BootsnAll Travel Community

As part of a bit of a tour through the most expensive cities in the world (why do my friends choose to live in London and New York?) I'm going to Tokyo. I've never been to Japan and excited and curious about it. A couple of questions...
Firstly, how much do I need moneywise? At the moment, I'm budgeting at NZ$100 a day, or $75US. Is this ridiculous? Will I need way more? I'll be living pretty cheaply.

On that note, CHEAP and FREE stuff to do. And things I can't miss. And a cheap place to stay? Any suggestions?

Finally, I need a new camera. I just want a point and shoot digital type thing cuz I already have a lovely SLR. Am I better off waiting to get to Japan or should I buy before I go?
Thanks heaps in advance everyone!

Have a look here

As far as camera shopping...I generally found the pricing competitive to what I could get in the USA. I am not sure how that compares to New Zealand. However, the advantage of Japan (Tokyo/Osaka) was the huge selection and availability. The disadvantage was possible warranty issues later on.

Buy a camera before you go. Definitely. The price will be the same, but as halfnine pointed out, you might have problems with the warranty. Additional problems are that not all cameras have an English function (my mate found that out the hard way), the instructions are in Japanese, and you cant ask any questions as you're buying it. Rechargeable power might also be a problem.

You cant miss Asakusa, The fish market, Shinjuku at night and Harajuku. All are free to visit. Also instead of paying to go to the top of the Tokyo tower, go instead to the metropolitan government building which is almost as high, and which is free. The sight is phenominal. I would also have a gander at the Meijji shrine (think that how you spell it), The Palace, and some of the outer districts. Try to get out of Tokyo if you can and visit some of the places around the base of Fuji, and if you have the time take the shinkansen to Kyoto, Hiroshima, Miyajima etc ... If you do want to travel further out, I would recommend buying a rail pass before you go. While it may seem expensive at the outset, you will save a lot of money when you're there.