Budget-Friendly Eats: How to Enjoy Japan’s Food Scene Without Breaking the Bank
Traveling to Japan is an excellent opportunity to indulge in delicious meals. However, Japan is known globally for its high cost of living, and food expenses can significantly impact your budget.
While you can always enjoy a tasty meal at a Japanese restaurant, it may be costly to do so every time.
But, with a few handy tips, you might be able to enjoy delectable food while keeping your meal expenses within your planned budget. Knowing these will not only help your budget but also enrich your travel experience.
Here are some tips to lower your food expenses in Japan.
Traveling Japan on a Budget
Below are some affordable places to eat that are also frequented by locals.
(Note: In Japan, almost all purchases are subject to a 10% consumption tax in 2023)
Supermarkets
Regardless of whether you’re a budget traveler or not, you should check out the local supermarkets. This is because the supermarkets in the country you visit may have many things you can’t see in your home country.
Japanese supermarkets offer an abundance of inexpensive ready-to-eat bento boxes, sushi rolls, deli foods, various types of bread, sandwiches, and cup noodles.
Bento is a classic Japanese meal packed in a single box, usually comprised of rice or rice balls paired with various side dishes. Bentos make the perfect meal for outings, trips, and picnics, and are even a popular choice for school or work lunches.
Also, some fresh foods, bento, and deli foods are often sold at discounted prices in the evening. Some Japanese people prefer to visit supermarkets at this time to keep their food expenses low.
Convenience Stores
Japanese convenience stores typically offer high-quality meals at affordable prices.
There are Seven Eleven, Lawson, FamilyMart, Circle K, Ministop, Daily Yamazaki, Seico Mart, Save On, Three F, and Poplar.
They offer a wide range of choices such as bento boxes, rice balls, sandwiches, deli foods, soups, various types of bread, sweets, drinks, desserts, hot snacks, and alcohol.
Convenience stores provide not only meals but also various services like ATMs, parcel delivery services, ticket reservations, and more. Also, some stores are open 24 hours, so they are convenient for late-night or early-morning use.
Furthermore, each convenience store continuously releases new products, and many people are fans of specific stores. There are even Japanese people living abroad who enjoy going to convenience stores when they return to Japan."
Kaiten-zushi （Conveyor Belt Sushi）
A must-try when visiting Japan is 'Kaiten-zushi(回転寿司: Conveyor belt sushi)’.
Although you may think that conveyor belt sushi is no longer a novelty, as it is prevalent in many countries, I highly recommend you experience the authentic sushi of Japan.
Despite its high quality, sushi in Japan is relatively affordable, offering you an opportunity to easily sample various kinds of sushi. At a Kaiten-zushi restaurant, you can simply pick your favorite sushi from those passing by on the conveyor belt. However, nowadays, many shops allow you to order specific sushi directly via touch panels. Many places also offer English menus, making them user-friendly for non-Japanese speakers.
Kaiten-zushi restaurants are known for their cleanliness and hygiene, so you should be able to enjoy your meal comfortably.
Fast Food Chains
Fast food is a cost-effective choice for meals.
In Japan, you will find familiar chains like McDonald’s, KFC, Subway, Starbucks, Taco Bell, Wendy’s, Pizza Hut, and many more. Such restaurants often offer special menus that are unique to Japan, so it’s highly recommended to give them a try.
MOS Burger(モスバーガー), a Japanese hamburger chain, offers Japanese-style burgers made with ingredients like rice and burdock root, providing a unique taste and texture that you cannot experience in other countries.
Gyudon (牛丼) Restaurants
Yoshinoya(吉野家), Sukiya(すき家), and Matsuya(松屋) are chain restaurants specializing in 'gyudon (beef bowl)’. Besides gyudon, these restaurants also offer dishes like curry.
Curry Restaurants
Curry is one of the most loved dishes throughout Japan. Japanese-style curry, with its sophisticated flavor resulting from a unique Japanese twist, varies across curry chain restaurants, each creating its own style.
It’s so popular it’s often served in school lunches, making curry a favorite among children as well.
There are several curry chain restaurants, all of which are popular. They are found nationwide, so you can enjoy their flavors wherever you are.
CoCo Ichibanya(ココ壱番屋) (www.ichibanya.co.jp)
A regular-sized curry rice is 800-1,000 yen. CoCo Ichibanya, which has numerous locations in and outside Japan, is known for its customizable menu.
You can choose your level of spiciness, toppings, and portion size, adding more fun to your curry experience. They offer a diverse menu, including healthy vegetable curry and seafood curry.
Chain Restaurants
Saizeriya(サイゼリヤ), Jonathan’s(ジョナサン), Gusto(ガスト), Royal Host(ロイヤルホスト), Bamiyan(バーミヤン), and others offer substantial, balanced meals at reasonable prices.
Menus are often illustrated with photos, making it easy to order.
Food Courts
Mall-type shopping centers (like the nationwide “AEON(イオン)") usually have dining facilities. Check if there’s a food court. The shops inside the food court vary depending on the facility, but you can often find affordable meals like burgers, ramen, soba, okonomiyaki, donuts, and more. Food courts might be located on a different floor from where the restaurants are, so check the mall map for their location.
Bento Shops
If you want a taste of tradition on the go, why not try a 'Bento’?
Unlike supermarkets or convenience stores, bento shops prepare meals warm on-site, allowing you to enjoy a hot meal anytime. Some shops even offer bentos packed with curry or noodles.
There are individual proprietors as well as popular chains like 'Hotto Motto(ほっともっと)’, 'Hokka Hokka Tei(ほっかほか亭)’, and 'Origin Bento(オリジン弁当)’.
Tachigui (Standing and Eating/Drinking)
In Japan, you’ll often encounter eateries where customers enjoy their soba standing up. This is known as “tachigui-soba(立ち食い蕎麦)," a style akin to the Italian “al banco" where one swiftly sips their espresso while standing.
This style of dining, which allows for a quick meal, is particularly favored by busy Japanese businessmen.
Tachigui-style establishments predominantly serve various types of noodles such as soba, udon, and ramen. You can commonly spot these stands or small-scale stores in and around train stations. Purchasing meal tickets from vending machines to place your order is the typical procedure here.
You’ll also frequently find restaurants serving alcohol in the tachigui-style. In these instances, there’s no need to rush through your food and drink. Feel free to take your time and savor your experience at your own pace.
Depa-chika(デパ地下)
Large department stores often house exquisite restaurants, but dining at these can be quite expensive. But did you know there’s a way to enjoy delicious meals at these places without breaking the bank?
All you need to do is head down to the basement.
These underground floors, known as 'Depa-chika’ (a combination of 'depa’
from 'department store’ and 'chika’ meaning basement), are home to an incredible array of food options. Here, you’ll find bentos, delicatessen, sushi, rice balls, tempura, salads, a wide range of breads, pastries, sweets, and more – all of exceptional quality.
The Depachika becomes particularly bustling in the evening when many people come for shopping. If you’re staying in the urban areas, do try the 'Depa-chika’ at Takashimaya(高島屋), Isetan(伊勢丹), Daimaru(大丸), Mitsukoshi(三越), Odakyu(小田急), and Sogo(そごう).
Restaurant Lunch Times
If you’re interested in sampling meals from your favorite restaurants or hotels but are on a budget, why not check out their lunch menus?
To attract more customers during the daytime, many restaurants and hotels offer special, reduced-priced lunch meals. Since it’s a given that you’ll be served delicious food, it’s definitely worth giving it a try!