Perfectly clean streets with sidewalks strewn with sakura petals, breathtaking views of the volcano and temples where all desires are fulfilled, strict rules and the freshest seafood — many tourists have been postponing a trip to Japan for years, considering it one of the most expensive countries in the world. But today everything has changed: due to the collapse of the local currency, housing, transport and food have become available, and the ease of obtaining a visa has made the Land of the Rising Sun even more attractive to Russians. Why crowds of travelers rushed to Japan in 2024 and how it conquered them — in the material ”
“It’s more profitable there than in Moscow”
“I think Japan is the best country for tourism right now. At first, I was afraid that I had too high hopes for her, that I would end up liking her less than I had imagined. But she exceeded all my expectations a million times. Japan seems to be the 40th country on my travel list – and definitely one of the best countries I’ve ever visited,” says athlete Ivan Sablin.
Over the past six months, Russian tourists have literally flooded the Land of the Rising Sun: back in December 2023, the number of hotel bookings there increased by 10 percent compared to the same month of 2022. One of the reasons is the availability of a tourist visa. If you need to wait at least a month for a decision on the issue of Schengen, and you need to fly to another country for an American visa, then you can get an entry permit from the Japanese within three to four days in Moscow or St. Petersburg. The cost of the service is also important: today the consular fee for a visa to any country in Europe is 35 euros (3.3 thousand rubles at the current exchange rate), while the Japanese one is issued free of charge.
What documents are required for a Japanese visa?
- Questionnaire. It is filled in in English or Japanese. You need to glue a photo to it, put the date of filling in and a signature.
- International passport. Moreover, you can leave only a copy of the first spread at the visa application center, and take the document home.
- A copy of the pages of the Russian passport is the main one and a spread with registration.
- Confirmation of financial viability and/ or employment — that is, a certificate of account status from a bank operating abroad or a certificate of employment indicating the position and salary.
- Paid booking of air tickets in both directions.
- The reservation of accommodation is preferably paid.
- The program of the trip for two weeks in English or Japanese in two copies. It is necessary to tell about the time of entry and exit from the country, about places of residence, places of interest to visit and ways of movement.
According to Sablin, Russians are also attracted by prices in Japan itself. It’s all about the current exchange rate: the local currency has fallen in price by almost 15 percent and reached its lowest level in the last 34 years. Thus, one Russian ruble is now equal to 1.77 Japanese yen. The trip, excluding tickets, but with accommodation, travel around the island and meals, cost Ivan 3 thousand dollars (264 thousand rubles). He compared it with the experience of his friends, who in 2021 spent about 20 thousand dollars on vacation in Japan (1.5 million rubles at the exchange rate of that time).
₽ 60 thousand
it is worth a flight from Moscow to Tokyo and back with a transfer in China in August 2024
The way to Osaka by Shinkansen from Tokyo
“Now I live in Moscow, I spend about $ 100 (9 thousand rubles) a day, excluding rental housing. I had the same amount in Tokyo. It seems that it is even more profitable to live there. I’ve been to a lot of places and all the time I was comparing these places with my native Moscow. And so far, for me, there has not been a single city in the world that would be as livable as Moscow. And now he has appeared,” says Sablin. However, he notes that housing prices in Tokyo are not much different from those in Moscow.
According to the Booking platform, the cost of a night in a hostel or a modest guesthouse in Tokyo will be 3 thousand rubles. A small room in a two- or three-star hotel will cost about 5-6 thousand rubles, in a four-star hotel — about 10 thousand rubles. Luxury apartments in a five-star hotel can be rented for 20 thousand rubles.
“We were surprised by the rooms in the hotels — they are very small! When booking, it is indicated that the footage is 10-12 meters, but in fact they are even smaller. You get to the bed sideways on the wall and just fall down. In the Tokyo hotel, the decor was from the 1980s: old furniture, old plumbing, an old beige-pink bathtub and a huge fat TV. I was shocked — I didn’t expect to see this in 2024. But at the same time everything was very clean and tidy,” says SMM specialist Daria Rybak.
You have to get used to the fact that Japan is very compact. In residential areas, all houses are two—storied, and the sidewalks are narrow
Daria Rybak
For tourists who are ready to immerse themselves in the local culture even during a night rest, there are so—called ryokan hotels in a traditional style. Instead of beds, there are futons (thick cotton mattresses), and guests are given national dzori slippers and kimono robes. Rooms in the most inexpensive rooms cost $ 70-80 (6-7 thousand rubles) for two with a bathroom on the floor, and from $ 100 (9 thousand rubles) — rooms with a private bathroom.
Japanese couple in the garden in Kyoto
“Two servings of sushi is 100 rubles”
Russian tourists are especially pleasantly surprised by the prices on the restaurant menus. “Recently I went to a sushi bar on Nikitskaya Street in Moscow with a fashionable chef from Japan. I had dinner there for 27 thousand rubles. And in the Michelin—starred institution in Tokyo, I ate twice as much — and gave about 5 thousand rubles for it,” says Ivan Sablin.
