Japan is not the most budget-friendly country for a traveler, especially if you live in big cities like Tokyo and Kyoto. High-speed trains, Michelin restaurants, tea parties with geishas and spacious hotel rooms won’t come cheap, but there are plenty of surefire ways to save money.
In this article, I will share with you proven working travelhacks that have allowed me to travel all over central Japan several times and try a lot of things without spending an impressive amount of money.
Transportation
Trains are the main mode of transportation used by tourists and locals to travel between cities. They can take you to the most remote parts of the country. The cost depends on the speed and type of train. The fastest, most comfortable and expensive are shinkansen. The slowest and cheapest are local trains (2-3 times longer).
You can rent a car, but Japan has left-hand traffic, toll roads and parking lots, and lots of obscure signs. Traffic jams are common in metropolitan areas.
1. the JR Pass is a popular travel pass for traveling around Japan by train. It allows you to ride Shinkansen trains, as well as JR-operated trains and buses throughout the entire country. At the end of 2023, the cost of the pass has been raised by 70% and now you have to try really hard to break even.
Если вы едете на 2 недели в центральную Японию (Токио – Киото – Осака), дешевле и удобнее обойтись без JR Pass. Для активных путешествий на большие расстояния пасс будет выгодным. Озаботьтесь покупкой JR Pass онлайн заранее или у официального агента.
Before ordering a JR Pass, plot your route on Google (it writes the prices) and calculate whether it’s beneficial for you to take the pass or cheaper to buy all the tickets on the spot. There are also several calculators online (e.g. here).
I tell in detail about JR Pass, its features and alternatives in the itinerary – guide to Japan.
ALSO READ: What You Need to Know Before Traveling to Japan
2. Japan has many favorable regional and city passes. For example, Kansai Area (Kyoto, Nara, Osaka, Himeji) has several, with transportation and entertainment discounts included. Tokyo Train Passes. Hakone Pass – transportation and entertainment in Hakone. Or Osaka Amazing Pass (I recommend it) – where transportation and entertainment around the city is included for a small amount. If you plan to spend a lot of time in any of the regions – search the internet for passes. Also check the Klook website. They often sell discounted tickets (like a Tokyo subway pass).
3. Taxi is expensive in Japan. Use the subway or buses instead of taxi. There are passes for several days (especially favorable in Tokyo and Kyoto). Walk more or rent a bicycle.
4. Consider domestic flights. A plane from Tokyo to Osaka is often cheaper than a shinkansen. Local low-costers are Peach and JetStar. ANA Airlines has a promotion going on right now. When you buy an international flight to Japan, you can book several domestic flights for free. Details are on the official website.
Connection/Internet
5. If you are traveling as a family, it is convenient to rent pocket wifi. I order from Japan Wireless. With promo code JWINGA – 10% discount. Unlimited fast internet, catches almost everywhere, can be used on several devices (up to 10 pieces). Convenient to pick up and drop off at the airport. They also have a prepaid sim-card (physical, to pick up at the airport).
Alternatively, you can buy a virtual esim Airalo. With promo code INGA7839 you will get a 3$ discount on your first purchase (if you have not used Airalo before)
Accommodation
The earlier you book your accommodation in Japan, the cheaper it will cost you. I usually book all hotels 4-5 months in advance on booking.com or trip.com. Be sure to read ratings and reviews from other visitors (on google, booking, tripadvisor).
The cost of accommodation also varies greatly depending on the neighborhood. For example, a hotel near Tokyo Station will be twice as expensive as one in Akasaka. For the best neighborhoods and hotel recommendations, check out the articles on cities(Kyoto, Tokyo, Kanazawa) and my guide to Japan.
6. Business hotels 3 stars – optimal price/quality. The rooms here will be quite small, but functional. The rooms are equipped with everything you need (slippers, toothbrushes, pajamas, shaving supplies), there are self-service laundry facilities and breakfasts. Popular good chains are APA Hotel, Super Hotel, Toyoku Inn. In Kyoto and Tokyo, where prices are high, I stay in 3 stars, there is no point in overpaying.
7. One of the most budget-friendly options is capsule hotels. These are sort of like a European hostel. Capsules often have a TV, table, chargers, pajamas, toothpaste/brushes and other essentials. Shared restrooms, shower stalls. I do not recommend this option for couples and families with children.
8. Ryokans are rooms in traditional Japanese homes where you sleep on the floor (tatami). The cost of such accommodation depends on the availability of a private bath, whether a traditional dinner and breakfast are included. Usually, ryokans are expensive and definitely worth a try. If you want to save money in Japan – minimize ryokans to 1-2 nights and book them in smaller cities (the most expensive ones are in Tokyo, Kyoto and Hakone). Try also writing directly to the owners, sometimes they allow you to pay on the spot in cash at a slightly lower price than on booking/expedia aggregators, etc.
