Travel to Japan on your own. Solo trip to Japan

There is an opinion that Japan It’s an expensive country and only well-off citizens can afford a tour to Japan. Let's try to dispel this myth and turn to facts from the world of prices.

Food in Japan
A cup of coffee in a Japanese cafeteria will cost you 60 rubles (180 yen), a sandwich for this coffee (McDonald's hamburger) will cost you 30 rubles (80 yen). If your preferences lie in the area of ​​strong drinks, then a can of beer will cost your wallet 93 rubles (280 yen), and a bottle of whiskey 350 rubles (1050 yen). Dinner for one person in an inexpensive Japanese restaurant of the “conveyor” type will cost 236 rubles (710 yen). If you prefer more expensive cuisine in the national traditions of Japan, then dinner at the Izakaya snack bar will cost your wallet 700 rubles (2,000 yen).

Transport Japan
If your trip to Japan involves transfers and excursions to various cultural centers of Japan, then you can do them either by rail (a 7-day JR PASS travel ticket costs 12,000 rubles) or by road (travelling by bus from Tokyo to Kyoto will cost 1,080 rubles (5,000 yen)), and by taking advantage of a flight on Japanese domestic airlines (the flight will cost about 3,600 rubles (11,000 yen) for one leg of the route).
Hotels in Japan
If you are not embarrassed by the proximity to young people, then hotel accommodation for students will cost 1000 rubles/day (3000 yen). A Japanese-style hotel “Ryokan” will cost 1,670 rubles/day (5,000 yen).

Tipping in Japan
Tipping is not accepted in Japan. Even if you persistently offer money as a tip, no one in Japan will take it - not a hotel servant, not even a taxi driver. They will refuse you as politely as possible, proudly declaring that he (she) receives an appropriate and quite decent salary for his work. So put all your worries about tipping aside. Pay the bill. This will already be enough for your wallet to lose a lot of weight. But on the other hand, any of your even reasonable desires will be satisfied by representatives of the Japanese service without unnecessary wrangling. In hotels and restaurants, the so-called Service charge (5-10%) will be automatically added to the bill.
As can be seen from this brief excursion into the price area of ​​Japan, the land of the rising sun is not so inaccessible. At the same time, a tour to Japan will certainly be remembered for the rest of your life and will be remembered as one of the best trips outside our boundless Motherland.

Visa to Japan
A tourist visa for citizens of the Russian Federation allows you to stay in Japan for up to 15 days. A prerequisite for obtaining a Japanese tourist visa is to book a hotel for the entire duration of your stay. The visa processing time at the embassy ranges from 4 days to a month. A Japanese transit visa allows Russian citizens to stay in Tokyo and the surrounding area for up to 72 hours. Obtaining a Japanese transit visa is only possible if a tourist flies through Japan to a third country where there is no direct non-stop flight from Moscow. For example, Australia, New Zealand, numerous countries and islands in the Pacific Ocean (including Malaysia, Indonesia, Tahiti, Northern Mariana Islands, Fiji, etc.). A prerequisite for obtaining a transit visa is to have an air ticket with a fixed departure date from Tokyo and a visa of the 3rd country. In this case, connecting flights should be as close to each other in time as possible. The visa processing time at the embassy is 4 days. A visa can also be issued upon arrival at Narita airport.

Opening hours of institutions, shops and museums in Japan
Huge department stores, 10-15 floors, are open every day from 10.00 to 21.00 or 22:00. Private shops, as well as hotel shops, operate according to their own schedule. There is also a chain of convenience stores that are open 24 hours a day but offer a limited selection of goods. Most museums are open to visitors from 9am to 5pm daily, except on national holidays. The post office is open on weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The bank's services can be used on weekdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Electricity in Japan
Electrical voltage is 100 volts/60 Hz.

Phone in Japan
In Japan, a different cellular communication standard is 3 G; in order for your phone to work in Japan, you need a device that supports the 3 G format; most telephones produced recently have this function.

Relationships and etiquette in Japan
Etiquette is especially important in Japan and serves as a social lubricant in this overpopulated country. In recent decades, these rules have partially lost their strictness, but even a Japanese person imbued with the spirit will not violate some of them. Norms of behavior are often determined by the situation and position of the interlocutors. A foreigner will be forgiven for any mistake, but good manners will allow you to earn respect. It is best to monitor the situation carefully, avoid loud or forceful statements, and follow the example of those around you.

Before you go to Japan, you need to carefully study all the items on the list of possible expenses. Integral among them will be: accommodation, transportation, food and shopping.

Accommodation

Living in Japan is an expensive proposition. This is the item that will cost you the most money.

The most expensive option would be a hotel. A day will cost 100 - 120 $. However, it is worth noting that the price will not depend on the location. Whether it is a room overlooking the imperial palace or a place behind the airport near some village, the price will not change. In addition, cleanliness and order are of the same quality everywhere.

A cheaper option is ryokan - Japanese-style hotels. They are rooms with tatami and a mattress. A day will cost 40 – 60 $.

If this also seems expensive to you, then you can stay in special hotels - capsules. They cost $25 per knock.

Transport

The price of a flight Moscow – Japan – Moscow will depend primarily on the city in which you arrive. For example, getting to Tokyo by the most conservative standards will cost 27,000 rubles. It’s more expensive to fly to Osaka – 32,000, and to Nagasaki – 37,000.

Traveling in Japan, like living, will cost you a significant amount.

