Wander Tips: Steps to Prepare for Japan
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Japan has always been a dream. When my sister scored seat sale tickets to Narita, we both felt like our dream will be realized soon! Of course, as the designated trip planner, I started to get busy. We have 6 full days to travel around Japan, and 2-days are allotted to travel to and from Manila.
Booking Flights
Our trip to Japan was booked via Cebu Pacific Air. It was a seat sale and we got our airfare for PHP6198/pax, which included checked-in baggage and pre-selected seats. The flights were booked on October 2017 for our March 2018 flights.
Getting A Visa
There are numerous agencies out there that can process a Japanese tourist visa for you. Finding the right one is a no-brainer. In my opinion, you can just select the one that is nearest your location or the one that fits your budget for the processing fee. In our case, we chose Reli Tours. We paid PHP950 per person for the processing fee and it only took 3-days to get the visa.
Purchase a JR Pass
A JR Pass is only for tourists going to Japan. If you’re going to do long distance traveling all over Japan, then you need to get this rail pass, as it is very cost-effective. It will definitely save you a lot of money.
The JR Pass can be used for the following:
- JR Trains
- Tokyo Monorail to/fr Haneda Airport
- Some non-JR trains
- Local JR buses
Below are the types of pass and their corresponding prices:
| JAPAN Rail Pass | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Type | Ordinary Car | Green Car | |
| 7 consecutive days | ¥29,110 | ¥38,880 | |
| 14 consecutive days | ¥46,390 | ¥62,950 | |
| 21 consecutive days | ¥59,350 | ¥81,870 | |
Finding the right accommodation:
We stayed in 3 different places booked from Airbnb. Our itinerary consists of 1-night in Tokyo, 2-nights in Osaka, 1-day in Kyoto, and another 4-days in Tokyo. For 7-nights, we only spent PHP19084.46. Isn’t that cheap?
Create an Itinerary
As the designated planner, I am always the one who does the itinerary. I create an itinerary around our base camp, our Airbnb, then calculate the distance and time on how to get to our places of interests. Research is key! There are so many blogs out there that can help you. Don’t worry, I will blog about our itinerary, so for now, here’s 5 Full Days in South Korea.
Getting Discounted Tickets:
My favourite place to score discounted tickets are from Klook. I have been booking from their website since 2015 and I have never had any issues with any of my bookings with them. The convenience in booking tickets with them makes my travels hassle-free!
What I booked from Klook:
- 4G WiFi (JP Airport Pickup)
Get unlimited connection anywhere in Japan. What I loved about this is they also provided a power bank for the the WiFi device so you don’t need to worry about losing your connection for the whole day. Plus, there’s no deposit needed! - Universal Studios Japan 1 Day E-Ticket
One day admission to all your favorite movie-themed rides! I just had to pullout my phone and use the QR code to get in the theme park. No need to line up outside for a long time! And if you’re a fan of Harry Potter, book the Universal Studios Japan Express® Pass 4, too! Most people line up for 3-hrs just to get in, we managed to do it in less than 10-mins! - Osaka Amazing Pass
We got the 2-day pass and it will give you unlimited use of the subway, tramway, and bus system within the city. Plus, you to gain free entrance to 30 iconic Osaka tourist sites including Osaka Castle, HEP Five Ferris Wheel, Umeda Sky Building Floating Garden Observatory, and more.
Download Apps
- Japan Official Travel App – Download
We mostly used this app for train routes. It worked wonders throughout our journey in Japan. The train schedules are accurate and it shows which platform to go, where to transfer trains, and how long the travel times are. This app also shows basic information that are very useful to travelers. - Learn Japanese Phrasebook Pro – Android / iOS
This is one of my favorites apps to learn the basics. It includes the different types of greetings, general conversation, directions & places, transportation, eating out, emergency, etc. - Google Maps
I’ve always had this installed and it is very convenient to have. It can work offline by just using GPS. It will save you when you’re lost!
Stay tuned for more Japan-related posts!
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