Japan on a budget - Part 1

You might think that to experience Japan will mean that you need to spend a small fortune.

However with transport deals free sights and a bit of extra knowledge it can be quite affordable

A good tip is to get a prepaid smartcard, like Tokyo’s Suica and Pasmo which is similar to London’s Oyster, it won’t save on cash, but makes navigating the transport system easier. Cards can be used to pay at some stores and are valid nationwide. Also there’s a no tipping culture in Japan, and staff may even feel uncomfortable if you try to give them anything. An “arigato gozaimasu” which is thank you very much will be enough.

DINING

Japan is home to one of the most sophisticated culinary cultures on Earth, and even if you’re on a tight budget it’s worth permitting yourself the odd splurge. That said, the overall quality of the cuisine means that fast food can be pretty decent. Try Yudetaro for buckwheat soba noodles, CoCo Ichibanya for Japanese style curry and rice, or Yoshinoya for gyudon, a bowl of simmered beef and onions served over rice. All can fill you up for around 500 yen (£3. 50), without the guilt of a trip to McDonald’s. If you are a penny pinching gourmand, the best advice is to save on dinner and spend more at lunchtime instead. Why, because on weekdays, it’s common for restaurants to offer set lunchs for a fraction of what they’d charge in the evening. This means you can make your money go much further. Around JPY1, 000 (£7) is the norm, and even the more high end places will often have set meals for less than 2, 000 yen (£15). Tabelog is the local Yelp equivalent, it lets you search for restaurants by area, cuisine and budget, and while the English interface is a little wonky, it’s a handy resource.
When you’re on the move you can pick up nutritious bento boxes and other prepared meals for a few hundred yen at supermarkets or one of the country’s 50, 000 plus convenience stores. A couple of onigiri rice balls, the ultimate budget food, should keep you going for hours. If your hotel doesn’t offer breakfast, look out for the ‘morning sets’ available at many old school coffee shops, which include a complimentary plate of food with your drink. Talking about coffee you can get a respectable brew for JPY100 (75p) at almost any convenience store.

We joined the lunchtime queue which snakes out the door at Nakajima, a traditional restaurant in Tokyo’s bustling Shinjuku district. The Japanese capital has more Michelin starred restaurants than any other city in the world, over 200, and this intimate eatery is one of them. After waiting nearly half an hour, we are shown to seats at a counter overlooking the kitchen and presented with a menu offering nothing but sardines, which can be served deep-fried, simmered, sashimistyle or in a hotpot. Like most of my fellow diners, I picked the latter, we’re quickly presented with a bubbling casserole dish, accompanied by rice, miso soup and lightly pickled vegetables. It’s simple, splendid and surprisingly, it’s cheap. While the kaiseki dinner sets at Nakajima start at JPY8, 640 (£63), the price tag for our Michelin approved lunch comes to just JPY900 (£6. 50) per person. Japan may have a reputation as an expensive destination, but there are many ways for more budget minded travellers to enjoy the best that the country has to offer. Whether you’re going for the traditional culture, the food, the hot springs or the karaoke, there’s a lot that can be done without spending much or even any money. This extends to getting around as well. One of the many myths about Japan is that internal travel swallows your budget quickly. That’s simply not the case, with plenty of discount fares and deals on offer, if you plan ahead you will be able see and do a lot on a budget that won’t break the bank.