Travel.A good airfare deal will cost around $5-600 from SFO. There are better deals here and there if you are patient, flexible and travel out of season. A 2 week JR Pass which included shinkansen (bullet train) access to Osaka cost about $300. If you are under 25 I think there is a discount.
Hotels.I stayed with my friend in Tokyo so that only cost a few dinners ($300). I also brought gifts ($300). So about $60/night. However, we stayed in a hotel in Kyoto (near Osaka) that was about $100/night ($50 split two ways).
Food.Notoriously expensive to dine out (which I highly recommend, unfortunately), but there are some good deals to be had. Beer can be had for cheap ($2-3 sold in vending machines) but in bars/clubs/live music houses it can be about $8 per.
Shopping.You have no idea. On the plus side, most of the Japanese vintage clothing* and record stores (I have been to probably 30-40 of each) only carry things in Mint/A++ condition. On the negative side, they take cash, credit card, and ultimately your soul. *One store owner saw some vintage jeans I was wearing and offered me an exorbinant sum for them due to the good condition and patina. I politely declined.
Baseball Games.Our tickets cost about $150 for 2... wayyyyyyyyy below face value (courtesy of yahoo! japan auctions). The food was good (bento $15) and there are beergirls who carry ponykegs of beer on their back (3 different brands!) so you don't have to leave your seat to get a beer.
Language.Lastly, more expensive than anything I found was the language barrier. Initially, you will be instantly humbled by the vast divide between western language and the three japanese alphabets and spoken language (both formal and colloquial). Yes, quite a bit of young urban Japanese people understand English, but not quite true to make some assumptions that English will get you by. I strongly recommend taking a class or crash course prior to travelling there. As a last ditch resort, I recommend networking with Japanese fluent in English or Western ex-pats just in case.
― gygax! (gygax!), Wednesday, 1 December 2004 17:25 (nineteen years ago) link
If you are under 25 I think there is a discount.
Dude, you know how old I am!
― adam... (nordicskilla), Wednesday, 1 December 2004 18:20 (nineteen years ago) link
Entertainment.Club shows are like $30-$100 (festivals can be more)Museums are like $10-$25Movies are $10-$15Theater was $25 (one matinee act of Kabuki/Noh)
Taxis are really expensive (the JR trains don't run between 2-6am), like 2xSF/3xNYC prices.
― gygax! (gygax!), Wednesday, 1 December 2004 18:27 (nineteen years ago) link
― adam... (nordicskilla), Wednesday, 1 December 2004 18:28 (nineteen years ago) link
― TOMBOT 64 (TOMBOT 64), Wednesday, 1 December 2004 18:33 (nineteen years ago) link
TOMBOT: According to Mercer (they compile the global cost of living index), why do you know something they don't.
― gygax! (gygax!), Wednesday, 1 December 2004 18:37 (nineteen years ago) link
― Allyzay Science Explosion (allyzay), Wednesday, 1 December 2004 18:38 (nineteen years ago) link
― gygax! (gygax!), Wednesday, 1 December 2004 18:38 (nineteen years ago) link
― TITS.JPG (ex machina), Wednesday, 1 December 2004 18:41 (nineteen years ago) link
― TOMBOT 64 (TOMBOT 64), Wednesday, 1 December 2004 18:44 (nineteen years ago) link
― adam... (nordicskilla), Wednesday, 1 December 2004 18:45 (nineteen years ago) link
all my bf does is grab my boobs.. but im not offended.. does that seem weird?
― Allyzay Science Explosion (allyzay), Wednesday, 1 December 2004 18:46 (nineteen years ago) link
watever on bed or not very activelike a man lazy to do something sweet
not too many kisses and sweets things to u
CAN WE INVITE THESE PEOPLE TO THE NOIZE BOARD PLZ
― Allyzay Science Explosion (allyzay), Wednesday, 1 December 2004 18:47 (nineteen years ago) link
― Felonious Drunk (Felcher), Wednesday, 1 December 2004 18:47 (nineteen years ago) link
― Allyzay Science Explosion (allyzay), Wednesday, 1 December 2004 18:48 (nineteen years ago) link
― I'm serious ... Ti-i-i-i-im (deangulberry), Wednesday, 1 December 2004 18:48 (nineteen years ago) link
They also change their ranking every year (like in 2003, London barely made the top 5 and this year it rated 2nd)... economies of scale and what have you. As Expose sang: "Things change, Seasons change..."