Bus fares vary depending on the number of stops you plan to travel. So, the cheapest ticket will cost $2.50 - the price for one stop. The further you go, the more expensive it is.

A trip to the metro will cost a little less. However, it is always full, and during rush hour you may not be able to fit into the car at all.

Electric trains are another option, but tickets for long distances are very expensive. The prices of some of them are comparable to the price of a plane ticket. Traveling from Tokyo to Osaka will cost you $100. The price will be the same.

Nutrition

Food in Japan is relatively inexpensive. For those who are planning a budget vacation, supermarkets are suitable, the prices in which are not much different from Russian ones. In addition, there is a chain of "100 yen" stores. You can buy any product from them for this price.

There are many cheap eateries in this country. You can have a hearty and tasty meal for $5 – $10, and by paying $2, you can order any number of drinks.

Purchases

The Japanese are often considered workaholics. Stores across the country confirm this. Most of them are open every day, including weekends and national holidays.

The average price for clothes is low - about $30. This is explained by the fact that the lion's share of products are made in China and from inexpensive materials.

A special mention should be made about the aforementioned “100 yen” stores. You can buy absolutely any product there: food, household chemicals, personal hygiene items, clothing, equipment and much more.

How much does it cost to travel to Japan? We provide prices for tickets, hotel, food, transport, visa and attractions. We calculate the cost of a trip to Japan in 2019 in rubles.

Exchange rate: 100 yen (JPY) ≈ 55 RUB.

How much does it cost to fly to Japan?

It is usually more profitable to fly abroad from Moscow. However, with Japan it is different: the cheapest tickets are from Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk and Vladivostok (from 11,000 rubles), as well as Khabarovsk and Vladivostok (from 13,000 rubles). You can fly to Japan relatively inexpensively from Irkutsk - from 17,000 rubles, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky (from 18,000 rubles) and Novosibirsk (24,000 rubles).

The cost of a direct flight from Moscow to Tokyo is from 36,000 rubles, with a transfer - from 30,000. Ticket prices from St. Petersburg start from 33,000 rubles.

Japan visa cost

To travel to Japan from Russia you need a visa. Good news: the rules have been simplified, and Russians no longer need a guarantor to get it! But citizens of the CIS, alas, need to look for a guarantor.

The visa is free if you apply for it yourself at a consulate or embassy. Only they are in Moscow, St. Petersburg and the cities of the Far East. Residents of other cities will have to pay visa centers for sending documents.

Japanese visa (Photo © Max Braun / flickr.com)

Hotel prices in Japan in 2019

We recommend looking for accommodation in Japan, from cheap capsule hotels to elite ryokans, on Roomguru - it compares prices of different services.

• Capsule hotels in Tokyo cost from $16 per person.
• A double room in a guesthouse in Tokyo costs from $27 per night.
• In a 2* hotel - from $45 per night (for example, in Hotel Meigetsu).
• In a 3* hotel - from $55 (Hotel Mystays Asakusa-bashi).
• In a 5* hotel - from $100 (Tobu Hotel Levant Tokyo).

The cost of traveling to Japan will increase if you choose to live in ryokan(ryokan) - a hotel in a traditional Japanese style. In ryokans, the floor is paved with tatami, instead of beds there are futons, and guests are given national slippers and robes. Sometimes there is an onsen - hot spring. The cheapest ones in Tokyo cost $70-80 for two people, usually with a shared bathroom. Ryokans with a private bathroom start from $100. $150-300 - spacious ryokans with onsen in other cities of Japan.

Advice: In large cities it is not necessary to live in the center. The main thing is that it is close to the metro.

(Photo © Toshihiro Gamo / flickr.com / Licensed CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

Food prices in Japan in 2019

Food in Japan is delicious, fresh and relatively inexpensive! Dishes are prepared from natural, minimally processed ingredients. Rice, noodles, seafood and meat are the basis of the diet. As in China, there is no language problem when ordering food: the cafe has realistic food models, and the menu has photos.

To correctly calculate the cost of a trip to Japan, you need to know the approximate costs of food. On average, breakfast will cost about ¥400-500 per person - about the same price as, for example, udon noodles with tofu, ramen, rice with curry. Tea or water is served free of charge. Some establishments serve breakfast combos for ¥300-400.

A hearty lunch or dinner in a cafe will cost ¥1000-1500 per person. And if you are used to eating a little, then for two! In general, in inexpensive establishments a dish costs on average 500-800¥, in a restaurant - from 1000¥.

You can have unusual and tasty food in conveyor belt restaurant(kaitenzushi). You sit at a table, and ready-made dishes pass by on a conveyor belt. A plate with two rolls or sushi costs from ¥105. The price of a dish can be determined by the color of the dish. At the end, they count by empty plates. Tea and ginger - free and unlimited. Examples of restaurant chains: Sushizanmai, Kappa-sushi, Hamazushi, Sushiro.

How to save money on food in Japan:

• In supermarkets from 20:00 or 21:00 there are 20-50% discounts on ready-made food or products whose expiration date is running out. Examples: Seiyu, Ito-Yokado, OK-mart.
• Buy a bento - lunch box, lunch in a box. Inexpensive, convenient and very popular in Japan. Costs from 300 to 1000¥ depending on the filling.
• You can eat inexpensively in restaurants serving Indian, Chinese, Korean and other cuisines that are aimed at local residents.
• Tasty and cheap - in family restaurants.
• As a last resort, you can buy ready-made inexpensive food in 24-hour minimarkets (convenience stores) Lawson, 7 Eleven, Family Mart. However, it costs more there than in regular supermarkets.

