How much money would I need to bring with me?

Question:

I am HOPING to go to Fukuoka Japan next summer... Preferably next June for about 3 weeks. I'm staying with a friend and her family, so I will have my stay for free. I was just wondering about how much money should I need to bring for spending. I mean, I want to go out and see sites and perhaps go out to eat a bit, and buy a few things (I'm not a big spendthrift) I have just never been overseas so I thought I would ask.

Answer:

It really depends....most likely you will eat 1 or 2 meals a day at your friend's house...which just leaves a meal here or there in the city, transport, and shopping money. You can get a subway day pass for about 1000 yen, otherwise the Nishitetsu trains can get a little high. But you could get by with USD$500. Of course if you want to go all over like see Nagasaki, Kagoshima, try an onsen (hot spring) in Beppu or Yufuin, etc, you'd better bring more. If you want to go all over Kyushu, look into getting a JR Kyushu Rail Pass (see www.japanrailpass.net)
You actually don't have to bring so much, but have an ATM card with you, and if you need cash just go to any Japanese post office and get yen from it for a modest fee. July is hot and humid as hell, but you have one thing going for you - try to be there during July 15, which is the Yamakasa Festival. You'll need to either stay up all night to see it, or get up in the middle of the night, but up to a million people come to see the 10 metre floats get carried and raced down the streets. There is nothing outside of Japan like it.

If you want to get more info before your trip, try:
http://tinyurl.com/see-fukuoka
http://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/location/regio…