tokyo

[princess lorraine]

^oo nga sis eh baka mag diy nalang kami kasi i'm sure malaki matitipid namin. Baka yung 1800usd kasama na pagshopping pag nag diy kami. Thanks sis. 

[achie0829]

Hello Sisses.. kakaapprove lang ng visa namin ni baby

DO you know of any cheap hotels in tokyo? (kung meron man) LOL

TIA!!

[melodymedley]

@sis indigo tulle: Nice colors of autumn there! Thanks for providing some links. The metro map seems to cover where I need to go but I haven't decided yet: Suica vs. All day metro pass.

I plan to stay in Khaosan Tokyo Kabuki Guest Hostel in Asakusa. Parang walang budget options in hotels near Tokyo station. I want to experience sleeping in a Japanese capsule type accomodation pero mas mahal sya kesa sa hostels - and most reviews say na Japanese lang ang language nung receptionist. I was eyeing Ace Inn in Shinjuku - mixed nga lang yung Male and Female...although capsule room naman so more privacy in your own space I guess? Still, hostels in Asakusa are cheaper eh.     

[achie0829]

Meron na po nakapagtry sa inyo magpurchase ng tikcet via Jetstar?

[gorgeous_me]

mga sisies, sa tingin nyo ok ba na magdala ng luggage o backpack na lang, solo lang kasi ako, nasanay akong may luggage kami parati, haha

[lheimatte]

Sis achie0829, question ko rin yan kasi plan to extend our trip and go to tokyo and take a one way Narita - Manila.  Sila lang yung merong mababang rate not unless mag sale si cebupac. 

[indigo.tulle]

@melodymedley:  thanks sis for naming your stays...will also be checking it out para maka mura.   not advisable to stay at the capsule hotel though.  mostly for men siya.  a japanese once told us when we are asking about it. 

@gorgeous_me: we leave our luggage at the hotel.   kahit na we'd be off to osaka for 3 days (then back to tokyo).  some leave theirs at the locker rentals but iilan lang ang may large available space.  some also have theirs ship to their destined places so they won't have to lug them around.  madami namang options for your convenience. 

[melodymedley]

Got the most awesome news to end my workweek: My Japan Visa was granted. Wipeeeee! Now I have to focus on:
1) finalizing my IT
2) booking my accommodations
3) choosing the best transpo pass/card for my trip

I submitted the requirements via Friendship Tours last Wednesday (lunch time). I got the news yesterday (Friday) that my visa was granted. Ambilis! I'm glad hindi na aabot ng weekend or I will worry myself to bits and pieces about the visa application over the weekend.

The Japan visa has less requirements compared to other visas. But... I think I have a trauma na on visa applications. So aside from the standard requirements, I also submitted the following: CC bills, SOA of my bank accounts in the bank certificate, SOA of my mutual fund, previous visas, previous travel stamp, approved VL and the flight confirmation.

This is a teenage dream of mine. This is actually the first concrete dream destination ko (even before my EU dream). Blame it on all the anime when I was a teenager. After more than 10+ years of dreaming and drooling about Japan, it will finally come true. 

[princess lorraine]

^ ang bilis sis ah! I'm excited for you! 

[achie0829]

Hello Sisses,

Meron ba kayo alam san mura ticket for Disneyland and Disney sea? TIA!!

[foxy_girlfriend]

^try sa ticket shops sis.

[isha17]

my visitor's visa was approved! 1 day lang lumabas na agad visa ko. So happy and excited! 90 days of japan!

[sweetie28]

we'll be in tokyo next month, excited na! , ask ko lang mga sisses ok lang ba hand carry goldilock's products like polvoron, mamon etc, ?gusto ko sana magdala nito.

[greyzie]

^no problem with those goodies naman, sis. dati i brought eng bee tin hopia

[sweetie28]

^ oh salamat sis 

still fixing our itineraries.

[melodymedley]

Got my 7-day Japan Railpass already. I purchased in from Universal Holidays in Dusit Thani. The converted PHP amount is Php 15,794 with their forex rate of 0.5581. I chose to pay in JPY. I got my Yen for just 0.5381 => so 15,228.23. However, hindi sila nagsusukli ng JPY kasi walang avaiable. My change was PHP 850 (JPY 1,700  using 0.50 forex rate). Lugi lang ng around Php 64.77 sa sukli ((0.5381-0.50)*1,700). Not that bad really. Still cheaper to pay in yen rather than the coverted amount. They also accept USD.

Another travel agency offers the JR Pass at a lower converted exchange rate pero hassle for me pumunta sa The Fort eh. 

Now started to accumulate JPY. I got some from Czarina and some from Sanry's (they are selling foreign currencies again). I wanted to buy some using BDO's rate but I don't have a BDO account.

