The fact is, travelling to Japan can be very expensive (or downright unaffordable) for many Malaysians.<\/p>\n
Does that mean you can\u2019t experience Japan with no budget? Not necessarily!<\/p>\n
You can easily have an authentic Japanese experience, from the food to the culture, right here in Malaysia. And the best part, it won\u2019t burn a hole in your wallet to do it. So, if you\u2019re looking to have a taste of what Japan is like, read on to find out how.<\/p>\n
<\/span>Experience the culture: Bon Odori Festival<\/span><\/h2>\nJapan has some of the most unique cultural festivals (or Matsuri) in the world. While we can\u2019t precisely experience winter festivals like the Sapporo Snow Festival in Hokkaido, we can still enjoy some of their more popular summer festivals.<\/p>\n
One such festival is the Bon Odori festival<\/a>. This is a yearly event held by the Japan Club of Kuala Lumpur.<\/a>\u00a0What’s more, this festival has been going on for over 40 years. It has grown into one of the biggest Japanese cultural festivals in Malaysia.<\/p>\nThe festival usually takes place around July or August each year.\u00a0 It is the best place to experience Japanese culture without leaving Malaysia.\u00a0 For example, you can get a deep dive into the culture with their Bon Odori dance and drum performance. And the fact that admission is free, makes it even better.<\/p>\n
Total cost: RM0 entry fee to the festival, just the small change you need for commuting or carpark fees if you are driving.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/span>Experience the zen: Selangor-Japan Friendship Garden<\/span><\/h2>\nBig festivals are not your thing? Then how about something that\u2019s a little more zen?<\/p>\n
The Selangor-Japan Friendship Garden<\/a> is a public garden\/park that was built to symbolise the ties of friendship between Japan and Malaysia. Located in the capital of Selangor at Shah Alam, the public park opened its door in 2021 and boasts over 2.4 hectares of Japanese-inspired garden designs.<\/p>\nSome of the attractions that you can experience at the garden include a zen garden, torii gateways, bamboo tree walkways and a reflexology garden. And just like the Bon Odori festival, the Selangor-Japan Friendship Garden is free to enter.<\/p>\n
Total cost: RM0 entry fee to the park, just need to cover the commuting or carpark fees if you are driving.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/span>Experience the katana: Hamachidori Dojo<\/span><\/h2>\nSamurais, or Bushi, is as part of Japanese culture as anything else. And if you ever wanted to experience the feeling of swinging around a katana, look no further than Hamachidori Dojo<\/a> in Kuala Lumpur.<\/p>\nHamachidori Dojo lets you live out your samurai (or Ruroni Kenshin) dreams by teaching you Iaido, a form of solo martial art that focuses on using the katana.<\/p>\n
Of course, you\u2019re not going to use an actual katana (it\u2019s super illegal to own one<\/a>!). Instead, you\u2019ll be using either a wooden sword called Bokuto\/Bokken or an Iaito which is a practice sword with no cutting edge.<\/p>\nThe first introductory class is free but if you want to continue learning and become a member, it will only cost you RM50 a month. Plus, as a member, you can also learn other martial arts such as Kendo or Tankendo with no additional cost.<\/p>\n
Total cost: RM0 for the introductory class, RM50 per month to be a member<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/span>Experience the cuisine: Himawari Restaurant<\/span><\/h2>\nAfter all of the experiences that you\u2019ve had, from dancing to the fires of Bon Odori to zen-ing out in the garden to living the way of the samurai, you\u2019ll need to fill your stomach up with some good Japanese.<\/p>\n
While there are many Japanese restaurants in Malaysia, they tend to lean more towards the expensive side, especially if you want an authentic Japanese experience.<\/p>\n
