thats what everyone keeps telling me. I am gonna get organised really. Am just slow at getting started and its all a bit daunting.

Thanks for your advice anyway guys :vsign:

Hi Tony,

Certainly check expedia.co.uk for flights. Because we're from the UK we're one of the countries Japan has a visa exemption agreement with, so you can go for six months without requiring a visa, but that is as a tourist / sightseer. If you're planning to work in Japan to fund your travels, check with the Embassy.

I always avoid stopovers en route to Japan. I know it makes it a 12 hour flight (possibly closer to 13 from Manchester), but it vastly reduces the odds of your luggage getting mislaid during a transfer.

Some countries just don't let you enter if you've no return ticket booked. Also, tickets which allow for you to shuffle about with when exactly you're going to fly are considerably more expensive - the absolute cheapest flights are ones where not only do you fly economy class, but also you agree that your tickets are non-trasnferable and non-refundable.

I've flown both BA and Virgin from Heathrow to Narita. Virgin tend to put a hell of a lot of rubbish on your seat which you then have to (somehow) find space for for the next twelve hours. Legroom is about the same in both economy sections, but if you fly BA and you have long legs, do NOT get the first row behind a bulkhead, or you'll be cramped in place and may have trouble unfolding yourself on landing.

Flying mid-week if possible increases the odds that there may be empty seats on the flight which you can relocate to if you're stuck next to someone noisy, irritating, or who cares not for your personal space. Thurs - Mon flights tend to be completely packed.

If you just want the flights, consider also buying directly from the airline. Sometimes Expedia is cheaper, sometimes the airline is, so shop around.

You can only get a JR pass by booking from outside of the country then collecting the pass from a few offices on or after arrival, and even then only so long as "sightseeing" is on your visa. If you pay for a JR pass in advance, then tell customs you're there to work, you won't get your JR pass and nor will you get a refund. The longest period JR pass you can get is 21 days, so think hard about whether or not you'll need one and, if so, when for.

If you want to travel around for six months, learn enough Japanese to get yourself rooms in inns or B&B's, and indeed to recognise the signs for ryokan and minshukan. More remote places tend not to have English-speaking staff.

Best of luck!

He's obviously planning on coming to Japan with a WHV, which is good for 6 months.

An open ticket is far more expensive than a standard ticket, so I don't think going with that idea is a good idea. Your best bet is to find a European airline. The exchange rates between Europe and Asia (and Japan in particular) are pretty bad now, so you'll take a little hit if you choose an Asian airline.

The tickets won't be cheap, but at least with a WHV you can get a job in a pub or bar somewhere and earn a little cash during your stay.

Just to let you know, getting around the backpackers style is possible, but a bit difficult if you dont speak any Japanese. I traveled around for 2 months now and spend an average 7000yen a day. I stayed at hostels, minshukus, ryokans. I traveled by train, bus and did a lot of hitchhiking. I ate alot of conbini food and cheap ramen or fastfood.
I had a amazing time anyway.
Living in one place and working i spend around 4500yen a day.

But off yourse, a little bit organisazion will be helpfull.
As for tickets: I would try to get a 1 year Ticket (not opern return) and just set a date back when you think youll be going. In the case you want to go earlier you can still change it. But please check in ADVANCE how much the changing will cost and if it is possible! I did this for Australia and it worked fine. To Japan i came with a normal return flight ticket and just didnt take my flight back as im going to travel more insinde Asia after my year in Japan.

Good luck and have fun.

Oh and if you are comming with the WHV, than you can also extend for another 6 month

First off, Why are you choosing to stop off in Hong Kong? Are you going to visit and have a look around, i guess its the next best place to buy Japanese stuffs.But if you're not looking to visit Hong Kong, its bext not to stopover there, why? cuz its expensive.

end of january/beginning of February: CHINESE NEW YEAR= V. EXPENSIVE

HK is cheaper then Japan for *most* things. But if you read what the original poster wrote, the only reason was to get cheaper flights via HK rather then spending time there.

Can you get a WHV and not work at all?

Yep, it's not the same as a work visa which requires sponsorship from a company you're going to be working for. Dang Australians, Canadians, French, Germans, Koreans, Kiwis and Brits between the ages of 18 and 30

The UKP to JPY exchange rate is pretty good at the moment, hovering around 138 yen to the pound. Buy lots and lots of yen, as the rate tends to get more unfavourable around Jan - Mar.

yes but not air tickets,
HK air tickets at that time are more expensive, since people want to go back to hk for chinese new year, the tickets will be more expensive.

read what i wrote. :cool: