Photo Property of the Author: Madeleine Wilson

Many have resigned themselves to the fact that they will never see Japan; it has a reputation for being extremely expensive. There are certainly some truths. You can expect to pay at least double for fresh fruit and fresh vegetables for example. And of course, a long-haul flight will set you back. But in reality the travellers who do decide to throw caution to the wind and visit Japan are pleasantly surprised. With a couple of handy pointers, Tokyo can be yours on a – slightly lengthier than normal – shoestring.

Image property of author: Madeleine Wilson

Accommodation

Your first step to cutting costs is by choosing affordable accommodation. Opt for a Tokyo hostel and you can expect to pay between €12 and €25 per person per night. Dormitories are the cheapest option but private hostel rooms will still work out cheaper than hotels. You won’t just be saving money on a bed for the night; at Anne Hostel Asakusabashi for example, guests get a free breakfast and free internet access on their computer kiosks. Look out for hostels offering cheap activities and self-catering facilities which allow guests to prepare their own packed lunches or cheap meals with ingredients from the supermarket.

Transport

Your flight to Tokyo aside, transport in the city is very cheap.  The superb metro service for example can take you from one side of Tokyo to the other in 30 minutes and will set you back a mere 75p. If you plan to travel further afield, buy a Japan Rail pass before you leave – you can’t buy one on arrival. This will cover journeys on the famous Shinkansen bullet trains as well as ferries and buses outside the city. These passes are available as 7, 14, or 21-consecutive day passes priced between 28,000 YEN and 58,000 YEN.

Image Property of Author: Madeleine Wilson

Food

For further reassurance that Tokyo is an affordable city, very few of Tokyo’s 13 million inhabitants cook dinner for themselves; it is just as easy to slurp some noodles before heading home after work. Soba, ramen and udon dominate Japanese menus. You will know you have stumbled on a cheap eatery if the clientele is local. Head down backstreets to discover the cheapest noodle shacks. Try Combine, (1-10-23-103 Naka-Meguro) a trendy riverside café serving up dishes for under 1,000 YEN and buzzing both day and night. For a cheap alternative to the slick Ten-Ichi chain, its sister restaurant Ten-Ichi Deux (Ginza 4-1) in the Ginza district serves up the same top notch tempura but at a much cheaper rate. Sushi is more expensive but since it is probably the best sushi you will ever taste, it is well worth blowing the budget at least once.

Things to Do

One of the best views of the city is in fact free, at the Metropolitan Government towers. Japan is anime-mad so to learn a bit more about the craze head to the Suginame Animation Museum. Admission is free and you can explore the medium’s history as well as watch a guide to the animation-making process. You can easily wile away an afternoon in the exciting Shinjuku and Harajuku districts with plenty of people-watching and window shopping opportunities. Tokyo is a fast-paced and frenetic city so if the lifestyle takes your breath away, take a breather and head to the Imperial Palace East Gardens which is free and open to the public.

Meet the Author: Madeleine Wilson Madeleine Wilson is a travel writer for HostelBookers, the budget accommodation specialist. She lives and works in London.

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