Himawari Restaurant<\/a> is a hidden gem of a restaurant within the JCKL. It used to be so hidden, that you couldn\u2019t even find it in Google! Serving affordable Japanese comfort food, it\u2019s one of the best places to immerse yourself in Japanese culture while having a hot bowl of beef sukiyaki.<\/p>\nTotal cost: Oyako Don RM17.80, Beef Sukiyaki + Dinner set RM28.80<\/strong><\/p>\nIf you\u2019re a fan of Japanese culture, the ultimate goal will always be to visit the country itself. But in the meantime, if you still want to experience what Japan has to offer, you can still do it comfortably (and affordably!) in our backyard.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\nIf you do want to plan an actual trip to Japan, we have a FREE tool to help you get started!<\/span><\/p>\nYou can easily start organising your trip to Japan today.\u00a0 Try using iMoney\u2019s free checklist planner<\/a>. Here is what it could potentially look like:<\/span><\/p>\n
The festival usually takes place around July or August each year.\u00a0 It is the best place to experience Japanese culture without leaving Malaysia.\u00a0 For example, you can get a deep dive into the culture with their Bon Odori dance and drum performance. And the fact that admission is free, makes it even better.<\/p>\n
Total cost: RM0 entry fee to the festival, just the small change you need for commuting or carpark fees if you are driving.<\/strong><\/p>\n Big festivals are not your thing? Then how about something that\u2019s a little more zen?<\/p>\n The Selangor-Japan Friendship Garden<\/a> is a public garden\/park that was built to symbolise the ties of friendship between Japan and Malaysia. Located in the capital of Selangor at Shah Alam, the public park opened its door in 2021 and boasts over 2.4 hectares of Japanese-inspired garden designs.<\/p>\n Some of the attractions that you can experience at the garden include a zen garden, torii gateways, bamboo tree walkways and a reflexology garden. And just like the Bon Odori festival, the Selangor-Japan Friendship Garden is free to enter.<\/p>\n Total cost: RM0 entry fee to the park, just need to cover the commuting or carpark fees if you are driving.<\/strong><\/p>\n Samurais, or Bushi, is as part of Japanese culture as anything else. And if you ever wanted to experience the feeling of swinging around a katana, look no further than Hamachidori Dojo<\/a> in Kuala Lumpur.<\/p>\n Hamachidori Dojo lets you live out your samurai (or Ruroni Kenshin) dreams by teaching you Iaido, a form of solo martial art that focuses on using the katana.<\/p>\n Of course, you\u2019re not going to use an actual katana (it\u2019s super illegal to own one<\/a>!). Instead, you\u2019ll be using either a wooden sword called Bokuto\/Bokken or an Iaito which is a practice sword with no cutting edge.<\/p>\n The first introductory class is free but if you want to continue learning and become a member, it will only cost you RM50 a month. Plus, as a member, you can also learn other martial arts such as Kendo or Tankendo with no additional cost.<\/p>\n Total cost: RM0 for the introductory class, RM50 per month to be a member<\/strong><\/p>\n After all of the experiences that you\u2019ve had, from dancing to the fires of Bon Odori to zen-ing out in the garden to living the way of the samurai, you\u2019ll need to fill your stomach up with some good Japanese.<\/p>\n While there are many Japanese restaurants in Malaysia, they tend to lean more towards the expensive side, especially if you want an authentic Japanese experience.<\/p>\n Himawari Restaurant<\/a> is a hidden gem of a restaurant within the JCKL. It used to be so hidden, that you couldn\u2019t even find it in Google! Serving affordable Japanese comfort food, it\u2019s one of the best places to immerse yourself in Japanese culture while having a hot bowl of beef sukiyaki.<\/p>\n Total cost: Oyako Don RM17.80, Beef Sukiyaki + Dinner set RM28.80<\/strong><\/p>\n If you\u2019re a fan of Japanese culture, the ultimate goal will always be to visit the country itself. But in the meantime, if you still want to experience what Japan has to offer, you can still do it comfortably (and affordably!) in our backyard.<\/p>\n If you do want to plan an actual trip to Japan, we have a FREE tool to help you get started!<\/span><\/p>\n You can easily start organising your trip to Japan today.\u00a0 Try using iMoney\u2019s free checklist planner<\/a>. Here is what it could potentially look like:<\/span><\/p>\n<\/span>Experience the zen: Selangor-Japan Friendship Garden<\/span><\/h2>\n
<\/span>Experience the katana: Hamachidori Dojo<\/span><\/h2>\n
<\/span>Experience the cuisine: Himawari Restaurant<\/span><\/h2>\n
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