Budget Travel in Japan... IT IS POSSIBLE!

Everyone loves Denny's!? Their special this day was $10 entree with soup or salad...
Isn't Denny's supposed to be cheap??? Not in Japan!

So I am sure you have heard through the grapevine how expensive Japan is... and this was not a lie! I found a pretty cool website called Numbeo.com where you can calculate the average cost of living in your town compared to another town, HERE is my comparison with Tokyo and Charlotte, NC. There were a few things that costed more in Charlotte... but sadly only one or two. Big cities such as Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto (especially tourist locations) are more expensive then small towns in places like Chiba. 

The goal of this post it to let you know a secret. A big problem with Japan is that it is a very expensive trip, and although so many people wish to visit, there is one problem MONEY. I am here to tell you, I CAN MAKE IT CHEAP. Trust me, I have been a struggling college kid, and believe it or not mommy and daddy did not flip the bill for my previous or future Japan trips. My first Japan trip was $6000 for 2 months including transportation, school, meals, spending money... EVERYTHING. I was 16 and went through and amazing program called LABO, you have to be 18 or under and it is worth it! My first trip I also went a little crazy with spending money, I didn't know how to properly budget myself (gimme a break I was 16) and ended up buying unnecessary things. My second trip was $2000 for a month. I do get my trips a lot cheaper since I stay with friends, so that $2000 only included a $1300 airfare ticket and food and travel. To save money I discovered some easy tricks to enjoy the experience but to also avoid spending unnecessary money. 

Tokyo... Clothes and food and pretty much everything is ridiculously overpriced, and being all foreign and touristy we want to get sucked into cool looking restaurants and expensive stores. AVOID THIS. I love to sight-see around Tokyo and visit some awesome stores, but I avoid actually buying things in Tokyo. To save money on food I will eat cheap meals at the 7/11 or little convenience stores, the food is cheap and surprisingly delicious! I could eat a lunch for about $3 and be completely full. For clothes shopping I would recommend traveling outside of Tokyo and looking at department stores, or in my case some thrift stores (which are still not too cheap). Harajuku can be considered the only exception to buying cheap clothes in Tokyo... but I tend to hate Harajuku for various reasons. The clothes are reasonably prices, with many stores offering generous discounts, but the clothes tend to be cheaply made. I bought a dress and a few shirts, and the dress was falling apart after wearing it once, and thankfully my Japanese host mother can sew! 

For lodging my recommendation is HOSTELS. Now I know what you are thinking, I thought the same, I thought that they were tiny nasty dorm rooms where you all slept in one big room together and shared a bathroom with strangers. Doesn't sound very appealing right? No. I personally have not stayed in a hostel, but a good friend of mine recently traveled all over Japan (on a strict budget) before a trip to Australia, He stayed at a few Hostels and LOVED IT. He said every single one was amazingly clean, the staff was extremely friendly, and he made some amazing friends from all over the world. I did some research, since I am planning on doing some major traveling while I am in Japan for a year, and fell in love with some hostels! They are incredibly cheap and some even include breakfast and some include dinner with a small fee! You are given the option for a private room for a little extra (usually with a shared bathroom only) and the prices range from $10-50 a night, with $50 being the most expensive I saw. There was even a hostel in Nikko (that I 100% plan to visit and stay at) that used to be a ryokan with onsen (hot springs) and that with $20 a night you get to stay at the hostel AND use the onsens... this is an amazing deal! Ryokans with onsens are typically $100-150 a night, and to be able to stay for a measly $20 blows my mind. Anyways, hostels are an incredibly cheap option, and with the hotel prices in Japan, can save you an enormous amount of money. HERE is the site to find hostels. 

Another option is a homestay. Although this option usually appeals to a younger age group (usually high school or college) it is for all ages. HERE is the link to find homestays. I had an amazing experience with my homestay, and these homestay families I have looked at seem to have just as amazing reviews, plus they are cheap and allow better insight into the Japanese style of living and culture. 

These are just a few quick tips to budget travel, I would estimate with A LOT of traveling (I mean you would be in Japan so you gotta see all you can!) and budgeting food to at most $10 a meal... you can look at $700-800 for cheap private room at a hostel (not the cheapest option), high travel costs, and spending money of about $150 for the week added in. Airfare not included. Honestly that is not bad rates, and you can cut the costs down by just exploring Tokyo and its surrounding areas! I truly believe that anyone can afford to travel to Japan if they want to badly enough. Work hard and start saving those pennies as soon as you can! It is achievable and it really is such a fantastic place to visit, I absolutely love it there (hence why this will be my 3rd time). 

