Before going to Japan almost everyone that visited Japan told me that Japan is very expensive. I heard it so many times, that I actually thought that I will not afford 6 weeks in Japan as I planned. But it is not like that. Of course, if I would sleep in fancy hotels and eat every day in a restaurant it would be indeed expensive. But choosing guesthouses/cheaper hotels and eating from the convenience stores was not bad at all. And I could see everything I wanted to and experience so many things. Also for me personally the Japan Rail Pass was not an advantage, because I traveled slow. Short distances and sometimes after one week of staying in a place. Many times I took the bus instead of the trains, because I had plenty of time, no stress and I could see more. But I didn’t miss anything, for example I traveled with the Shinkansen 2 or 3 times.
Instead of paying for a meal in a restaurant I preferred to go to the onsen some days. Or buy myself a nice skirt or a jacket.
Below are my statistics, on what I paid for and a total cost of the trip, including the flight, all the hotels, food, souvenirs for me and my family and friends.
Total cost: 5300 euro
Hotels: 1707 euro
Transport: 1391 euro
Shopping: 978 euro
Food: 576 euro
Entertainment: 230 euro
Sightseeing: 163 euro
Internet: 117 euro
Health: 19 euro
Others: 130 euro