In less than a month, I will be landing in Tokyo. Wooohoooo! Eggggcited much. 

[isabella]

my visitor's visa was approved! 1 day lang lumabas na agad visa ko.

sanka nag apply?

[mitch2526]

Hello sisses! Do enjoy your stay in Japan! Sana maabutan niyo ang wonderful autumn leaves!

Tips lang: get transpo passes wherever u go, sulit! Like tokyo meron underground/metro all day pass, para ride all u can kayo nang kahit saan kayo mag stay na mura, ok lang. Malaki sobra ang tokyo, so no matter what magttrain kayo. I advise against buying in convenience stores, kasi mahal. Unless you find lawson 100. Mahal generally para sa mga snacks ang family mart, 3f, etc.

Vending machine price, mura na pag 110 yung tubig. Tsaka usually 130 or 150 mga tea. Pag makahanap ka ng 100 vendo, swerte mo.

I suggest buying stuff sa mga supermarket, kasi nakakatuwa bumili ng cooked food nila! oh and mga around 8pm start na food sale, bagsak presyo mga bento, sushi, etc!

More tipid tips: have a DECENT lunch if you want to save, instead of saving lunch to enjoy dinner. Japanese restaus typically have a separate lunch menu, na tipong mas mura kaysa dinner. Why? Parang tong advert for dinner. Dahil working, usually hindi grupo grupo ang kain sa lunch, puro pag dinner mas mahal na talaga kasi uso ang nomikai or drinking party. Anyways.

A tabehodai meal na 1500 or less mura na! Lalo na ang yakiniku. Mayisang murang yakiniku sa Ginza, please search for it Carne Station, Katabi lang ng Hanamasa market tsaka malapit sa Don Quixote. Nasa loob ng Ginza 9. One of these days gagawa talaga ako ng Japan blog haha. Hirap mag type paulit ulit. Pag lunch time weekdays 1200 lang ata yung tabehodai eh! With salads and dessert and miso soup and yakisoba pa yun. Good luck sa pila pag dating ng 12, so I suggest andun na kayo 11 opening. Dnudumog kasi ng chinea tour groups yun, mura kasi. Pero ha masarap naman.

And then..... For all other menus, under 800 mura, reasonable pag undr 1000, at typical ang 1300 pababa. Mahal kasi drinks din, so hindi nako nag ddrinks. Goodness 500 yen for coke? Uhm, no thanks, diet na lang ako.

Ang mga hindi nagbabago ng menu at price ay yung mga hindi slow food, like mga restau sa mga major stations, mga fastfood like yoshinoya, tsaka mga family restaurant like Gusto, Saizeriya. But one thing I like about Jap restau is walang hindi masarap. Hindi tulad nung Italy ko minsan minalas ako sa mga restau, parang hindi Italian ang gumawa? Haha. So anyway, kaya safe sa Japan yung ilimit mo yung food mo sa budget mo, either way masasarapan ka. Oh and one more thing. Hindi makakatulong ang tripadvisor masyado sa Japan when it comes to food. Dont waste your time. Lahat kasi ng nagpopost ng english dun, kapwa turista lang, so hindi lumalawak yung mga options at hindi properly represented ang mga restau. Concentrate on planning transpo! and mga pupuntahan.

Reg accommodation, japanese anything will definitely be clean. So again, price can dictate where you will be, pero kailangan malapit sa any station. Good luck and enjoy! Sana maka experience kayo ng onsen! Maraming deals sa japanican.com for foreigners. Used it countless times myself.

[isha17]

sanka nag apply?

hi sis, sa raja tours ako nag apply ng visa.=)

[melodymedley]

Thanks for those tips sis mitch2526! I hope you can blog about it before the third week of October. (Deadline! Prezzure! Joke lang ) Babasahin ko lahat nun  Really good pointers on the food. Good to know na okay naman lahat ng kainan. Ramen and sashimi. nomnomnom!

Which transpo pass did you get? Yung Tokyo Metro One-Day Economy Pass na 1,000 yen per day?

I am planning to get a Suica card and load it with 2,500-3,000 yen. I will be in Tokyo for four days, including one day trip to Nikko (using my JR Railpass). Based on experience, nalilibang ako masyado kapag mag-isa so my mind tends to travel too and not pay attention to signs. Or I just get lost. Kaya I am leaning towards getting the all day pass.

Is there a difference in the quality of the train ng JR trains and Tokyo Metro trains, or wala naman? Or mas madaming biyahe yung one over the other? Less crowded? More hassle? Different platform? They have the same stations anyway...yung papuntang Odaiba lang I think yung wala sa Tokyo Metro Map.

Sensya na daming tanong.  ;DI swear. Nakakaloka ang train map ng Tokyo.