A Japanese woman tries Russian sushi. What kind of rolls are not available in Japan?

If you want to reduce the cost of an independent trip to Japan, cook yourself. For example, prepare breakfasts and dinners, and have lunch in a cafe. Vegetables and fruits are expensive in Japan and are usually sold individually. Meat is also not cheap.

Here are the prices for food in stores in Japan in 2019:

• bread - 70-130¥;
• sandwiches - ¥180-350;
• milk (1 l) - 180¥;
• eggs (10 pcs) - 230-250¥;
• shrimp (1 kg) - 1000¥;
• scallops (1 kg) - 1000¥;
• potatoes (1 kg) - ¥390;
• tomatoes (1 kg) - 730¥;
• apples (1 kg) - 200-660¥;
• oranges (1 kg) - 580¥;
• beer - 80-200¥;
• ready-made salads - from ¥400;
• bento - ¥300-1000;
• sushi sets or rolls - ¥300-1500;
• desserts and pastries - 100-400¥.

Prices for attractions in Japan

In Japan, every prefecture, every city has its own wealth! We will focus on the sights of Tokyo. Here are the prices for some interesting places:

• Shinjuku Goen Imperial Park - ¥200;
• Ueno Zoo - ¥600 for adults, children - free;
• Tokyo National Museum - ¥620;
• Nezu Museum - ¥1000;
• Tokyo Tower - ¥1600.
• Hot springs (onsen) - 1500-2000¥.

Plus, there are a lot of things you can visit for free in Tokyo. These include the Imperial Palace (make an appointment in advance), Kaminarimon Gate "Thunder Gate", as well as some parks and temples.

(Photo © Loïc Lagarde / flickr.com / License CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

Cost of transport in Japan

Subway and trains. It's difficult in Japan without a train. The main railway company is Japan Railways (JR). She created a travel card especially for tourists JR Pass. It is valid only for visitors and is issued before traveling to Japan on the JR Pass website. The document will be sent by email. Then, in Japan, at a subway station, find the company counter and exchange it for the pass.

The JR Pass is valid for all of the company's transport: shinkansen, some subway lines and many commuter trains. This is a personalized document and cannot be passed on to others. The most important thing is that you cannot lose it, because the card will not be reissued. It is expensive: for 7 days - $264, for 14 days - $422, for 21 days - $542.

The cost of a trip on the Japanese subway depends on the zones into which subway lines are divided in major cities of the country. Trains run every 5 minutes, from 5:00 to 23:30, sometimes until midnight. The color of the carriage corresponds to the line it follows. The fare depends on the distance and city. For example, in Tokyo it ranges from ¥120-320 per trip. A 1-day pass costs ¥1000.

Buses inconvenient for tourists, since the numbers and names of routes are almost always written in hieroglyphs. On average, buses run from 7:00 to 21:00, but in some areas departure occurs earlier (from 5:30) and ends later (until 23:30). The cost of one trip by bus and tram is ¥220-420.

Taxi in Japan - an expensive pleasure:

• landing - 580-720¥;
• for every 280 meters - 80¥;
• for every 135 seconds of downtime - 90¥.

Better use the metro! In addition, from 23:00 to 6:00, taxi drivers drive at night rates with a 30% surcharge.

If you want to get from the airport to your accommodation by taxi, and the hotel does not provide a transfer, we recommend booking a car in advance at.

How much does a trip to Japan cost - 2019

Let's calculate how much an independent trip to Japan from Russia costs in 2019 for two people for 7 days (in rubles and dollars):

• tickets from Moscow to Tokyo - $910;
• budget hotel - $27;
• three meals a day - $44;
• JR Pass for 7 days - $264.

So, the minimum cost of a trip to Japan in 2019 for 7 days is $1671, that is 110 thousand rubles. Add to this the costs of sending documents to the embassy (if you live in the region), attractions and souvenirs.

Introductory image source: © halfrain / flickr.com / Licensed CC BY-SA 2.0

Until this day, only articles that came out from under my crooked pen were published on the blog. But for the sake of an article from my classmate Rimma_in_Israel, which I love to read back when I was taking school notes, it’s really worth making an exception. Moreover, this article will be about a country that I have been dreaming about for a very long time - Japan. After a two-week trip through Japanese cities and villages, Rimma dispelled some of her and our common stereotypes, and wrote minimal instructions for use (the maximum will be published in several volumes). I hope that by the end of the article, the dream of going to Japan will become much more realistic for all of us.

Preparing for a trip to Japan

What do we think about when we imagine Japan? Sumo, sushi, sake,... Why does everything start with “s”? Okay, there are also kimonos, Fuji, Hiroshima, chopsticks, ninjas, Totoro and scary and terrible hieroglyphs.

Japan has been my secret dream for a long time and was as far away as possible until I heard that my husband was planning an orchestra tour. While talking about the trip, I realized how many people really want to go there and, just like me, put off the idea because it is far, expensive, strange and scary. I hope that the experience of our trip will serve as an impetus, a base or a good adviser for those who want, but are afraid to afford a trip to this exotic country.

