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JAPAN
Money
& Cost
Japan's ongoing economic recession has brought some good news for
travellers to the extent that there are now more discount deals
available and, in certain cases, yen prices have remained stable
or even fallen slightly. Unfortunately, such advantages have largely
been wiped out by the recent strength of the yen, meaning that your
foreign currency buys you that much less.
However, with careful planning Japan is still a manageable destination
for even those on a modest budget. The key is to do what the majority
of Japanese do: eat in local restaurants, stay in Japanese-style
inns and take advantage of any available discounts. That said, if
you make the wrong choice of bar or take a longish taxi ride, it
can blow your budget apart.
The Japanese currency is the yen (¥), of which there are no
subdivisions. Notes are available in denominations of ¥1000,
¥2000, ¥5000 and ¥10,000, while coins come in values
of ¥1, ¥5, ¥10, ¥50, ¥100 and ¥500. Apart
from the ¥5 piece, a copper-coloured coin with a hole in the
centre, all other notes and coins indicate their value in Western
numerals. Note that, at the time of writing, ticket, change and
vending machines have not yet been upgraded to accept the new ¥2000
notes and ¥500 coins (older, more silver-coloured ¥500 coins
are OK). Also at the time of writing, the exchange rate was approximately
¥175 to £1, ¥118 to US$1, and ¥66 to A$1. Japan
is currently experiencing negative inflation at a rate hovering
between zero and minus one percent.
Costs
By far your biggest outlays are likely to be accommodation and transport.
In the case of accommodation , you can keep costs down by staying
in hostels or cheap Japanese inns and by sharing a room with two
or more people . As an approximate guide, the average price of staying
in a youth hostel dorm is ¥3000 (£17/US$25); for a double
room in a basic Japanese inn, expect to pay from around ¥5000
(£29/US$42) per person; while a similar room in a moderately
comfortable business hotel will set you back upwards of ¥6000
per person (£34/US$51).
As regards transport , the best strategy for most travellers is
to buy a Japan Rail Pass before departure, though it's also worth
investigating special deals on internal flights. Within the country,
all sorts of discount fares and excursion tickets are available,
while overnight ferries and buses are an economical, if not always
comfortable, way of getting around .
By staying in youth hostels and eating in the cheapest local restaurants,
the absolute minimum daily budget for food and accommodation alone
is ¥5000 (£29/US$42). By the time you've added in some
transport costs, a few entry tickets, meals in better-class restaurants
and one or two nights in a ryokan or business hotel, you'll be reaching
a more realistic expenditure of at least ¥8000-10,000 (approximately
£46-55/US$68-85) per day.
Holders of international student cards are eligible for discounts
on transport and some admission fees. If you're planning to stay
in hostels, it's worth buying a Hostelling International card in
your home country; not only does the card qualify you for slight
reductions at some hostels , but you can also take advantage of
discount tour packages offered by the Japan Youth Hostel Association
. Before setting off, it's also worth reading JNTO's Your Traveling
Companion , full of useful information and tips on how to save money
- and ask if there are there are any discount " Welcome Card
" schemes operating in the areas you intend visiting
Consumption tax
A consumption tax ( shohizei ) of five percent is levied on virtually
all goods and services in Japan, including restaurant meals and
accommodation. Sometimes this tax will be included in the advertised
price, and sometimes not, so check first for large amounts.
Changing money
Though credit cards are gaining in popularity, Japan is still very
much a cash society ; even in major cities you'll be settling most
bills in ready money. Thanks to the country's low crime levels and
a surprisingly undeveloped banking system, most Japanese carry around
relatively large amounts of yen, and it's fine for you to follow
suit. That said, it's always safest to carry the bulk of your money
in travellers' cheques , with the added advantage that in Japan
they attract a slightly better exchange rate than notes. The most
widely accepted cheques are American Express, Visa and Thomas Cook.
You'll have no problem changing dollar or sterling travellers' cheques
in major towns and cities, but it would be wise to carry an emergency
reserve of yen travellers' cheques or dollars cash if you plan to
visit more remote areas.
Credit cards and wiring
money
Credit and debit cards are far more widely accepted in Japan than
they were a few years ago. The most useful cards to carry are Visa
and American Express, followed closely by Mastercard, then Diners
Club, which you should be able to use in those hotels, restaurants,
shops and travel agencies where they're used to serving foreigners.
However, many retailers only accept locally issued cards, so it's
never safe to assume you'll be able to use your foreign plastic. |
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