One question: how much?

[Tachikoma]

I *might* have convinced the Mrs to let us go to Japan on holiday in a year or so.

I just need to know how much living expenses are likely to run to, I know the prices of the flights, hotel, JRail pass etc etc. I just need a rough idea of living expenses per person per day. I don't want to go purely for shopping (infact thats the last thing on my mind) and will be going to the quieter areas as we will have the baby (well, will be toddler by then) and I want to relax.

Also recommendations for nice scenic places to visit, temples etc as well as cheap places to eat.

I might have watched enough anime by that time to actually contruct some more useable sentences as well.

[Yakumo]

hmm, eat in fast food places and family restaurants and you can survive on about 3000 yen to 5000 yen a day. Buy food from the super market and you can survive on 1000 to 2000 yen per day. If you're coming in the summer you'll buy a shit load of drinks and you'll need them. !! A typhoon is due here in 6 hours yet it's still a comfortable 29 degrees Celsius and it's 1.40am !!

Yakumo

[Tachikoma]

Cool, I was thinking more in the 20,000 yen sort of range per day (for everyone) for food/drinks/snacks etc.

Do you know if most of the scenic areas are "family friendly" with stuff like baby changing rooms? I don't know what the situation is in Japan for things like unisex toilets with changing facilities.

I was thinking of spring/autumn as it will be a lot cooler, but not bitterly cold. Would be nice to go earlier in the year as all our birthdays are then.

We are looking at a package holiday with 3 days in Kyoto then 2 days in Tokyo, so we get to see some of the more sedate side, and get to blow all our remaining cash on the last 2 day's in Tokyo.

[GaijinPunch]

Come in April or May... avoid June like the plague. April is nice, but you'll need a jacket... a coat if you're unlucky. May is beautiful. June sucks balls, b/c of the rainy season.
20,000 yen a day for 3 people? That would probably work okay. Just be careful, it's really easy to blow money here. I had already gone through like $200 within 10 minutes of getting out of customs. 0_o

Any shitter outside will likely not have a place to change a baby. You might get lucky in a McDonalds though. In all honesty, I have no clue. Don't have kids.

One other thing -- miles are your friend. My wife got me a business class ticket on miles she got from buying just about everything on her credit card for a year or so. Yeah, it's a cheaper ticket in general from Hawaii, but you get the idea.

[AntiPasta]

From my experience, at least the Shinkansen had baby changing rooms.

And I seem to have set the record for eating cheap in Japan: probably because of the heat, my appetite was way below normal, so I got by entirely on breakfast and supper. Breakfast I bought at Shop 99 for 200 yen (6 slices of bread for 99y and a can of tuna for 99y, not much for luxury, but I didn't mind), and I usually had dinner for 500 yen (either McDonalds or a Ramen place) or somewhat more (an Izagaya restaurant), or for free (talking to bussinessmen on the train and getting free dinner once :P)

Hey, I needed the money to buy those 1,000 yen beers at Club 911 :angry

[ASSEMbler]

If you're bringing a woman (not to be sexist) it's going to cost a lot to have a standard of living that a western woman would be used to.

I would suggest try making arrangements to stay at a traditional inn, they are cheaper, and a nice experience.

[AntiPasta]

...otherwise, I can direct you the a gaijin house in Ichikawa that cost me about 2,000 yen a night or 30,000 yen for 4 weeks, approximately. Not luxurious by any means, but definitely easy on the budget.

[ASSEMbler]

Gaijin house you have to deal with people from all walks of life, none too intimate.

[Tachikoma]

The accomodation is sorted, usual 4 star tourist special job, it's a package deal with the flights, it's just the eating out expenses and general stuff I wanted to know about.

My only concern is feeding the "baby" we can eat Japanese food all day every day, but he is not used to it, and I don't want to stuff him full of burgers while we are there.

Still, it will be a good while until we go (if we do) so, there is plenty of time to acclimatise him.

"Come on George, say 'Two ramen and an assorted Nigiri please' in Japanese"

[Yakumo]

Don't worry about baby food Tachikoma. You can buy Japanese baby food. Tastes just the same. Just don't ask me how I know :p

Yakumo

[Tachikoma]

Well he will be about 18 months old by the time we go, so jars of sweet potato and beef baby food will be a little defunct.

Tastes the same? you can't have been that drunk/hard up????

[RyanGamerGoneGrazy]

Don't worry about baby food Tachikoma. You can buy Japanese baby food. Tastes just the same. Just don't ask me how I know :p

Yakumo

Do we honestly want to Know*







*retorical

[Kotodama]

yes*



*yes I saw the 'rhetorical'

[ASSEMbler]

Yakumo, the whole world is wondering.

:ayashi:ayashi:ayashi:ayashi:ayashi:ayashi !

[Yakumo]

Let's just say that my nephew was here about 6 months ago and the little bugger wouldn't eat his food until I took a bite :( Surprisingly it didn't taste that bad.

Yakumo

[dickibow]

:smt082 LOL - That's funny!

[RyanGamerGoneGrazy]

Let's just say that my nephew was here about 6 months ago and the little bugger wouldn't eat his food until I took a bite :( Surprisingly it didn't taste that bad.

Yakumo

he made you more than one bite right?...lol....thats a good tale....what do you have to do when he has to use the bathroom?

[Paulo]

http://www.sakura-hotel.co.jp//sakur...es.html#double



Found this place seems nice for £40ish a night for a couple...

[WanganRunner]

I'd recommend at least one night at a Ryokan, lots of fun.

You'll blow money like mad in Tokyo (I did). I didn't go through cash nearly as fast down in Kansai, I'd recommend spending at least some time down there, lots to see. Himeji castle is right there, Kyoto sights, Kobe is a fun city to walk around in, do Osaka for a day, etc...