Lyrical digression: The author of this opus has never been interested in Japan, doesn’t speak Japanese, doesn’t watch Japanese films except those with Jackie Chan, loves rolls most of all from Japanese food, can’t stand rice and, on top of everything else, is not a Buddhist or a Shintoist. That is, if I misspelled some word or incorrectly interpreted some event, it was not out of harm, but because of my short time getting to know the country. If this material is not enough for you, I will be happy to share with you links (in English) to bloggers who have visited or lived in Japan. And, of course, there is also a wonderful Vinsky forum, where there is a lot of useful information in Russian.

Visa to Japan

Any preparation for a trip begins with visa requirements checks. Israelis do not require a visa for entry up to 90 days.

In 2017, visa conditions for Russians were relaxed. Now you can submit documents to the consulate yourself and receive a visa within a week.

However, if you are short of time, want to be sure of the result and certainly fulfill your Japanese dream, contact the Visa Application Center.

Starting this year, you do not need an invitation from the Japanese side, and obtaining a visa has become free. List of required documents:

（1）Visa application form 2 copies. (printed on two sheets and filled out in English on a computer or manually, with pasted photographs)

（2）Photos 2 pcs. 4.5 by 4.5 cm color or black and white without corners on a light background

（3）Foreign passport

（4）Copy of internal passport

（5）Documents confirming the ability to pay for the trip (certificate from the employer about the amount of salary/certificate from the bank)

（6）Stay program (completed in English)

（7）Ticket reservation confirmation

（8）Power of attorney, if you are not submitting documents in person

Documents must be submitted in person or with the help of an authorized representative.

Flights to Japan

The next point is to search for air tickets. We looked for tickets five months before departure, and the cheapest option from Israel was Aeroflot for $700 (from Moscow to Tokyo about 10 hours of flight time). There are also flights from us via France, Finland and Hong Kong, these flights cost approximately $1,500 and are longer.

Tourist season in Japan

The second important point is choice of travel time. Japan has 2 seasons, especially popular with tourists (and locals):

• cherry blossoms in April - May (the so-called “Golden Week” at the beginning of May falls there, when the Japanese themselves take the weekend and also travel around the country)
• October–November with colorful leaves.

By chance, we ended up in the off-season, and still all the tourist places were full. One more detail - in winter it gets dark early (Captain Obvious, hello), so after five in the evening a) it will be much more difficult to photograph, b) tourist places will be closed.

Choosing a hotel in Japan

I think everyone looks for hotels according to their preferences, I’ll tell you about ours. Tokyo, Kyoto and other big cities that we visited (Osaka, Hiroshima) cannot be covered by moving only on our own two feet. Therefore, the criteria were as follows:

1. Distance to bus stop (Kyoto) or subway stop (Tokyo). It would be great if it was the intersection of several metro lines. We were lucky - in Tokyo we found ourselves next to a major transport hub: several lines of the city metro, a private line going to the airport, an intracity JR (Japan Railways) line.

2. The presence of significant attractions for you within walking distance or within a few stops

3. Price (what did you think?!)

4. Estimated quality for your money (bathroom and toilet in the room, presence/absence of breakfast, kettle, refrigerator, etc.).
One interesting option to experience Japanese culture is to spend a night in a hotel designed in an authentic Japanese style. This hotel is called a ryokan. Typically these are rooms decorated with natural materials and a minimum of furniture and decor. We had a small square room, the whole room was covered with wooden panels, the furniture included a small table and a bedside table. At night, mattresses (tatami) and bedding were laid out.

What you need to understand about choosing a hotel in Japan: if we are talking about three stars and below, most often the room is very small. And of course, if you like black tea more than green, buy it yourself, the hotel will have either green tea or coffee.

As for sanitary and hygiene products, hotels provide: facial gel, toothbrush, disposable razor, in large bottles (not disposable) - shampoo, conditioner and shower gel. Even 3-star hotels provide bathrobes or pajamas. But they don't provide soap. And I really counted on him. Don't repeat my mistakes!

Transport system of Japan

This topic deserves a separate post, or even an entire reference book. Firstly, the transport system (once you understand how it works) is very convenient. Secondly, it is quite clear. I use the word “pretty” because it takes some skill and time to adapt. We had the opportunity to use airplanes, high-speed trains (Shinkansen), electric trains, highways, subways and buses within the city within Japan.

So let's start with the positive:

1. You can plan your trip in advance.

There is a website http://www.hyperdia.com/en/ where you can plan your trip according to the desired parameters, see options and prices. Website in English.

You can take the subway map in the subway itself in front of the turnstiles, it is dubbed in English and Japanese, which will help you a lot if you start asking the Japanese how to get to your destination. If you can't find it, ask the metro employee at the booth opposite the turnstiles.

You can get a bus map from your hotel. For example, Kyoto is a bus city. An extensive bus network and decent distances between attractions contribute to the popularity of buses in front of the subway, which is underdeveloped in Kyoto.

2. You can buy tickets yourself (metro, trains, shinkansen) from the machine.

In the machine you can switch to English, select your destination and number of tickets, and pay in cash or by card. The main thing is to make sure that this particular machine serves this particular type of transport, otherwise you will not find your stop there. For example, pink-rimmed machines in Tokyo serve the JR intracity line, not the subway.

3. If you don’t understand something, you can ask a metro employee or other people.

Subway employees understand and can communicate in at least minimal English. This is where a subway map in Japanese comes in handy.

4. There are digital screens in the transport itself(usually) where you can see which station is now and which are next. The information is duplicated in English.

At worst, if there is no screen, the usual metro line diagram is located above the doors. Stations are announced.

