Cheap Travel Tips Japan

A Guide to Budget Accommodation, Food, Money and Transport in Japan

Aug 17, 2009

Despite it's reputation as being an expensive place to travel, for the informed traveller Japan can be surprisingly cheap.

When planning a trip to Japan, it helps to understand in advance how the different systems in the country work, and how they can be used to make travel fun, easy and cheap.

Understanding The Yen

The Japanese Yen is well-balanced in current climates; 100 Yen equates to around $1.00 U.S. and £2.00 Sterling. This makes conversion easy as well: 100 Yen is a Dollar, 1000 Yen is ten dollars etc. It’s a common misconception Japan is an expensive country to travel; this is definitely not the case with Japan being much cheaper to travel than Western Europe, as long as clever budgeting is undertaken.

Hostels in Japan

The concept of the backpacking is still quite new in Japan, and as such hostel-style accommodation isn’t abundant. Still, there are quite a few hostels around especially in bigger cities like Tokyo and Kyoto, but the during high-volume tourist season, around March to July, availability can often outstrip demand. The best advice is; book well ahead and do your research online beforehand to make sure you get a decent hostel. One way to do this is by checking the Hostel World Website and reading reviews before booking. Also, many hostels in Japan have exclusively separate male/female dormitories and generally it’s preferred that guests aren’t in the hostel between around 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. each day.

There’s still plenty of cheap accommodation in Japan, but booking ahead is always advised. In the bigger cities, particularly Tokyo and Osaka, one suggestion is to try a Business Hotel, which can be very basic with just a bed and table and no en-suite bathroom. At the very least, the business hotels are a little cheaper. A third option is the traditional Japanese ‘Ryokan’ style accommodation, complete with white screens, tatami mats on the floor and low dining tables. In bigger cities staying in a Ryokan is usually expensive, but in the smaller towns they are more reasonably priced and a good cultural insight into Japanese life.

Save Time and Money with the Japan Rail Pass

Because of Japan's smaller size, getting around by train is one of the cheapest and most reliable ways of traversing the country. In fact, Japan's rail system is world-renowned: on the rare occasions Japanese trains run late, they're late by an average of six seconds. A good idea is to purchase a Japan Rail (JR) Pass, which can only be bought by overseas tourists. The Rail Pass can be used on any Japanese Rail Company line, which covers almost the whole country including many of the Japanese subway lines. The Rail Pass can only be bought before you arrive in Japan, usually from your local travel agent, or online, and can cover 7, 14 or 21 days. A two-week pass costs around $500 U.S., and will allow travellers fantastic, virtually unlimited access to all Japan has to offer.

Short and Cheap with JR Bus

Japan Rail also has long-haul bus services as well, which isn’t covered by the Rail Pass, but is much cheaper than rail travel. If you are only intending on taking a few trips from city to city, JR Bus might be a cheaper option for travellers.

English isn’t a common second language in Japan, so communicating can be quite difficult at times. Most people in Japan speak no English, and most signs are written in Japanese characters. On the up side, many tourist-based offices at airports, major train stations and hotels have multilingual staff that speak very good English and are extremely happy to help. Visiting restaurants can be a little difficult, so look for places that either have English on their menus or have picture menus (many do).

A good cheap option for eating in Japan is kaiten-zushi restaurants, where Sushi plates travel around the restaurant on a conveyor belt, from which diners can choose a dish at their own leisure. Plates are generally quite cheap, and the self-service option is a good way to control the budget. Another cheap option is to look for restaurants with set menus; diners usually get some soup, noodles or rice, meat, vegetables and a side dish, thus allowing them to budget for the whole meal from the outset. Aside from this, it’s usually possible to get a range of decent, reasonably-priced meals from convenience stores – in terms of convenience food, the Japanese are well-catered for.

There are many great free things to do throughout Japan, including traditional temples, which usually offer free access to their grounds and only charge access to the temple building themselves. This is particularly advantageous in Kyoto where there is a multitude of ancient temples to see. For a guide of free and cheap things to do in Tokyo, view this article, or for information on visiting Hiroshima, view this useful article.

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