Back in 2016, I saved 1k per payday and traveled to Osaka, Japan with 25k budget. This year, I again managed to travel to Japan by saving 1k per payday. I saved for a year and found myself back in the country I love most. Let’s explore Tokyo do-it-yourself style.

EXPENSES	Philippine Peso	Japanese Yen
Roundtrip Airfare (Pisofare)	2856
Baggage Allowance	1900
Travel Tax	1620
Suica Card	2324	5000
Keisei Bus (NRT to Tokyo / Tokyo to NRT)	930	2000
Accommodation for 7D6N at Hostel East57 Asakusabashi	5538	11915
Showa Kinen Park Entrance Fee	209	450
Tokyo Tower Main Deck Ticket	418	900
Food and Pasalubong	3951	8500
TOTAL	19745	28765

You can also add Nikko and Yokohama if you have more time. 🙂

Here is a screenshot of our pisofare payment details. 8567.94 pesos / 3 persons = 2856 pesos roundtrip each. Booked December 2017 for a November 2018 flight.

Here is a quick guide on how you can score cheap promo tickets to Japan!

Here is a screenshot from our Agoda booking. 16612.92 pesos / 3 persons = 5538 pesos for 7D6N accommodation. This is actually for 4 persons but we failed to find another one to join us in our trip, we could’ve saved a thousand pesos 😉 I highly recommend Hostel East57 Asakusabashi for your Tokyo stay.

Originally, the itinerary I submitted to the embassy was just a draft – the locations were far from each other. Special thanks to my Japanese friend who arranged the final itinerary. Most of our destinations are free of charge that’s why everything was spent on food and pasalubong. We are a very relaxed (lazy and slow to be exact lol) group and really took time in each of these spots. We wake up around 7AM and we leave the hostel by 10AM. Ideally, you can add more to this itinerary to maximize Tokyo 😉

Let’s go!

DAY 1

Arrival in Narita International Airport
Asakusabashi

We arrived 1130AM in Japan – just in time for lunch. Grabbed a quick bite at 7-11 first. Bought Suica Card and booked a bus ride to Central Tokyo. The express bus is stopping at Tokyo Station so we had to take a train to Asakusabashi Station where our accommodation, Hostel East57 Asakusabashi is located. After unpacking and a quick rest, we familiarized ourselves in the area during dinner time when we were looking for a place to eat.

DAY 2

Imperial Palace
Kitanomaru Park
Nippon Budokan
Tokyo Dome City
Akihabara

I really wanted to see the Nippon Budokan mainly because of Utada Hikaru’s 2004 concert here. Fandom first you know :P. The Imperial Palace East Garden was closed during our visit but the good part is that the Imperial Palace is surrounded by lots of parks so our visit was not a waste. We then went to Akihabara (just a station away from Tokyo Station) for dinner. Akihabara is a must for anime/video game fans. There’s Square Enix cafe and Gundam Cafe just near the station. 😉

DAY 3

Shibuya Crossing
Hachiko Statue
Harajuku
Meiji Shrine
Shinjuku
Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building Viewing Deck

Of course, a Tokyo visit would not be complete without Hachiko! ❤ It was fun watching the people in Shibuya Crossing, it feels like everything is on fast-forward mode. Don’t forget to time-lapse here. We then dropped by Harajuku to look for the Sailor Moon Store, a request of my friend. We went to Meiji Shrine and then off to Shinjuku – another busy place with lots of buildings and lights. We had hard time finding the Tokyo Metropolitan Govt Building and we’re lucky to have one Japanese student who accompanied us. It was a long walk from Shinjuku Station. I apologized for causing her trouble and she said that it was no trouble at all. We went to see Tokyo’s night lights from the building’s viewing deck. We had dinner on one of the restaurants near the station before heading home.

DAY 4

Showa Kinen Park
Asakusa Culture and Tourism Center
Asakusa Shrine / Sensoji Temple

We saw an autumn forecast on one of the tourist information center and decided to go to Showa Kinen Park which is located in Tachikawa City. It was an hour ride from our home station. There is a 450yen fee to enter the park. We spent most of the day here because the autumn leaves were really beautiful and the park is really a huge one. We then went to Asakusa to meet our Japanese friend and she toured us around the area.

DAY 5

Tokyo DisneySea
Tokyo Disneyland
Tokyo Tower
One Piece Tower
Don Quijote
Roppongi

We went to Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea but we did not enter lol. Mainly because it was expensive (7400 yen / 3426 pesos per theme park per person) and also we need to be here as early as possible but it’s almost noon time when we arrived. We then went to Tokyo Tower – sadly, the other half side of the main deck was under construction so I feel like the ticket was a waste. There’s also One Piece Tower (2200 yen entrance fee), One Piece Store, Detective Conan store and a general anime store. We then walked to Roppongi and passed by a 100yen store and of course, Don Quijote where we shopped for pasalubong, tax free!

DAY 6

DECKS
AquaCity
Diver City Tokyo Plaza
Unicorn Gundam
Statue of Liberty
Odaiba Marine Park

Another must-see in Tokyo is the life-size Gundam! Odaiba is like a city from the future. The train here from the Yurikamome line is fully automated – be sure to get to the front seat of the train to get the best view. There’s also a supermarket here that’s called “OK Everyday Low Price”, be sure to check it out so you can grab some pasalubong 😉

DAY 7

Narita International Airport
Mactan-Cebu International Airport
Ninoy Aquino International Airport

Too much airport for a day lol. The pisofare I grabbed has a stop-over in Cebu but I’m not complaining. Our flight is at 1PM so we checked out at 9AM and arrived at Narita International Airport past 10AM. If you have time, you can check the Observation Deck to see the planes landing / taking off. There’s also a Pokemon Store here so if you haven’t been to the Pokemon Mega Center, be sure to stop by here.

TIPID TIPS

Expenses on food will truly hurt your wallet. Find the cheapest restaurant and eat there 😉 They are usually fully packed so you’ll find them easily. For pasalubong, 100 Yen, Don Quijote and those tax free stores will save you thousands of yen. 😉 You’ll find them when you’re not looking for them 😉

Enjoy Tokyo! ❤