Japan Japan! (Prep)

Konnichiwa!

Diver City Tokyo

TICKET

After I applied our visa, we booked our ticket last August 15 via Cebu Pacific.


Manila to Nagoya

Base fare of 499php, we got our ticket for a total of 6,952.32php or 3476.16php each departing from Manila to Nagoya, with 30 kilos check in baggage (shared).  

Osaka to Manila

For our return flight, we got our ticket for a total of 17,678 JPY, with basefare of 1499 JPY(no check in baggage).

WILLER BUS EXPRESS

Nagoya is our port of disembarkation, we need to travel again to reach Tokyo and Osaka. We choose to travel by higway bus via Willer Bus Express. Though Shinkansen or bullet train is the fastest way to reach prefectures in Japan, like traveling from Nagoya to Tokyo will only take 100 minutes via shinkansen and 6 hours by highway bus.  It would really save you time but shinkansen is too expensive, the regular one way fare is 10,360 JPY for non reserved seat and around 11,000 JPY for reserved seat while highway bus fare starts from 3,000 JPY, cheap right?

Of course this is a budget trip, so we choose to take the Willer Bus Express,  we didn't only save fare for transportation but also for accommodation :)

Our ticket cost:

Nagoya to Tokyo
13,680 JPY for 2 pax

Tokyo to Osaka
11,800 JPY for 2 pax




MONEY MATTERS

I exchanged my peso at Sanry's Money Changer (Robinsons Forum branch), exchange rate is 0.4290 JPY to 1 PHP.

ACCOMMODATION

TOKYO

BEST WESTERN
Tokyo Nishikasai

6-17-9 Nishikasai, Edogawa-Ku
Tokyo, 134-0088, JP
Phone: +81 3 3675 8900
Fax: +81 3 3675 9208
Check In 3PM (15:00)
Check Out 10AM (10:00)

Best Western website: click here

OSAKA

TOYOKO INN OSAKA

Senba Higashi

Address: 2-4-29, Nounin-bashi Chuo-ku Osaka-city, Osaka   Postal Code: 540-0011

Tel: +81-(0)6-4790-1045     Fax: +81-(0)6-4791-1046

Toyoko Inn Osaka (Senba Higashi) website: click here

VISA

Filipinos still need visa to enter Japan, luckily this year it was announced that getting Japan Visa for Filipino will be relaxed.

How to to apply Japan Visa: click here

Single Entry Visa

ITINERARY

October 18 - Arrival: Nagoya

Take overnight Willer Bus Express to Tokyo in Nagoya Station

October 19 - Arrival: Tokyo

Check-in: Best Western

Diver City Tokyo (Daiba)

Shibuya Crossing (Hachiko)

Mugiwara Store (One Piece Shop)

October 20

Glimpse of Tokyo Disneyland

Asakusa (Sensoji Temple)

Akihabara

Shibuya

Take overnight Willer Bus Express to Osaka in Shinjuku

October 21 - Arrival: Osaka

Check-in: Toyoko Inn

Osaka Castle

Dotonbori

October 22

Universal Studios Japan

October 23

Kyoto

Inari Shrine

Departure: Kansai Airport

How to Apply for Japan Visa for Filipinos

A few months ago news has been circulating regarding Japanese Visa to be lifted for the nationals of the Philippines, however this is not TRUE! On the other hand, Japan relaxes visa requirements for Filipinos, which is partly good news! (I guess so).

The embassy said requirements will be liberalized for Filipinos applying for multiple-entry visa, as well as those applying for single-entry tourist visas.

"For nationals of the Philippines, multiple-entry visa requirements will be substantially relaxed, and requirements for single-entry tourism visas will be relaxed to a quasi-exemption-equivalent level when applied via specified travel agencies," the embassy said.

For me I think this isn't bad, Japan is one of my dream destination and getting visa is one that worries me. For years of lurking and reading forums/blogs about getting Japanese visa, I was really afraid to get one. With the said news about Japanese visa relaxation for Filipinos, I finally take the risk and to my surprise it is not hard to get a Japanese Visa!

Single Entry Visa

Japan Embassy does not accept walk in applicants for visa processing, only accredited travel agencies accept visa application. Refer to this link for the list of accredited agencies: click here.

Japanese Visa is FREE, however you need to pay a handling fee from accredited agencies. Handling fees is from 800php to 2000php.

I applied  my Japanese Visa at
Discovery Tour , Inc.
(Japan Visa Department)
301 G/F Sagittarius Bldg., HV Dela Costa St., Salcedo Village, Makati City

Why I'd choose Discovery Tour, Inc? because they have the cheapest handling fee of 800php. ^.^

Japan Visa requirements that I've submitted:

• Application Form with picture
• Passport
• NSO Birth Certificate
• ITR
• Bank Certificate
• Daily Schedule
• Affidavit of Support for my sister
• Certificate of Employment 

* Certificate of Employment is just "add-on" to my requirements and not prerequisite.

For my sister (student):

• Application Form with picture
• Passport
• NSO Birth Certificate
• Daily Schedule
• Photocopy of  School ID
• School Certificate

Daily Schedule
This is exactly what I submit to the agency, my itinerary is only for 5 days. This is only fake/dummy schedule, I have never booked any hotel yet nor ticket to Japan.

Application Form

Application form is downloadable at Embassy of Japan website, click here.

You can edit the form and print it, make sure to put N/A on every blank that is not applicable to you.

Schedule of stay data must matched the info on your application form (length of stay, hotel name, hotel address, hotel phone number, etc)

Photo must be pasted on the application form, with 4.5 cm by 4.5 cm size (white background)

Page 1

Page 2 (don't forget your signature)

Income Tax Return (Form 2316)

Original copy, issued 2014 with 2013 record.

Bank Certificate

I only have1xx,xxxphp for 5 days length of stay, shared with my sister. I've read that one traveler recently applied for visa has only 40,000php on his bank and was approved for single entry visa. I think it also matter with the length of stay you input to your application form. If your intended stay is only 4 days, then the 40,000php on your bank certificate is enough. Assumed that your 1 day expense is equal to 10,000php. In our case, since my intended length of stay is five(5) days, sharing my 1xx,xxxphp with my sister and that would be 5x,000php each for our bank certificate.

Some tips:

Shorten the length of your "daily schedule"

Don't submit unnecessary requirements

Good travel history

Japan Visa process is simple and fast!

I've submitted my requirements on August 11, 2014(Monday morning) at Discovery Tour Inc, paid 800php for handling fee. Got a call on August 13 (Wednesday) that I can claim ny Passport on August 14(Thursday). The agency will not disclose any information when they contact you to claim your passport, they will not tell if your visa is granted or denied. So you'll end up thinking overnight ^_^

I'll see you soon Land of The Rising Sun! ^_^