Frugal Hive says:

Answer 1

Here are some ideas for fun and frugal stuff to do. Sorry, I don’t have the exact details off the top of my head but they can be easily found by searching.

1. Wandering through the small streets of Harajuku and Shibuya is free and fun, and people-watching is great there. And Yoyogi Park is just there as well.

2. There is a free 1-hour guided tour of Asakusa once a week and Ueno twice a week given by Tokyo Goodwill Guides. See: http://www.japanvisitor.com/index.php?cID=357&pID=1067

3. Pick up a copy of the Tokyo Metropolitan Guide Book (orange in colour). Available at Tokyo Metropolitan tourism info counters and major stations. It has coupons for all the major museums, parks, and some theme parks.

4. Odaiba is good for a day of strolling. There’s the miniature Statue of Liberty there.

5. Rent a bicycle from the Asakusa bicycle-rent place and cycle along the Sumida River.

6. Visit the Metropolis magazine events listing for matsuri (local festivals) and free exhibitions.

Answer 2

Walk Akihabara. Haven’t spent time there in years; used to be all tech stuff, but I understand it’s more of a pop culture mecca now.

Walk from Omote-Sando, through Harajuku, to Meiji Shrine, maybe Yoyogi Park.

Head to the top of the Tokyo government building; last I checked, the observation deck is free. Same view as Tokyo Tower, without the ridiculous fee. (And Tokyo Tower is pretty inconvenient to get to, too.) Lots of electronics shops on the way, on the west side of Shinjuku Station.

Do a Gin-bura (walk around Ginza): traditional craft shops, dept stores, Apple Store… Nearby in Yurakucho, the huge Bic Camera electronics shop and smoky yakitori joints under the tracks, with
Hibiya Park and Imperial Palace not far away… Don’t know whether that’s all of interest to a teen, though. (And I don’t think there’s much to see at the Palace – mostly moat.)

Shibuya is fun for people-watching, but massively crowded. Some tourists love the Tokyu Hands store – pretty fun. (Ikebukuro has one too; also a small one in Takashimaya shopping center at Shinjuku south exit.)

Don’t plan the traditional tour of the Tsukiji fish market; I heard that they finally stopped letting the tourists disrupt work. (Anyone know the truth of that?)

Answer 3

Free guided tours in Tokyo. The guides speak English and are really nice. I sent my parents on a few of these when they were visiting and they enjoyed them a lot

See: http://www.tourism.metro.tokyo.jp/english/tourists/guideservice/guideservice/index.html

Frugal Hive questions and answers are taken from the Frugal Japan mailing list. If you have a question about living frugally in Japan, subscribe to our list and ask the Frugal Hive!

by David Bach
Recommended by Natalia Roschina (http://www.health-for-all.com)

I have just finished reading this, and it has changed my life. I have not bought “Smart Couples Finish Rich” yet by the same author, but I guess it is the one for couples to read.

No matter how frugal you are, go and buy it if you want to change your attitude towards money.

I got richer even before I finished reading it. How? I started paying myself (before I pay my staff) instead of constantly investing my salary into the business. Wow! Regardless of my company’s situation, I can now finally afford to redecorate my house without feeling guilty!

by Seth Godin
Recommended by FU

This is not a money book in the sense of being about money, but it is a money book in the “money quote” sense.

Basically, he says you should be doing what you want to be doing and the way to get to do it is to be a leader. This does not mean you have to be the CEO or anything. Just be a leader of a group of people who want to move in basically the same direction. How do you find them? By being a leader. And there are lots of tips on how to do this, but not THE ANSWER answer — since the answer varies depending upon the specific situation.

Have given my copy to my son and bought copies for a couple of friends whom (I think) need encouragement to exercise their leadership abilities — this in the hope these people will be happier, more productive, and hence better off as a result. If you know somebody like that — if you _are_ somebody like that — this would make a nice present.

Frugal Hive says:

Answer 1

If you have any assets abroad, you might consider using a lawyer who is familiar with international law. There is a list of lawyers who speak English on the American Embassy website. If you’re not American, you might ask your embassy for a referral.

You might consider hiring a lawyer close to your age, so as the years go by, you can continue to get advice from a perspective close to your own — this is true when selecting a financial advisor, too.

Answer 2

If you are talking about a home that you bought here in Japan, you could set up your will through the koushou yakuba. They will ask you about assets abroad, but only to determine how much to charge for their services for writing up the will. The more assets you have, the more they charge you for their services. You may want to think twice about how you handle that.

If you are talking about planning for assets abroad, and want to include both your Japan and US assets in one trust, you may want to go the international attorney route.

It may be easier and cheaper to have one trust for your US assets written by a US attorney (int’l or not) and one trust/will for your Japan assets written here by the local koushou yakuba.

If you have business going on abroad (at least in the US), for example, a rental property, and find you may need legal services from time to time, I would recommend joining PrePaid Legal Services. Their direct marketing agents sell the memberships, but just go through their corporate offices in Oklahoma.

Frugal Hive questions and answers are taken from the Frugal Japan mailing list. If you have a question about living frugally in Japan, subscribe to our list and ask the Frugal Hive!

Here is a new breed of Frugalite I’ve found that might provide some fodder for inspiration and/or amusement. Frugality, it seems, is much more hip than it was when I started the Frugal Japan community back in 2002. As with any movement, there are a wide range of participants. There are people that are mildly interested (frugal observers), folks like me (the modestly frugal) – and then there are folks like Brown Dress Girl.

Actually, Brown Dress Girl is extremely cool. (If you didn’t click on the link above, know that Brown Dress Girl spend an entire calendar year wearing a *single* brown dress that she made. She layered during winter, washed it many times, and of course replaced the buttons, but she spent an entire year without buying any new clothing. A deviant, brilliant social statement.) She, and the other urban homesteading, dumpster-diving, dryer-lint saving crew are what I term the Radically Frugal. They’re vocal, driven, and … actually, quite an inspiration.

The start of a new year is an excellent time to wipe away a past of financial mistakes and start afresh. And heck, even if your well-intentioned goals only last a few weeks – you’re still a few weeks better off financially than you were before! So, to get your frugal drive in gear, I offer below links to a few Radically Frugal persons and websites I thought might inspire you. As with anything, take the recommendations with a shaker of salt. I’m not suggesting we all follow their paths (I certainly couldn’t), but perhaps one step in the direction of radical frugality might be worthwhile.

Radical Frugalites/Frugal Sites

Judith Levine
http://www.judithlevine.com
Author of “Not Buying It – My Year Without Shopping”

Dumpster World
http://www.dumpsterworld.com
No, I’m not kidding. It has over 3400 members.

Freeganism
http://freegan.info
Frankly, these folks sound a bit extreme. But there is a good philosophy (in moderation) here worth looking at.

Urban Homesteading
http://www.urban-homesteading.com
This sounds more do-able – and very fun!

Earthaven
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/11/14/AR2006111400979_pf.html
Eco-commune in the North Carolina mountains

© 2007 Wendy J. Imura.

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Note that here are as many different types of ryokans in Japan as there are hotels in the world. Prices range from top-end luxury down to the rather more affordable. Jeff’s site will help you find frugal options, but don’t expect all ryokans on his site to be frugal. Remember, his site exists to tell you about various ryokans in Japan, not only the cheap ones. Use the classification system he has developed in order to find the cheapest option. (“D” seems to be the cheapest.) If you can’t find a cheap ryokan in a particular area, look into other options for accommodation in that area.

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