Money in Japan

Hey gang, long time no see;

I`m currently in Kyoto Japan and let me tell you: Things are expensive. What`s worse is that Japan is a country that still uses cash for almost everything. Finding a place in a mainstream area like Kyoto isn`t too hard, but there are way too many places that don`t accept credit cards at all. Even when you find a place that accepts cards, they`re more than likely to only accept JVC (Japanese card), or if you`re lucky they`ll accept VISA. Mastercard is difficult to use here.

What I`ve learned: Expect to pack at least 10,000 JPY with you for your initial spending money This will cover the usage of conbini, short train tickets, and bus fare. If you need to bring a credit or debit card with you, be sure to take VISA! With a VISA card, you can withdraw money internationally through the Seven ATM service. These ATMs can be found at almost every 7/11 in Japan (There`s a lot of 7/11`s, let me tell you). Some post offices can also do money transfers, but any Master Card backed by Cirrus bank won`t work very well here.

Paper or Plastic

I'm considering applying for a credit card. I'll probably get around a $500 spending limit, but it's something I'll be able to pay off and the $500 will certainly help pay for some things. I need a VISA card, because I'm not sure how well accepted MasterCard is in Japan. I've looked into State Farm, CITI Bank, and some college's card thus far. CITI is the only one that actually lists the card's terms and conditions before you apply for the card. Although my mother has said that she prefers Chase bank's card. I'll do a little window shopping, but I'll probably decide on a CITI card, despite the low spending limit.

Oh well, I'm sure Japan has some very nice park benches to sleep on.

Going to Japan without a plan

So here's the run down. I'm going to China for a college class (Advanced Chinese) over the summer. The class is about ten days long, but afterwards I'm free to do as I please. The problem was, when the class was offered I was the only one interested in actually going to China. We needed two or three more people to make the trip legit. So, I was told to wait until the end of January to make any sort of arrangements for the trip.

Thursday, January 21st, I am told that there is now enough students to go on the trip. Friday, January 22nd I am told that I need to have my plans submitted by 5:30 that same day. So, willing to take a bit of a risk, I am spending two well-planned months in China, and one month in Japan with zero plans or preparations at all.

To emphasize the issue. The only thing I know about my stay in Japan thus far is that I will be there from July 20th to August 18th, and that my plane arrives in Tokyo. I have no idea where I'm going to live for a month, and since I'm a college student I don't have very much money at all.

Normally, I would just crash at a friends place for some sort of compensation; however, I don't actually know anyone currently living in Japan. The hotels are of course going to be insanely priced, so I have no idea what I'm going to do. I may be able to afford a host family if I can muster a couple thousand dollars before the trip, but my job doesn't pay very well.

The Eccentric Life of Dark Fox

Well, here it is guys- First post. I hope I will document my life properly. However, I have a bad habit of not completing journals and the like. I wanted to start this because I will be visiting China for two months in the summer, followed by a month in Japan. Let's see how well it goes!