It’s that time of year when many Filipinos start planning family trips or vacations with friends for the summer.  Anticipating this usual peak season, many airlines, hotels, tourism boards, travel agencies, and credit card companies are mounting travel sales one after another.

If you’re still choosing where to go, let me make one suggestion that can help your budget.

It’s tough traveling overseas to countries where the peso takes a beating.  In Singapore, for example, their money is worth more than 40x ours.  That means every time you spend, you have to multiply by 43 or 44 or 45 depending on the current exchange rate.  In the United States, the dollar is now worth nearly 60x our peso, in Europe, it’s over 60x and in the United Kingdom, the exchange rate is about 74x.  Add to all these the high cost of living in these countries, and you are paying all those multiples plus a premium.

So why not go to a country where the peso is actually stronger than their local currency?

The truth is there’s not a lot of them, but there’s a few that can make you feel a million bucks, figuratively speaking.  One of these countries is Japan, where we decided to make a recent trip to experience the last month of their winter season.  And while it’s pretty cold, the prices all seem like hot deals that are too good to walk away from.  A disclaimer: our trip did not have any sponsors, so any recommendations we make are not paid endorsements. That said, here are 7 reasons your wallet can have fun in Japan.

#1 Power to the Peso

With the exchange rate at historic lows, our peso actually comes out on top versus the Japanese yen.  This week, it is playing around 0.39 so a tempura bowl lunch for which we paid JPY540 in downtown Shinjuku is worth only P210.60.  KFC here has Pot Pie on their menu for JPY450 which is about P175 (a must-try for its flaky crust and creamy filling).  The last time we were in Singapore, we could only get a meal at these prices from off-the-beaten-path hawker stalls.  In New York, we had to walk several blocks to catch a USD1 pizza slice.

#2 Tax free shopping

If you plan to shop overseas, it’s good to know if you can claim tax refunds.  But not all tax refunds are the same.  In some countries, you’ll need to go to the airport early and suffer a long queue to make the claim.  In others, claiming is easier with self-service kiosks, but you pay a fee that eats into your refund.

In Japan, tax-free shopping starts at a low JPY5,000 (or P1,900).  Some stores conveniently offer it outright (always bring your passport) so you can see that your bill is 10 percent less.  In some malls, tax refund claim is centralized, so you have to go to a dedicated counter where they charge a fee of about 15%.  

#3 Comparison shopping pays

While prices are generally lower, you can find better deals simply by checking out several stores.  You can do this by strolling with your feet or by scrolling with your fingers and get the same positive results for your wallet.  While hunting for anime figurines around Akihabara, we saw the same item being sold at JPY2,800 in one store, JPY2,500 in another store, and JPY1,800 in a third store.  

#4 Stacked offers and discounts

Japanese store clerks are usually friendly and accommodating.  While shopping at Isetan, we found a good bargain for a designer shirt and were already content to get a tax refund.  But the salesperson asked me if I had Isetan’s membership card, which turns out is free and gave me an extra 10 percent off.  The card is valid for 3 years which means I have a reason to go back to Japan, to Tokyo, to Shinjuku, and to Isetan.

Over at Doc Martens, they are giving 5 percent off for students, so we asked if we are eligible.  The good news is that you don’t have to be a local to claim it, so we showed my daughter’s student ID and got the discount plus tax-free shopping.  It never hurts to ask, plus to use Google Translate while in stores to check out the promotion posters.

#5 Thrifting mecca for bargain hunters

According to TikTok, all thrifting roads lead to Koenji so we spent an afternoon looking through racks and displays for used clothing, shoes, jewelry and bags.  Some stores are curated and only offer designer or luxury items, while others have a wide range of selection and you go on your own treasure hunt.  We scored pretty good deals on a Chrome Hearts necklace and a Vivienne Westwood top, and realized that while thrifting is not for the weak, you do feel like a winner when you reach the cashier line.

#6 Affordable tours with free cancellation

We used Klook heavily for this trip and were happy to find promotions offered for certain dates and budget-friendly tour prices.  We got 2-day trips from Tokyo and paid around P2,500 per person, not including meals.  One was a small group tour of Kamakura Yokohama that included a free Enoden train ride.  For the other, we joined a bus of tourists for Mt. Fuji scenic spots that included visits to a breathtaking floral park and a beautiful lake.

You can cancel within 1 to 3 days from the tour date for free, which is always welcome just in case plans need changing.  Plus, tour guides can message you via WhatsApp, so it’s okay not to have a local SIM or activate roaming in your phone.

#7 Cash and GCash are king, but JCB card comes close

To set our exchange rate, we bought JPY in Manila before our travel and paid with cash for most of our trip.  We also loaded up our GCash card, and the exchange rate is pretty good with no hidden fees.  We used it to pay at 7-11, Family Mart, and Lawson and it was tap and go.

But when in Japan, you will discover that owning a JCB credit card can get you exclusive perks, even from drugstore chains that already offer really low prices.  JCB is a Japan homegrown credit card brand and is the largest credit card company in the country.  Launched in 1961, it became the first Asian international payment brand in 1981.  My BDO JCB Platinum card earned me thousands of yen in discounts during the trip, so consider bringing one when you are ready to fly over and say Kon'nichiwa.