Cheapest Way to Travel In Japan

Walking In Japan

Walking in Japan is unavoidable. Cars and taxis are seldom used in the large cities, especially for the budget traveler. Most people use trains. Here is my article about sleeping on trains in Japan and how to use trains as a source of free accommodation.You will be walking from shops to trains stations, up and down subway levels sometimes 5 stories deep, and around large department stores. You will be walking a lot, so be prepared physically and mentally. Plan where you’re going, know how long it will take. Wear appropriate clothing for hot or cold weather, and wear good walking shoes. Get good nights sleep and eat well. Bring food and water in a comfortable backpack. Bring a collapsible umbrella incase it rains. If you have a GPS device use it when unsure of which direction to go.

Kansai Telecasting Corporation Near Ogimachi Station Osaka Japan

 

The Best Way to Find Interesting Places In Japan

Walking is the best way to find interesting places, and it’s the cheapest way to travel through the cities. Walking will give you the opportunity to discover more, photograph interesting things, meet more people and learn the area. It will give you the opportunity to learn where the best restaurants are, the cheapest shops and to orientate yourself with the layout of the cities. When to walk and when not to walk comes down to good planning of your schedule. I would often walk to save money and at the same time I would get many of the rewards listed above.

Tenjinbashi Shoutengai Osaka Japan

How To Save Money On Trains In Japan

When travelling by train I would often get off two or three stations before my destination. It may save 200 or 300 yen. Some train lines run in the same direction parallel to each other about a mile or two apart. Walking over to the other line can be a time and money saving way to switch train lines, as you don’t need to ride the train to where the lines link back up and then ride the train line back down in the opposite direction to reach your destination. So learn your train lines, the prices to each destination and how much you will save if you get off a station or two earlier.

Do you ever walk to save money on trains?

Tenjinbashi Shoutengai Meat Shop Osaka Japan

 

Use GPS to Prevent Getting Lost 

Soon after arriving in Japan I was at a friends house in the suburbs of east Osaka. The entire suburb was filled with narrow laneways that cars had no access to. I was given directions on how to return to the train station. I set out an hour before the last train for the night. I quickly lost my direction everything looked the same, and soon became completely lost. I walked in circles for over two hours before finding my friends house again. Thus I missed the last train home that night. If I had a GPS I would have been fine.

Ogimachi Park Osaka Japan

 

Walking Around Osaka

I also often walk my entire route when in the inner city of Osaka if I have time. The inner city of Osaka from Umeda in the north to Namba in the south is only 4.2km, which can be covered on foot in about one hour. From Nanba, through to Shinsaibashi and then up to Tenjinbashi Roku Chome in the north is the longest Shotengai (undercover shopping laneway) in Japan. It stretches for miles and is full of many interesting people and shops. Here is more information about Tenjinbashi on the official Osaka tourist website: http://www.osaka-info.jp/en/ofc/201101/http://www.osaka-info.jp/en/ofc/201101/.

Kansai Telecasting Corporation Near Ogimachi Station Osaka Japan

Tenjinbashi Shoutengai Osaka Japan

Tenjinbashi Shoutengai Ten 4 Osaka Japan

Tenjinbashi Shoutengai Ten 3 Osaka Japan

Okawa River Near Tenjinbashi Shoutengai Osaka Japan

Tenjinbashi Shoutengai Small Door Osaka Japan

Tenjinbashi Shoutengai Ten 3 Osaka Japan

Tenjinbashi Shoutengai Temple Osaka Japan

Tenjinbashi Shoutengai Ten 1 Osaka Japan

Tenjinbashi Shoutengai Ten 6 Osaka Japan

Shop till you drop on the longest shopping arcade in Japan

Tenjinbashi Shoutengai Walking Route

The most common shops found in a Japanese shotengai

• supermarkets and grocery stores
• restaurants and cafes
• izakaya snack bars
• pachinko parlors
• massage parlors
• barber shops
• game centers
• post offices
• book shops
• clothing stores
• convenience stores
• neighborhood police substations
 

To summarize, don’t walk when you need to save time, as your holiday is no
doubt bound to a limited time schedule. However, I recommend you set
aside time to walk long distances, I promise you will have a rewarding
experience from it.

 

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