Accommodations

As with any travel, accommodations will be one of your biggest expenses. Japan offers all kinds of accommodations from expensive 5 star hotels to budget oriented fare such as hostels, business hotels and capsule hotels. Below are some options to help you travel Japan on the cheap.

• Hostels ( 1,500 – 3,000 yen): This is the standard go to accommodations for backpackers and budget travelers. Hostels provide communal living and great way to meet people while traveling.
• Business Hotels ( 5,000 – 7,000 yen for single room or 8,000 – 10,000 yen for double room ):  These hotels offer small and basic rooms with a bed, private bathroom and maybe internet. Popular business hotel chains include Route Inn, APA Hotel, Toyoko Inn and Super Hotel.
• Couch Surfing (free!): Shockingly Japan has quite large couch surfing community. Basically these are locals who have an extra couch or room and are willing to host travelers for a night or two for free.
• Minshuku or Ryokan (3,000 – 10,000 yen): If you are looking for a more authentic experience then you should try a minshuku ( Japanese B&B ) or ryokan ( Japanese inn ).
• Capsule Hotels (2,000 – 5,000 yen): This one falls under “Only in Japan”. A capsule hotel basically rents out boxes that are stacked on top of one another and side by side. You can’t get more basic than that!
• Manga Cafes (1,500-3,000 yen): Some manga cafes allow overnight stays (renting by the hour or night). Options vary from only computer desks to private booths or rooms with futons. Some places may offer snacks and showers for their customers.
• Overnight buses: If you take a night bus for one of your long destination trips, you can save on the cost of accommodations for a night.

Food

Food has always been one of my guilty pleasures when travelling. Discovering a new food and taste turns me into a child who is experiencing something for the first time, it fills me with joy. You can spend as much or as little as you want, it’s really is up to you. For cost conscious travelers it’s possible to get by on as little as 1,500 – 2,000 yen per day and still eat great. Here are some tips on how to budget your food expense while in Japan:

• Package Deals: When shopping for accommodations or tour packages look for places that include meals with the stay. In Japan some Minshuku and Ryokan include both dinner and breakfast with the stay.
• Convenience stores: can be found literally on every corner in Japan, and these stores in Japan are not like the US. They can offer cheap high quality meals on the go. They are famous for the bento ( lunch boxes ) they also have sandwiches, onigiri (rice balls), sushi, noodles and drinks.
• Supermarkets: Preparing your own food from what you purchase from supermarkets is extremely economical. Interestingly the Japanese like their fruit to be perfect, any fruit that’s even slightly blemished will be sold at a discount by supermarkets. Keep an eye out for these deals.
• Fast Food: Japan has lots of fast food to choose from. There’s famous international brands like McDonald and KFC as well as local brands that specialize in gyudon, udon, soba, ramen noodles or boxed lunches.
• Business Districts and Train Stations: Competition is high around the busy business districts and train stations in Japan, this competition means you can find a good selections of delicious food or full meals at very good prices usually under 1,000 yen.