Tokyo on the Cheap

Tokyo is a vast city which has something to offer everyone. It has a reputation for catering to those with high-class tastes. Fortunately, there are ways to get around this city and have a great time for little money. You don't have to eat at fancy restaurants; drop by the kombini (convenience store) for a snack. Some museums may cost a lot, but others are cheap or offer discounts to students, including the National Museum. Temples are always free to explore and the smaller ones offer a respite from the crowds. Parks are great for hanging out and people-watching; check out the roaming bands of singing elvises at Harajuku Park. Accommodation doesn't have to break your budget either; if you don't have any friends here then you can crash at a capsule hotel or 'sauana' like Green Plaza Shinjuku. If you're really desperate you can even stay at an Internet cafe. So no matter what you're into, there's a way to experience it without breaking the bank in Tokyo.

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So, are you in need of a shower after a harrowing train ride or do you need to find a place to rest after clubbing in Shibuya or Shinjuku? Well, Green Plaza, with an onsen, saunas, a restaurant and lots of free, cheap beds has come to your aid. Warning: the rooms are NOT single; you will sleep on a floor mattress in a room with maybe three dozen others. Also, bathing is communal so if you have any hang-ups with getting naked in front of Japanese people then do not come here. Also, those with tatoos are forbidden from entering.

I am only going to review the women's section of Green Plaza. Men and women are separated: after going through the lobby women can go up to the ninth floor via the leftmost elevator door. Check-in is from 10pm onwards and you can stay for 10 hours at a rate of 3,400 yen. Staying longer costs about 300 yen per half hour.

After checking in (the staff speaks very little English but they do have helpful guides with English), you will get a locker key and a bag with pajamas and a towel. Be sure to remove your shoes before stepping on the carpet. The beds are upstairs. There is a wonderful onsen (hot spring) downstairs. Please observe proper onsen rules: always shower thoroughly before getting in the hot spring or saunas. There is shampoo, conditioner ('treatment') and body wash provided for you at the shower stalls. Do not take the large towel in with you; there is a small 'modesty' towel that you can try and cover yourself with and later put on your head as you are relaxing in the hot springs.

So, Green Plaza is a great, safe place for women to stay and it is conveniently located just east of the train station. There is also a range of beauty treatments available in addition to an overnight stay. It is clean and although the staff speaks very little English, they are helpful when you have a positive attitude.

If you take the JR line to Harajuku, the Meiji Shrine is just to the west of the station. The large, leafy park is a welcome respite from the hustle and bustle of Harajuku.

The Meiji Shrine is dedicated to the emperor Meiji and his consort, Shoken. Meiji died in the early part of the 20th century. There are tens of thousands of trees here.

Meiji Shrine is located near the center of the park. The entrance is free. If you'd like to offer your wishes then go up to the shrine, throw a coin in the box and bow your head, clap your hands, wish for something, clap your hands again and bow. There are charms and other things for sale in little booths to the east.

The rest of the park is much less crowded then the central shrine area and is a great place for a walk. There is 'Treasure Museum' to the north but the offerings are quite slim (many recent portraits of emperors and empresses and a carriage). There is also a museum annex in the southeast area of the park, next to the big gift shop and restaurant. This annex presents rotating exhibits, some quite good. Entrance for the 'Treasure Museum', which includes the annex, is 600 yen but students get a discount.

The official website in English can be found here: www.meijijingu.or.jp/english/index.htm

Tokyo's National Museum can be found in the north side of green Ueno Park. You can purchase normal entry tickets at the booth on the left and special exhibition tickets at the booth on the right. There are discounts available for students (including University students), disabled people, and the elderly. Normal admission is 600 yen (about $5); special exhibitions cost extra. The museum is generally open from 9:30am to 5pm but you should double-check the website to verify the opening times on a particular day.

After purchasing your ticket there are different buildings to explore. The building on the east side (to the right as you walk in) houses the Asian art collection. There are some beautiful statues, paintings (including woodblock prints, hanging scrolls and calligraphy) and artifacts from hundreds of years ago. The works of art come from Korea, India, China, and southeast Asia.

