Tokyo is NOT that expensive!
Written: Jul 20 '03
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Product Rating:
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Pros: modern yet exotic city, safe, excellent transportation system
Cons: muggy summers, easy to get lost, ugly
The Bottom Line: A completely modern city with exotic touches, less expensive than you think
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| pdxtran's Full Review: Tokyo |
I've lived in Tokyo and visited it on eight subsequent occasions over the past 25 years, and granted, Tokyo isn't Vietnam-cheap, but it's no more expensive than any other major First World city, especially if you know what you're doing.
You've heard the horror stories about $200 cab rides from the airport. What those horror stories fail to mention is that the airport is 60km (40 miles) out of town, so you'd be much wiser to take a train (about $15-$25, depending on which line you take) or a bus ($25).
The hotels listed on the Epinions site are all on the expensive side, which gives a false impression of what it costs to stay in Tokyo. This site does not list the hundreds of so-called "business hotels," where you will get a tiny but clean,safe, and well-equipped single with bath for $60. These aren't the capsule hotels, either. They have beds, desks, TVs, closets, and bathrooms, and in some cases, the price includes a breakfast buffet. Unlike many cities, you can go for the cheaper hotels and not have to worry about running into the less reputable elements.
If you're on a lower budget than that, try one of the youth hostels or look for advertisements for "gaijin houses" in the English-language press. The gaijin houses usually require a minimum stay of a week, they have a college dorm atmosphere, and they vary tremendously in quality, but you can find them for about $200 a week or less.
If you need long-term accommodations but feel too old or too dignified for a gaijin house, try the Tokyu Stay chain of apartment hotels. In April 2002, I spent a month in the Monzen-Nakacho branch for about $1600. I got a studio room with a bed, bed table, dresser, desk, lounge chair, round table, balcony, TV, broadband Internet connection, kitchen sink, cooktop, microwave, dishes, cooking utensils, refrigerator, full bathroom, and even a small washer-dryer. At this particular branch, the price includes toast, rolls, and coffee/tea every morning. The room was cleaned once a week, and we had full hotel front desk services. It was fun meeting my fellow residents, who came from all over the world. The prices vary from branch to branch, but I would not hesitate to stay at one of their places again.
Monzen-Nakacho is within walking distance of the center of the city if you're ambitious, and it's at the intersection of two subway lines. But the neighborhood itself is largely residential and untouristed. That means that it's full of restaurants and stores that cater to middle-class Japanese families, not to foreign business people on expense accounts.
For example, I went to the neighborhood's 100-yen shop and bought a cereal bowl, some hand lotion, and a set of coat hangers, each for 100 yen, or about 80 cents. None of these were high-quality, but they were fine for a temporary stay.
My first night in Tokyo, I got a hankering for a tempura dinner, so I just walked up and down the main street of the neighborhood until I found a tempura specialty restaurant that offered full meals (seafood and/or veggie tempura of your choice, pickled vegetables, soup, and rice) with tea for between $5 and $10. These prices were typical of the neighborhood restaurants.
Just walk around and check out the prices next to the plastic models or photos in the window. If a restaurant doesn't list its prices in the window, you probably can't afford it.
Convenience stores have hit Japan in a big way, and even though they're *called* 7-11 or Lawson's, they sell reasonable Japanese-style box lunches, snacks, and beverages, as well as basic groceries.
If you can find a shrine or temple festival, try some of the goodies available from the vendors there.
If you go to a restaurant, never order a beverage other than water unless the menu specifically says that it comes with the meal. It may cost as much as the meal.
If you're a coffee drinker, try to get your caffeine fix from a vending machine or a fast food outlet. Like Starbucks in the U.S., Japanese coffee bars are intended for leisurely sipping, and they have prices to match.
If you have a Japan Rail Pass (and I heartily recommend it if you're traveling around at all), you can use it to ride the JR commuter lines. You can also get a debit card that you can use to pay for rides on all subways and private commuter lines. The transportation system is so good and so complete that you should avoid cabs unless you have a lot of luggage or are trapped somewhere after midnight. For one things, cabs are really, really expensive, starting at $5 for the first *100 meters.*
It's easy to get lost in Tokyo--even Japanese people get lost--but if you're going to do any extensive exploring, get the Tokyo City Atlas (published by Kodansha), available in most English-language bookstores. Since everything is written in both English and Japanese, you can ask passersby for help with directions.
I could go on and on, but I hope that this is enough to convince you that you can indeed afford Tokyo. It is ugly and completely modern, yet with fascinating Eastern touches and an endless store of things to see and do. There are still major sites that I haven't had a chance to get to yet.
Recommended:
Yes
Best Time to Travel Here: Mar - May
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Epinions.com ID:
pdxtran
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Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota
Reviews written: 4
Trusted by: 0 members
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