9. Shukubo – housing in the temple. It is very similar to rayokan, but the food will be vegetarian. They’re often discounted on Trip.com. In addition to accommodation, guests are frequently offered free activities such as meditation sessions and shakyo sutra copying.
READ ALSO: Koyasan (Mt. Koya): visiting Japanese monks
10. Renting an apartment is an option for a long trip. When booking for a week or two, many hosts offer a 10-20% discount. Airbnb has been officially operated in the country since 2018.
11. Manga cafe, internet cafe – the cheapest option for an overnight stay, as a last resort. Here they rent out rooms to “read” for the whole night for just a few thousand yen. You can’t officially sleep there, but some young Japanese live there for months. Sometimes cafes set up showers and rent out blankets and pillows.
12. Couchsurfing is a free option to stay with locals. I haven’t used it myself, but if anyone is interested, here’s the website .
Download: Detailed itinerary guide to Japan in 2 weeks + useful tips
Food
Japan is full of both delicious inexpensive food and chic Milenovese restaurants. I wouldn’t advise saving too much money on food, as Japanese cuisine is an important part of the culture that shouldn’t be missed.
13. For a great inexpensive Japanese breakfast, look for fast food cafes that are open 24 hours. “Matsuya in Tokyo, Nakau or Yayoiken Kawaramachi Sanjo in Kyoto. The combos consist of: miso soup, fried egg, a piece of salmon or beef, salad and tofu. Lunch and dinner there aren’t bad either. Service is fast, you order from the machine at the entrance.
14. For lunch, look for udon, ramen, soba, or donburi. These dishes are very hearty and inexpensive. You can also check out Kaiten Sushi, where the food arrives on a conveyor belt.
Try to eat lunch before 2pm. After that, you can only find food in the expensive restaurants, and the small-budget ones close until 5 or 6 pm.
15. Each Japanese neighborhood will have one or more small stores, kombini, with cheap fresh prepared food (rolls, onigiri, salads), drinks, groceries, wires, and other stuff (heated insoles, smoothies). Open 24 hours. The most popular are 7-Eleven and family market. After 8 PM, many stores sell prepared food at 50% off. There are coffee machines and microwaves.
16. Expensive places: Japanese izakayas, barbecues, yakitori and sushi bars. If you have a choice – definitely sushi! An average check for two will cost about 10 thousand yen. Download discount coupons and deals from the DigJapan app. Almost all izjakayas will charge you an additional “otoshi” fee of about 300-700 yen (you may get a small snack for this amount). Some tourist bars have “no otoshi” signs (but note that menu prices will be higher there, even though there is no snack charge).
17. There are a huge number of Michelin and haute cuisine restaurants open in Japan. Each place is a work of culinary art and service. Prices for an evening tasting menu often exceed 100 USD/person. But if you stop by these restaurants for lunch – a similar menu will be served 20-30% cheaper.
18. Street food in tourist areas is expensive. Go three or four blocks away and try the same dish but cheaper.
Entertainment
19. Feel free to show your travel tickets (if available). Many give discounts at museums, temples, and even storage facilities (e.g., daypass-kyoto or hakone-pass)
20. Buy tickets in advance. Many places give discounts on official websites a week+ in advance (e.g. Tokyo Shibuya and Tokyo Skytree).
21. Take free pocket guides at information points, train stations and hotels. Sometimes there are great offers (for example, in the Tokyo guide I found a discount to the Edo Museum).
22. Look for free entertainment (such as a tour of the Imperial Palace in Tokyo)
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Other Info
23. Travel in the off-season. From mid-March to mid-May is the busiest period in Japan. The cherry trees are in bloom, and there is a “golden week”(national holidays). Plane tickets and hotels are very expensive. There are lines at the restaurants and museums. Also skip New Year’s Eve and the Feast of the Dead (Obon) – in mid-August.
24. It is not customary to tip in the country. A great reason to save some money!
25. Souvenirs can be bought in “all for 100” stores. Good reviews about Daiso. Don’t forget tax free!
READ ALSO: What to bring from Japan: 13 things you won’t regret buying
26. You will probably use the lockers at the station to store your luggage for a while. Note that many of them close and open on payment once. That is, if you put things in the locker, closed it, paid for it, and 10 steps later remembered that you left something important inside – you will have to pay again to lock it after opening it.
27. Think in advance about your itinerary (choose the right passes), entertainment (look for discounts). Or download my ready-made one, where I have already chosen, planned, calculated and saved everything for you without sacrificing quality.
Have a great trip everyone!
Share your tips and tricks for saving money in Japan in the comments.
