Super Cheap Japan - Budget Travel in Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Nara, Hiroshima and Surrounding Areas

Welcome to Japan

View over Shinjuku, to Mount Fuji

Welcome to the Land of the Rising Sun, but with this book not the land of rising prices! Japan is a fascinating country, but unfortunately one with a reputation for being expensive. This has been changing rapidly over the last few years, with increasingly good exchange rates for foreigners and tax-free shopping galore, among other things. This guide is here to help you save as much as possible, and in the end have a much better holiday. We will show you how to experience the highlights of Honshu, Japan’s main island, without burning a hole in your pocket. This includes the popular tourist hotspots of Tokyo, Kyoto, Nara, Osaka and Hiroshima, as well as many nearby tourist spots to keep your trip varied and as exciting as possible.

Highlights of Japan map

Japan is a deeply historic and traditional culture, yet one that is also very modern and at times futuristic. This mix is what makes the country stand out from the rest. One minute you will be soaking in a hot spring bath, another playing with a talking robot and another inside a 1000-year-old shrine. What sets Japan apart from other countries is its extensive, easy to use train and bus networks, which budget travelers can use to explore many places, while easily keeping an eye on their budget. From the deeply spiritual to the plain crazy, Japan has it all.

Popular meals include gyudon (beef on rice with a mild, sweet sauce), tempura (deep fried food), yakisoba (fried noodles) and ramen (noodles in a thick broth). These can be found with prices starting from just a few dollars, and are available almost everywhere. Convenience stores, which you’ll usually never be a few minutes away from, also have these items, plus cheap drinks and snacks. Many hostels also offer free drinks, snacks and bike rentals to entice guests to stay with them.

Japan can seem like another world, and has developed a very unique and at times fascinating culture. It’s a very safe society, one where drinking outside on the streets will never cause you any trouble and where people always return lost items they have found. Japanese people are generally very welcoming for foreign tourists, and while their English skills can present problems, people really try their best to help. Don’t be surprised if you ask a shop owner for directions to your hostel and they close the shop to guide you there personally, or offer to give you a ride for free!

The increasingly favorable exchange rate has made Japan much more affordable compared to before. A ramen meal would have cost about $9 in 2012, but it now costs $5.50, while an average hostel room used to cost around $40, but now comes in at $24. These kinds of prices have helped Japan to increase tourism numbers significantly. While this does mean that the top spots are becoming rather crowded, there have been many benefits, such as improved English language support, countless new discount train passes, extensive free wifi coverage and more frequent transportation services in the countryside. Your timing could not be better for a budget trip to the Land of the Rising Sun.

How to save on your holiday with this book

This book is very different from the rest, and the emphasis is on traveling on a budget. Here are some tips on how to use the book to save you as much as possible.

Itineraries

For each region, and nationally, use the sample itineraries based on train or bus passes to help you plan your budget trip. The best way to save is to base your trip around these passes, connecting between them with a cheap bus or short train ride if needed. You’ll save a bunch, as train passes can save you hundreds of dollars, or thousands if in a group!

Things to do

Look out for places listed as FREE, or with free sample or discounts available. Try doing the free ones that interest you first, then head to the ones that cost money. Make sure you check the discount information provided to save on admission fees to the various attractions. These discounts and bonuses often come with train or bus passes.

How to use the maps

Some Japanese cities and towns can be a nightmare to visit without a simple map, especially as most don’t use street names. Detailed instructions for getting to places, and simple maps when appropriate, are provided so you won’t spend time and money getting lost. Plus, you’ll never need to get an expensive taxi. Use landmarks on the maps to help you get there as well, as Japanese streets can be difficult to navigate, even for those who have lived here many years.

Map Legend

Convenience stores are everywhere in Japan and have takeout meals from around 300 yen ($3). Finding a cheap supermarket can be a time-consuming hassle for budget travelers, so we have included cheap supermarkets in the guides. Prices are often slashed in the evenings to get rid of stock, so be sure to check them out for some ultra-cheap sushi!

100 yen stores (around $1) are even better for budget travelers. You can buy almost everything here, from drinks, to microwavable food, to gifts and clothing accessories. Japanese pharmacies and drug stores often have even cheaper prices for drinks and snacks as well.

Volunteer guides and tours

For those that want a more in-depth experience when visiting somewhere like a shrine or temple, using one of the vast number of free volunteer guide services is advised. For Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka, these are listed in the introduction pages, while for other places recommended groups are listed individually in that location’s chapter.

Budget food

Eating out cheaply

There are a host of cheap Japanese restaurant chains all over Japan, or focused on a particular region. These have been included on the easy-to-use maps, as well as in the Budget Food sections. As mentioned, cheap supermarkets and convenience stores are also included, to further help you keep your wallet happy!

Drinking on a budget

It is perfectly legal to drink outside in Japan, so budget travelers should get their alcohol fix at a convenience store or supermarket. You can then drink in parks, on the street or relax outside a train station and do a bit of people watching. If you want to check out the bars, get a few drinks in before to save money.

Water bottle refill spots

Most of the budget restaurants have water jugs to refill your bottle, and we have also included some other spots to refill, such as in parks. Buying a large bottled drink in a 100 yen shop, then using it for the rest of your trip is a great way to save on money. Also note that tap water is drinkable in Japan.

Types of accommodation

While we recommend hostels and hotels based on our own experiences and readers’ feedback, always compare prices online. Recommended sites are Booking.com (usually free to cancel bookings) and Agoda (good choice in Asia) and of course Airbnb. For the budget traveler, the number of unacceptable rooms is almost zero, as quality and good customer service is so important in Japanese culture. Just make sure you are near a train stop or an easy-to-access bus stop so that you don’t waste money and time finding your place. Also consider couch surfing (https://www.couchsurfing.com/) if you are really low on money.

Hostels and guesthouses

Japan has the best hostels and guesthouses in the world. Prices are reasonable, rooms are kept clean, beds linens are properly washed and customer service is excellent. Sharing restrooms and showers is how people usually travel in Japan, so do what the locals do and save some cash on room fees.

Internet cafes

Net cafes are an even cheaper option, with prices often as low as 1000 yen. Stay in a small booth or even an open seat and chill out on the computer, or use the all-you-can-drink facilities. They can be tricky to find and confusing to use for people that don’t speak Japanese, so they have been included in maps or detailed descriptions have been included in this guide, plus English translations of the sleeping options. Reservations are not possible online.

Love hotels

Love hotels are a great way to stay the night in any large city in Japan, if you are with that special someone. Each hotel usually has its own theme, so the best advice is to go to one of the areas we have listed, have a walk around, then settle on the hotel that looks best for you. Rates vary, so compare prices as you walk around, but they usually start from 6000 yen a night.

While it is usually the case that love hotel rooms have not been bookable, times are changing and websites such as Booking.com are starting to add them. It’s still a fraction of what is available by just walking around though, so it’s recommended not to book unless you are particularly nervous about going to one for the first time.

How to do a walk-in reservation at a love hotel

1) Love hotels usually have the rather Japanglish ‘Rest’ and ‘Stay’ written outside. Rest (レスト/休憩) means a stay of only a few hours, while Stay (宿泊) means to stay the night.

2) Once you are inside, there is usually an easy-to-understand picture display of rooms available. Select your room, then go and get your key. If only Japanese is written, 空室 means the room is available, 完全/満室 mean it is not.

3) You usually pay when you leave, but occasionally when you collect your key.

Capsule hotels

Capsule hotels, where guests sleep in small pods, are becoming increasingly popular with budget conscious travelers. We have included the best ones in the guides, and put them on...