Today I’m going to talk about surviving eating through Japan on a super-shoestring budget. Not that I don’t enjoy dining at all the delicious establishments that Japan has to offer, but if you’re ever in the need to balance that Kobe steak dinner out or simply want to focus your budget and time on experiences, I want you to be able to have options!
When I’m on my own in Japan, I’m usually out and about trying to get from one place to another, meeting up with friends and attending events. Sometimes I spend so much time moving around I don’t have time to eat a full meal! Luckily, nothing says Japanese city life like fast and convenient. So especially in the cities, there are convenience stores on every corner, and it’s not uncommon to find food stalls and stands selling fresh, hot noodle soups. When it comes to dining cheap in Japan, in most cases, you can get away with meals for as low as 5 bucks…maybe even less!
When it comes to cheap food, you have many options, and they really aren’t so bad (especially when you compare to the States…what kind of meal can you get for under $5?).
Noodles & Rice Bowl Stands/Shops
The range of options here are vast – meat and rice bowls of many varieties, udon, ramen, soup, you name it. While they are considered fast food, they’re pretty above-standard in terms of quality, taste, and value. I can get full off of a $4 dollar beef bowl set that comes with a vegetable side and a bowl of soup. Oh, and I should mention, the eggs there are fresh and safe enough to eat raw…and are mighty tasty when you mix them into your bowls!
A typical beef bowl set meal won’t cost you more than a few coins
Some common places for these bowls are Yoshinoya, Sukiya, Matsuya, and I would even put a Chinese-influenced shop like Osho in this category. Keep in mind though that there are plenty of non-chain, mom & pop type of establishments that are just as good and affordable.
Conbini Meals
A typical conbini storefront
For those of you unfamiliar with Japanese convenience stores, these are not your typical gasoline stand shops with all of the artificially flavored junk food you can find in the world but not much else. Japanese citizens rely heavily on “conbinis” to get through their busy lifestyles, so the turnover rate for food is quite fast and you can bet that whatever you’re purchasing is going to be fresher than what you can find back at home. People have even started publishing “Conbini Gourmet” books that teach people how to make gourmet meals out of conbini purchases.
A conbini gourmet book on Amazon
Not saying you need to go that far at all to get a satisfying meal…rice balls usually run for about $1 and there are more beverage choices than you have time to look at all of them. Big conbini chains in Japan include 7-Eleven, Lawson, Family Mart, and MiniStop. Conbinis are not just for food either…but I’ll cover that another time.
Supermarket Specials
I so very much wish that supermarkets back at home did this, but in many Japanese supermarkets, fresh produce will be discounted at the end of the day. This reduces food waste and helps move along inventory, and is a way for people to spend less on things that are usually a little bit more expensive than what we’re used to, like apples and other fruit. If I were you, I’d definitely take advantage of these sales, especially if you’re more conscious about your fruit and veggie intake!
Supermarket goodies on sale
There it is! How to get decent, fulfilling meals while on the go in Japan, at a very reasonable price. If any of you have any other tips to share, feel free to comment on the post down below. Look forward to other posts on how to make the most out of your Japan travels! Thanks for reading!