Japan for 3 months, how much money do i need?

[Adan]

Originally Posted by jewelpre

$15000 is whole lot of money, I guess!!! Why are you visiting Japan btw..

I didn't think it was that much.
I figured $100.00 for meals and bus, cab, train fare. That's $3,000 a month.

Rent in a Gaijin House can run from $500.00 to $900.00. Some places you still have to pay Utilities. That's $3,500 to $3,900 plus Utilities.Lets Just say $4,000 even

I wanna Buy a Phone to use along with Skype to have friends and family from the U.S. to call me.

A also want to go to Mount Fuji and Disneyland Tokyo.

The remaining money from the 5K P/M Budget, i want to use for emergencies or what ever. After all i don't want to use the entire amount. That's just what i want to take to fell comfortable.


The reason i want to go to Japan is that i love the culture, and i want to see Japan for my self.

[godwine]

Originally Posted by Adan

I didn't think it was that much.
I figured $100.00 for meals and bus, cab, train fare. That's $3,000 a month.

Rent in a Gaijin House can run from $500.00 to $900.00. Some places you still have to pay Utilities. That's $3,500 to $3,900 plus Utilities.Lets Just say $4,000 even

I wanna Buy a Phone to use along with Skype to have friends and family from the U.S. to call me.

A also want to go to Mount Fuji and Disneyland Tokyo.

The remaining money from the 5K P/M Budget, i want to use for emergencies or what ever. After all i don't want to use the entire amount. That's just what i want to take to fell comfortable.


The reason i want to go to Japan is that i love the culture, and i want to see Japan for my self.

100 a day for food and stuff is realistic, a bit on the high side, but we are talking about budgeting here, so its always good to over estimate than under.

Leaving 5K to "spend" for 3 months maybe a bit tight depending on the kind of activities you get into. Disneyland isn't that much of a deal, but its a personal preference

Are you staying ONLY in Tokyo? Maybe get a JR pass and wrap up some of the "out of tokyo" stuff first?

[jckyoto]

Avoid Tokyo as much as possible everything there seems to cost 2-3 times more than other parts of Japan.

Stay at guest houses, around 3,000 to 5,000yen per night.

Eat supermarket take-a-ways, their much nicer and cheaper than the convenience store ones. If you go around 7pm to the supermarket there's always good discounts. Best food is in Coop Supermarkets, followed by Heiwado (well at least in Kansai area).

Plan your rail travel and buy a JR Pass before you leave.

Make friends with Japanese people and stay at their place, but remember to bring souvenirs, give some money for food, help out with the house work.

[godwine]

Originally Posted by jckyoto

Avoid Tokyo as much as possible everything there seems to cost 2-3 times more than other parts of Japan.

Stay at guest houses, around 3,000 to 5,000yen per night.

Eat supermarket take-a-ways, their much nicer and cheaper than the convenience store ones. If you go around 7pm to the supermarket there's always good discounts. Best food is in Coop Supermarkets, followed by Heiwado (well at least in Kansai area).

Plan your rail travel and buy a JR Pass before you leave.

Make friends with Japanese people and stay at their place, but remember to bring souvenirs, give some money for food, help out with the house work.

On the topic of JR pass. IF a traveler wish to stay in Japan for say, 6 weeks, are they allow to buy 2 JR pass to satisfy the 3wks + 3wks scenario?

[jckyoto]

Originally Posted by godwine

On the topic of JR pass. IF a traveler wish to stay in Japan for say, 6 weeks, are they allow to buy 2 JR pass to satisfy the 3wks + 3wks scenario?

AFAIK you can buy multiple exchange orders (the coupons which you buy overseas and exchange in Japan for the rail pass) and then exchange them as you need to. I've never used more than one per trip myself though.