5. There are signs at the stops, where you can track when a train, bus, or metro train will arrive.

6. About Tokyo Metro: Each station has a color, letter and number designation, they are indicated on the diagram. It is very useful to download an application for a smartphone, I downloaded the first one by searching “Tokyo metro” (blue train from Mapway on a white background).

How to navigate the Tokyo metro: choose a line by color, go through the turnstile, there are signs by color and the last metro stations (sometimes all the large stations in this direction are indicated, choose the last station in which direction you need to go. Get to the desired corridor\ escalator\stairs - the entire line is written at the top in the appropriate color from this station to the final one with names and letter-number designations. Finding a station this way is much faster than checking all the long names of stations. What is written above becomes very relevant if you enter metro with the intersection of three lines and ten entrances. If you need to get out of such a metro, look for an indication of your street or landmark above one of the exits.

7. And lastly, if you are told that a certain line goes to a certain station, but this is not visible on the metro map, most likely I mean a private branch. Its name duplicates the name of a regular city metro line and adds a prefix. Tickets must be purchased from a separate machine; this metro has a separate entrance.

Here's a perfect example. We stayed at Shimbashi Station (Asakusa Pink Line). The station worker said that we could use our line to get to the airport. But on all subway maps the final stop is in the direction of Oshiyage Airport (not the airport). The airport website didn't list the metro train as an option, but the Narita Express did. In the end, I realized that we were not talking about the Asakusa branch, but about a private branch called Toei Asakusa, the entrance to which is located ten meters before the entrance to the “regular” Asakusa. That is, this private line has a separate entrance, a separate machine for buying tickets, higher ticket prices, different trains (albeit copying the route to Oshiyage station).

Not forget! Keep the ticket you punched at the entrance until the end of your trip - there are turnstiles at the end too!

Although this is not the topic of transport, if you are a “toilet duck” like me, at many stations near the turnstiles (but on the side of the station itself, not the street) there is a toilet, and a fairly decent one. By "decent" I mean you won't want to roll up your pant legs to your thighs before visiting and wash your hands up to your elbows after using the toilet.

Food in Japan (forget Philadelphia)

Food is an even larger topic than transport. And she deserves a separate post (I solemnly promise). Food in Japan is more than food (like in Israel, but in a different style).

Things to keep in mind: The food in Japan is very fresh - sushi, noodles, meat, street food and baked goods - everything. The only time we felt unwell after eating was at a restaurant in the tourist area of ​​Kyoto with a hint of European style. But perhaps it wasn't the freshness of the food that was to blame, but the fact that it was a combo meal.

Ask for specific cafes in Tokyo and Kyoto that I can recommend in the comments - according to the tradition introduced on this site, we will send address addresses by email.

The Japanese and what they eat them with

Naturally, it’s impossible to understand everything about everyone in 2 weeks, so I’ll tell you about two striking features that I noticed:

1. The Japanese are very friendly people. They always try to help you. Even if they don’t know the language or go somewhere about their business.

2. The Japanese have rules. There are no deviations from the rules. It is impossible to beg, convince, or demand something that goes beyond the rules (regulations, restrictions). Like robots, they will repeat instructions. Any deviation of behavior from the required one causes them to boil, even if it is a tourist who is not familiar with the rules. Therefore, do not try, unless, of course, you are a fan of trolling others.

From the “Good to Know” series:

• In Japan, people smoke in designated areas.
• Don't eat on the street, or at least don't eat on the go
• Don't talk on the phone on public transport
• There are problems with trash cans on the streets (there are few of them)
• Perhaps one of the most important details is all sockets are of a different type (American). Buying adapters is not a problem - in any supermarket “7/11”, “Family mart”, which can be found every hundred meters.
• Also, keep in mind that in Japan prefer cash. Almost everywhere you can only pay in cash.

Japanese vs tourists

The Japanese do not know English from the word “at all”, except for: people in suits in Tokyo, sellers in large centers, subway employees (a little). Everyone else may not understand words such as: how much, where, how, price, train, bus, hotel (that is, very common words). If you have a map with duplicate words in Japanese, that's a big plus. Or the Internet, then you can use a translator and a map. I highly recommend connect the internet, it will solve many problems that we encountered during our trip.

I think this information is enough for initial acquaintance. But is it enough to make you want to book flights without looking?

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How to organize a trip to Japan

In April 2018, my husband and I went on vacation to Japan.

Marina Safonova

went to Japan

We spent two weeks there, visited Tokyo, Kyoto, the ancient capital of Nara, the mountain resort of Hakone and the ancient Buddhist monastery on Mount Koya-san.

I used to think that organizing a trip to Japan is very difficult: it’s not clear how everything works there, where to go, except Tokyo, how much it costs and how to get a visa. How to get around the country is also unclear: foreign tourists need an international license to drive a car in Japan. There is also left-hand traffic, serious fines, toll roads and parking lots.

It turned out that Japan is great for independent travel. Everyone speaks English, getting a visa is easy, transport works perfectly.

Japanese English is very different from our usual pronunciation. There is no “l” sound in Japanese, and it is customary to break a pair of consonants with a vowel sound. The word fork is pronounced as “foku”, bus - “bass”, beer - “biru”.

There is an opinion that traveling to Japan is expensive. Yes, it turns out to be more expensive than a package tour to the sea. But the most expensive expense is an air ticket: 30-40 thousand rubles in both directions. In second place is travel around the country. Housing in Japan costs about the same as in Europe, and you can safely save on food: everything is tasty and cheap. Tickets to museums and temples are also inexpensive: 200-500 R. The visa for Russian citizens is free.

If you decide to go, here's what to do before you go.

Select travel time

I do not recommend going to Japan during the May holidays. At the end of April - beginning of May there is “Golden Week” - “golden week”, when national holidays last 6 days in a row. At this time, the whole country has a weekend and everyone goes traveling. Train tickets are sold out, housing prices are rising, and churches, parks and museums are crowded.

Summer is also not the best time to travel. In June there are rains in Japan, and then tropical heat until September. It’s good to go in May immediately after the “golden week”: at this time, domestic tourism decreases, because everyone returns to work. There are fewer tourists, prices are lower everywhere. If I were planning the trip again, I would go in mid-May.

If you want to see cherry blossoms, then plan your trip for the end of March - beginning of April, but keep in mind that at this time there is also a tourist rush in the country. In Japan, there is a forecast for cherry blossoms by region; you can see how cherry blossoms bloomed in 2018, and plan a trip around the same dates next year. In October and early November in Japan, “momiji” is the season of red maple leaves. There is also a calendar for momiji.

Buy air tickets

Airfare is the biggest expense when planning a trip to Japan. Focus on 35-40 thousand rubles for a direct flight Moscow - Tokyo.

Direct flights to Tokyo are only available from Moscow from Aeroflot and Japan Airlines. We flew Japan Airlines: the company flies the coolest Boeing aircraft on this route - the Dreamliner. The plane is huge, it has comfortable seats, delicious food, electrochromic window dimming, movies, music and games on the screen built into the seat.

Tickets with transfers can be found for about 3000-5000 RUR cheaper than direct ones. But it is difficult to fly with a transfer due to the long flight and time zone changes, and the difference in price is small.

Book accommodation

In Tokyo, choose areas near major metro stations. “Ginza”, “Ueno”, “Tokyo Station”, “Asakusa”, “Shinjuku”, “Shibuya” are excellent - from there it will be easy to travel throughout the city. In Kyoto, the ideal place to live is around the Sanjo metro station.

In addition to regular hotels, hostels and apartments on Airbnb.com in Japan, you can stay in ryokans, love hotels and capsule hotels. I'll tell you about each option.

Regular hotels and hostels in Japan they are the same as all over the world. It is convenient for tourists to stay in chain hotels like APA Hotels: there are many of them in all major cities. The room costs 4500-5500 RUR for two per night. The rooms are small, but they have everything you need. Business hotels are aimed at workers who come on a business trip and do not spend much time in the room. This is also suitable for tourists.

Typically, in all Japanese hotels, check-in is strictly from 15:00. For early check-in you have to pay half the price. Sometimes there are hotels with check-in from 13:00, for example Shinjuku Prince Hotel in Tokyo. We stayed there on the day of arrival only for this reason: our plane landed at 8 am and we didn’t want to wait 6 hours.

Apartment on Air BBC a lot, but they cost more than hotels, especially if you rent the entire property. If you rent an apartment in an old area, be prepared that the house will also be old: with small rooms and a miniature bathroom.

In a capsule hotel guests live alone in a small capsule room, in which you can only sit or lie. The bathroom and toilet are shared; rooms with capsules are usually divided into men's and women's. Items can be deposited at the reception. Inside the capsule there is a clock, an alarm clock, and a light setting. Some have a TV built into the wall. Upon check-in, you are given a guest kit: a Japanese yukata robe, a towel, a disposable toothbrush, toothpaste, and a comb.

A night in a capsule hotel costs 1500-2500 R.

A separate type of housing - the so-called love hotels, or “hotels of love”. Initially they were intended for dates, but are now popular among tourists. Love hotels are usually spacious, with huge beds and unusual room designs. The room costs from RUR 6,000 per night, and the more interesting the interior, the higher the price.

There are also traditional Japanese hotels - ryokans. You need to sleep in them on special futon mattresses, which are spread on the floor. The furniture in the room includes small tables, at which people also sit on the floor. The shower and toilet are usually shared. Ryokans often have an onsen, a hot spring bath.

When you check into the ryokan, you will be asked to take off your shoes and will be given special Japanese slippers, similar to flip-flops. Guests are usually dressed in a special house robe - yukata.

Ryokan is the most unusual type of accommodation for tourists in Japan and the most expensive. A night in a simple ryokan costs 8-10 thousand rubles. If you want a ryokan with a beautiful view, hot springs and a traditional Japanese dinner, then the prices will be higher: 20-30 thousand rubles.

Make a program

I like to organize trips on my own. Before my vacation, I studied the section about Japan on the Vinsky Forum and the website japan-guide.com. This is enough to create almost any route around Japan, especially if you are traveling for the first time and want to see the main attractions.

The Japan Guide project has excellent routes in all cities: for example, walking routes around Tokyo, Kyoto, and there is also a whole trip plan “All the best in Japan in 14 days.”

Anyone who comes to Japan for the first time is usually recommended to go to Kyoto in addition to Tokyo. If compared with Russia, then Tokyo is like Moscow, and Kyoto is like St. Petersburg. Once the capital of Japan, Kyoto is now famous for its temples, cultural attractions and geishas. If you're traveling for two weeks, divide it approximately equally between Tokyo and Kyoto.

From Tokyo you can take a day trip to the cities of Nikko, Kamakura, and the mountain resort of Hakone. One day is worth spending entirely at a Disney amusement park; there are two of them in Tokyo: Disneyland and DisneySea.

