{"id":97175779,"date":"2016-03-25T06:00:39","date_gmt":"2016-03-25T06:00:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/?p=97175779"},"modified":"2016-03-24T18:15:31","modified_gmt":"2016-03-24T18:15:31","slug":"japan-cherry-blossom-cheap","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/japan-cherry-blossom-cheap\/","title":{"rendered":"How to See Japan’s Cherry Blossom Festival Without Going Broke"},"content":{"rendered":"

Dreaming of a Japanese vacation? The best time of the year to visit is\u2014now! Springtime in Japan is a can’t-miss on any traveler’s bucket list, thanks to the world renowned Cherry Blossom Festival. Known in Japanese as the Hanami, it’s a centuries old custom that usually goes down around the end of March and early April. <\/span><\/p>\n

And just as it\u2019s known for its cherry blossoms, Japan<\/a> is also notorious for being a pricey destination. But, it doesn\u2019t have to be. You can visit the Land of the Rising Sun\u2014and see its famous cherry blossoms\u2014all without breaking the bank. Here’s how:
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

Work While You\u2019re There<\/b><\/h3>\n
\"hiroshi<\/a>

hiroshi teshigawara \/ Shutterstock<\/p><\/div>\n

Not only will you get the full Japanese experience, but you\u2019ll also get paid and\/or score free room and board. The main gig that you\u2019ll probably find (and which doesn\u2019t require knowing Japanese beforehand) is teaching English. If you have a college degree, you can apply to the <\/span>JET (Japan Exchange and Teaching) Programme<\/a>, which is organized by a variety of government agencies to bring in foreigners to help teach their languages and spread internationalism on a local level. You can find something more temporary through <\/span>WWOOF (World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms)<\/a>, which sets you up to work on a farm in exchange for meals and a place to stay. Check out <\/span>JobsInJapan.com<\/a> for other ideas and options.<\/span><\/p>\n

Plan to Get Around Economically<\/b><\/h3>\n
\"Train\"<\/a>

sritangphoto \/ Shutterstock<\/p><\/div>\n

<\/b>A classic travel budget blunder is to land at a destination and then just pay as you go to get around. You should never land in another country without a transportation plan, especially in Japan. Visitors on a tourist visa can buy different levels of <\/span>rail passes<\/span><\/a> for the country\u2019s famous train system that will save you serious bank versus purchasing tickets at the station (Remember: You need to buy them online BEFORE your trip). A cheaper alternative is to buy a bus pass (<\/span>Willer Express<\/span><\/a> is the most popular company). Take overnight buses to save on hotel fees! For getting around a town or city, rent a bike. It\u2019s a great way to see the area and it\u2019s way cheaper than subways or taxis. <\/span><\/p>\n

Pay Nothing (or Close to It) to See the Sites<\/b><\/h3>\n
\"Japan\"<\/a>

sanupot \/ Shutterstock<\/p><\/div>\n

<\/b>You actually don\u2019t need to spend any money to soak in the tourist attractions of Japan. Famous historic sites, like ancient Shinto shrines, and well-know cultural destinations like Tokyo’s uniquely fashionable Harajuku neighborhood, don\u2019t require an admittance fee. There are even <\/span>free volunteer tour guides<\/span><\/a> to show you around. And if you want to see a museum that requires a fee, check with a local tourism board or information center to see if you can buy something like Tokyo’s <\/span>Grutt Pass<\/span><\/a>, which offers admission to a host of different galleries and museums for one low fee. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Check into Cheap, Quintessentially Japanese Digs (Maybe With This View)
\n<\/b><\/h3>\n
\"Tokyo\"<\/a>

Pigprox \/ Shutterstock<\/p><\/div>\n

You could shell out big bucks to stay at an international chain, or even opt for the low-cost European-style hostel, but why not save money and stay somewhere that\u2019s a singularly Japanese experience? You could spent the night at a <\/span>\u201c<\/span>business hotel<\/span><\/a>,\u201d<\/span> the country\u2019s most inexpensive offerings for those traveling for work. They\u2019re usually around city train stations and have well-kept but bareboned sleeping arrangements with communal bathrooms. You can also stay at the more infamous <\/span>\u201c<\/span>capsule hotels<\/span><\/a>,\u201d<\/span> which feature tightly enclosed beds for guests stacked on top of one another. And then there are <\/span>\u201c<\/span>love hotels<\/span><\/a>,\u201d<\/span> which are used for couples that live in the culture\u2019s traditional multi-generational homes to have some \u201cone-on-one\u201d time and usually offer reduced rates for guests checking in after a certain hour and spending the night. \u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Eat Like a Fugal Local<\/b><\/h3>\n
\"ElDen-1<\/a>

ElDen-1 \/ Shutterstock<\/p><\/div>\n

<\/b>What\u2019s the point of traveling to Japan and not partaking in its renowned cuisine? Luckily, there are plenty of ways to eat in Japan and save money. <\/span>Fast food<\/span><\/a> and inexpensive chain restaurants (like those offering dollar plates of sushi) in Japan are supposedly really good, as are take-out options from grocery stores. The country’s\u00a0<\/span>vending machines<\/span><\/a> are known for their unparalleled uniqueness and quality, and nicer restaurants are known to offer reduced meals for lunch.<\/span><\/p>\n

What are you favorite money saving tips for traveling in Japan<\/a>? Let us know in the comments section! \u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Dreaming of a Japanese vacation? The best time of the year to visit is\u2014now! Springtime in Japan is a can’t-miss on any traveler’s bucket list, thanks to the world renowned Cherry Blossom Festival. Known in Japanese as the Hanami, it’s a centuries old custom that usually goes down around the end of March and early […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":41,"featured_media":97175784,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1361,1018,1416],"tags":[268,816,1734,1156,255],"class_list":["post-97175779","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-asia","category-international-destinations","category-travel-guide","tag-budget-travel","tag-cheap-travel","tag-cherry-blossom-festival","tag-japan","tag-japan-travel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/97175779","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/41"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=97175779"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/97175779\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":97175787,"href":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/97175779\/revisions\/97175787"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/97175784"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=97175779"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=97175779"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=97175779"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}