Here is my summary for cheap budgeting tips: 

• Eat at 7/11's and convenience stores or cheaper restaurants
• Stay in Hostels instead of hotels and save hundreds of dollars, if you are a student youth hostels are a great option to (you must have valid student ID or be a certain age)
• Don't buy clothes in Japan, shop in surrounding areas like Chiba at department stores and thrift stores
•  Homestays are a good budget travel, and breakfast us usually included, and a home cooked Japanese meal is offered with an additional charge (usually $5)

Check these songs out!

I stumbled upon this song by a Japanese band called ALTIMA. Its pretty awesome, I like her voice and it has good flow, and here are some other awesome songs that I recently started listening to! 

(P.S. isn't this ADAMS- Dizzy love a hilarious video?? He is trying so hard....)

Tell me what you think about these! Also the band "The Pillows" are pretty awesome! 

Japanese commercials!

Okay.... Sorry for all the posts... because my blog is so new I want to at least have something on here! So bear with me while I give it some content, this I will try to update at most once a week! Alright back to business, so I watch these totally cheesy Japanese commercials that get posted and updated every two weeks, they are funny and entertaining while helping with your Japanese language studies. The commercials also can keep you up to date with popular and new bands, products, and events going on in Japan during the time. The videos show all new commercials in each 2 week period, so each video is all new videos, and they count the weeks from the beginning of the year! Enjoy! 

Awesome Promotional Japan Video!

Doesn't this video make you pumped? It shows all the different aspects of Japan that I just adore. In my opinion Japan is really like this, it has 3 different sides to it. With the beautiful traditional aspects, and the amazing modern technologically advanced aspects! check this video out! 

TIPS for traveling to Japan and understanding the culture

Alright, here are 10 tips for packing and traveling to Japan: 

1) Plan what you NEED to bring. I would recommend packing a month before, well not actually PACKING but planning and researching what you need to bring, and if it is a short visit I would recommend 2 weeks before. Packing can be tedious, and there are weight restrictions that you must keep in mind at all times for the baggage fees can be very expensive... and nobody wants to pay those after spending over a $1000 dollars on a plane ticket. I usually begin the packing madness with researching the weather, and making a list of the necessities such as toothbrush, hair products, tennis shoes, shampoo, conditioner, ect. then plan a few outfits, I would pack a weeks worth of outfits, and particularly ones that you can mix and match. ALSO: Japan is EXTREMELY humid and hot in the summer (July and August), and good deodorant is hard to find... so make sure to pack enough deodorant to last you the entire duration of the trip. I also constantly weigh my bags and make sure I understand the flight restrictions on my bags, and these vary by flight carrier. Usually the limit is two 50 pound bags plus a carry on... I flew with delta once and it was two 75 POUND bags plus a carry on... so make sure to check these numbers because they vary. Also about the carry on bag, flights actually to Japan (after the layover flight) are usually small and cramped with people, I have had issues fitting a backpack on the plane, I had to put it under the seat for a 13 hour flight! so make sure you pack enough in your checked bags and only pack a backpack or smaller for a carry on... wouldn't want to have to sit a big bag on your lap for 10+ hours... 

2) In case you didn't read all of #1... BRING YOUR OWN DEODORANT. Japanese deodorant is weak (in my opinion) and it is more expensive than in the US. Also, it is usually spray on deodorant and stick deodorant can be challenging to locate. So point is to bring your own STRONG deodorant and plenty of it, expect to be sweating a lot. 

3) Get your money transferred/ordered BEFORE YOU LEAVE. To get your cash exchanged to yen at a Japanese bank or at the airport (which you should avoid at all costs) can really screw you over. The Japanese bank is the best of these two options, but if you don't speak Japanese well it can be very difficult and confusing process, plus they charge fees for the service. The airport spot to exchange currency is a RIP OFF. It should only be used if it is 100% needed. I once had to exchange money there, and I ended up loosing about 50$ because of fees. They usually calculate fees as a percentage of what you want exchanged, and me being a dumb blonde as usual got a few hundred exchanged to yen. So save yourself some money, look around at your local banks and see where you can get the best deal on getting your cash exchanged to yen!

4) Bring LOTS OF CASH. Japan is expensive, and it is easy to blow through money without even realizing it. Yen comes in bills and coins, and unlike the US dollar the coins can be worth up to 10$. I noticed it is easy to spend the coins because naturally you think "these are coins, they aren't worth much!" and soon you will notice your pocket getting empty. DOWNLOAD A CURRENCY CONVERTER APP. It will be a lifesaver, and you will know exactly how much everything is costing. If you will not have access to a smartphone or an app, look into currency conversion machines. it really will help you to not spend ALL your money.