From Kyoto you can take a train to Nara - this is another ancient capital of Japan, now famous for its park with tame deer. From Kyoto you can also take a 15-minute train ride to Osaka - this is the country's third largest city. There are few tourist places there, but you can see the five-story samurai castle and the Universal amusement park, comparable in scope to Disneyland.

Our experience. In 12 days we traveled along the route Tokyo - Hakone - Kyoto - Nara - the monastery on Mount Koya - Tokyo. All transfers, hotels, train schedules and attractions were entered into a Google table. The table changed many times, including during the trip itself. You can download our plan template and use it to plan your trip.

A detailed travel plan will be useful for your visa. The required set of documents for a Japanese tourist visa includes a stay program. It must be filled out according to the template: write down each day, indicate a contact phone number, address of residence and program - what you plan to do. We simply wrote Sightseeing everywhere.

Get a visa

Previously, it was difficult for Russian citizens to obtain a Japanese visa: a mandatory invitation from a Japanese citizen was required. Invitations were made through agencies, it was expensive.

Now the invitations have been canceled and the visa has become free. In my experience, to obtain a Japanese visa you need the usual set of documents:

There is no need to register with the embassy to submit documents. You just need to arrive at 9:30 at 27 Grokholsky Lane with all the documents. There are 10-20 people in the queue, it moves quickly. Embassy employees take your documents and tell you on the spot whether they will issue you a visa or not. Sometimes they ask clarifying questions. They didn't ask us anything.

You can apply for a visa using a simple power of attorney written in free form. My friend lives in Nizhny Novgorod. He sent a package of documents for a Japanese visa by mail to his aunt in Podolsk. My aunt came to the embassy with these documents and gave them for processing, showing a power of attorney, and then took the passport with the completed visa.

Visa processing takes 4 working days. We submitted our documents on Monday and picked up our passports on Thursday.

It is important to fill out the stay program in detail and indicate there the contacts of all hotels or apartments on Air BBC. By the time you submit your documents, you should already have reservations for all your accommodation.

If you make an account statement at Tinkoff Bank, embassy staff may find fault with the electronic seal. If possible, ask the bank in advance to prepare a statement with a real stamp for you. If you are submitting a certificate from your place of work, you do not need an extract. We submitted two certificates from work; we were not asked for additional documents.

Buy a JR Pass

The main mode of transport in Japan is railways. Russian driver's licenses are not valid in Japan; there is little parking in the country, many toll roads and left-hand traffic. All tourists travel by train.

There are many different railway companies in the country, the largest is called Japan Railways. Travel is not cheap. A ticket for the Shinkansen high-speed train from Tokyo to Kyoto costs ¥13,910 (RUR 7,800) one way:

To save money, you need a JR Pass. It was invented in Japan specifically for foreign tourists. The JR Pass allows you to travel unlimitedly on all routes of the Japan Railways carrier for a certain period of time (usually a week or two). These are also expressways. Shinkansen trains, and some express trains between cities, and electric trains to Nikko, Nara, Arashiyama and other attractions in the vicinity of the main cities.

JR Pass is expensive. We paid 32,940 RUR for two weekly passes - 16,470 RUR per person. The pass paid for itself in the first three days of the trip. In my experience, the JR Pass is definitely worth buying.

You need to buy such a pass in advance. This will no longer be possible in Japan. I ordered it on the website japan-rail-pass.com two months before the trip. After payment, you will be sent a voucher; already in Japan, this voucher will need to be “activated” - exchanged for a JR pass.

“JAR pass” is a personalized document. When activated, your name, surname and passport details will be written on it. In Tokyo, at Shinjuku Station, we went to the Japan Railways information desk. They showed us the rules for using the travel card and clarified several times whether we really wanted to activate it from today’s date. Then you had to fill out a short questionnaire. In exchange for vouchers, we were given beautiful travel cards with our passport details on the back.

When we went through security with our JR Pass for the first time, they stamped the pass. Then we just had to show it to the employee at the station every time we passed through the turnstiles.

Plan travel to book tickets

In Japan, everyone books trains in advance. If you buy a JR Pass and plan to travel around the country, I advise you to pre-select on the Hyperdia website the shinkansen that fit your schedule. Make a list of when and what time you want to book your train seats. Print it out and take it with you.

When you activate your JR Pass, ask an employee to reserve tickets for you using this list. This is done in one minute. Then you can change your tickets without any problems.

You can travel without reserved seats. On trains, all carriages are divided into reserved ones (they are more expensive) and regular ones. In regular ones you can sit anywhere if there are free seats. If you are planning moves on weekdays, and not on holidays or weekends, then, of course, you can relax and not book anything. We were caught on six Japanese weekends in a row, so we booked the shinkansen a week in advance. Then they made the exchange once: without problems and without a queue, in 2 minutes.

What you need to know about money

The currency of Japan is the yen. 100 yen = 57 R. It is most convenient to travel with dollars: cash or on a card. We took it with us, made our main dollar account and paid from it. Another part of the money was taken in cash dollars. There are many exchangers in Japan, the exchange rate is acceptable everywhere, there are even automatic exchangers, it is safe to change money.

Japan is a country of cash. Most residents pay with bills and coins everywhere. There are hotels that do not accept cards, especially in small towns, but in Tokyo and Kyoto we paid with a card almost everywhere without any problems. To buy tickets for the metro, pay for the bus, or buy water from vending machines, you need cash, most often small coins. Within a couple of days we were carrying a huge amount of coins with us.

