[A]fter shopping and eating to my heart's content during our visit to Tokyo, I was quite ready to get out of the sky-rise buildings and concrete, and wanted some fresh air, surrounded by nature.

If you're in Tokyo and looking for a quick trip out-of-town into the mountains, Mount Takao makes a wonderful day trip.

Mount Takao is a sacred Japanese religious destination, and it's also extremely popular for people who want to exercise. It's one of the busiest mountains in Japan, with over 2.5 million annual visitors.

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The mountain is located only about one hour by train from central Shinjuku station in Tokyo.

Just get a ticket to Takaosanguchi station on the Keio Railways line, and for just 390 Yen, you'll find yourself at the base of the mountain. Step foot out of the train station, and you can start hiking immediately.

Apart from the train costs getting there, or if you decide to take the optional cable car, hiking to the top of Mount Takao is one of the free ways to enjoy Tokyo.

There are two main ways to get up Mount Takao, by cable car or just walking the entire way.

The cable car costs, I believe 480 Yen each way, and it only takes you about ½ the way to the top of the mountain. I think the cable car can be good, mostly for those who are unable to walk, or who come with small children.

For those that can walk, I think the better option is to make the hike, enjoy the fresh air, and get the exercise.

There are eight main designated trails at Mount Takao, all leading in different directions, but all eventually meeting at the top of the mountain.

When I went, it was still winter, so it was quite cold, and a few of the trails were blocked by snow. We ended up taking the main trail #1, which is the busiest and most developed trail.

Although some parts of Mount Takao feel like you're far removed from the city and within wilderness, being so close to Tokyo, the mountain is more of a recreational park, so you're never too far from civilization.

I was hiking up the hill, only passing trees and nature for about 10 minutes, and then all of a sudden I passed a row of about 12 vending machines!

As you get to the second half of the mountain, the area where the cable car drops people off, you'll pass more and more restaurants, cafes, and shops.

The mountain turns more into a park style environment, but it's still far from motor vehicles, and halfway up the mountain, so the setting is still fantastic.

Hiking to the top of Mount Takao you'll pass through many Shinto shrines and even a couple of temples.

The mountain has been a sacred place of worship for Shinto-Buddhist followers for many years. Stopping to visit the peaceful temples and shrines along the trail, are a great addition to a hike up the mountain.

It took us a little over 1 hour to reach the top of Mount Takao. The trail wasn't difficult, but it was steep in some parts, and provided some much-needed exercise.

The view from Mount Takao was quite amazing, but it can depend on weather conditions.

On one side you can see the entire skyline of Tokyo in the distance, and on the other side is the mountain range, including a great view of Mt. Fuji if it's a clear (the day I went Mt. Fuji was covered in clouds unfortunately).

Many local Japanese had packed portable grills and food, and carried it up to the top of the mountain. At the top, many people were hanging out, and grilling meat and vegetables over camp stoves.

I have to admit, the food smelled amazing, and I know for sure on my next visit I'll be bringing my camp stove and some meat in my backpack too.

When you're in Tokyo and looking for a nice nature filled day trip, that's both relaxing and an opportunity to get some exercise, Mount Takao is great place.

I enjoyed the hike, the Japanese culture that revolves around the mountain, and the wonderful view from the top.

Tokyo's Senso-ji Temple is one of the most well-known religious sites and attractions in the city.

Thousands of both tourists and local Japanese who make the pilgrimage from throughout the country, visit every day to pay respect.

Senso-ji is a wonderful place to experience the ancient side of culture and religious practice in Tokyo, without having to break the budget.

Planning to explore more of Japan? Book budget-friendly train passes here!

Senso-ji is the oldest and one of the most significant temples in Tokyo. The temple is located adjacent to the Sumida River, in an area of Tokyo known as Asakusa.

According to the official story, it was on a quiet morning in 628 when Hinokuma Hamanari and his brother Takenari were fishing, and all of a sudden they felt something heavy in their net.

They pulled in their net to find a statue of Bodhisattva Kannon, a Buddhist deity who is often depicted as a female and known for compassion and being responsive to people's needs and prayers.

The head of the village, Haji no Nakatomo, realized that this was a truly significant find and a blessing.

He therefore dedicated his life to the Bodhisattva Kannon, by first remodeling his personal home into a temple.

In 645, Shokai Shonin a traveling Buddhist priest, visited the small fishing town of Asakusa, and decided to build Kannondo Hall dedicated to the Bodhisattva Kannon.

The priest also made the decision, which he received in a dream, that the statue itself should not be seen by humans - which remains today.

In World War II, the Main Hall of the temple was destroyed, but it has since been rebuilt into what it is today.

The temple remains one of the most sacred sites in Japan, and a place that attracts over 30 million people per year.

One morning, during my visit to Tokyo, I decided to head over to Senso-ji to see this important site.

Walking in from the south, I first passed through the Kaminarimon Gate. The gate was built in 942 and includes a huge red lantern marking the entrance.

Before getting to the Main Hall, you'll first see a giant incense burner.

Many Buddhist and Shinto followers, before entering the Main Hall, will first purchase a bundle of incense, light it on fire, extinguish it by waving it (instead of blowing), and then place the incense in the main burner in front of the Main Hall.

They then take their hands and direct some of the incense smoke over their body's, a gesture that is believed to cleanse ones body and also symbolize healing.

Another purification process you'll notice at Senso-ji is the water cleansing.

To the right side of the Main Hall is a fountain of water where followers rinse their hands and mouth with the pure water to symbolize cleansing.

Inside the Main Hall of the temple, people toss a coin into the coin box, bow twice, clap twice, and then bow once more before saying a short prayer.

Another part of Senso-ji that I enjoyed, was walking around the outskirts of the temple.

The entire neighborhood and the surrounding alleys are lined with stores selling all sorts of souvenirs and relics, as well as quite a few vendors selling Japanese snacks and goodies.

I decided to sample some traditional Japanese sweet bread at a shop right next to the temple that was continually busy with Japanese students.

The bread was extremely light and fluffy, and had just the right amount of sweetness to it. Make sure you taste a few snacks when walking around Senso-ji!

As one of the most popular destinations in Tokyo, as well as being one of the most significant religious sites in Japan, a visit to Senso-ji should be on your list of things to do when you're in Tokyo.

[I]f you love to drink and eat, there's hardly a place you'll love and feel more comfortable at than a Japanese izakaya.

There are hundreds, maybe even thousands of these wonderful Japanese pubs in Tokyo, all serving an array of refreshing alcoholic beverages and a menu of delicious snacks.

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What is an Izakaya?

In the shortest explanation possible, an izakaya is a Japanese pub or bar that serves alcoholic beverages and food that tastes good with alcohol.

Drinks, tasty little plates of food, unwinding from a serious day at work, and good socializing with friends, is what going to an izakaya is all about.

When you're in Tokyo, finding an izakaya is not difficult, partly because there are so many of them, but also because they are normally marked by signature red paper lanterns (which read "izakaya" in Japanese) which dangle from the doorway and roof.

A Japanese izakaya can be anything from a tiny little hole-in-the-wall that's dark and smokey with only a few bar seats, to a huge commercial establishment with many tables and chairs, plus everything in between.

Most Tokyo izakayas open their doors in the late afternoon, catering especially to office workers who get out of work, and head straight to an izakaya for a few drinks, pre-dinner snacks, and chance to laugh and chat with their colleagues.

In Tokyo you'll see many izakaya customers still wearing suits, and very business professional looking.

After you sit down at an izakaya, the first thing you'll want to do is get a drink. There's often the full range of beverages available, including sake and whiskey, and a variety of refreshing Japanese beers like Asahi, Kirin, and Sapporo.

Drink in hand, you can then take your time to navigate through the menu to see what looks good.

Think of the food at a Japanese izakaya like the equivalent of Spanish tapas; small plates of tasty salty food that are meant to be shared with everyone at your table.

Some of the popular foods to eat at izakayas include sashimi, karaage - fried chicken, yakitori - skewers of grilled meat, okonomiyaki - savory pancakes, and gyoza - dumplings.

Some of the larger modern izakayas have an incredibly extensive range of food available, and other smaller izakayas might only have a few house specialities or only serve something like yakitori.

At most izakayas, you have to pay per dish or drink you order, but there are a number of well-known izakayas in Tokyo where you pay a flat fee, and for a designated amount of time (usually 2 hours or so), you can eat and drink as much as you please.

