Travel the world in 2022 on a budget with Super Cheap Japan
With Japan having a reputation as being expensive, IndieBloom can prepare and guide you for your journey with Super Cheap Japan.
Hidden treasures
Created and written by Matthew Baxter who’s originally from the UK, Super Cheap Japan consists of several books based in Japan (Tokyo and Hokkaido), New Zealand, along with writing for a website about Taiwan, titled Taiwanna Travel. They are from Matthew’s first-hand experience living at these places.
The process for writing Super Cheap Japan involves Matthew starting a light plan of what he wants to cover based on the places he’s already been to, enjoyed, and has the most knowledge about. Then looking back, he imagines himself as a reader looking at the chapter page, thinking about how useful it would be. ‘I then visit places that I think should be added to make a full book. Generally the writing and fleshing out the text is just about setting targets, such as one chapter per week, and forcing myself to get it done!’ A great method for planning and writing🧾📖
With all this data and information collected, are you wondering where the cheapest destination Matthew has been to and suggests?
I think in terms of getting your money's worth, Kyoto is actually the cheapest destination. With the 500 yen bus day pass, about $5, you can visit some of the country's best temples and shrines. As long as you pick up cheap snacks and a bento at the train station, you can easily avoid the restaurants with tourist prices, and there is just so much to see in a day.
Kōenji in Tokyo, Japan is a personal fav destination for Super Cheap Japan. Matthew further explains,
I lived here for a bit, and really got to know the area. It's famous in Tokyo for its cheap used goods stores, as well as cheap clothing stores. There are no big malls here though, just a real, friendly nature to the area. I really enjoyed writing about the place and spreading the word with Super Cheap Japan, as few foreign travelers know about it. 🇯🇵
Matthew Baxter, creator of Super Cheap Japan
Super cheap challenges
Running your own indie business always brings about challenges. For Super Cheap Japan that challenge involved Amazon, Matthew details why.
While publishing via their services is easy, as you'd expect, publishing via other printing companies on Amazon can be difficult. For example, even though the books are printed on demand, Amazon won't show it as available to buy. So I have to spend a lot of time and effort to get things properly listed on Amazon at times.
Have you added the books to your Amazon Wish List yet?
Everyday is different working on Super Cheap Japan for Matthew, this is what usually goes down.
I might be exploring a town, noting down and taking pictures of every cheap place, checking out non-touristy backstreets looking for deals and chatting with locals to find bargains. Other days I'll be on the computer, putting it all together, working hard to make super useful books about Japan.
With all this acquired knowledge and a wealth of information to pass on, what advice would Matthew give his younger self when he started out Super Cheap Japan?
I'd say that it's OK to take your time more. I remember I was so excited to get the first book out, I made a few formatting errors that I really should have fixed! There's nothing wrong with taking your work, giving it to people to get their opinions, and maybe coming back to checking things a few weeks later with a pair of fresh eyes 👀
While of course COVID has impacted everyone's treks and holidays - having a brand that specialises in different countries and continents, travelling is essential.
It's had a major impact, as Japan is closed to tourists and probably will be until spring. I was not able to visit places and there were times when I could not produce more content easily. Sales have also gone down, but as we approach Christmas and things are getting much better with COVID there, things are looking good for the future and sales are starting to really improve.
Here's to better times very soon 🙏
Future travels
Looking ahead once things have cleared up, are there any other countries/destinations for Super Cheap Japan to visit and write a guide on?
I would love to visit Okinawa. Most people tend to rent a car when traveling there, as there is only one short monorail on the main island. I want to see if I can figure out a way to do the island using public transportation, and with the aid of bus passes, much cheaper.
Aside from Japanese jaunts in Okinawa, what’s next for Super Cheap Japan? ‘Next I'd like to do a book about how to visit more hidden, less touristy places in Japan, but on the cheap. You'll hear more about this next year, so keep an eye out on my Instagram!’
For further tips, tricks and plans for your travels, do purchase Super Cheap Japan on the website (leaving a positive review also!) and give the Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn pages a follow. Plan the perfect getaway holiday on a budget in 2022!
