Just An Ordinary Girl

Total Cost Breakdown For 2 Persons
Expenses	Japanese Yen	Malaysia Ringgit (1000 Yen = RM 36.95)
Flight		RM 4,200.00
Super Hotel Lohas (Tokyo) * 3 Nights	45,000.00 JPY  + 1,200 JPY Accommodation Tax	RM 1703.57
Kyoto Airbnb * 2 Nights		RM 630.00
Osaka Airbnb * 2 Nights		RM 996.00
Osaka AirTerminal Hotel  * 1 Night	13,200.00 JPY + 200 JPY Accommodation Tax	RM 496.42
Less: Airbnb Refund		(RM 839.91)
Entrance Fee (Shinjuku Gyoen)	1,000.00 JPY	RM 36.95
Entrance Fee (Disneysea)		RM 561.58
Entrance Fee (Kyoto Botanic Gardens)	400.00 JPY	RM 14.78
Entrance Fee (Osaka Expo 70’ Park)	500.00 JPY	RM 18.48
Entrance Fee (Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan)	4,200.00 JPY	RM 169.97
Transportation (ICOCA Card)	17,454.00 JPY	RM 644.93
Transportation (Shinkansen)	21,600.00 JPY	RM 807.89
Transportation (Keisei Skyliner)	4,400.00 JPY	RM 164.72
Transportation (Bus to Lake Kawaguchiko)	7,800.00 JPY	RM 294.72
Transportation (Airport Limousine Bus)	1,280.00 JPY	RM 47.30
Food & Beverages	51,928.02 JPY	RM 1918.74
Misc (Pocket Wifi Rental)		RM 127.00
Misc (Luggage Storage)	2,000 JPY	RM 73.90
Shopping / Souvenirs	47,492.00 JPY	RM 1,754.83
TOTAL		RM 13,821.87

Before our trip, I was worried that we might overspend because the Cherry Blossom season is known to be one of the most expensive time of the year to travel in Japan. But fortunately, we still managed to stay within our travel budget.

Even so, it was still A LOT of money, but for us, it is worth every penny spent. While Japan is not prohibitively expensive, it is definitely not a budget travel destination too. With careful planning and little bit of restraint, it is still possible to keep your Japan travel cost low.

How Much Money Do You Need?

How much money does it cost to travel Japan? Well, it depends. It is impossible for me to answer how much you will need to travel in Japan because it depends greatly on your travel styles and preference.

We brought about 128,000 JPY cash to Japan and had a leftover of 2,000 JPY. The cash is used to pay for transportation, food, entrance fees and shopping. So if you worked it out, that was 126,000 JPY cash, which is about RM 4,660 for a 9 days trip for two persons.

We actually made very little attempt to travel on a budget, but we did not really splurge on food this time. You might actually end up spending a lot more or less for your trip depending on your personal preference and spending habits. Of course, the exchange rate fluctuations can also have a huge impact on your travel budget. It was relatively cheaper for me to visit Japan this time (1,000 JPY = RM 36.95) as compared to 3 years ago (1,000 JPY = RM 40.30)

Airfare

We flew with Japan Airlines from Kuala Lumpur to Tokyo and from Osaka back to Kuala Lumpur again. The flight costs RM 2,100 per person and it was not the cheapest. Malaysia Airlines was selling the flight ticket at RM 1,800 per person at the time we were booking. But being a loyal fan of Japan Airlines, we decided to pay RM 300 more just to fly on our favorite airline.

So, if you are someone who does not actually care which airline you fly with, you can consider booking your flight with Malaysia Airlines. It will help you to save some money. But Malaysia Airlines might not always be cheaper. Make sure you compare the prices first before booking.
I do not really recommend booking your flight to Japan with Airasia because I find it not good value for money. It was not cheap too, often costing the same as Japan and Malaysia Airlines after adding in the extra baggage, seat selection, in-flight meals and beverages.

We booked the flight to Japan about 10 months before the trip. I really recommend that you book as early as you can. The later you book, the more expensive the flight ticket will be. Furthermore, we were visiting during a peak season, so demand will be high, which will push up the prices.

Our Experience With Japan Airlines

The legroom is not particularly spacious, but is enough for one to stretch out and relax. Japan Airlines uses the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner. It is lightweight, very quiet and faster than any other aircrafts I have flown on. We were surprised because we usually arrived at our destination earlier than expected time. The  toilet is pretty spacious too and is even equipped with a washlet! Disposable toothbrushes are also provided for passengers who would like to brush their teeth after flying through the night.


The flight attendants were very professional, attentive and extremely polite. Immediately after take off, we were given a bottle of mineral water, followed by a cheese croissant and drink of our choice. The croissant was fresh and delicious. I wish I could have extra.

3 hours before landing, we were served breakfast. We were not given an option to choose. Everyone was given an egg omelette with some potatoes, broccoli and sausage. It was served together with salad, yogurt, some fruits and a croissant.

We had an equally pleasant flight back home as well. Service was great and we felt that we were well taken care of.  We were given a light snack (rice crackers) and a drink upon taking off. Lunch was served 4 hours before landing. We were given a choice of Mapo Tofu rice or beef steak. Both of us chose Mapo Tofu rice and we were asked whether we would like to have some Miso soup, which I gladly say yes. Food was nice and served hot. After lunch, we were given Haagen-Dazs ice cream for dessert.

2 hours before landing, we were given cheese bread and it was very tasty. I love the bread served by Japan Airlines. They were so delicious! Overall, we have a really enjoyable experience flying with Japan Airlines.

Accommodation

We usually stay in Airbnb apartments, somewhere near to the train stations. You can save so much money by staying in Airbnb apartments than hotels. Hotels are very expensive in Japan, especially during the peak seasons. A typical  3-star business hotel generally costs between RM 500 to RM 700 a night. While it is possible to book an Airbnb apartment for RM 300 to 400 per night. Furthermore, Airbnb apartments actually offer a bigger space than hotels. Hotel rooms in Japan are generally tiny and I always find them not value for money.

But unfortunately, the Japanese government has recently implemented a new minpaku law to legalized home sharing in the country, causing tens of thousands of bookings being cancelled and 80% of the listings being removed from Airbnb website. The law requires owners to register their listing and display a license number on their listing page. This caused the price of Airbnb apartments to increase due to lower supply and higher demand.

Cancellation

I have 3 of my Airbnb bookings cancelled too - 2 in Tokyo and 1 in Osaka. The two apartments that I have booked in Tokyo have obtained licenses to operate, but were cancelled by the hosts due to personal reasons. Even though I was given full refunds, I was annoyed because I have search for another accommodation and ended up paying more.

After the second cancellation, I decided to book a hotel instead. I cannot risk another room cancellation and booking a hotel will guarantee that I have a place to stay upon arriving in Tokyo. As expected, room prices are expensive. It costs me RM 500 ++ a night for a super tiny room located 10 minutes walk away from Ikebukuro station. I wanted to stay somewhere near the Shinjuku station, but hotel prices were way beyond my budget.

The apartment that I have booked in Osaka, on the other hand, does not have a license. I actually contacted the host to confirm whether the listing is legalized before I booked. The host ensured me that he has obtained the license to host and that was why I booked, only to be cancelled.

So, as a compensation, Airbnb has offered me a coupon worth 100% of the booking value to use on a future Airbnb experience (on top of a full refund), and giving a USD $100 coupon for an Airbnb experience. My cancelled Airbnb booking was RM 839.91 and I had received a coupon of the same amount from Airbnb as a compensation. Due to that, I have saved some money on accommodation for this trip.

Accommodation tax

For our last night in Osaka, we have to stay at Osaka Air Terminal Hotel located at Itami Airport as we have an early flight to catch. Our flight from Osaka to Kuala Lumpur required us to transfer in Narita International Airport.

Osaka Prefecture has implemented an accommodation tax on 01st January 2017. Guests who are staying in a hotel, inn or certified Minpaku (Airbnb) in Osaka are required to taxes upon checking in
the tax payable depends on the room rates. The tax amount is as below:

Osaka Room Rates (Per Night)	Tax Amount (Per Person/ Per Night)
Under 10,000 JPY	Tax Free
10,000 JPY – 14,999 JPY	100 JPY
15,000 JPY – 19,999 JPY	200 JPY
Above 20,000 JPY	300 JPY

I am not sure whether the accommodation tax applies to Airbnb rentals because I did not see this additional cost included in the price breakdown when I booked . The hosts might have included the tax in the room price.

But for hotel, we have paid accommodation tax of 100 JPY per person for a night at Osaka Air Terminal Hotel. It was not a lot, but still can add up to a considerable amount.

The bad news is the accommodation tax is not only implemented in Osaka, but also Tokyo and Kyoto. In fact, Tokyo was the first city to implemented this tax in Japan. Below shows the tax amount for Tokyo.

Tokyo Room Rates (Per Night)	Tax Amount (Per Person/ Per Night)
Under 10,000 JPY	Tax Free
10,000 JPY – 14,999 JPY	100 JPY
Above 15,000 JPY	200 JPY

Our accommodation in Tokyo costs us 45,000 JPY for 3 nights, which was 15,000 JPY per night. As a result, we have to pay an additional of 1,200 JPY tax to the hotel on top of the room fee. The accommodation tax just made Japan so much more expensive to visit.

For Kyoto, the amount is as below:

Kyoto Room Rates (Per Night)	Tax Amount (Per Person / Per Night)
Under 20,000 JPY	200 JPY
20,000 JPY – 50,000 JPY	500 JPY
Above 50,000 JPY	1,000 JPY

Kyoto has imposed a higher accommodation tax than Osaka and Tokyo. It actually discourages me from staying in the city for too long.

Entrance Fees

For this trip, we have spent a total of RM 801.76 on entrance fees. It is quite a considerable amount of money because we visited Tokyo Disneysea and Osaka Aquarium. I usually limit our sightseeing to free attractions like temples, shrines and gardens most of the time when we travel. But this time, we decided to pay the hefty admission fee to Disneysea for a different experience.

We also visited quite a few gardens that charge an entrance fee, ranging from 200 JPY to 500 JPY. Even though the entrance fees were not particularly expensive, it still added up to quite a substantial amount.

Transportation
Transportation is very expensive in Japan. During our 9 days in Japan, we relied heavily on trains and buses to get around.  Public transport in Japan is clean, reliable, punctual and highly efficient. Most of the trains in Japan have cushioned seats, so it is often very comfortable. I can say that the rail system in Japan is absolute the best in the world!


But, it is also well-known that the train system is very confusing, complex and busy in Japan, especially in Tokyo. In fact, Tokyo has the most extensive and most used train network in the world, carrying 40 millions passengers a day.

At the first sight, it looks impossible to find our way around all these colored lines. I was overwhelmed by the train system upon arrival and do not have the confident to navigate around Tokyo.

We got on the wrong trains a number of times and often lost our way in the train stations. It was difficult to remember the way because there were so many exits. We spent most of our train rides with our eyes glued to the information screen that shows the current and next stations, worrying that we will miss our station even though the announcements are in Japanese and English. It was stressful and it does not help when the trains were always packed with people.

But after a few days, it gets easier. With the help of Hyperdia, we knew how to get from station to station. It helps us to plan our route and calculate the cost the travel.

During our 9 days in Japan, we spent a total of RM 1,959.56 on transportation. That was A LOT of money! The reason for the high cost was because of our Shinkansen ride from Tokyo to Kyoto, which cost RM 807.89 (around RM 404 per person).

We did not purchase the JR Pass which everyone recommend because it does not pay off'. A 7 days JR pass costs 29,110 JPY. which is around RM 1,076 per person. But we did not even spent that much on transportation per person. It will be cheaper to pay the fare as we go, with an IC card.

IC cards are rechargeable cards that can be conveniently used pay fare on public transportation by touching the card on the reader. There are 10 major IC cards in Japan and you can use them interchangeably. Just in case you are wondering, we were using an ICOCA card that we got from our previous Japan trip for our trip this time. I really recommend getting an IC card so that you do not have to stop to buy tickets constantly.

Furthermore, JR pass  can only used on JR lines. JR trains are pretty limited in Osaka and Kyoto. You will actually find yourself using the private subway lines more than the JR line in Osaka and Kyoto. Besides that, the JR pass cannot be used on buses too.


We used the buses to get around a lot because it is so much cheaper. However, buses takes a longer time and are often less comfortable than trains. Therefore, we only use buses if the price difference is really huge.

Anyway, JR pass will pay itself off if you will taking multiple trips on Shinkansen, travelling through multiple cities. Since we were only taking a one way ride from Tokyo to Kyoto, the pass will not pay itself off.

Food & Beverages

We did not really splurge on food on this trip. There were a few nights in Tokyo when we had instant cup noodles for dinner. It was not because we wanted to save money on food. For some reason, we find it hard to find a decent restaurant to eat in Tokyo. It was intimidating to navigate through the cramped and crowded alley. Furthermore, it was cold, wet and windy during the time when we visited Japan. So it was nice to have hot instant noodles in our hotel room on a freezing cold night than walking on the streets, searching around for something to eat.

Most of the time, we try to eat inexpensively like a local when we were not eating instant noodles. We usually had convenience stores onigiri rice balls and sandwiches for breakfast. Convenience stores are really the cheapest place to get decent food. Other than Onigiri rice balls and sandwiches, the convenience stores also offer an assortment of fresh food, warm and cold, including Bento boxes, Soba, Udon, Oden, Yakitori and even trays of Sushi! You can get hot and cold coffee from the convenience stores, as well as a huge variety of delicious snacks to munch on whenever you are hungry.

During our time in Japan, we mostly eat at Ramen restaurants, Soba Restaurants, Izakayas, Tempura restaurants and also fast food restaurants like McDonalds and KFC where the price of food usually range between 700 JPY to 1,500 JPY. It was not cheap, but still considered quite affordable in Japan.

Pocket Wifi Rental
A pocket Wifi is one of the most important item when you travel to Japan. It enables you to stay connected to the internet and access to Hyperdia and Google Maps anytime and anywhere.

Free public Wifi is not readily available in Japan. You might not be able to connect to the free Wifi even when it is available. So the best option is to rent a portable pocket wifi device.

We rented our pocket Wifi from Travel Recommends for RM 12 per day. But Travel Recommends is currently having a promotion where you can enjoy a 15% off when you book with a Visa credit or debit card or a 30% off when you book with a Visa Platinum, Signature or Infinite card. I forgot to key in the promotion code when I booked my pocket wifi online. so I ended up paying more than what I am supposed to. What a stupid mistake I have made!

There are many companies that provide pocket Wifi rental in Japan. The reason why I chose Travel Recommends is simply because I have used them for many of my overseas trips. So far, my experience were good. The pocket Wifi comes in a pouch, with charging cable and a universal adapter. It was usable the moment we landed in Japan and connection was fast and reliable.

We enjoyed extensive Wifi coverage all over Japan and have no problem accessing to the internet most of the time. The battery life lasts for about 10 to 12 hours, allowing multiple devices to connect at a time.

Luggage Storage

We have to pay for luggage storage twice during our trip when we were in Osaka. Since we were staying at an Airbnb apartment, we could not leave our luggage with the host before checking in or after checking on. Of course, it will be a different case if you are staying at a hotel.

It is difficult to go sightseeing with your bulky luggage and I am sure nobody would like to do that. While most people like to store their luggage in coin lockers, we prefer to store our luggage at a luggage storage counter.

This is because we always find it hard to find an empty coin locker that is large enough for our luggage. The coin lockers are usually full, especially in popular, crowded tourist areas. It will be easier for us to store our luggage at a luggage storage counter instead of coin lockers, and sometimes, it is cheaper to do so. However, the bad thing is most of the luggage storage counter only operates until 6 pm. This means that you have to collect your luggage before 6 pm. Therefore, coin lockers will be a better option for people who need to leave their luggage for a longer time.

Luggage storage counter usually charge 500 JPY to 1,000 JPY per luggage depending on locations. The charges are generally higher in Tokyo than Osaka.

- Baggage Storage Service at Kyoto Station
- Baggage Storage Service at OCAT, Osaka

Shopping
Japan is a shopping paradise with numerous-floor big malls or small local markets, never-ending shopping arcades, small crafts shops, drugstores, supermarkets and convenience stores selling everything from traditional handcrafts and beauty products to local food, latest electronic devices and fashion brands. It is hard to resist the temptation to shop in Japan and often, we will find ourselves overspend on shopping.

In total, we spent RM 1,754.83 on shopping in Japan, mainly on snacks and beauty products. My husband also bought a pair of sports shoes because it is cheaper to buy it in Japan than in Malaysia. Read my Snacks & Beauty Haul if you are curious to know what we bought in Japan!

9D8N Tokyo - Kyoto - Osaka Trip Itinerary 

The below shows the places we have covered during the 9 days (27th March 2019 - 05th April 2019) we spent in Japan. You can use this itinerary as a guide to help to plan your trip to Japan.
As usual, all the places in the itinerary below will be slowly linked to individual blog posts that will follow in the next few months. So be sure to follow me on Facebook to get the latest updates on my 9 days adventures in Japan!



Our itinerary includes the following:

Tokyo > Mount Fuji > Tokyo > Kyoto > Osaka

We spent 3 nights in Tokyo, 2 nights in Kyoto and 3 nights in Osaka. This time, we did not take any side trip from Tokyo, Kyoto or Osaka due to time constraints. Most of the time was spent exploring the attractions within the cities, searching for Cherry Blossom. The cold weather also slowed us down and I was also constantly hungry and feeling sick. I actually a lot of time researching about our trip to Japan and planning this itinerary, but in the end, we have dropped a few places on our planned itinerary because we were really tired.

Total Distance Travelled

Below shows the total number of steps and distance we have travelled on foot during our 8 days in Japan. The following data are tracked and captured by my Samsung Health App on my Galaxy Note 8. I do not know how accurate the data are, but they are quite close to the numbers tracked by my Huawei Health App. So I think the accuracy is quite high.


During our 8 days in Japan, we walked a total distance of 130.37 km, clocking in a total of 177,703 steps. This averages out to 16.30 km and 22 k steps per day. It was quite an achievement! We walked so much and our feet were extremely sore and tired. But it was fun to explore Japan on foot. It is a great way to get real feel of the city, people watch and take lots of photos. The bad thing is we get lost a number of times, especially in Tokyo where train stations have hundreds of exits. It can get pretty frustrating when you are cold, hungry and tired.

Anyway, my itinerary requires a lot of walking and patience. Please wear a pair of comfortable walking shoes that are easy to walk long distance in and try to train up your body before your trip.

Day 1: Tokyo

Kuala Lumpur International Airport > Narita International Airport > Ikebukuro Station (By Keisei Skyliner) >  Drop Luggage At  Super Hotel LOHAS Ikebukuro-Eki Kitaguchi > Lunch at Ichiran Ramen > Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden > Check In Super Hotel LOHAS Ikebukuro-Eki Kitaguchi > Meguro River > Ikebukuro Station > Super Hotel LOHAS Ikebukuro-Eki Kitaguchi

Day 2: Tokyo

Ikebukuro Station  > Tokyo Disneysea > Ikebukuro Station > Super Hotel LOHAS Ikebukuro-Eki Kitaguchi

Day 3: Lake Kawaguchiko 
Ikebukuro Station > Shinjuku Expressway Bus Terminal >  Lake Kawaguchi Station (By Highway Bus) > Chureito Pagoda > Kawaguchiko Natural Living Center > Ikebukuro Station > Super Hotel LOHAS Ikebukuro-Eki Kitaguchi

Day 4: Tokyo / Kyoto
Check Out Super Hotel LOHAS Ikebukuro-Eki Kitaguchi > Tokyo Station > Kyoto Station (By Shinkansen) > Check In Kyoto Airbnb > Kyoto Botanical Gardens

Day 5: Kyoto
Kyoto Station > Ginkakuji > The Philosopher's Path > Nanzenji > Keage Incline > Kyoto Station

Day 6: Kyoto / Osaka

Check Out Kyoto Airbnb > Osaka-Namba Station > Baggage Storage at OCAT > Osaka Expo 70' Commemorative Park > Check In Osaka Airbnb > Dotonbori + Shinsaibashi Shopping Arcade

Day 7: Osaka

Osaka-Namba Station > Osaka Castle > Kema Sakuranomiya Park > Osaka-Namba Station >  Namba Parks > Dotonbori + Shinsaibashi Shopping Arcade

Day 8: Osaka

Check Out Osaka Airbnb > Baggage Storage at OCAT > Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan > Osaka-Namba Station > Itami Airport > Check In Osaka Air Terminal Hotel

Day 9: Osaka / Tokyo / Kuala Lumpur
Check Out Osaka Air Terminal Hotel > Narita International Airport > Kuala Lumpur International Airport

So, basically, this is my itinerary for my 9 days trip to Japan. Would I visit Japan again? Of course! I love the country very much and hope to explore further. Would I visit Japan during the cherry blossom season again? Well, probably not because I really hate the crowds. I prefer to explore the places at a slower pace without the crowds. Even though cherry blossoms are incredibly beautiful, there is no way I am going to enjoy all the famous site when it is super packed with people.


Anyway, I will be posting individual posts about the places we visited in Japan soon. So, be sure to follow me on my Facebook,  Instagram or Twitter to get the latest updates on my 7 days Japan adventures! Also, do not forget to share my blog posts with your family and friends if you find them helpful. In the meantime, you might also want to check My Wanderlust page for some of my other travel adventures.