5) Don't keep all of your cash with you, you will need cash in Japan for it is hard to use credit cards in Japan, and most Japanese places take cash and no credit. I would recommend keeping some cash with you, and some cash in both of your checked bags, so if your purse gets stolen or lost you will still have money in your carry on. I know it sounds scary carrying so much cash on you, but trust me once you make it to Japan your cash is safe. Japan never made me feel unsafe, and once I left something on the train.. waited for it to come back to the station and guess what MY STUFF WAS STILL ON IT!! If you need an ATM that will work with American cards, the 7/11 marts have ATMs that accepted my visa card. but don't forget they charge you extra fees. If you plan on using your card abroad this is very important: ALERT YOUR BANK YOU ARE GOING ABROAD. Give them the exact dates of your trip and your location, if not they will get an alert that your card was used out of the country and to prevent any chance that your card had been stolen, they could cut your card off and try to call or contact you... but you will be abroad without a phone. So to avoid this big mess, tell your bank!

6) Make copies of your passport and keep them in your carry on. This is just precautionary in case (God forbid) you loose your passport while in Japan. I am not sure if this will really help, but I know its better than having nothing, and it's better to be safe than sorry.

7) BRING YOUR OWN MEDICINES. Japanese pain killers such as Ibuprofen and Advil are extremely weak compared to US medicines. They don't even work well on me. Make sure you also bring your own cold medicine and any other allergy medicine you might need. Japanese medicine is also more expensive, and once again if you don't speak Japanese it can be very difficult to find the right one.

8) Expect your hair styling products like a straitener, blow dryer, and curling iron will be a little weaker due to the difference in power watts. Also to find a 3 prong outlet is close to impossible... so if your laptop or any other chargeable items has a 3 prong charger, you might want to look at converters. 

9) Bring your own lotion... this is kinda a weird one. It's not that Japan doesn't have lotion, it is just different that what we are used to using. Face lotion is a white milky liquid that comes in tiny bottles that are quite expensive. The products are nice, but if you like to use a lot of lotion or your skin dries out easily, I would recommend bringing a big bottle of your own. 

10) Make sure to bring comfortable clothes and good walking shoes. Expect to be walking a lot in Japan, and to be on your feet constantly, especially crammed on a train.  A good pair of tennis shoes and some comfy cute clothes to walk through Japan with would be a good choice. 

Alright! Now for some Important culture Tips...

1) DO NOT TIP. ANYWHERE. Tips can be considered rude, and most times they will think that you accidentally left money and chase you down to give it back. Literally run after you. I had a friend get her nails done in Japan with her host mom and she tried to give the lady a tip, when the Japanese woman refused she continued to offer the money saying it was "okay, she earned it". Her host mom yanked the money out of her hand, bowed to the nail tech woman and pushed them out the door embarrassed. It can be seen as very rude, and the Japanese see tips as a gesture saying "I have more money than you, and you are poor so here is some free money". So please remember they get paid more than servers here because they are not getting tips, and even if they give you amazing service (which they usually do) please don't try to tip. 

2) Do not wear revealing shirts. strangely enough you can wear suuuuper short shorts and skirts, but God forbid you wear a low cut shirt or something strapless. women will view you as skanky and it will draw unwanted attention. Now I did wear a strapless low dress once, and I felt like everyone looked at me like I was a prostitute. So keep this in mind while packing and also before you leave to go out. 

3) TAKE YOU SHOES OFF in all the houses you enter. If you walk with your shoes in someones house it is Incredibly RUDE. You will make the home owner very upset and they will have to clean all the floorboards. 

4) BRING GIFTS. Bring more than you think you will need, especially if you are in a homestay program. I brought a gift for each member in my host family, and in return they had gifts waiting at my arrival as well as my departure. I also had extra gifts for when I visited other family homes. Now all the gifts I had made were uniquely "American" and I tried to make them unique to my hometown. I brought stuff from local stores and did some research on things that are hard to get in Japan. Peanut butter is very expensive in Japan, so I brought the jumbo container of Peanut butter, AND THEY LOVED IT. Maple syrup is a good idea too, along with pop-tarts! Message me if you are looking for some more gift ideas! If you run out of gifts and you are visiting a house, go pick up some peaches, some fruit, or a little cake. It is customary to bring a little something when you visit someones home, it does not need to be expensive, its not the monetary value but the thought.

5) Don't POINT at people. This is seen as a very rude gesture, but not as bad as others. I would try to avoid this as much as possible. 

6) Do not stab your rice or food with chopsticks and let them stick up in the air. this is RUDE and it actually means death. So when you are not using your chopsticks, lay them beside your food or across your bowl of rice. 

7) When you are at a restaurant, to get the waitresses attention you yell "sumemasen" meaning excuse me and then they will serve you. some restaurants will have the waiters ask you if you need something, but most of the ones iv'e been to you get the waiters attention when you need it. 

