Actually this has been brought up several times before. Though, after meetings with the group about this stuff starting last year, we want to extent our own /AS/ gathering a little bit further, to Japan. I remember in this very section of /AS/ before had several occasions about this kind of trip. Usually small ones though. So, how about having one trip of more people?

Basic Idea. A 2 weeks visit of Japan involving several areas that we can discuss later about it. From previous trips by other members, they have tentative plans on what to do, to go, etc. while at there. That way, we can use it for our references. If you would like to join and think a 2-week visit is too short or whatever, just give some ideas about it. Because this is related with budgets and all. Furthermore, the proper date that seems feasible for a visit.

For example, if we choose August, there's a great even of all otaku fandom which is Comiket 78. Since Comiket is held twice a year, we might opt for December as well. Or we might want to see fireworks for Hanabi festival during the summer.

If you guys want to join in or giving other inputs, please do so. That would be helpful.

No trolling, ok? As I would love to remove your post indefinitely.

Kinda rush here so I create this thread without proper formatting/whatever.

Estimated budget per person (excluding buying stuff like gadget, figure etc..)

have fun
*goes to a corner*

En nizam said like Rm 6k++ can survive like 2 weeks there. FFFUUU-

/opening thread in garage sales.

yeah, estimated budget, for foods and accommodation

6k .... in my case x 2 perhaps

*milo goes count moneys in teh saving and seek advice from his finance minister...*

Well, you can get a return ticket KL-Narita- KL for about RM 1,500 (correct me if I am wrong). Also, a week worth of traveling with shinkansen for RM 1,000.

But first thing first, we need to plan what we are gonna do and visit before relating it with budget.

2weeks is pretty long, dont think i can afford that long of aholiday.

must-stop-buying-useless-things.

makanan bawak sendiri?

susah cari makanan halal?

I think a week of visit is too short though.

yeah, actually I agree. 2 weeks = RM400 lost for me. So meh, I need to pass this. Actually thinking back, I can't even afford to take ANY holidays.

well. we'll just go halfway thengo backhomeearlier than everybodyelse.

Hmm, I am interested nak join, since I've been to Tokyo before.
About budget, I could give a few points on saving and for most of you - food.

Budget travel to Japan is not really hard to figure out especially doing a large group trip e.g. 10-15 people.

1-week trip should be adequate if you're thinking of an "otaku" type of trip.

Time to:
1. beg parents
2. withdraw all of my savings

If we are going ahead with this ambitious plan, I suggest that we do it in December because we would have more holidays during that period. (no classes for hose who are studying and those who are working won't need to take too many day's leave)

How about somewhere in the middle say around 10+ days?

This post has been edited by Setsuna-san: Jan 17 2010, 08:11 PM

i would love to join and will try to keep money for this. 2 weeks is just too many for me though. because i dont have that much holiday given to begin with =(

6k eh.. this december? erm.. =X 50/50 though. i dunno i can keep that much or not xD need to do side job a little more serious now then. this will be fun =3

but if u guys add in comiket in the event.. i might skip. see la which day u guys go. if want to do the line up since a day before stuff, i definitely skip haha. but going to akihabara is a must to me xD~~~

@setsuna : say, u used to go there before right? come share the expenditure etc etc.

if u planning to go on vacation for 2 weeks... my advice is this:-
- pick up some basic japanese
- bring at least RM1.8k (Roughly around 50000yen) if u planning on travelling far places in Japan like Kyoto, Osaka, etc (assume u come from narita airport)

I went there on tour lol.

a 1 week trip in tokyo area + onsen cost me abt 4-4.5K per person not including shopping and all. (stayed at Ikebukuro next to otome road)

try onsen at hokane... one of the best place if u like hot spring...

ticket to nippon shud be around RM1.6k.

its optional if u wan to bring ur own foods, cuz the food over thar is quite costy. Travelling here and there everyday would end up looking at ur wallet every minute. i'd recommend to travel one day, rest one day, and trust me, it aint easy living in tokyo but if stay in hotels is really , anyways, its just my 2 cents

Yeah that's the place I went. Hakone btw.

This is the hotel I stayed at in Tokyo http://www.princehotels.com/en/sunshine/

nice location, need to walk abit to the Ikebukuro train station but there is a huge animate shop right across the street.

This post has been edited by Setsuna-san: Jan 17 2010, 08:56 PM

6k is too much for me...~_~

Same...

when u travel in tokyo by train... travel wisely n try to b thrifty on train fares...
i dun recommend taxis as they r expensive (use it only for emergency)
and also plz come back home by 11pm... bcos if u miss the last train ur stranded outside till the next morning...

oh ya... got manga n internet cafe for u guys to camp there for a day... they got shower and u can sleep there for a day with a fee... if u miss the last train at nite... go camp at the manga n internet cafe.. 24/7 open...

Warning. The following is TL;DR.

1. Start with the OBJECTIVE. Trips have themes too. You can have a historical/scenery, cultural experience, industrial experience, otaku experience etc.
2. Usually, one would match the objective with a particular event that will be the 'highlight' of the trip.
3. As mentioned to some, I've been there in 1993 (cultural/life experience), 1996(space/technology) and 2007(historical/scenery - hanami (sakura bloom))

4. Once you ahve the objective in mind, then you can start using the tools to build the trip
a) MATTA FAIR - cheap tickets sold during this event. This year it's held at Putra World Trade Centre, 12 March 2010 - 14 March 2010
b) Japan Guide - simple to use event search and travel advice
c) Japan Rail Pass - uber blessing of unlimited transport while you are there
d) Hyperdia - plan every train/bus/ferry ride to the minute!

5. The 2007 trip was done in April, at a budget of RM6500 (but I lavished on yukatas at the end). Without the yukatas, easily RM5.5k. The trip had the following itinerary
7-Apr-07 Sat Msia – Tokyo,
8-Apr-07 Sun Tokyo - basic, Akihabara
9-Apr-07 Mon Tokyo - Odaiba
* 10-Apr-07 Tue Tokyo – Osaka
* 11-Apr-07 Wed Osaka – Kyoto – Osaka (Spot ON! Kinkakuji Temple at full sakura bloom!)
* 12-Apr-07 Thu Osaka – Kyoto – Osaka
* 13-Apr-07 Fri Osaka – Hiroshima – Osaka
* 14-Apr-07 Sat Osaka - Nagoya - Osaka (but my 2 friends just stayed at the hotel, enjoying 10MBps internets)
* 15-Apr-07 Sun Osaka – Kamakura – Tokyo (Kamakura Festival) - horse riders with bows!
* 16-Apr-07 Mon Tokyo – Hakone – Tokyo (to see Mount Fuji - epic fail!)
17-Apr-07 Tue Tokyo – Nikko – Tokyo (Shunki Reitaisai (Grand Festival of Spring)) - festival at a world heritage site temple
18-Apr-07 Wed Tokyo – Asakusa/more Akihabara
19-Apr-07 Thu Tokyo – Shinjuku/Harajuku/more Akihabara + final dinner
20-Apr-07 Fri Tokyo – Msia

(* denotes days in which the rail pass was activated)

6. Major cost break down (2007) - 100 yen = RM3.412 (now is 100 yen = RM3.67815)
a) Flight - RM 1674
b) Japan Rail Pass (for 7 days only) - RM890
c) Hotels - 2500 yen in Osaka, 3780 yen in Tokyo - about RM1290 for accomodation
d) Travel cost outside of the rail pass - about RM500
e) Food - BRAHIM, Maggi and Milo packets!!!! The cheapest meals ever! Buy some lettuce at the groceries, and you have a wholesome meal. 1 day = RM20 only!
--- you can still buy meals there, but it's about 500-1000yen each. About RM 18-40 per meal
f) Entry fees into various places - about RM350

TOTAL above = about RM5k... and I bought like RM1k worth of souvenirs

Interesting, good to start discussion but i think the fees is too much for normal travelling.
It would be much greater to travel there if there is someone who has relative or friends there who are willing to take us in.
Ie. any means to even start traveling.
If this can be even more organized, sponsors should sound good too.

okay i am in if i am in Mareshia by then but 2 weeks is abit long how about like 10 days (2 weekends) trip?

Mayb we can do summer Wonfest + Comiket trip? lol

if can tahan with eating Maggi & drink tea or hot choco or Milo for 2 weeks, then food problem is solved for the whole trip

That's why we added brahim. It's not expensive... got meat... has many flavours. Next in consideration is glucolin

oh yeah, brahim.. the meat is soo tender.. use to bring that overseas, thailand etc.. places like where they dont even have a halal stickers/chop/certified foods

I was in Japan two years ago and I tell ya there are so many things you'd wish to buy in Akihabara that you could easily hit RM1k in just one day worth of shopping. Also, during days which there was no tour around, I spent less than 500 yen (roughly RM18) on a diet of just buns, canned coffee and mineral water.

Dapat ke 1.6k roundtrip?
I've been searching for tickets since last Dec for April->July
Cheapest pon 2.6k MAS. SIN xyah cakap la mahalnye

And I did my trip for 9days from (malam Fri Fly, balik pagi ahad the following week)

In 2007, that's the ticket price... I should even have the proof of it

Last year, due to the economic downturn, heard that it went all the way down to RM1300 (all taxes included)!!!

lucky it's my finance minister who wanted to go there. at first managed to find 1 ticket for rm2.5per person. but after i talked to ultiNEET about it, he said we can get rm1.5k per person. and things getting better when en nizam told us that we can actually get rm1.5 per ticket as mentioned earlier. but we need at least another rm12k for 3 of us at most. it's a good thing if u can tag along too.

them go for one week. but need to properly planned for it beforehand

ultiNEET as medium would be great since he's been there ages ago

so start saving now

u can start saving now also

if didn't spend on teh house and wiffy quarters last year perhaps we can go together

oh well what happen has happen, hope vitamin B and profit sharing is better from last year .. amin ..

btw konata bwk jugakkan?

short yes, however for 'normal' office/working people, 1 week is really pushing it already even with public holidays (like CNY or raya, for example) squeezed into it.

so 1 week would be the ideal mark, doesn't burn as much cash, and most people would be able to apply for annual leaves without too much trouble

He's working at home, so he's not tied down like many of us.

her first trip oversea. make her proud.
family trip is really a nice idea.

nicely done bro

I do have my own office, ok.

Huhu comiket ka

let's invite kirneko's (mecharojak) to tag along then

wan to join but 2 weeks is alot....
i agree with chizzu for the 10 days. but mostly i'll be buying lot's of plastics back to home
i estimated 10k for 1 week trip with a few frens of mine. food,stay,shop spreee,play,visit....
6k is actually quite reasonable for 2 weeks (if excluded food)
i dunno how much actually the cost of everything there except for plane tickets.

This post has been edited by gaiachronicler: Jan 18 2010, 01:15 AM

For me, while we are going there for getting more stuffs, the main idea is to enjoy the visit as well. Think of this like a school trip which is why I put this as 'Events and Gatherings'.

so the 6k plan for 2 weeks includes shopping for stuff excludes foods?
although 6k can buy a lot of "plastics", but i think food is quite costly... 1500yen for a fish perhaps?
staying somewhere is a price that i doesn't as well
if the plan is on December, i might actually capable of saving 6k for ze trip but i dun think i can ask for that much leave for that trip...

i spend 100 yen for McPorklunch and around 1000yen a heavy dinner

for halal food i think u need 2 ask firedauz as most japanese restaurant serves non halal food...

yeah i went akihabara for a few hours and 20k yen can just gone like tht :3

Summer Wonfest and Comiket just one week away from each other iinm

10k is not enuff my first trip i burned RM 6-7k (tickets not included) and i only get back with 2 (exclusive) nendo (plus alot of junks) :3

and bear in mind i stayed in my friend's house

i dont bother getting things that you can get in msia coz in the end it will cost the same and adds to your luggage weight (unless its like super cheap)

so you need to bring moar moolah spend wisely

if possible can plan the trip before sept (coz i duwan to hassle apply visa again my 1 yr jp visa expires next sept)

This post has been edited by chizzu: Jan 18 2010, 04:55 AM

seriously, you guys really want to avoid japanese summer....
its not like malaysia, japan is more much humidity

besides, why bother going for summer? go for winter to play some snow!


btw, there will be no problem with the food as I've been living there 4years. i know where to get cheap and decent halal food

winter trip to japan is a no-no for me..
once you see the prices, you'll never unsee..

i went there alone, travel on foot and trains.
avoid amusement parks like a plague, and travel on bajet..

while i visit tokyo not for weeaboo needs, but i ended up in ikebukuro+akiba most..
i wish to got there to snap few nightlife shots


This post has been edited by e-jump: Jan 18 2010, 08:15 AM

yes, any season EXCEPT summer will do for me

and

wonfes >>> comiket
my friend went C77 last winter, he said need to que more than 2 hours....

btw
i would love to skiing again.... but that would cost more lulz

akiba :3

edit:

i think the best time would be spring or autumn when its not too hot or too cold.



This post has been edited by chizzu: Jan 18 2010, 08:24 AM

i dont think most people not enough time to collect moolah if going for spring la, sir chizzu

unless if its next year's spring

natsu, umi! summer, sea!!! lets go to the beach

Its already hot enough as it is in Malaysia why go during summer?



akiba 2007 january

This post has been edited by Setsuna-san: Jan 18 2010, 09:48 AM

summer = too hot
winter = too expensive
spring = not enough time to save money
that will only left us with autumn then?
i'd love to see the spring there though. when is it eh?
and comiket is a no-no for us with baby, how about wonfest? is it as bad as comiket? when is it anyway?

just want to go to akiba and ginza

Anyone plan to go mainly for komiket?

BTW are there any jobs that are available for us malaysians in japan like being an english teacher for a year?

This year's Wonfes will be on winter.

u had my on-the-list job in mind

@chizzu
u godspender... no pun intended
but i don't understand why winter is much expensive? in what way? food? travel??

then he can 2 weeks himself LOL

oh. hence the snow miku.

YEAAAHHHHHHHHH

now we talkin

I do think Winter is a good time to go. One of the important thing is, we could get enough time to saving up money. But I am also intrigued by the Tokyo festival of fireworks on August.

on our part, we already began planning to save some money for travelling for the three of us, if we manage to save enough this year, we'll go this year, but if we unable to do so, there's always next year.

most probably i'll just join next year. i forgot that i already submit my leave planning to my project manager as our project now can last to 1 year #_#" might cant get the leave =(

must stop buying nendos too.

yeah that is in my planning too. though only apply to normal nendoroids

mugi shall be my first and last nendo that i bought for myself. must start saving! no matter what!

This post has been edited by lunalovegood: Jan 18 2010, 11:24 AM

office and places that i can stay over there:

20-16 Nanpeidai-cho
Shibuya-ku,
Tokyo 150-0036

Fraser Place Howff Shinjuku
2-27-7, Hyakunin-cho
Shinjuku-ku, Tokio. 169-0073

Apt. 306, 5-17-27 Kami-Meguro
Meguro-ku, Tokyo 153-0051

Apt. 105, 5-17-27, Kami Meguro,
Meguro-ku, Tokyo 153-0051

apt 105 is free for me. the others still pending

when i went tokyo last year, most ppl thought i was bullshitting and all-talk, until i logon irc w/ .jp

then again, i was so unsatisfied as i didnt even make it to yokohama and hokane.
I guess i'll put a miss on this group plannin-trip, as im heading osaka/hokkaido next

I suggest that you guise be prepared on what to see and what to get at Comiket at the Tokyo Big Sight.
Usually its a 3 days event, each day is different themes (they probably change it over the years).
Day 1 is for general, Day 2 is for girls, Day 3 is for ehem.
Booths of artists works are all around from those huge Hall 1 to Hall 6, so if you do not know what you are looking for, you might not enjoy it much.
However, if you are more of those commercial booths fans, the top floors usually have lots of them.
As always, the cosplay areas are located outside the halls and sometimes outside of the top floor.

Do note: Comiket is way different from Wonfes.
Wonfes is more of commercial booths and toys.
Comiket is more focus on artists works.
Which one is more meriah?
That will depends on what you think
*to me, I prefer Wonfes*

take pic while u there

fixed

that is if i go there.

/me high5 firedauz

tu memang sah tak cukop rm 10k kalau kau.

ginza nothing to see just shopping area. better go shinjuku or shibuya

i tot WF got summer and winter?

fireworks. hmmm.

better quite before u get into point of no return like sakura
nice. can tumpang all of us? lol

10k? he needs at least 20k and 30kg luggage allowance

ginza cos i want to look for something like eletronic gadget. wool jacket and others more. dunno the price there expensive or not. since my boss actually bought me a viao (later her sister took it) for a cheap price. later i'll ask him where he bought it.

lol those were my contact address and my branch office over there

electronic gadgets should be akiba its also known as electric town :3

i saw lot of 2nd hand laptops there lol.

but buying laptop there is abit.. weird? all the text in japanese.

there is a big yodobashi store there (which threatens the anime shops there to close) that sells electrical an electronic stuff :3

nak jadi weeboo kene la pakai japanese OS


anyway, i vote for wonfes winter

msian otaku trip to japan? DO NOT WANT XD

eh why not?

bunch of gaijins walking in akihabara is rather normal
u might found other malaysian there (but mostly indons)

isn't ginza one of the most expensive place to shop at?

+1 vote

got ultiNEET who can help convert it back to native US language

noted

his rank and my rank is like heaven and earth. maybe the term cheap is already expensive for me. but well if u said akiba got more cheaper gadget. will spend the rest of the week shopping there then.

True. There are Indonesians who open restaurant businesses in Japan. I actually went to have dinner in one Indonesian-run restaurant and I was kindly provided pork-free cooking by the restaurant owner.

Also, you might stumble upon rich (and I mean F-F-F-FILTHY RICH) Indonesians shopping around Tokyo.

This post has been edited by Hangmen: Jan 18 2010, 05:22 PM

I would like to be pre-informed if a mass of Malaysians are stumbling around Akihabara while chatting at the top of their lungs fumbling over their Japanese and over animu products

rad can i stay at your place?

we go raid rad house at ikebukuro :3

can actually...though its limited to 2 people.

And if u can stand cigarette smoke

problem is if you are staying at friend's house you need to have a letter from your friend stating that you will be staying at his place and need his alien registration card details ans what he doing there, etc.

i forgot about the requirement but it is tough

therefore the last trip i just book a hotel :3

after watching Lucky Star in Budoukan, I feel want to go to Animelo lol

Maybe next year K-On in Budoukan! F yeah Seaking!

Cool cool, I might have 1 month symposium in Tokyo around November or December for my work so if you guys there at the same time, we can arrange a meeting.

No need to say, Comiket Winter 2010 anyone?

... Not enuf $$$ for Japan. Anyway i been there before with my family.. I totally when to Akihabara without even knowing what there..

My father who been there before many years ago told me its "Electric Town" Some sort of electronic district or something.. Which was somewhat true ourskirt where there shops that sells appliances and stuff..

Then Me and my Bro realise that Human Traffic were going deeper.. So follow them and JACKPOT!!.. It was f***ing amazing.. There literally anime,game and the works everywhere..

I couldnt bring myself to buy the dolls so i ended up with loads of Gundam models.. cheapper than Malaysia somemore..

We shall all go to maid cafe as one big crew.

Though I suggest we keep anything related to Akihabara for the last day or so.

If the symposium confirmed for me, I will be in Tokyo for massive Bluray purchases. Hehehehehe.

This post has been edited by Stormy001_M1A2: Jan 19 2010, 02:40 AM

hmm bringing it home. nice idea.. wonder if i can get one of those k-on bd as well