things are a little different over there.
- use a guidebook to find internet cafes. this is a slice of the youth/pop-culture scene that can't be missed.

my advice: don't go there and be hamstrung by your budget. work a few more hours, borrow money from relatives, sell some stuff you'll never use again. these trips are wonderful experiences, and are often once-in-a-lifetime. if you're going to spend the enormous amount of resources to get there, you might as well take full advantage of the time you have.

money saving tips:

- stay in hostels, but make sure you get a good locaiton. time and money spent traveling to the things you want to see will easily outweigh the benefits of saving 10 bucks a night on a room.

- don't drink alcohol. if you do, find some fellow travelers/hostelers to hang out with and buy at a grocery store. paying 7 dollars for a beer ruins the taste.

- eat at noodle shops, or stop by the convenience stores to get boxed meals/rice balls. they are surprisingly fresh and nourishing.

- plan your bus/rail expenses ahead of time, see if a pass of any sort will help you out. some passes can out be bought out-of-country.

- never take a taxi

- i don't know if you're into this sort of thing... but "snack bars" are not what you thinnk that are... unless you think they're a swanky place to buy a $20 handful of sesame trail mix.

08-28-2005, 11:46 AM	#2 (permalink)
irateplatypus can't help but laugh Location: dar al-harb	tokyo eh? congratulations... you're going to have a great time. the good news: there are plenty of things to see and do that are relatively inexpensive the bad news: things that you see and do will be a small part of your total financial picture. food, lodging, and especially transportation will likely be your costliest expense-types. things to do... - spend time in ueno or yoyogi park, watch the people. - go to a baseball game. tokyo swallow tickets are pretty cheap. i sat a few rows up on the first base line for close to 15 bucks. - lots of shrines and gardens about - find a few museums you are interested in, you can get a whole afternoon's entertainment for a modest ticket price - walk around the big neon districts at night (ginza, ikebukuro, shibuya). the spectacle is amazing, and free - visit the emperors palace grounds & garden - the sony building (in shibuya, i think, hard to remember) has whole floors devoted to letting you try out their latest gadgets and games. - japanese arcades are a cultural experience in themselves. even if you aren't a big vid-gamer $5-10 bucks goes a long way for entertainment. - don't be afraid to spend a little time doing "normal" things (eat at mcdonald's, go the mall, see a movie). they don't have to be expensive, but it's sometimes surprising to see how those common things are a little different over there. - use a guidebook to find internet cafes. this is a slice of the youth/pop-culture scene that can't be missed. my advice: don't go there and be hamstrung by your budget. work a few more hours, borrow money from relatives, sell some stuff you'll never use again. these trips are wonderful experiences, and are often once-in-a-lifetime. if you're going to spend the enormous amount of resources to get there, you might as well take full advantage of the time you have. money saving tips: - stay in hostels, but make sure you get a good locaiton. time and money spent traveling to the things you want to see will easily outweigh the benefits of saving 10 bucks a night on a room. - don't drink alcohol. if you do, find some fellow travelers/hostelers to hang out with and buy at a grocery store. paying 7 dollars for a beer ruins the taste. - eat at noodle shops, or stop by the convenience stores to get boxed meals/rice balls. they are surprisingly fresh and nourishing. - plan your bus/rail expenses ahead of time, see if a pass of any sort will help you out. some passes can out be bought out-of-country. - never take a taxi - i don't know if you're into this sort of thing... but "snack bars" are not what you thinnk that are... unless you think they're a swanky place to buy a $20 handful of sesame trail mix. __________________ If you will not fight when your victory will be sure and not too costly, you may come to the moment when you will have to fight with all the odds against you and only a precarious chance for survival. There may even be a worse case. You may have to fight when there is no hope of victory, because it is better to perish than to live as slaves. ~ Winston Churchill