If you're really ready to drink and eat, and do it fast, this is a good option to check out.

While dining at restaurants in Tokyo is often a quiet peaceful experience where you shouldn't raise your voice too loud to respect other diners, izakayas are the complete opposite.

They are usually loud places, with each table talking and laughing and having fun.

In Tokyo, there are countless izakayas, but underneath the railroad tracks and slotted into small walking alleys, are where izakayas seem to cluster.

When you're in Tokyo, here are a few well-known izakaya areas to explore:

• Yurakucho - Underneath the railroad tracks
• Koenji - Near Shinjuku
• Ueno - Within Ameya-Yokocho market

Experiencing an izakaya when you're in Tokyo, or elsewhere in Japan, is not only a great place to have a drink and some delicious food, but it's also a cultural glimpse into the drinking and social scene of Japanese culture.

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This post was brought to you by the Bottle-O.

[T]he Edo-Tokyo Museum is one of the most famous museums in Tokyo.

Edo is the old name for Tokyo, so the museum aims to preserve the history and culture of the city.

I have to admit, the museum sort of looks like a UFO when you're approaching it, but as I read more, I discovered the architecture was designed to looks like an old Tokyo warehouse raised on stilts. Anyway, it's pretty futuristic modern looking and has some character to it.

You first pay your entrance fee downstairs, and then take a long escalator to the museum entrance.

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As soon as you get off the escalator, you're directed into an absolutely massive cavern like room. According to the official website, the total area of the museum covers 30,000 square meters, pretty huge.

You can choose to get a guide, which is complimentary along with your ticket purchase (volunteer guides) or you can use one of the personal audio guides while you're walking around.

The very first exhibition is a replica of the historical Nihonbashi Bridge, which you actually cross over to get to the main part of the museum. The bridge played an important part in conducting business and transportation in the early years of Tokyo.

There are numerous extremely detailed models of buildings and parts of the city, all recreated and scaled down, showing the Edo-period of Japan, which lasted from the beginning of 1600 to the middle of 1800.

Many of the models are so detailed, you could spend quite a few minutes just looking at all the costumes the tiny models are wearing.

The museum even offers binoculars so you can get a closer look into some of the models that are hard to see.

A lot of artistic care and accuracy went into the thought of the displays.

Another one of my favorite exhibitions showed a waterside scene from Edo-Tokyo, complete with the bridge, boats, and a waterside market area.

Along with models and exhibits preserving important items from Tokyo's history, what I really liked about the Edo-Tokyo Museum was that there were plenty of hands-on exhibitions.

For a guy like me, who learns much better doing things hands-on, it was pretty cool.

For instance, there were life-sized displays of rebuilt homes and shops which you could actually peek inside to see how people in Tokyo formerly lived.

The exhibition above showed the elaborate costumes and stage setting from the theatrical performance of a play called Sukeroku.

On the other side of the exhibition was a replica model scaled down, of a traditional Japanese theater.

Moving through the museum, the exhibits proceeded to more modern-day Tokyo with the rise of automobiles, and modern technology. Every display included a very detailed explanation in both English and Japanese.

There were also a few really recent exhibits, like one that focused on the recent devastating earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan in 2011.

Since the Edo-Tokyo Museum includes such good information about the history of Tokyo, and since it's such an impressive and spacious facility, it's a favorite field trip for local students.

The day I went, I shared the museum with countless busloads of school kids, which made the experience even more culturally enjoyable.

As far as museum go, the Edo-Tokyo Museum is definitely worth a visit if you're interested in learning about the history of Tokyo and how it grew to become one of the world's biggest and most influential cities.

Open: 9:30 am - 5:30 pm Tuesday - Saturday (Monday closed)
Admission fee: 600 JPY

[J]apan has rightfully earned itself a reputation as one of the most expensive countries to visit in the world.

But even though you will need some money, there are ways that you can save, and experience Japan for less.

I recently spent two weeks in Tokyo with my wife, and Dave spent some time traveling in Japan a few years back. Here are a few of our savings tips.

Planning a trip to Japan? Book budget-friendly train passes here!

Accommodation

Paying for a place to stay is without doubt one of the biggest expenses when it comes to traveling in Japan.

A budget double room at a hotel will cost $60 - $80, and a hostel bed normally runs in the $20 - $50 range. You could also try a capsule hotel, but even that will cost you around $50 per night.

Since I traveled to Japan with my wife, we stayed in a budget double room in Tokyo for most of our trip, which cost $70 per night.

If you want to really save money, you can always search for a host on couchsurfing. Dave was able to save at least $80 by couchsurfing in Tokyo for his first four nights.

Another option is to visit during the offseason. Sure, it's a bit colder in Winter, but great deals can be found at hostels and hotels. Dave's hostel dorm room in Kyoto was 50% off, so he ended up paying $12 per night instead of $25.

Transportation

In Tokyo there are a number of different train lines run by different companies.

Transfer from one line to another line and you'll pay two fees. But the thing is, depending on where you're going, you can often walk the distance instead of paying another train line (keep your map handy).

For instance, going to Tsukiji fish market, I took the Ginza line to Ginza station, and while I could have paid more and transferred right to Tsukiji station, I walked from Ginza, which only took about 15 minutes and saved about 160 JPY ($1.57).

As for traveling around Japan and seeing other parts of the country, a Japan Rail Pass is one of the great ways to spend less.

When you purchase a JR Pass, it basically allows you to take any JP train, wherever you want to go in the country, and as many rides as you want in the time that your ticket is valid.

So if you plan to travel a route from Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka, Kyoto, Hiroshima, or other cities in Japan, definitely do some research about how long you wish to travel and how many places you want to go.

A seven-day ordinary pass runs about $272. I personally stayed in Tokyo the entire time I had in Japan, but Dave was able to save hundreds of dollars by using a JR Pass instead of purchasing all of his tickets individually.

He even used it to do some long day trips, like visiting Nagano from Tokyo and Hiroshima from Kyoto.

Food

Despite everyone telling you the food in Japan is going to be outrageously expensive, and expecting that all meals will cost a fortune, you can actually get some great deals on food.

Budget meals, like bowls of delicious ramen or rice topped with pork and a soft-boiled egg, are pretty tasty and you can find them at restaurants for around $5 a meal - not bad.

I frequently went to a restaurant in Tokyo that served a big piece of grilled saba fish, rice, and a side of miso soup and tofu, all for 590 JPY ($5.80).

When it comes to nicer sit down restaurants in Japan, making lunch your main meal is also a way to spend less.

During lunch in Japan, you'll find menu specials which are often two to three times cheaper than dinner prices. A nice plate of sushi might cost $15 at lunch, but at dinner you'd pay $40 for the same thing.

Hotels in Japan normally come furnished with a hot water boiler. I normally travel with a bag of oatmeal, and was able to make myself some oatmeal for breakfast most days. This saved a lot.

Attractions

Public sites and attractions are reasonably priced in Japan. Many temples are free to enter, and there are many parks to explore for free as well. If you're in Tokyo, you can go to Mt. Takao to climb the main mountain in the city, which has no entrance fee either.

I found that Japan is also one of the best places in the world for walking. Sidewalks are spacious, and you can see so much by walking around on foot.

If you happen to be a student, you can often get discounts on admission fees using your student ID.

Also, for Tokyo specifically, if you pick up a free tourist guide pamphlet, there are some deal coupons in the back of the guide.

The Edo-Tokyo Museum entrance in Tokyo costs 600 JPY ($5.90), but when I showed them my coupon I got a 120 JPY discount, so we paid 480 JPY ($4.72) for entrance.

You can pick up the free Tokyo tourist guide at any official Japan Tourism Office.

My last word of advice for saving money on attractions in Japan, and this goes for anywhere you travel, is to only do the things you're most interested in, and also do only the things you have enough budget for - if you don't have enough money to go to the top of the Tokyo Skytree look for something else to do.

Use self-control to decide what you really want to do and see. You're in Japan after all, walking around and enjoying the place itself is one of the best attractions anywhere you go.

It wouldn't be the smartest travel plan to show up in Japan with an empty bank account, but there are some ways to spend less and still have an amazing time.

Yes, you're going to need a little savings, but if you can make the trip, Japan is an amazing country with so much to offer.

Been to Japan? Share your money-saving tips in the Comments below.