The same is noted by photographer Valeria Piksaykina, who visited Japan in April. “Of course, the food there is insanely delicious. Seafood lovers should definitely go there! All kinds of sushi, rolls — they are called onigiri there — are relatively inexpensive, especially for a Muscovite. On average, two servings of sushi is about 100 rubles. For comparison, in Moscow, one piece usually costs from 150 rubles,” she says.
The main advantage of Japanese cuisine lies in selected fresh products, and the main task of the cook is to preserve their natural properties. Food is usually served raw and practically not subjected to terminal processing — perhaps this is the secret of the longevity of the Japanese nation. In their gastronomic culture, there is no concept of a “main dish”: at one time, guests of the establishments can taste a large number of delicacies. Moreover, the portion size should be exactly the same to avoid overeating and satiety.
A separate kind of art in restaurants is serving. It is believed that the Japanese eat not only with their mouth, but also with their eyes, so the design of dishes is just as important as their taste properties
The basis of the menu in a regular cafe is rice, noodles, seafood and meat. On average, a breakfast of udon noodles with tofu, ramen and rice with curry will cost 400 yen (230 rubles), and tea or water will be served free of charge. You can have a hearty lunch or dinner in an inexpensive place for 800 yen (450 rubles) for two, and in a restaurant for 1000-1500 yen (560-850 rubles). “A large lunch of a bowl of rice, meat, soup, beans, salad, steamed salmon steak, as well as snacks and a drink on average cost me 500-600 rubles,” Sablin confirms.
Cakes in a Tokyo cafe
In turn, Daria Rybak claims that the food in the cheapest eateries is not inferior in taste and quality to restaurant dishes. “I really got into ramen. One day we were returning home late and saw a small cafe near the subway under the bridge. A completely non—touristic place – the Japanese had dinner there after work. We ordered ramen, and they brought us a hefty bowl with rich broth and noodles. God, how delicious it was, how well all the ingredients were combined!” she admires.
Michelin celebrates both restaurants and the most ordinary eateries and street food. There’s always a queue around these places, but it’s worth it.
Daria Rybak
The real salvation for many tourists who are late for dinner is the 24—hour Lawson and Family Mart supermarkets. These shops are located everywhere and offer a huge range of ready meals. According to Daria, you can have a snack there for only two dollars (about 180 rubles). “Their cooking is very developed. Sandwiches, salads, sushi, pasta, soups, hot dogs, cutlets, nuggets, pastries, coffee… There is even a joke, they say, you eat a sandwich for one dollar in Japan after you spent a thousand dollars on a flight,” she comments.
“The phone went dead before lunch”
“I would leave the house with my phone fully charged, and it would sit down before lunch. The architecture is simply amazing! I want to shoot everything all the time. Everywhere and always,” Sablin shares his impressions of Tokyo. Unlike European cities, you can’t come to the center here and see all the sights in a couple of hours. There is nothing in the center of Tokyo. That is why, when choosing a vacation home, it is important to focus not on its location, but on the proximity to the metro station.
Almost all the most interesting things are located at the stations of the Yamanote ring line, the length of which is several times longer than the Moscow one. First of all, it is worth looking at the areas of the line themselves: for example, Shinjuku is a district of skyscrapers, including the hotel of the main character of “Difficulties of Translation”, Shibuya is the center of luxury Japanese fashion, Ikebukuro is the scene of the anime “Durarara!!”, and Asakusa is the geisha quarter.
Even locals of any social status prefer public transport to private transport. The subway in Tokyo is clean, comfortable and safe. It consists of lines from two independent companies Tokyo Metro and Toei, and in order to transfer from one operator’s line to another’s line, you need to buy a new ticket. And depending on the length of the route, it costs from 170 to 320 yen (96-180 rubles).
Tokyo Temple
“Not only are there a lot of lines, but the line can also change color. At first it is blue, and then it turns yellow. This is announced when the train approaches the platform, but you just don’t have time to orient yourself. It also happens that the train goes along the line, and then enters some kind of outgrowth and then goes in the opposite direction. And there are trains that just skip stations. The Google Maps app helped us a lot in this case: you score a point, and they show you in detail which line to take, where to change trains and which car to enter,” Rybak shares with life hack.
The girl chose the most popular 10-day route around the country, which included three cities — Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka. She recommended getting from Tokyo to Kyoto by the Shinkansen high—speed train, and Kyoto and Osaka are located close to each other – the train ride takes only 12 minutes. She was most impressed by the temples in these cities, and especially by the great love of the Japanese for rituals. Their favorite is a kind of fortune—telling. And even inside those very statuettes in the form of white cats, which are sold in souvenir shops and wave their paws as a sign of prosperity, predictions are also stored.
