How to Visit Japan on a Budget

Sarah Outside
Apr 5, 2024
4 min read

Updated: May 13, 2024

Japan has an undeserved reputation as an expensive place to travel. My experience has taught me Japan can be much more affordable than a lot of European cities and I want to show you that too.

With a little planning and strategy a visit to this amazing country rich with culture can be very reasonable - some might say 'budget-friendly'. I hope that using these tips and tricks to help you to find the best-value places to stay, lots of affordable sights and wallet-friendly places to eat can make your yen give you more! If you're pinched for time why not check out my TikTok post which quickly summarises this article.

Transport

Public transport in Japan is renowned internationally for being efficient and on-time but its affordability is little talked about. I found on my most recent trip to the country that both local and regional journeys can be fairly affordable. The only exception was the fairly costly Shinkansen (bullet train); but this wasn't bank breaking and it was an amazing experience.

You've likely been recommended to get the JR Pass for your travels in Japan. This is true for those hoping to visit many locations, however, if you plan to stick to Osaka, Kyoto and Tokyo (without a trip to Hiroshima) then it is not needed. You can get the local train between Osaka and Kyoto which is much cheaper than using the JR Shinkansen option and takes only around 20-25 minutes more.

Another great way to travel, not necessarily to save money but to save time (and we all know time is money), is to get an IC Card. This is a rechargeable card which you charge with money at train station vending machines and use for contactless payment on public transport journeys. Make sure to pick one of these up at the airport you land in as they are in short supply currently and airports are where they can most likely be found. It is also important to note that IC Cards can be used in cities outside of where they are purchased; for example, we bought the ICOCA card in Osaka and could still use this in Kyoto and Tokyo.

Another money saving way to get around is to use your trusty old feet. Being able to walk huge distances is not a requirement to save cash even deciding to walk short journeys between sites can save you small amounts of cash that add up. This is especially true in Osaka and Kyoto which are much more walkable than Tokyo. Tokyo’s sprawling scale can make it difficult to get around on foot. However, it is still doable and a popular walking route is to choose to walk between Shibuya, Harajuku and Shinjuku.

Activities

Doing this, that and the other in Japan can soon add up, but it doesn't have to. There are so many amazing things to do in this immense country so it is important to prioritise if you're going on a budget. I took my time to research and decide which key more expensive sights I just had to see and prioritised my spending on these.

You can also delve into the culture in very affordably by visiting temples which are spread across all of Japan's cities and it's countryside. This offer often breathtaking places to visit and soak up a new and exciting culture.

Japan's novel culture and way of life makes wandering around neighbourhoods and exciting prospect too. Simply wandering from street to street in Osaka, Kyoto and Tokyo will afford you the opportunity to see something new and exciting around every bend for free!

Food

I landed in Osaka expecting eating out to be a luxury but to my surprise my first meal out cost me only £16.55 for two main meals, a side and two drinks! Eating out is a massive part of Japanese culture and is the way most people in the major cities eat there main meal of the day; head to any local restaurant you'll find people in suits eating alone. This makes it incredibly affordable for tourists too.

A key thing to remember is that traditional foods, both nationally and locally, offer the most affordable meals. For example, matcha was much more affordable in Kyoto than Osaka and so too was ramen.

Additionally, convenience stores offer a great opportunity to grab a lunch time bargain! You can get what I dubbed the Japanese vegan meal deal for around £4 - and this included onigiri, a tofu bar, fruit and a drink!

Accommodation

There are strategies you can use to save in accommodation too! Namely, book in advance (especially around festivals such as Cherry Blossom), choose capsule hotels and stay outside of the super popular areas. I'll focus on the final two points as the first is fairly self explanatory.

Capsule hotels are offer a distinctly Japanese travel experience that doesn't empty the wallet. These hotels have rows and rows of self-contained ‘capsules’ which offer a private bed-sized space to sleep and access to communal toilets, showers and often kitchens. They are regularly much more budget friendly than a traditional hotel.

To the final point. By choosing to stay in accommodation which is a little out of the main districts I found I could make some good savings without inconveniencing myself. By staying in Itabashi City in Tokyo meant accommodation was much more affordable than comparable hotels in Shinjuku or Shibuya but only a 15-25 minute train journey from those more popular areas.

To sum up

Japan doesn't have to break the bank nor does it have to be a dismissal affair if you're visiting on a budget. I hope these tips and hints give you the confidence to visit Japan and experience all the amazing things it has to offer it's visitors.

If you've got any other tips or tricks I'd love to hear them and add them to this article for others to find. You can also find more useful tips, tricks and recommendations on my TikTok and Instagram!

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