Japan has a reputation of being an incredibly expensive country and over the past month or so I’ve done my best to give you money saving tips. Don’t worry there are still a few more pointers coming but for this post I thought I could write about other “options.” Therefore in order to save a few yen you just may have to call on a higher power. That’s right, I’m talking about God or whatever you may want to call Him or Her or That.

Now before you say, “yeah dude, I know what I’m doing, I know how to pray!” You have to remember that you are in Japan and in Japan, everything has a procedure. And when I say everything, I mean EVERYTHING! Now let’s do this!

1. Find a place where you can collect your thoughts – You need to find that quiet, happy place where communication will not be interrupted.

2. Assume the position – Notice how I’m doing it Gaijin(foreigner) style by having my heels up off the ground. (Japanese style would be to have all points of both feet touching the ground.) Either way is acceptable. However, if you are at home you may find that communication is more effective if you can be seen directly from Heaven above. (Notice this highly religious individual in the picture below.)

3. Now go to the nearest Pachinko Parlor to collect your reward! – In case you are unfamiliar with Pachinko, it’s basically the Japanese version of a slot machine. Actually it does take more skill than just feeding it money and pushing a button or pulling an arm on the machine but let’s not get in to that right now.

This is a pretty obvious tip but it’s a tip nonetheless! Just like in our home countries, renovations can cost an arm and a leg. There is also the fact that because you live in Japan you must communicate with tradespeople in Japanese. This obviously makes things even more difficult. So what do you do? You save yourself the aggravation and do it yourself!

These home centers are very much like their Western counterparts (i.e. Home Depot.) They offer a wide variety of tools, building supplies, and supposedly know-how on how to do anything in your home. All at competitive prices. You can even purchase furniture in these places! They’ve got it all! What? You want a shower head? They’ve got it! You want curtains? Yeah they got that too… You want some “Daily Necessaries?” Duh… where else would you go?

Go and have a look inside but be careful cause big brother is always watching, even if he can’t spell!

Disclaimer: Before I even start this post I have to say that in no way has UNIQLO sponsored me to write this. I just simply like what they have and the prices they sell it at.

Chances are that if you live in Japan you will know the UNIQLO chain of clothing stores. They are inmany shopping centers and I would equate them to America’s GAP brand. Basically they offer stylish clothing at reasonable prices.

One thing I really like about UNIQLO is their line of t-shirts, main reason being that they are pretty funny. If you’ve seen my post Adults English Shirts In Japan you will have already seen a shirt from UNIQLO. Yes it was the “Sorry I’m Late!” t-shirt. Many t-shirts in UNIQLO are only 1000 Yen which works out to about $10 USD.

UNIQLO also seems to be in partnership with Japanese companies that really have nothing to do with clothing. For example, Mos Burger is a chain of fast food restaurants in Japan. Basically like McDonald’s in America. Anyway UNIQLO has a Mos Burger t-shirt. The shirt reads “Nature’s finest – That is why it is delicious.” Check it out;

It’s not the greatest picture but on the back is Mos Burger’s logo.

Of course UNIQLO doesn’t just sell t-shirts. They also sell pants! If you’re a single gal who wants a relationship but are not having much luck, it’s probably because of what you are wearing. Might I suggest some “Boyfriend” Jeans.

If you are still feeling a bit unfashionable then perhaps some “Style Up” jeans would help:

Can’t remember what the prices were on these fine garments but I’m sure they were inexpensive. If you are going to Japan to work, I’d recommend that you not bring too many clothes. Just hit up UNIQLO when you arrive and you’ll be set! It’s more convenient to do this as it is becoming more expensive to bring luggage to Japan and a hassle to carry around the airport. I should say that if you are over 6′ (180 cm) (such as yours truly) or heavier than 180 lbs (80 kg) you might have trouble finding proper sizes.

I’ve been to Japan 6 times now and while I consider myself good at finding deals in my home country, I’ve been able to do well in Japan too! I’ve decided to expose my money saving secrets to the world and I hope that you will find these tips useful when you enjoy the wonderful land of the rising sun!

Taking a taxi or driving a car in Japan can be confusing and more importantly expensive. So what do you do? Take the train my friend! Trains in Japan are the best way to travel the country for many reasons. Let me list a few here!

The Benefits of Travel By Train

1. Speed - There are many different types of trains in Japan. From bullet trains reaching speeds in excess of 300 km/hr to local trains that travel at around 50 km/hr. Major train stations are right in the heart of cities which can make travel faster than airports located in the countryside(i.e. Tokyo-Narita.)
2. Convenience – The train network is so extensive and trains are frequent taking you almost anywhere you want go when you want to go. If they don’t, you can always grab a taxi at the station and chances are you won’t have to go very far to reach your destination.
3. Cost - Renting a car can not only be confusing(i.e. navigating Japanese roads) but also costly(i.e. the price of gas) Oh yeah and let’s not forget the expensive highway tolls in Japan either.

The Negatives of Travel By Train

1. Cost - Yes, I know that cost was supposed to have been a positive but no matter how you slice it transportation in Japan is not cheap. Although for most people in most situations trains are still the best value!

Now how do we maximize that value?

Well if you are traveling to Japan as a tourist (No Work Visa) than buy the Japan Rail Pass! The Rail Pass is a great deal especially if you want to visit a few tourist spots like Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Hiroshima and Nagasaki!

The pass can be purchased for periods of one, two, or three weeks and is for unlimited travel during that time period. It is good for travel on all Japan Rail trains and buses(BONUS!) except for the Nozomi Bullet Train(the fastest type of bullet train.) Don’t worry, you can take the Hikari Bullet Train(the second fastest bullet train) with the rail pass.

How much you will save depends on how much you travel. To give you an idea, I visited a new city everyday, and I estimated that if I had not used the pass I would have spent about $700 USD. The Japan Rail pass cost me about $300 USD.

If you are interested in the Rail Pass you will need to buy it BEFORE you leave your home country. You can do this at your travel agent and they will give you a voucher which looks like this.

When you arrive in Japan you will exchange this voucher for the actual rail pass. You can do this at most major train stations and this is what it looks like.

It of course it wouldn’t be Japan if there wasn’t a few spelling mistakes made by the friendly Japan Rail Staff. They incorrectly spelled my name and nationality which is kind of amazing as they copied both pieces of info from my passport.

If you want more info on the rail pass, just google it!