The large building to the north of the main entrance houses the Japanese collections. Here you'll find priceless paintings, artifacts, Buddhist works of art, ceramics and sculptures. Behind this building is a beautiful Zen-inspired garden that is open when weather permits. It's worth a stroll. During special occasions (i.e., University student appreciation day), there may be a tea ceremony or other event held in an area behind the Japanese Collection building.

The building to the northwest houses the changing exhibitions. Currently, the special exhibition is on Japanese Ichiboku Buddhist Statues and will run until December. These beautiful statues are worth a look but if time and money is constrained then you may have to give it a pass, unfortunately.

The National Museum provides an excellent tour of non-modern art throughout Asia and it may take a long time to explore all of its treasures, so come early. Also, the English website is well designed and very helpful. It provides a lot of relevant information, including admission details, current events, and directions: www.tnm.go.jp/en/gallery Enjoy your tour of Asian art!

Harajuku's Yoyogi Park is an excellent place to get a glimpse in person of all of those different sub-cultures you may have heard of. Rockabilly, Gothic Lolita, punk, hip-hop kids, you'll find them all here. You'll also find the locals having a picnic, practicing a play, watching a band, or eating some street food. It's a great chance to be a part of Tokyo culture without having to spend any money.

Near the entrance to the park, which is located just south of Harajuku Station, you might find different groups of Japanese men dressed as Elvis, dancing to his songs. They won't ask for money, they seem to love dancing and dressing up. You might also find groups of youngsters practicing their jump-roping skills. This isn't the jump-roping in America, these hip-hop kids have great skills and can do flips through the jump ropes, cartwheels, hand-offs, and jaw-dropping tricks for the fun of it.

Inside the park you may find a local band trying out their skills or dancers. There is also street food available. Generally, a box of noodles will cost around 400 yen. Feel free to take a rest and people-watch like the locals. Yoyogi Park is a great way to immerse yourself in different subcultures for free.

Sure, a meal in Tokyo can easily set you back thousands of yen but it doesn't have to! Here are some quick tips to help you find delicious food for less yen.

1. There are lots of cheap noodle shops in town. Usually you can distinguish these by long counters with seated customers slurping on noodles. Everything will be in Japanese. If there's a ticket machine, you can try taking your chances by selecting a random menu item (if you don't have any allergies or aren't a vegetarian or the like). Take the ticket to the counter and wait for your food. If they have a menu then point at the item you want. Tips aren't necessary in Japan.

3. Try to find street food. There is a lot of street food for sale in places like Harajuku (along the street just south of the station). This food is fresh and can be quite delicious. A box of noodles usually costs about 500 yen.

4. Eat at a cheap chain 'family' restaurant. Typical family restaurants include Johnathans and Dennys. They will often have menus with English as well. A main course can run from about 800 to 1600 yen. Service is friendly and prompt and of course no tip is necessary.

5. Take your chances at a local eatery. Look for places with a menu outside so you can check out the prices. Also, be aware that some restaurants charge 'sitting fees' or 'snack fees'. Be sure to ask in advance if there will be any extra charges. Have a great time trying new food!

So, say you're new to Tokyo and would like to see this fantastic city from high up. You can do this for free at the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Office's two observatories. These towers reach a height of 202 meters and provide a great view of this vast city with building markers in English.

To reach the observatories, you must enter from the basement. When you get to the large, famous Government Offices you will see some stairs leading down to the basement area. When you reach the basement, there are some signs in English pointing to the entrances. Follow the marked lines to enter the elevator; there is an operator who will push the buttons for you. At the top floor, there is a cafe and the viewing area. The cafe is a bit costly but the view can't be beat! The Meiji Shrine area is especially interesting to see because of the large growth of green inside the modern city. There is also a small gift shop area.

There are two towers, one on the north side and one on the south side and they both have different offerings so it's worth it to go up both sides (and free!). Photographs from the top are allowed. The north tower is open from 9am to 11pm and the south tower is open from 9am to 5:30pm. Each tower is closed generally two days a month on different days; this official English website provides the details: www.metro.tokyo.jp/ENGLISH/TMG/observat. Enjoy the view!

Tokyo is such a big city that it's still arguable where it begins and where it ends. You may want to hit a museum on one end of the city and then go shopping on the other side of the city. So how do you get around if you're not rich and can't afford a taxi? Take the subway!

Before you even get to Tokyo, I recommend having a new copy of the subway map. You can find one here www.bento.com/subtop5.html if you don't have a newer guidebook. All stations will have subway maps but some of them don't have romanji (English letters) and sometimes the crowds are so thick it's difficult to stand near the map without getting in someone's way. After you find out which station you're at and where you want to go, purchase your ticket at the self-service machines. You select the fare. Many machines have helpful English fliers with the English names of popular stops and the correct fares. Select the correct fare, put money in the machine and take your ticket. Make sure you go into the correct entrance and put your ticket into the machine; you'll get it back a second later. Keep your ticket because you will need it to get off the subway as well. Remember to keep your voice down when you're on the subway (you might be talking louder than you think!). Also, there's a good chance that someone on the car will understand exactly what you're saying.

If you're planning on staying out late, make sure you know when the last train runs to your hotel/hostel. You don't want to get stuck in Shibuya, where the cheapest hotel is 10,000 yen (unless you're a man, because all of the capsule hotels there are closed to women)!

If you mess up your fare, it's okay. On your way out of the subway, go to the 'fare adjustment' counter and the proper price will be sorted out. Unfortunately, the Tokyo subway system does not seem to have many information booths. If you get lost, the proper thing to do would be to go to the Police Station but these can be difficult to find as well! A lot of the shop owners speak Japanese and are used to hapless tourists requesting their help, so just come with a friendly attitude and you will find help.

Sometimes it can be more convenient to walk then to take the subway between very popular stops. At Shinjuku Station, there are countless entrances and exits with different lines and if you want to go to, say, Yoyogi, then (map sure you have a city map) just start walking south. This is a great way to get out of the crowds and see some real parts of the city.

You might see some city busses but I wouldn't recommend taking these. I've never seen any bus information in English and the Japanese bus system can be confusing (and for those of you who dare, make sure you take a ticket when you board or you will pay full fare when you get off). Taxis are incredibly expensive. When you're looking for a cheap, quick ride then just hit the subway! They're fast and convient.

There's countless books written about Japanese etiquette. I would like to explain some of the most important rules for those of you who are visiting friends or would just like to be aware of how to act politely in Japanese society.

First, the shoes. It's crucial to remove your shoes when entering someone's house. They also come off before entering a hot spring (onsen), a school or even the toilet! After you take them off, set them so that the toes face out (towards the way you came in). If you are unsure of whether you should take your shoes off, just look around you. Are there some cheap-looking slippers? They're probably for guests. As a warning, never wear slippers or shoes on tatami (reed) mats! This is incredibly offensive and will cause gasps and require a big apology. As a general rule, don't take any holey socks to Japan because everyone will see.

If you want to visit someone or are meeting new co-workers or something to that effect, it's best to bring a small gift. I highly recommend bringing food from your home country. Japanese people particularly like things that are individually wrapped and aren't TOO foreign. Cookies and candies work best. Chocolate is well-loved here but may melt on the way so be careful.

To bow or not to bow? When meeting someone for the first time, watch their response. If they bow then you should offer a bow. And if they offer their hand then give them a handshake! Remember to keep your hands at your sides when you bow. Don't put them in prayer position; this is only common in Southeast Asia and would look absurd!

Also, a word about eating and toasts. When attending a formal dinner function, they may have placed all the food and drinks out. Even if your stomach is grumbling, do not partake of it until the toast! Have a glass of alcohol (or juice) ready and when everyone says 'Kanpai!' join in and raise your glass. Only drink and eat when you see everyone else doing it. To eat first would be very rude.

If someone is giving you a nice gift or a business card, accept it with both hands. As a general rule, if they're offering with both hands then be sure to take it with both hands and treat it respectfully.

Here's a few other notes:
-Slurping hot noodles is encouraged
-Be careful how you handle your chopsticks; don't use them to poke food or stick them straight up because it reminds them of funerals
-Someone may use a 'karate chop' when trying to get through a crowd; this is polite behavior
-Don't talk loudly or use a mobile while on a train; be aware of those around you
-Try not to blow your nose, especially around food

Aside from these rules, Japanese people won't expect you to know everything! They're very forgiving as long as you keep a positive attitude. If you think you are being treated poorly, don't assume the worst. Just try and have fun and keep a smile on!