Alright, everything is arranged budget wise. I’m not going to be cheapskate *tells self in vain*. I read somewhere “everything in Tokyo is expensive”. You know how untrue that is? You can eat more and better food for prices you can’t get it here for. The only thing you’ll be eating here when you’re eating out for 15 eur is a hefty junkfood meal. You’re full with healthy and yummy stuff over there. In the Netherlands and the rest of Europe eating out is something “exclusive” that you do, and not out of habit, so that’s why the restaurants are set up that way. You won’t be able to get anything to eat here that’s decent under 40 eur/ cover (incl. drinks). So my estimation is going out to eat in Tokyo, depending where, but on average 30% cheaper. Same rule applies: if looks too posh, don’t go eat there. And never under any circumstance eat in Hotels. THEY KEEL YOU.

I should write down some lines to say to restaurant people, though it will be fine if you don’t speak Jap. Take one of em outside and point at the plastic for all I care. lol.

I’ve heard one girl say on one of these Dutch travel forums “I heard they don’t really speak english very well”. Hmm, all I thought was “Girl, you’re in for the ride of your life”.

Admission fees for attractions are also significantly cheaper. Just a comparison: Eurodisney costs you 51 eur for a day ticket, Tokyo Disney world costs 43 eur under an exchange rate of 133 yen/eur! I hope that motherf** raises to 135 at least. Really, sometimes I think Europe is more expensive to the Japanese than it is the other way around. I do get pissy about “service charge” though. If I don’t use your service, gimme a goddamn discount. If I think you’re service is crappy, gimme my goddamn money back. lol. OH! And I feel bad about girls and boys carrying my heavy bag up my room if they’re two heads shorter. I remember one incident with a cab driver in Hiroshima… maaan, I couldn’t bear to watch the old fool. He should have been retired sipping cocktails. Nope, still putting heavy suitcases of foreign tourists in the back of his cab. The old man wouldn’t hear anything of it when I offered to help though. Nope, too fucking stubborn for that.

Fees for transport within cities are also significantly cheaper, as are cab fares (unpayable here). I don’t think the Shinkansen are cheaper than normal train rides here though. I just researched the train fees along the same distances in the Netherlands and Japan, Shinkansen came up twice as expensive from the JR East website. Since it does’t say it’s a return day ticket, I’m assuming that’s a one way ticket. That would make it exactly double the fare in the Netherlands for the same distance (Tokyo-Odawara is around the same as Roermond-Nijmegen).

What I’m worrying about right now is whether my field trips outside of Tokyo will kill my budget. Things like seeing Yokohama, Kamakura. I think there’s cheaper ways to get around, but for gaijin make train simple. Get on, get off. To Yokohama I’m sure I’ll find the exact way to go, no problem. Kamakura…mmm. I’ll have to turn the intarweb upside down for fees and how-to. When I’ve reached the full plan I’m going to evaluate if I need a railpass or not. Cheapest railpass starts at 226 eur for 7 days (Yikes). Besides, then there’s such things as guided tours. Ola, 10.000 yen a pop, I better live on 7/11 food that day. I know them lunches they give at Sunrise tours since I went to Nikko. Man, I wouldn’t say pigs food, but it comes close. These things you only do if you want to meet interesting people in the bus. lol.

I should have the full plan ready before 2010, that’ll also give me the definite answer if the picture fits (incl. flight + acc). I’m not going to whine about 200-300 eur over my budget though.

I already know what I’m going to do when I arrive at my hotel room safely. Drink a bottle of champagne I bought from the tax free shop at schiphol from…. either the bottle or a paper cup. I doubt I’ll take two though *looks at current offers*. I just remembered. That means I must train to get these open! I’m an expert wine opener. Any bottle, any opener. Gimme and it’s done. But champagne… I think I must ask dad the technique on *as silent and safe as possible* on new year’s eve. Am not sure that’s going to work though, he put a hole (dent) in our ceiling last time.

I have 3 preferred accomodations right now, any of which I would accept as suitable to my wishes. But… I just hope I’m going to get the same rates and availability in January. It doesn’t seem to matter what I input now as a date as far as prices go. Some hotels are even more booked after Golden Week than during Golden Week. Go figure. If for some reasno there’s a problem, I might go in Fall. If I can book in this year, I probably will. Must have a talk with buchou-san then.

It’s so much work preparing for this, but I’m really looking forward to it.