Airfare
Going to Japan is also not that expensive, considering you are flying 2,940air miles, even on a direct flight, it is about 8 hours when trade winds are favourable. The non-stop to Tokyo economy class fare sets you back roughly, Rs 68,000 on All Nippon Airways (business class costs Rs 1,93,000) but a flight via the popular Bangkok or Singapore routes on economy will only cost you some Rs 37,900 inclusive of all (rates in May 2009).

Hotels
Hotels. I love to stay at the Four Seasons in Tokyo, a five star property, but you would be surprised to find some very reasonable accommodations in Tokyo. Places that are spanking clean, with TV, free Internet, small (12m2), perhaps not as central a location, but still very accessible, and very nice for as low as 6,000yen (about Rs 3,200). These hotels come under the "Business hotels" and are targeted at the Japanese salary man on a business trip, but are increasingly becoming popular with those who don't want to pay a bomb on accommodation. One popular one is the Keio Presso chain of hotels, which starts at 7,700yen a night (https://www.presso-inn.com/en/hotel/higashiginza.html#price).

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Transport
Transport in Tokyo is a breeze. Super efficient and reliable. What a contrast to India. All the subways are well connected, and you can get literally anywhere and everywhere on the subway. In Tokyo, the lowest single fare is 160yen, or Rs 85. And you get full air-conditioning (heating in the winter), cleanliness (not a speck of garbage), plush cushion seating, white hand gloved station masters, and accuracy that is amazing to time your watch with arrival/departure times.

Taxis, even if they seem expensive to start with, are state of the art services. Some even provide free umbrellas. First meter 710 yen (Rs 370) for the first two kilometers (there is also a time-related charge which is reflected on the meter), going up at 90 yen (some Rs 47) with increments for further distances. In return, you get automatic doors, air conditioned cars, knowledgeable staff, GPS-guided map systems to go directly to your location and clean and comfortable new cars.

A kimono-clad woman at a restaurant below the Tokyo Tower

A view from the Four Seasons Hotel at Tokyo

Simply 'walking around'
But perhaps the best thing in Tokyo is to walk around. The modern skyscrapers of Shinjuku, the amazing shopping boulevards of Aoyama and Ginza, not to mention the parks, the Meiji Shrine all for free! The air is clean, it is safe, and it is satisfying.

Walking around in Tokyo is a pleasure especially in the spring, early summer, and autumn months.

Combine a subway all-day ticket and walking around temples, malls, museums, and more, you can be assured to have a wonderful day u2013 getting "lost" in the city, knowing that you are not overspending, is such a joy!

All in all, if you know how, having done a quick back of the envelope calculation, including flights to Tokyo, I am sure you can spend a week in Tokyo for less than a lakh, and still have a ball!

The writer is the president, La Ditta Limited, director, maidoindia, and COO, Bascos Design Marketing