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Japan

Japan as a digital nomad destination? Anything is possible.

March 29, 2018 by David James Leave a Comment

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links.

I’ve been looking into staying in Japan for a while now. The thing that has always put me off with Japan as a digital nomad destination is the cost. But when I actually looked into the way to live in Japan as a digital nomad, it is actually feasible if you adopt a different strategy.

Admittedly, it isn’t going to be as cheap as going to Thailand, Cambodia or Indonesia. However, if you want to enjoy Japanese culture without breaking the bank, it can be done if you are prepared to be a bit creative and consider some slightly different lifestyle choices to make the stay more affordable.

I’ve shared as much information as I can based on the research that I’ve conducted. You can also use the table of contents to navigate to a specific topic in the post.

Accommodation.

The most expensive thing that sticks out with Japan is accommodation. Rental prices for places in Tokyo is expensive even to the locals. So many opt to live in suburbs that are outside of the city.

Depending on your budget, you can adopt a similar approach as well.

The best deals will be outside of Tokyo. But it is important to remember that many of the attractions that you want to see can be accessed by train from many of the satellite cities.

Another thing is if you want to go for the cultural experience, much of the authentic Japanese culture is more prominent in cities and towns such as Kyoto (which is the old Japanese capital city) and Nara. You could opt to stay in either of those locations or Osaka, which is the second largest city in Japan.

How much should you budget for accommodation?

If I travel solo and want to stay in hostels, I will aim for accommodation at $30AUD a night or less. But to be productive and to also enjoy some of the luxuries such as a private shower and a private room, $50-80 a night is more optimistic.

It depends how you want to travel. I’ve found a few different accommodation options available across Japan.

  • Renting an entire place.
  • Renting a room.
  • Renting a tent.
  • Renting a capsule.
  • Renting a bed in a hostel.

I’ve found that the cost can vary depending on the type of accommodation and the location in which you stay. I’ve seen some places for as low as $800AUD a month, whereas some other accommodation options can be over $4000 a month.

I found some of the best deals on Airbnb. These were good if you wanted to travel around Japan more slowly and even stay with locals.

Click here to check out some of the accomodation deals available in Japan.

Alternatively, if you want to go more with the ‘hostel’ or ‘hotel’ experience, you can do a search on Agoda to find and compare deals. For hostels, you should be able to find deals from around $20/night for a bed. Whereas hotels may cost around $50+ per night.

Note – There are quite a few love hotels listed on the site. Whilst they look nice, they are for one primary purpose and tend to have a smoky smell. So when making your comparisons, make sure you read the reviews of the hotel before making a booking.

Which place would I choose?

I actually wanted to choose locations based around Kyoto or in the Japanese suburban towns or countryside. It also depends on the time of the year that you want to visit Japan. I would personally visit Nara and Kyoto any time of the year, but preferably around April to catch Sakura, which is the cherry blossom season. (Use this link to see the forecast times of the Cherry blossom season).

I would make trips from Kyoto to the other cities and locations in Japan. When I went to Japan previously, I travelled from Tokyo. Tokyo is a great city, but if you want to experience more than just the ‘city life’, it’s better to base yourself in another location where it is easy to commute to many of the authentic ‘Japanese’ landmarks and attractions. I would personally recommend being based around Kyoto, Nara, Osaka or Nagoya. That way, if you have intercity bus passes or the JR rail pass, you will be able to see more and save on your travelling time.

What would be included in the accommodation?

I always look for accommodation that includes utilities and internet connection. I also hope to have cooking facilities so I can prepare my own meals in the accommodation. If the host can provide a portable Wi-Fi hotspot, that is an additional bonus as I can go outside of the accommodation and work remotely from a location of my choosing.

How much should I budget for food?

If you eat at home, your grocery bill should come to $50-100AUD per week. There are different ways you can eat for cheap. If you head to the supermarket and purchase items in bulk, you should be able to eat inexpensively. You can then add a budget for eating out.

I’ve shared a useful video and some links that can help you with food budgeting and planning, whilst travelling in Japan.

How to be a frugal foodie in Japan.

30 Cheap but delicious restaurants in Japan. 

Japan for cheapskates: Eat on the cheap. 

What about entertainment?

In my case, there are many things in Japan that I would enjoy for free. I enjoy photography and videography, as well as walking around and admiring landmarks. If I wanted, I could hire a bicycle and explore the country more, which would be relatively inexpensive. However, it is always good to treat yourself from time to time.

Eating out

If I want to have an inexpensive meal, Sukiya and Yoshinoya were hard to beat. Although they are the fast food equivalents of Japanese food, the cost of a meal will often be around $8AUD or less. You can also find suggestions using the site Tabelog. If you are vegetarian, vegan or have certain food requirements, you can use Happy Cow to find other restaurant options along with their reviews.

Things to do

The Japan National Tourism Organisation has also provided a list of free activities tourists can enjoy whilst visiting Japan.

You can also use the following apps to find activities on in Japan.

  1. Tokyo Insight – The mobile version of Japantoday.com, one of the leading English magazines
  2. Odigo Japan – User-generated tips and verified locations with a customizable drag and drop trip planner. 
  3. Best Living Japan – Great local events, such as flea markets and antique weekends that make up a truly authentic cultural experience
  4. Japan Travel Guide With Me – An offline travel guide (think e-travel book), which recommends places around the country in relation to your current location and includes articles on sights and attractions.
  5. Triposo – Japan Mini Guides, available for Android and iPhones
  6. Goodluck Trip Japan
  7. As a final tip, all the districts in Tokyo have a local cultural map guide that is free and available at the Ward Office. These are usually in Japanese, but some have English, and have great walking courses and introductions of local historical sites that are non-commercial.

(Note – These suggestions were originally published by Athena Lam on Cup on the Road)

Some other sites that are helpful include:

Timeout – Tokyo

Japan visitor

Japan times

Getting around.

Train (Shinkansen/Bullet Train)

If you do a quick trip to Japan over 3 weeks, you can actually purchase the Japan Rail Pass. This gives you very good value for money in terms of the savings, but it forces you to travel quickly throughout the country by travelling on the Shinkansen (The Bullet Train).

If you plan to see alot of the country and you want to hop from place to place, then this will be an ideal option. But it will be a more expensive option.

Train (Inter-regional)

Alternatively, you can opt for slower trains and buses that will travel between cities. This will give you more freedom to stay in a location for a longer period of time until you are ready to move on.

Seat 61 has an extensive guide on how to buy and use train tickets in Japan.

Bus (Highway buses)

A much cheaper way to to travel throughout Japan is to catch the inter-city buses. If you plan to explore Japan over a period of 2-3 months, you can purchase intercity bus passes that allow you to catch the highway buses from city to city.

The prices of the tickets are much cheaper than the railway options. Depending on which company you choose to travel with, you can purchase a ticket that will provide you with day-long or overnight bus trips. Plus you can use the tickets for 3, 5 or 7 days throughout a 2-month stay in Japan.

There are more details in the links below, which explain the companies and the pricing.

Japan highway buses

Japan bus pass

Air travel

There are surprisingly good domestic air travel deals if you know where to find them. Although the budget for air travel may not accommodate the budget traveller, it will be good for those who want to see the country extensively over a short period of time.

The Shinkansen is a very good network. However, if you need to go from Tokyo to Hiroshima or Sapporo, the quickest option by far will be flying.

There are a few domestic air travel providers that offer special deals to foreigners that want to explore Japan. Some of the deals work out to be $100-200AUD one-way. It isn’t too far out of the budget if time is scarce.

Below is a link that provides more extensive details and deals on domestic air travel.

Domestic air travel options in Japan

Please note that a few of these providers require tourists to purchase their air tickets whilst outside of Japan. So you may need to plan your trip in advance.

Visas.

You will need to check the visa details for your country on the Japanese website. Japan has agreements with many countries allowing their citizens to stay in Japan on a tourist visa for up to 3 months. It is important that you read the specifics about the visa that you enter Japan on.

You can find more detailed information on the Japan National Tourism Organisation website.

Handy apps

If you want to make the Japanese experience more manageable, then you can download these apps to help you with your travels.

Translations – Google Translate

You can get the app to translate when you speak or even hold the camera to writing so you can understand things in your language.

Getting around – Google Maps and Maps.me

Very handy for getting around, especially when you need a GPS tracker to help you get around.

Currency conversion – XE.com or Google Currency Converter

Ideal to keep track of what you are spending in your local currency.

Helpful links

I’ve provided some links to some forum threads and blogs that also discuss the experience as a digital nomad in Japan.

Digital nomad in Japan – Reddit

The cup and the road – Digital nomad in Japan

Japan for digital nomads and bootstrappers

Nomad rides – Working & travelling in Japan

Have you travelled through Japan as a digital nomad? Share your experience in the comments below.

Thanks for reading.

*Disclaimer – There are some affiliate links within this post. However, my opinions and recommendations are my own. 

https://amzn.to/38Vuxap

Bonus!

Fully discover Japan by purchasing a tourist guide book that will tell you exactly where and what you should experience while visiting Japan.

Click here to see the travel book options on Amazon.

Filed Under: Digital Nomads, Japan, Travel hacking Tagged With: digital nomad asia, digital nomad japan, digital nomad kyoto

Hostel Review: Hostel 64, Osaka, Japan

January 1, 2016 by David James Leave a Comment

We stayed in Hostel 64 during our overnight stay in Osaka. The accommodation was a Youth Hostel and was by far the cheapest option for us to stay during our time in Osaka. The only other option was share accommodation or the nearby hotels, which exceeded our budget by a lot. We booked a private room, but we had to share the toilet facilities and the kitchen area.

Private room in Hostel 64
Private room in Hostel 64

Finding the place was a bit challenging initially, as the building is hard to identify (especially if it is dark and rainy, which was what we were experiencing.) We were able to find the accommodation with the help of some locals. Below, we have provided a map showing how you can get there from the train station.

Entrance to Hostel 64
Entrance to Hostel 64

We frequently used offline maps service maps.me to help us get around. The option with the GPS tracking was very helpful, but could be limited at times when the GPS tracker wasn’t working.

The guesthouse seemed to be friendly. The night we arrived, they were actually conducting a sushi party for guests. Many of the guests were young, single travellers. So if you are travelling as a couple (or as a married couple), then the environment may not be suited to you.

Administration area of Hostel 64
Administration area of Hostel 64

Entertainment area
Entertainment area

The shower is in a kind of cubicle where you have the option to wash and sit on a chair. You have to bend down and crawl through a square hole to enter the shower. Hot water is limited as well, so you need to be one of the first people in before the other guests queue up and use all of the hot water.

Hostel 64 shower
Hostel 64 shower

The accommodation’s proximity to the main landmarks around Osaka city is really convenient. You can easily walk to the main shopping district and around the city.

Osaka Landmarks
Osaka Landmarks

We stayed during winter and it was cold. The room had a heater, but we struggled to keep warm with the blankets and the heater. Ensure that you take thermals with you to keep warm and keep a hot water bottle nearby if you can.

Their social area also offers books and interesting information about the area. This type of accommodation I would recommend more to the single traveller than for couples. But if you are looking for a cheap and cheerful option, then this will be one of the best options to consider during your stay in Osaka.

Entertainment areaEntertainment area

I recommend booking the accommodation as early as possible as the rooms and beds tend to sell out quickly, leaving you with no other option than to go into the more expensive hotels. We booked using Agoda.com and we saved around 50%. You can check out any deals that they may have using the link below.

Hostel 64 offer.

If you have stayed here, we would love to hear your thoughts.

Cheers.

Filed Under: Japan Tagged With: accommodation in osaka, hostel 64, hostels in osaka, hostels osaka, osaka accommodation, osaka hostels

16 Fun, But Different Ways To Explore Jamaica!

June 17, 2015 by David James 3 Comments

Ever thought about how to jam in Jamaica like a local, off the beaten track or to do something completely mindblowing. Break out of your shell, do something different and daring for your next holiday and experience Jamaican life in ways you never expected!

1. Be daring and dive off the cliff at Rick’s Café in Negril Beach.

rickscafeword
Recafo / Via recafo.wordpress.com

Home to live music and free flowing drinks. This happy go lucky place offers a fun filled atmosphere with tourists trying their chance at cliff diving. There are the 2 metre platforms for the mere kiddies. Or if you are courageous, challenge yourself to take the dive of a lifetime. (Literally!)

2. Open up your mind to curry goat cuisine

Open up your mind to curry goat cuisine

Girl Interuppted Eating / Via girlinterruptedeating.wordpress.com

One of Jamaica’s national dishes, while you are in Jamaica you will be offered a goat curry with rice and peas. The goat is often seen as a deterrent with fewer than most wanting to try this flavoursome cuisine. Finding the meat through the serving of bones may be a bit tricky, but the flavour will leave your lips smacking for more!

3. Learn about nanny and the maroons in Accompong

Learn about nanny and the maroons in Accompong

Pinterest / Via pinterest.com

Learn about the true history in Jamaica with the plight of the maroons, the slaves who escaped and setup their own villages and townships in Jamaica.