― gygax! (gygax!), Wednesday, 1 December 2004 18:49 (nineteen years ago) link
― Felonious Drunk (Felcher), Wednesday, 1 December 2004 18:51 (nineteen years ago) link
― Allyzay Science Explosion (allyzay), Wednesday, 1 December 2004 18:53 (nineteen years ago) link
Hotels: You can stay on the cheap if you try. $70-$100 night is totally doable. If you are not traveling alone please be aware that some Japanese places charge PER PERSON and not by room. If you don't mind staying at youth hostels you can lodge incredibly cheaply. And if you're going into Tokyo, there are the capsule hotels which personally I am dying to try.
Food: One word: isakaya. They're supposed to be places primarily to drink and get snacks, but the snacks are cheap and great and become a meal if you order enough. The beer can run $5+, but you can pregame and drink afterwards quite cheaply with beer available at any corner store and vending machines.
Shopping: This is ridiculously expensive. The only place I ever buy clothes in Japan is at the giant Walmart-esque shopping center, because I am not willing to pay $60 for a T-shirt or $200 for a sweater.
Entertainment: Karaoke is not so expensive and fun, if that's your thing. Gygax is right about the other prices.
― Laura H. (laurah), Thursday, 2 December 2004 03:00 (nineteen years ago) link
― LSTD (answer) (sexyDancer), Thursday, 2 December 2004 20:44 (nineteen years ago) link
― Felonious Drunk (Felcher), Thursday, 2 December 2004 21:46 (nineteen years ago) link
― he does guitar with his mouth lmao mint (ex machina), Wednesday, 9 February 2005 05:26 (nineteen years ago) link
― he does guitar with his mouth lmao mint (ex machina), Wednesday, 9 February 2005 07:08 (nineteen years ago) link
― latebloomer (latebloomer), Wednesday, 9 February 2005 07:55 (nineteen years ago) link
― latebloomer (latebloomer), Wednesday, 9 February 2005 09:00 (nineteen years ago) link
― Laura H. (laurah), Wednesday, 9 February 2005 13:24 (nineteen years ago) link
what is a good way to learn?
― cozen (Cozen), Wednesday, 9 February 2005 16:40 (nineteen years ago) link
― cozen (Cozen), Wednesday, 9 February 2005 16:45 (nineteen years ago) link
― Allyzay Dallas Multi-Pass (allyzay), Wednesday, 9 February 2005 17:09 (nineteen years ago) link
I don't speak japanese very well... probably like a kid's level (O-TO-SAN!!!) but I've been praised on my efforts. My friend from tokyo told me once after i apologized because i wasn't speaking japanese very well that day, he told me "don't worry about it... it's a good thing you don't speak it too well, because i really don't either".
the best way is to build a vocabulary, work on grammar/verb tenses/sentence structure, and get a conversation partner. one of my friends is in an intermediate japanese class (that his work pays for) and i think i speak better than he does.
― gygax! (gygax!), Wednesday, 9 February 2005 18:10 (nineteen years ago) link
― he does guitar with his mouth lmao mint (ex machina), Thursday, 10 February 2005 02:37 (nineteen years ago) link
― caitlin oh no (caitxa1), Thursday, 10 February 2005 02:58 (nineteen years ago) link
nsfw
― he does guitar with his mouth lmao mint (ex machina), Monday, 14 February 2005 16:23 (nineteen years ago) link
Last time, I helped an NWA stewardess with something heavy (she was shortish and I am oafy) and she bumped me up to business class.
