Japan Vacation

[robert k]

I think she will need a Visa. 

Japan is expensive but worth it. It was busy and crowded when I went there. I'm sure it is even busier and more crowded now.  I loved Japan. Spent my time in Ikebulero. traveled by train to Sendai for a jazz concert. 

I agree with Ed. My nephew was possibly going to be deployed to Japan on temporary duty and I said it would be a great experience just that he better eat on base and not even think of getting a room off base even overnight at the rate he was going to be paid. A PFC doesn't earn that much.

[Gratefuled]

 

I think she will need a Visa. 

Japan is expensive but worth it. It was busy and crowded when I went there. I'm sure it is even busier and more crowded now.  I loved Japan. Spent my time in Ikebulero. traveled by train to Sendai for a jazz concert. 

I agree with Ed. My nephew was possibly going to be deployed to Japan on temporary duty and I said it would be a great experience just that he better eat on base and not even think of getting a room off base even overnight at the rate he was going to be paid. A PFC doesn't earn that much.

 

That's funny. Actually, not all food is expensive. Only if you eat like a tourist at tourist places. I ate OSOBA every day. sometimes 2 bowls. I don't know of nor have I ever heard of anyone getting sick on street vendors food. Japan is very very clean compared to the Philippines. Your nephew will rave about Japan when he returns.

[ManilaBae]

I flew with Jetstar from Manila to Osaka 2 years ago, and it was a great experience. The plane was modern, the flight was smooth and the route gave me a beautiful view of the Sierra Madre Mountains and the Batanes islands up north. If you do choose to fly with them, make sure you bring snacks and drinks that'd last you 3 and a bit hours, as inflight food was quite pricey.

Furthermore, Jetstar has just released new direct flights from/to Tokyo and Nagoya ( http://newsroom.jetstar.com/jetstar-japan-offers-new-low-fares-services-from-tokyo-osaka-and-nagoya-to-manila/ ). Time your ticket purchase during one of their specials to avail cheaper ticket prices. Japan is well worth the expense.

[AlwaysRt]

2 hours ago, ManilaBae said:

Japan is well worth the expense.

...of p50/day? p50,000/day? p50,000 because you have p1,000,000 in savings? or even though you had p40,000 and it will take 2 months to pay off the credit card?

Not being picky or picking on you, just that general vague statements like this have no meaning. The more details there are, the more it will help other members apply the information to their situation and help them decide what to do. 

[ManilaBae]

1 hour ago, AlwaysRt said:

...of p50/day? p50,000/day? p50,000 because you have p1,000,000 in savings? or even though you had p40,000 and it will take 2 months to pay off the credit card?

Not being picky or picking on you, just that general vague statements like this have no meaning. The more details there are, the more it will help other members apply the information to their situation and help them decide what to do. 

You're right. I should have explained myself to the poster why I believe Japan is worth the expense, especially when I've been there more than 10x.

The reason why I frequent Japan is because I am a sucker for skiing, and Hokkaido has some of the world's best snow. So whenever I can, I head to Niseko and environs as its only a 12 hr journey (end-to-end) from Sydney, which beats my 6 hr driving to our nearest ski field all for an expensive and rather disappointing snow trip. Beyond the skiing, Japan offers incredible and unique cultural experiences ranging from interesting train rides in Tokyo (heated seats in winter, musical chimes and timeliness) to the wonderful walks in Kiyomizu-dera and the Gion district in Kyoto, which takes you back to the Imperial times. There' are plenty of activities and places to cover in Japan, and 1 trip is not enough to experience most of what it offers. The ubiquity of quality food is fantastic and much is owed to the attention and care that Japanese people seem to have (head to a dept store foodcourt to see what I mean). Lastly, shopping in Tokyo is unlike anywhere else in Asia. The range of products and brands at your disposal, to me, is almost unfathomable. There's even a multi-storey dept store in Tokyo dedicated to men's stuff.

As for your point about the per diem expense, I tend to budget on the high side (approx US$600 per day) as I usually stay either in 5 star hotels or in ryokans (approx $300+ per night). However, it is possible to do it on the cheap by opting to stay in love or business hotels (approx $70-$150) and dining in many fine ramen shops ($5-$15) or even 7-11 sandwiches ($3-$5, and theyre really good). So, irrespective of your budget, my belief is that the experiences you gain from having to see Japan is well worth any amount of money you spend.

Edited March 5, 2016 by ManilaBae

[canadamale]

wow lots of good info here. I know my gf is really looking forward to Japan (so am I). The visa does seem more complicated than I first thought. Although the gf was telling me it should only take a week to approve. The thing that worries me the most is her visa being declined by the Japanese embassy. Reason being she has no gainful employment to return too and owns no property. She  has traveled with me to Singapore with me and returned. There is also the option of going through a travel agency on a package vacation and they do all the visa. We may do this. If the visa application is not successful Hong Kong is the alternative. The plan is too go the last week of April.

[Sander Martin]

I flew Manila to Osaka with Jetstar. It was an ok cheap flight. About 4500pesos now one way on Momondo. I remember paying about 3000pesos while it was on a sale.

Not a bad price for a 4h flight.

I dont consider Japan expensive (it is if your on a shoestring budget). I had a private simple rooms in Osaka for about 700 pesos a night (1-2 stops with metro awey) - try to get a good clean comfy room with AC and a free unlimited Sauna entrance for that money in the Phills... Food was well priced. For 10aud (350peso) i could get a fixed meal with a pint of beer in a restaurant. Im a big boy and i allways left with my tummy really full. Bought most my lunches from 7-11. Fresh salads etc, not the sh&t Phillipines 7-11 has. 

Went Osaka-Nagoya-Nagano-Tokyo-Osaka in 2.5week. Im definitely planing on going back.

Edited March 10, 2016 by Sander Martin

[canadamale]

here we are in Hong Kong, flew Phil air,  31053 peso, BP International Hotel I would say it is maybe 3 stars for 3601.52 a night. Gf got pulled aside at the airport and question for approx. 15 min. as to why she was traveling to Hong Kong. Myself I just waltzed through. Same thing in PH. Gf paid her departure tax of 1620 peso and when she was to go through customs she was pulled aside. Something wrong with the receipt. Now a drink in the lounge and then brace myself for the malls tomorrow.

[canadamale]

spent the day going through street markets, then off to ocean park. Enjoyed watching the pandas. Then more shopping,  shoes this time aaaaarg. The gf says see likes Hong Kong more than Singapore, myself not so sure. Now back to trying to get the Japanese visa. The street markets remind me of Green Hills Mall Quezon City, except here they never seem to end, unbelievable how many stalls, Ladies Market itself is over 3km of stalls. I did enjoy haggaling over prices, more than I thought I would. Still over paid on everything I am sure. At least the shoes were bought in a reputable mall so they should be original brand name. All in all a enjoyable trip, the gf says she enjoyed so that is good enough foe me. One thing the traffic flows so much better here than in Manila, it is amazing what some coordinated street lights a good bus and subway system and drivers actually fallowing some rules of the road can accomplish. The taxi drivers actually give change without asking. go figure haha. Evan so I still miss PH, back for a few days and then back too work. 

[Gratefuled]

I love Japan. I was there for a summer vacation back when I was single and younger. I probably will not ever return. My wife would need a visa and she said that she would rather visit Thailand. I would prefer to visit China again. China is very modern and clean. The only problem with China is that very very few Chinese speak English or understand it but the interior is very nice.