4. Swim in the iconic blue lagoon

Swim in the iconic blue lagoon

Pinterest / Via pinterest.com

The film that skyrocketed Brooke Shields film career, the Blue Lagoon offers tourists the experience into film fantasy with a touch of Jamaican reality. Swim with your loved ones or take a trip with a local to explore the surroundings.

5. Try your hand at dominoes with a local

Try your hand at dominoes with a local

Pinterest / Via pinterest.com

Find a local, get some drinks, get ready for banter and be a part of the Jamaican dominoes experience. Experience the tension and hysterics from the passion and tactics that the locals will engage in while the game is in play. Make sure the music plays in the background and enjoy the game play. Don’t be shy to ask a stranger. They are up for the challenge!

6. Get stuck into patties

Get stuck into patties

Pinterest / Via pinterest.com

You will find patty shops all around Jamaica. Duck into a Juici Patties branch and try a patty and cocoa bread. Soft bread, nicely cooked pastry and a little spice to give it that Jamaican kick will be just what the doctor ordered to get your day going.

7. Pump up the volume

Pump up the volume

Pinterest / Via pinterest.com

Jamaicans are known for enjoying their music. No matter where you go, you will be exposed to the upbeat vibrations of reggae music. As the Romans said “When in Rome, do as the Romans do”. Jamaicans will be no different.

8. Awaken your senses on the Blue Mountain

Awaken your senses on the Blue Mountain

Pinterest / Via pinterest.com

Scale the heights of the blue mountain. Famous for its iconic coffee bean and lush greenery, the Blue Mountains are a place that you must visit while you are in Jamaica. Even if you aren’t a coffee enthusiast, the Blue Mountains offer tourists a chance to escape into a part of Jamaican that is relatively untouched when you venture off the beaten path.

9. Herb is the word!

Herb is the word!

Pinterest / Via pinterest.com

Remember guys, this herb isn’t legal in Jamaica. But should you decide to practice enlightenment practices of Rastafarianism, Peace be the journey!

10. Bamboo Avenue

Bamboo Avenue

Lollivia / Via lollivia.com

This photogenic place in Jamaica is on a stretch of road in Jamaica. Take the drive and try to get photos in the early morning or towards the afternoon as the sun sets.

11. Visit the Jamaican Army Base

Visit the Jamaican Army Base

Pinterest / Via pinterest.com

Go up into the mountains and follow the road that goes through one of Jamaica’s army bases. If you are lucky, you may see them performing drills. Be on your best behaviour though.

12. Jam in Jamdown to a soundsystem

 IMG_3041
Lollivia / Via lollivia.com

During the week, there will usually be some sort of musical event going on. But come Friday and Saturday, the sound systems will be out and the musical vibrations will be playing until the early morning. Sleep is for the weak. Get out and get lively!

13. Learn to speak patois to the locals

Learn to speak patois to the locals

Pinterest / Via pinterest.com

The local English language in Jamaica. Learn to speak a few phrases and banter with the locals with some Jamaican words.

14. Whine yo’ body

Whine yo’ body

The Times / Via thetimes.co.uk

Like we said earlier, when you are in Jamaica, you just have the feeling that you need to dance. So get lively, start flexing and move to the beat baby!

15. Pay tribute to Jamaica’s founding fathers

Pay tribute to Jamaica’s founding fathers

Pinterest / Via pinterest.com

Jamaica has a strong line of history with people fighting for independence and civil rights. Learn more about the motives of Marcus Garvey, Nanny of the Maroons, Samuel Sharpe, Paul Bogle and Nelson Manley.

16. Visit the shrines of Jamaica’s reggae king, Bob Marley

Visit the shrines of Jamaica’s reggae king, Bob Marley

wallizia.com / Via wallizia.com

Last but not least, when you visit Jamaica, you will have to visit the reggae shrines of Bob Marley. With iconic buildings and momentos of his life in Trenchtown, Uptown in Kingston and in Nine Mile, you can see more about his life and influences that made him become the reggae superstar.

So what are you waiting for mon?

Filed Under: Jamaica, Jamaica, Japan, Martinique, Myanmar (Burma), Sri Lanka, Thailand, Travel Tagged With: Bamboo avenue, Blue Lagoon, Blue Mountain, Curry Goat, Dominoes, Jamaica, Jamaican, Jamaican army, learn to speak patois, Marcus Garvey, Nanny, Negril, Norman Manley, Patties, pattwa, reggae, Ricks Cafe, Samuel Sharpe, Soundsystem, The Maroons in Jamaica

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