Spending guide for Tokyo 2020
Planning to take a trip to Japan for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics? You need to prepare as early as possible and be ready to shell out some serious money. Here’s…READ
Planning to take a trip to Japan for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics? You need to prepare as early as possible and be ready to shell out some serious money. Here’s a guide on the expected expenses for the Games, which will be held from July 24 to August 9 next year:
Passport and visa processing
Securing a valid Philippine passport costs P950 for regular processing of 12 working days and P1,200 for an express of working days.
As the Philippines is not part of the 66 visa-exempt countries in Japan, obtaining a Japanese visa is a must. Visa application costs around ¥3,000 (around P1,400) for single entry. The process takes seven to 10 working days after the submission of all requirements.
An itinerary is also required for the visa application, among other necessary documents.
The Japan e-Visa, set to be launched in time for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, will implement online application in a bid to avoid the hassle of going to the embassy or consulate.
Airfare and accommodations
The lowest round-trip ticket from Manila to Tokyo costs around P13,000 on the date of the Tokyo Olympics if booking is made as early as possible. The low airfare range for a round trip is at P14,000 to P18,000, while normal prices are pegged at over P20,000.
Sports fans trooping to Tokyo for the Olympics are encouraged to book hotel rooms earlier than usual. Hotel Okura Tokyo’s 508 rooms, for example, are already fully booked for the Games, while half of the guest rooms at the Grand Nikko Tokyo Daiba have been booked as well.
The Japan National Tourist Organization expects 40 million visitors next year, with the bulk coming in for the Olympics. With mass bookings and a rise in number of expected tourists, hotel accommodations on the months of July and August will soon become scarce.
Hotel prices under ¥30,000 (around P15,000) per night are seen as good deals. Various hotels — from cheap but clean to luxurious ones — can be found in Ginza, Yaesu and Kyobashi. Akasaka, Ropponggi, Shibuya and Shinjuku are also positioned near Olympic venues.
Tickets
Tickets for the opening ceremony on the evening of July 24 at the Olympic Stadium in Tokyo are priced at ¥12,000 (P5,880), at the lowest, to ¥300,000 (P147,000), at the highest. Prices for the closing ceremony tickets are not that far off, ranging from ¥12,000 to ¥220,000 (P107,800).
The cheapest tickets are the special ones pegged at ¥2,020 (P989.80) to mark the Games’ year. Half of the tickets are at ¥8,000 (P3,920).
General tickets across all sports are as low as ¥2,000 (P980), while the most expensive ticket is at ¥130,000 (P63,700) for the men’s 100-meter dash final, where a second coming of the now-retired Jamaican sprint star Usain Bolt is expected to emerge.
Medal-rich aquatics has tickets priced at ¥3,500 (P1,715) to ¥108,000 (P52,920), almost the same with basketball.
Tickets for boxing, meanwhile, have been stalled as the International Olympic Committee has stopped preparations for the sport due to a spat with its governing body, the International Boxing Association.
Pocket money
The 2020 Tokyo Olympics will run for 17 days. So, having enough pocket money is undoubtedly important. According to The Yokohama Life, you can spend ¥5,300 (nearly P2,600) at the least and ¥18,000 (around P8,800) at the most per day.
Japan Web Magazine, meanwhile, estimates the daily expense of foreigners in Japan at ¥15,000 (P7,350). These budgets cover food, transportation and other expenses.
Other online guides have budgets of P58,000 per person for an eight-day stay, P40,000 for seven days and as low as P30,000 for 11 days in Japan.