Alright I hope this blog was helpful! Ask any questions you want to ask, and constructive criticism is always appreciated (:

KANSAI GAIDAI Application!

Hello again! So as you all should know I am planning to study abroad at Kansai Gaidai in August of this year (2014). I am planning on being there for an entire year, and let me tell you I AM SO EXCITED. I feel like it is my first time going to Japan again! Here is an awesome video that really gets me pumped up! The campus is absolutely beautiful and HUGE in Japan's standards. Anyways let me explain the whole application process (which is quite tedious). Firstly I attend Appalachian State University in North Carolina, and Kansai Gaidai is a partner school with my university, so my application process is based on a partner school application and not through third parties like ISEP. first and foremost, DO NOT PROCRASTINATE. I began the application TWO months before the deadline, and I turned it in a week before it was due. The process can get overwhelming and disorganized, to keep all my paperwork and forms organized I purchased a binder and tab dividers that were labeled Kansai Gaidai info- where I kept the school brochure and any other information pertaining to the school, Area Info- where I kept all info about Osaka and Kyoto such as places I want to visit or train info, Application Materials- where I kept all the physical application materials such as forms I needed to sign or get signed, Course approvals*- This is the most important one, course approvals allow you to get credit for the courses you take abroad. In this section I had the printout of all the courses offered and the course approval sheet. To get courses approved you must meet with all the chairpersons of that department and have them read the course descriptions and make a decision if they will give you credit, and what the credit will be worth. I personally had to meet with 6 different chairpersons (that require appointments) as well as my adviser multiple times. this tab is the absolute most important. It is by far the most time consuming part of the application process, and once you can overcome this you are golden. 

The other parts of the application process includes a few essays (that were extremely simple), and your basic information. It was time consuming, and to get it in on time it requires planning and organization. My study abroad advisers warned me that a lot of the students that planned to study abroad wouldn't get their application turned in on time, therefore they were not even considered. But no worries over here, I got my application turned in A WEEK before it was due, and they told me I am almost guaranteed to get in.... but you never know! I am still nervous and I keep thinking "what will I do if I don't get in??". I guess I will just have to wait and find out when I hear the feedback! 

Next post I am planning to do will be about travel tips and Japanese culture tips to remember! 

PLEASE leave comments/questions about anything! I would also like to know what you like and what you didn't like about the blog! 

First blog post!

First blog post! Hello to whoever is reading this! Let me say a couple of interesting things about myself. I have studied abroad in Tokyo, Japan before through a program called LABO, and if you are under 18 years old I HIGHLY recommend it... Even if you don't know much about Japan. It is a very affordable program and you have 2 options from a month homestay  or a month long homestay in Tokyo with Japanese language classes. I stayed a little over 2 months and did both the plain ol' homestay and the language classes. The grand total (with loads of spending money calculated in) it came to about $6000... I know at first that sounds like a lot of dough, but with the experience, the classes, AND airfare... It's the best deal you will ever have. Because of this program I became extremely close to my host family, and even 2 years later I talk to them at least once a week. Last year I returned to Tokyo and spent another month with them! (I'm telling you guys MAKE FRIENDS IN JAPAN it saves you LOADS of money because you can visit them and usually stay and visit for free and not pay ridiculous amounts of money for
A hotel). 

Alright so I went to school in Tokyo, but I lived in an adorable little town called makuharihongo in Chiba. Everyday I had to take an hour train ride (which I strangely miss) to school. I LOVE Chiba, I don't think just anyone will like Chiba though, it's not a tourist location aside from Tokyo Disneyland is located there, it's Just authentically "Japanese" and it allowed me to  experience Japanese culture without all the gaijin (foreigners) around and about. I also lived in another small town called Shiga, it was about an hour from Kyoto. Not going to lie... I HATED it. It was too rural for me. My house was surrounded by rice fields with not much to explore after a month. Kyoto was okay, but it is a lot of sightseeing and not much to actually do. I went to Osaka twice and enjoyed it, I seem to quite like the city atmosphere since I adored Tokyo so much. 

The place that I loved the most was probably my trip to Hakone... It was so breathtakingly beautiful. I got to experience a true Japanese hot spring and it was amazing. I also had the opportunity to go to some really awesome museums like the Hakone open air museum and the Venetian glass museum. I actually might just do an entire post on my trip to Hakone and add bunches of pictures. Anywho, it's a wonderful place to visit just 2 hours
Away from Tokyo.  

Alright, here is my probably very shitty first blog post... I hope to get the hang of it soon. I plan on posting a ton of pictures from my past trips and some good travel advice. I had to learn the hard way on some things. But to whoever reads this, if you have any questions feel free to ask! Thanks for reading! (: