i used airbnb for all of my stay in japan, it's a nice and cheap way for finding accomodations there but beware, some places are so far away from metro stations that u have to take taxi. if u find a place that states need more than 10 minutes walking distance from metro then stay away

about JR pass, u didn't do any homework? I thought u know because u already said "go for 7 days or 14 days". JR pass min is 7 days...

you can get 7 days JR pass if u plan your trip correctly. I also went there for 10 days and get 7 days JR pass.

This post has been edited by stormlcc: Apr 20 2014, 08:18 PM

This is the place i stayed (in Osaka), found it in airbnb, quiet residential area with mountains in the background, one of the nicest places i have stayed. problem is it's quite far from the metro station (1.3km), walking out during the morning is ok but after a full day of shopping, just take taxi back, cost no more than 780 yen per trip.

Osaka residence

back view of the apartment is just amazing...



and around this area got some pretty amazing shops and restaurants. I found a restaurant near the metro station (Shijonawate) that sells very local food at very affordable price, it's got one of the best meals i've had in japan

This post has been edited by stormlcc: Apr 21 2014, 03:25 PM

357k for 16 days is WAAAAAAAAAAAAY too much and MORE THAN ENOUGH to spend without thinking too much if you are not buying a lot of branded goods (not talking about cheap stuff like Gucci, i mean stuff like Hermes...).

I took 90k there for 10 days just for eating, light transport (JR pass not included) e.g. taxi, bus and subway, entrance fees (Disney and temples), and some light shopping and still got some money left when return. FYI, eating there is not as expensive as you think, previously I thought for lunch is around 1000 yen, for dinner around 2000 yen but that's considered an expensive meal already. you can easily find 800-900 yen for a very satisfying lunch or dinner. from my experience, if you see a stall / small shop that has people standing and eating (no stools, no proper tables, no chairs) then it's a good place to eat. if you see people (locals) lining up and have time, go do it, it's probably great. And these kind of places are often VERY CHEAP, ranging from 600 - 900 yen with large portions of a meal, and 99% of the time they taste excellent. The very best ramen I've ever had are either lining up for 20 minutes or need to eat standing up.

For Tsujiki Market, if u r planning to have a full meal of 1st grade sushi, prepare 10k yen, but if u plan to have your raw fish at local stalls (at back alleys) and also have misc food (like char grilled scallops, salmon row, uni) at different stalls, u don't even need 6k. i personally like the 2nd option, u can't imagine the choices they offer there! start at 9am and eat until noon.

for Disney u don't need to buy it online if you go there during the weekdays. Just start your journey earlier, arrive at around 8.30am and u'll be fine.

This post has been edited by stormlcc: Apr 21 2014, 05:10 PM

my advice to u for the data is to just get a sim card or a LTE mifi in japan, it will be a lot less (for mifi) and it will be a lot more reliable and so much faster (data speed) than digi. make sure u book it early, they tend to sell out pretty fast. for GPS, just use google map, it's quite reliable although sometimes it can't find your exact position in subway stations. but it's ok, because u only need to know what station u r in to find what train to take next. if in doubt, ask people. if u have JR pass, don't forget to utilize it fully if u are taking JR line trains, u don't need to buy ticket or use the IC card, just show the JR pass to the attendant at the gate and they will let u through.

i didn't see your schedule before posting, so i'm not aware that u are going for onsen, the spending there will be higher than big cities like Tokyo...

you can't plan your train schedule exactly, u will have to modify your schedule accordingly. my schedule changed a lot when reached japan, 50% of the places I planned to visit i didn't manage to go because i was traveling with a bunch of girls, but if u are traveling alone then it will be a lot easier. and yes, your legs will suffer, if u do not often exercise, u will suffer more. just get some stickers for muscle pain in the shopping center in japan, remember, expensive is NOT often good in this category, buy those with middle prices, they will help your get through. try 1 box first, if it's no good, change brand until u get one that works. without them, i can't survive my 10 days trip.

This post has been edited by stormlcc: Apr 21 2014, 05:44 PM

actually it doesn't cost this much (14850 yen) for the mifi, u can see with this website:

http://www.globaladvancedcomm.com/pocketwifi.html

it's only 7950 yen for 15 days (75mbps LTE) and the delivery is free in Japan, just pick it up at the airport

for the muscle pain, i have to find my photos and see whether got capture a picture of it (got more than 2000 pics so need a bit of time)

lol

too bad, it's so beautiful there.

for those who doesn't have enough time for Kyoto, I suggest u skip Nijo Castle and directly go Kiyomizudera

we went to Kyoto for 2 days, totally not enough time to see all the places.

we wasted a lot of time finding our way in Kyoto Station (which is HUGE and totally confusing at first), for people who don't have much time visiting Kyoto, I recommend just take taxi if the place you plan to go isn't too far

tokyo is quite boring for me, maybe because i'm don't like shopping as much, 3 days is just enough for tokyo + Disney.

almost finished downloading it.

please be reminded that you have to write the complete address of your accommodation (if you are renting apartment) in Japan in the immigration form or else they won't let you pass.

our group have few people who doesn't know the address and was rejected to enter until we helped them fill out the form. we were renting apartment from airbnb.

for hotel, you just have to write down hotel name and area of the hotel.

the ones that has written: 微糖 = little bit sugar



無糖 = NO sugar



This post has been edited by stormlcc: Apr 26 2014, 12:13 PM

just copy or note down the full address and fill it into immigration form. it's better to be safe than sorry and stuck or get rejected from the country.

lol, i've got no idea. i prefer my joe black so not a problem for me at all during my stay there

the best and unique thing (also cheap) are rubbers (erasers for pencils) that are shaped like sushi. everybody loves it. i bought some at the Tsujiki Market (near main street). you can also find them in the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building but they are a bit more expensive.

for dark chocolate lovers, this is the best (and cheapest) gift for them:


you can easily find it in any family mart or general stores.

This post has been edited by stormlcc: Apr 28 2014, 04:58 PM

problem is Meiji is NOT good. anyway, i'm just trying to suggest something that is cheap and useful that can't get in Malaysia.

the point of gifting (for me personally) is that it must be well worth it, comes from the heart (not the place) and it's useful and specific to the person u are giving it to. no point in giving a pack of cigars to someone who doesn't appreciate it, no point in giving a car to someone who doesn't know and want to drive.

same here, i bought these chocolate to those who knows how to appreciate them, if i bought Meiji, then they would just say thank you and keep them until they rot or melts.

this is a deeply personal thing, so i don't meant anyone to agree or follow me, just letting u guys know the logic behind my thinking.

not going to the Tsukiji fish market is like not eating any fish in Japan. Just don't bother to go there for the fish auction if u r not into that kind of stuff. go there at 9am and eat until noon, it's worth every second.

we got our green kit kats for 180 yen in Osaka (big pack, big sales), actually not a fan of it, too sweet, give people who have sweet tooth ok lah. Wouldn't bother with Uniqlo, their stuff are quite expensive and super boring, not to mention malaysia also have their branch. Kobe cheese cakes are NOT worth that money, actually not worth any money AT ALL cause it's not that good, don't have fragrance of cheese cakes, can get much better home made cheese cakes in malaysia costing much less.