― gygax! (gygax!), Monday, 14 February 2005 17:48 (nineteen years ago) link
― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Monday, 14 February 2005 18:57 (nineteen years ago) link
Spencer - I know! someone had just sent it to me so i was all what the hell
― he does guitar with his mouth lmao mint (ex machina), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 03:56 (nineteen years ago) link
― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 19:02 (nineteen years ago) link
― msp (msp), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 21:08 (nineteen years ago) link
NSFW
― he does guitar with his mouth lmao mint (ex machina), Wednesday, 16 February 2005 17:57 (nineteen years ago) link
― Tito JaXoN (JasonD), Wednesday, 16 February 2005 18:39 (nineteen years ago) link
― gygax! (gygax!), Thursday, 16 June 2005 19:43 (eighteen years ago) link
Daisuke Matsuzaka of the Lions is an absolute monster. I can't wait to see him play against Johan Santana next year.
― gygax! (gygax!), Thursday, 16 June 2005 19:57 (eighteen years ago) link
xpost
― DAEREST V1CE MAGAZINE!!!!! (ex machina), Thursday, 16 June 2005 19:58 (eighteen years ago) link
― the PSB signal (nordicskilla), Thursday, 16 June 2005 20:05 (eighteen years ago) link
― SMELLY MY... (Thor), Thursday, 16 June 2005 21:30 (eighteen years ago) link
― the PSB signal (nordicskilla), Thursday, 16 June 2005 21:42 (eighteen years ago) link
I am here keeping an eye open for a possible boyfriend... and of course, meeting new friend!
Please, if you want become my friend:
+ be patient... sometimes it taking me awhile to responding to msgs or comments... not everyone having their own computer v.v;
+ please do not spam me with more than one msg if I'm having not respond to you the first time! T_T;;
+ please do not send comments or "emails" that are in romanji japanese... they make you look very silly... many do not realize they are saying a very wrong thing when it is translated ^^;
Thank you!!! XD
― DAEREST V1CE MAGAZINE!!!!! (ex machina), Friday, 17 June 2005 01:02 (eighteen years ago) link
― ath (ath), Saturday, 18 June 2005 04:36 (eighteen years ago) link
― The Amazing Jaxon! (jaxon), Tuesday, 5 July 2005 22:06 (eighteen years ago) link
http://img716.imageshack.us/img716/3781/tumblrl2whoayfkh1qzpm4w.jpg
― del griffith, Friday, 11 June 2010 18:46 (thirteen years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1gD8nV8RlPU
― like a guttenberg, strong with your mane (another al3x), Saturday, 12 June 2010 20:51 (thirteen years ago) link
http://i.imgur.com/4y15z.jpg
― it's time for the fish in the perculator (Steve Shasta), Tuesday, 17 May 2011 01:36 (twelve years ago) link
otm
― THAT'S LIGHTWEIGHT DICKERY (dayo), Tuesday, 17 May 2011 01:45 (twelve years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzC4hFK5P3g&feature=player_embedded
such a fkn choon
― missingNO, Wednesday, 7 September 2011 02:19 (twelve years ago) link
video is nutz
― missingNO, Wednesday, 7 September 2011 02:21 (twelve years ago) link
PON PONWAY WAY WAY PON PON WAY PON WAY PON PONWAY WAY PON PON PONWAY WAY PON WAY PON WAY WAY
― missingNO, Wednesday, 7 September 2011 02:22 (twelve years ago) link
PONPONPONPONPONPON
― missingNO, Wednesday, 7 September 2011 02:37 (twelve years ago) link
i feel sick
― Lamp, Wednesday, 7 September 2011 03:04 (twelve years ago) link
everyday pon
every time is pon
― missingNO, Thursday, 8 September 2011 07:09 (twelve years ago) link
that's really not very good
check out the k-pop thread
― dayo, Thursday, 8 September 2011 11:02 (twelve years ago) link
http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&feature=fvwp&v=wUIWKYzTDvE
― Pizzataco Five (admrl), Thursday, 8 September 2011 14:16 (twelve years ago) link
yah right
kyaru + yasutaka nakata >>>>> k pop (apart from "gee" obvs)
― missingNO, Saturday, 10 September 2011 08:40 (twelve years ago) link
http://i56.tinypic.com/23lbodx.gif
― StanM, Saturday, 10 September 2011 10:03 (twelve years ago) link