The Japan Trip Resource Thread!

[Jushin-Thunder-Liger]

I just need 2 weeks more work form somewhere and im there
Im staying at http://www.sakura-hotel.co.jp// for 7 days, to hopefully meat some fellow travellers to get drunk in Roppongi with, then over to http://www.toyoko-inn.com/e_hotel/00015/index.html for the next 7 days
Ill be writing a diary of my time there, shopping for games and used schoolgirls nickers and the like, which ill post here, maybe the fellows here would be interested in putting it on the home-page?

Im looking at going late March - Maybe early April if the deal is right
Mainly shopping for an AES, KOF'98, PC Engine, Saturn, DC stuff. And hoping to complete my classic SFC collection
So there u go

[womblingfree]

Here is some bonkers maths for those of you thinking of working in Japan and worrying about the cost of living.

Me and my sister both earn around ?18,000 a year, not a big salary. The difference being that after tax, rent, bills etc my sister has around ?300 a month to live on whereas I have about ?1000 to piss up the wall.

So where does all my extra cash come from? Well my rent is only ?50 a week for a nice flat in Tokyo, income tax is far lower, no council tax, my health insurance is paid for, as are my tavel expenses to work. I can currently save about ?6-800 pounds a month and still have a pretty good life.

Despite what people may say Japan is a great, great place to save money. I'd thoroughly recommend it to those of you scrimping to get by and drowning in post-degree debt.

I've calculated that I need to earn between ?28-30,000 a year in the UK to be as well off as I am in Japan.

Bonkers

[MD]

You don't really highlight enough that your work does partly pay for your accomodation.

Living in London is expensive, although I only pay ?50 a week for a room. It depends on how you massage the figures and stuff. Although a friend of mine who lives in Japan did say that he did have to find ?3000 to pay for deposit, key money, rent and agents fee when he first moved into his apartment with his wife.

Back on track. ^_^; Can't wait to visit Tokyo. ^_^

[womblingfree]

You don't really highlight enough that your work does partly pay for your accomodation.

Living in London is expensive, although I only pay ?50 a week for a room. It depends on how you massage the figures and stuff. Although a friend of mine who lives in Japan did say that he did have to find ?3000 to pay for deposit, key money, rent and agents fee when he first moved into his apartment with his wife.

Back on track. ^_^; Can't wait to visit Tokyo. ^_^

Well I pay 40,000 yen a month instead of 65,000 yen a month because of subsidy. My wage however is lower than some place to accomodate this and so it balances out. I'm still looking at 120,000 yen equivalent for a similair place in the London area. A huge bloody difference.

You can be fleeced for key money but there are many places that don't require a large deposit. Most places specifically for foreigners require a deposit which is fully refundable with a months notice. To get a decent place otherwise requires some serious japanese language skills or a nice japanese friend.

Here are a couple of useful links:

http://classifieds.japantoday.com/

http://www.sakura-house.com/

[kotatsuneko]

imho the best place to go for *real* advice and no ****e is:

www.****edgaijin.com

sure helped me a lot when i moved to japan! place has been swamped by a lot of newbies of late but most of the original crew still post there..

it helps that most people there actually live in japan rather than the usual rubbish seen on other sites where they are just bores / commentators / wannabes/fanboys..

edit: heres a good realworld story linked from fg`s news page:

http://mdn.mainichi.co.jp/news/20040221p2a00m0dm017000c.html

dont ever expect to be *really* welcome here btw , if you like being treated like a young black man in 50s america tho you`ll fit in just fine!

[MD]

The second link produces the following error message

The URL cannot be located on this server.

Still trying to find damn accomodation. >_<

[mingo]

on my way to Tokyo on Saturday 28th Feb, also staying at the sakura hotel, got ?2000 spending money 8) will be there for 11 days, cant wait.

[?pint]

Have fun! 11 days ain't nearly enough time!

[Jushin-Thunder-Liger]

Im Staying at the Sakura Hotel too, arriving on the 16th. Let us know how you get on, i hop some Swedish students are staying when i go
Cheers

[mingo]

Here is My Initial Shopping List:

Panasonic Q
Famicom SP
Nintendo 64DD
Dreamcast Jap (LE)
Sin & Punishment N64
REZ w/Trance virbrator
Famicom Mini Games all 10
Initial D
DDR Max 2
DDR Extreme
Shikigami No Shiro 1
Winning Eleven 7 International
Astro Boy
Final Fantasy 7,8,9 International
Psyvariar 2
Hori GC Pad
Various Saturn, Dreamcast and Neo CD games as well

[MD]

I'll hunt you down and attack you with Neo Geo Carts if you buy too many games

[MD]

Finally sorted out a hotel room. Going to cost me 6500 Yen + 15% a night but it has a kitchen (which was very important to me) and a private shower / toilet and is in Asakusa, so it'll be quiet (although can get to Akhi, Shinjuku and most other places without changing trains too much...). ^_^

I would recommend the following place for hotel bookings.

http://www.bookingsjp.com

Lots of hotels and most at reasonable prices. Didn't need a credit card either. ^_^

Going to be there from the 4th to the 15th of April, which is 11 days (a popular staying time it would seem).

[Jushin-Thunder-Liger]

Which hotel did you book that didnt need a credit-card?
the one i wanted needed one

[MD]

I just done a booking with phone / fax credit card details, then got a japanese friend to call up and confirm the booking. ^_^ So if you don't have anyone in Japan that can do that for you then you may have to use a credit card to confirm the booking (which is strange as most prefer cash to pay for the room anyway...).

[mt50]

mingo- how are you going to get all them back to the uk?