Jia Hui is currently studying in Tokyo and is very interested in
sourcing for ways to survive Japan without burning a hole in her
pocket. She enjoys travelling, especially around Japan where she can
immerse herself in the Japanese culture. She also likes photography
and eating good food.
It is a common conception that living in Japan can be expensive. Indeed, it is expensive, but there are many different methods to help to reduce the cost of living and making it more bearable. There are already many articles written on the different ways to save money in Japan, such as buying discounted bentos in the supermarket after 8 p.m. (or for some departmental stores, 9 p.m.), but this article will be focusing on the aspect of grocery shopping.
With a castle, beautiful temple gardens and more food replicas than you can salivate at, Gujo Hachiman deserves a place on your itinerary to Gifu Prefecture.
If you ask around, people would probably lament that the cost of living in Tokyo is high. This boils down to the question - with a limited budget, is enjoying Tokyo ever possible? One of my greatest joys when travelling is to indulge in good food. If your budget is not catered towards the high-end restaurants, is it still possible to enjoy a good meal in Tokyo?
Takadanobaba (高田馬場) is a station on the JR Yamanote line and also home to two other popular train lines: the Seibu-Shinjuku Line and the Tozai Line. In peak hours, it is crowded as many commuters use this station as a transfer station to and fro from the west of Tokyo.
Takayama is a city near the Hida Region in the Gifu Prefecture. It acts as the gateway to the nearby World Heritage site, Shirakawa-go.
Cycling is very common in Japan especially when transport is very expensive. For example in Tokyo, a 10-minute train ride on the Toei Subway line (a private line) can cost up to 280 yen. Therefore, many Tokyoites prefer to walk or cycle than to take public transport.
Kirishima (霧島), is a city located in the Kagoshima Prefecture, Kyushu. There are several mountains located in Kirishima and collectively they form the Kirishima Mountains. These mountains are situated on the borders of Miyazaki and Kagoshima.
Koenji is located approximately 10 minutes away from Shinjuku on the Chuo line and is a stop right after Nakano. So if you are planning on visiting Nakano, you might want to stop by Koenji. Giving of very different vibes from Nakano, Koenji is a hipster town; well known for the many used clothing stores and jazz bars.
I guess many of those staying in Tokyo have ever searched short day trips to escape the busy and urbanite Tokyo and probably stumbled across Nikko as a likely destination.