How to pay. In Japan there is a special ritual of paying for anything. When you pay at the checkout, you need to put money or a card in a special tray that stands in front of the seller. But the seller will definitely return the change, check and card to you from hand to hand with words of gratitude and a slight bow.

Probably for the same reason, payment through Apple Pay is not popular in Japan. In two weeks, I never saw anyone pay by phone, and I didn’t try it myself.

Tax free. In Japan, taxi free service for foreigners is conveniently organized. An 8% discount is given directly upon purchase if you have your passport with you. Tax-free is available almost everywhere, even in the Seven-Evening grocery store. You don’t have to stand in any line at the airport, like in Italy, for example. Prices in stores are usually indicated without VAT, so the final amount at the checkout may be 8% more than you planned.

Tips. In Japan, it is not customary to leave a tip - they simply won’t take it. In some tourist restaurants, service is included in the bill, but this rarely happens. It is understood that the service is always of the highest standard and does not require additional payment from the client.

You have to pay at the exit in cafes and restaurants. Ask the waiter to bring the bill, take it and go to the cashier. The ticket office is usually located at the exit.

Order a Wi-Fi router

In Japan, there is public Wi-Fi almost everywhere. At museums and other attractions it is usually free and safe to use. If you want to save money, use open networks and skip this step.

If you don’t want to connect to a new Wi-Fi connection every time, rent a router for the duration of your trip. Wi-Fi will definitely come in handy to build travel routes.

The Google Maps app does a great job of creating routes around Japan, including the Tokyo subway, Kyoto buses, and long-distance travel.

You can rent a router right at the airport: at the exit from Narita Airport there are dozens of information stands of companies that provide the Pocket Wi-Fi service.

I ordered the router in advance on the same website japan-rail-pass.com where I purchased the pass. 12 days of rent cost 4348 RUR - that’s 362 RUR per day. An envelope with a router, charger and return rules was waiting for me at the post office kiosk at Narita Airport. The router was already charged. For the entire 12 days, we didn’t even think about where to find Wi-Fi.

To return the router, you need to put it in a postal envelope, seal it and put it in a red mailbox. We did this on the way back, at the same Narita airport. The return envelope was included with the router initially.

Send luggage within Japan

In Japan, it is customary not to travel with suitcases, but to send them from one hotel to another. For this there is a convenient delivery service “Kuroneko Ta-ko-bin”. All hotels in Japan work with it. If you plan to move from one city to another, then it is convenient to send your suitcases by delivery rather than carry them with you.

If you live in hotels, using Kuroneko is simple: come to the reception with your suitcases and ask to be sent to another hotel. , then it will be a little more complicated: the apartment owners will not meet or send suitcases, but you can use any Kuroneko delivery point, there are many of them.

Suitcases are usually delivered within 24 hours. If you send your suitcase this morning, you can pick it up the next morning. For two standard suitcases we paid 2500-3000 RUR.

We used this delivery twice. For the first time, we sent our suitcases from a hotel in Tokyo to the Kuroneko office in Kyoto, next to the station, and with our backpacks we went to spend the night in the mountain resort of Hakone.

How to get there from Narita Airport

From the airport to Tokyo you can get by train, bus and taxi - just like everywhere else.

Flights from Moscow to Tokyo usually arrive at Narita Airport. It is located quite far from the city, in the neighboring Chiba Prefecture. We tried two ways: the Narita Express train and the "Kasei Skyliner". I'll tell you about them.

"Narita Express"- N'Ex. Expensive and fast, it goes to the central metro station Tokyo Station, passing several other large stations, including Shinjuku. Our first hotel was right on Shinjuku, so at the airport we bought tickets for "Narita Express". The train was moving slowly; it turned out that on that day there were some interruptions on the line. According to the schedule, we were supposed to get there in an hour, but the train took about an hour and a half: we managed to sleep. Tickets are expensive, we paid 3000 RUR for two:

It makes sense to take tickets for the Narita Express if you want to activate your JR Pass on the first day. This express train is also included in the pass.

"Kasei Skyliner"- an express train from a private company that took us from Tokyo back to Narita. It departs from Ueno Station and goes non-stop, so we got there in half an hour. Costs 2470 yen (1400 R) for one ticket.

The cheapest way to get from Narita Airport is by bus: 1000 yen, 60 minutes on the road - and you’re at Tokyo Station. I recommend reading the discussion on the Vinsky Forum about other ways to get from the airport.

What else do you need to know?

Traveling around Japan is safe, convenient and interesting. There are a lot of tourists, and all the navigation is specially made so that everything is clear to everyone. If you get lost, they will definitely tell you where to go and what to do.

It's the same with food: if you don't know what you want to eat, just look at the cafe window. Most establishments display the most realistic plastic mock-ups of their dishes with prices on their windows. Many menus have photographs, so there are usually no problems with language.

If you know English at a basic level, you will have access to all navigation on the streets, in transport and in other public places. It’s difficult to get lost: there are a huge number of signs everywhere. Sometimes in Tokyo it was even clearer to me where to go than in the passage in Moscow.

Remember

1. Don't fly during the May holidays.
2. Buy air tickets well in advance.
3. Visit Tokyo and Kyoto.
4. To save money, stay in chain hotels.
5. Be sure to buy a JR Pass.
6. Take dollars or a dollar card with you.