“We went to a religious complex in Tokyo to find out our fate. There was a big pepper shaker with a hole in it. You shake it, and the wand with the number falls out. You go to the wall, which has a lot of drawers, find your number, open it. Inside is a piece of paper with your prediction. If something good falls out, you can take the piece of paper with you, and if it’s bad, you can roll it into an accordion and tie it with a bow. It is believed that you have not touched it, which means that failures will not affect you,” she says.
Even the directors of large companies are responsible for rituals. They come to temples in costumes and pray to the deities for profit
And Valery Piksaykin was most impressed by the nature of the country and the endless number of hiking trails. Especially in the village of Hakone near Tokyo, which is famous for its views of the famous Fuji volcano and boiling sulfur springs. “This is the Japan you dreamed of,” says the photographer, noting that he is not a fan of megacities. Valeria advises tourists who share her interests to visit small towns or villages with lakes, wooden houses, and beautiful narrow roads. And all this, in her opinion, acquires a special charm during the cherry blossom season in late March and early April.
Temple overlooking Mount Fujiyama
This natural phenomenon did not leave the Fisherman indifferent, despite the fact that, according to her, the cost of a flight at this time of the year increases two or three times. “These trees with pink petals, with such magnificent caps, are an incredible sight. They grow everywhere in rows, and when the breeze blows, these petals fall off like snow. The sidewalk literally turns into a fluffy pink carpet,” she describes the city streets.
Daria admits that the most fantastic moment of the whole trip happened when she noticed a geisha while walking through the old Gion district in Kyoto. “The quarter has been preserved exactly as it was many years ago. And suddenly a real geisha comes out of the house. This high hairstyle, makeup, white face, red lips… I just froze in place. I only looked at her for a few seconds while they escorted her to the taxi, but it was amazing. This is the real Japan, and you were lucky enough to see it,” she shares her memories.
“People of the highest order”
Yamato-damashii, or the “Spirit of Yamato” is a special worldview unique to the Japanese. This term refers to the ability to subtly feel the world around you, appreciate the beauty of nature and feel compassion for other people. In ancient times, Japan borrowed a lot from the Tang Empire, and this phrase was needed to separate Japanese culture from Chinese. The Japanese do not argue that they adopt the principles of life of a foreign people, but they clarify that they adjust them to their needs.
Yamato-damashii highlighted the difference between Japanese sensitivity and Chinese rationality
Japanese people in national clothes in the garden
The Japanese are closed people. However, this does not prevent them from being sensitive and attentive to others — they often offer help even before they are asked to do so. “They say that the Japanese are some kind of perverts, but I personally did not notice this. Here they have an expression of kawaii — when everything around is super cool. They have this caveat and attention to detail in everything. The street is perfectly clean, the trees are neatly trimmed, the tile is placed on the tile, the board is placed on the board. A real paradise for a perfectionist,” recalls Piksaykina.
All residents of the country are law—abiding citizens and love the rules. Since childhood, they are taught to keep order, perform tasks strictly according to instructions, and most importantly — not to cause trouble to others. Daria Rybak recalls an incident in a bakery where fresh cheesecakes were sold. A long queue for cakes snaked around the fences with ribbons. And all this process was supervised by a special man in uniform with a cap: his task was to keep order and control the behavior of the crowd.
She saw a similar story near the Fuji metro station. There is a famous playground with a view of the volcano, and its top “sticks out” from the roof of the Lawson store and certainly gets into the lens of every tourist. To take a picture, the photographer needs to stand on the opposite side of a two-lane road with heavy traffic. “Usually people are too lazy to go to the pedestrian crossing — and they run over in the wrong place, risking getting run over. And they also put a man there who stops any attempts to do this and sends everyone to the pedestrian crossing. And in May, the Japanese were so tired of this pilgrimage that they put up a two—meter fence there,” she said.
A city girl in Tokyo
Such discipline sometimes irritates tourists. “The security is crazy, but at the same time, the ban is on the ban. If, for example, you smoke anywhere, you will not be fined as a tourist, but the locals will definitely condemn you. It is necessary to do everything as it is right only according to their version,” Ivan Sablin is perplexed. However, in his opinion, this is the attraction of Japan.
“You feel like you are some kind of aborigine, and the locals are much taller people. It doesn’t infuriate — rather, it even brings pleasure, because they teach you something. For example, you can stand in line calmly, and not run forward on the escalator in the subway. It’s not the laws that regulate life there, but society itself. It is so conscious that it copes with everything by itself. I really liked it,” the athlete sums up.
In summer, tickets from Moscow to Tokyo cost about 60 thousand rubles, but if you plan a trip for October or January, the price for similar flights will be 10-15 thousand lower. And you don’t have to chase the spring sakura at all: in autumn in Japan you can enjoy the coolness in the gardens among the scarlet maples, and in winter you can ride on the snowy slopes of Nagano resort or see hundreds of ice sculptures at the Snow Festival in Sapporo. After all, one of the main charms of the country is that it is good at any time of the year.
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