Been there once and hostel usually around 2,200-3,000 yen in Tokyo, Kyoto around 2,000 yen. I know this really good one in Kyoto, just reply in this message if you want to know who is my contact in Kyoto. Airbnb you can check the site lah, but shouldn't be far off from the price range I mentioned. Then for food, usually a budget meal is 600 yen, but you can get something for 950 yen and that is like double the portion, very filling and food quality also good. Transport, you can get subway passes in Tokyo that cost about 1,500 yen good for three days, can ride Tokyo Metro and Toie lines unlimited, then in Kyoto there is Bus Day pass for 500 yen, unlimited rides also.

So, let's say you stay in either Kyoto or Tokyo for three full days, you are looking around 13,000 yen basic. I always allot 20% more of my minimum expenses because I eat a lot and I get distracted by all those small shops that sell cute things, so I suggest you budget around 16,000 yen or 583 RM. Cheap, right?

you can also refund 5,000 yen if you plan to buy consumables or food items, as long as it is in the same shop during the same day. Some shops like Don Quixote and 100 yen shops are VAT Free already, so they remove the tax already when you purchase, just don't forget to bring your ORIGINAL passport when purchasing. I made this mistake and I lost 1,000 yen of savings T.T

The 10,000 yen is usually for electronics, gadgets or antiques. And you can easily claim it in the airport, but last time I was there the queue is not that bad, I waited for 15 minutes, I guess?

And oh, don't forget to not overbaggage. They will charge you in the boarding gate if you have more than two bags. Serious!

I just want to share this beautiful mochi (really freshly made) I had in Nara, Japan. A friend of mine took me at the back of the castles and you can see how the Japanese mochis are made by hand. It is a really nice sight to see because when the Japanese are making it, it was very enthusiastic and you can hear them growling and shouting, but in a good way!

And you know, the mochi turned out to be really soft almost like liquid in your hands, it was warm. And when I bit into it, the mochi melted in my mouth, it was not even gooey, it was sweet because it was filled with red beans and when you are chewing into it, it was very smooth and after eating one big piece, I didn't feel full because it was really light and airy. I really recommend going to this place and make sure you watch how they make it like in this photo

Yeah, Nara is beautiful. Yes, I blog also. You can check my itinerary here-> http://wanderlust.tripovo.com/stories/how-...-12-days-all-in

And to answer your question about the flight, usually off peak season is summer, but that is also the time many Japanese go for holidays, so it is a bad time to travel. Hope this answers your question!

This post has been edited by tripovo: Feb 12 2016, 10:12 AM

You can definitely put them in your baggage it's pretty standard. The way that customs officer would know if you purchased anything is through a receipt clipped in your pasport by the shop you bought the goods from, they would not check the physical goods. Let's say you buy whisky, of course, cannot hand carry.

Books AFAIK you can buy and get refund as well.

Tokyo very fast paced, I was there and all the people are rushing to their next train.. some running some more! I WAS LOL!

I find using Google Maps yielding the same results when I was in Japan. I suggest you try using Google Maps as well? It might be GPS issue with Hyperdia when you were using it... *might be*