One of the goals I had written down in 2017 was to visit Japan before 2020. I get quite romanticised about destinations. I obsess over a place I want to go to, and my impatience to walk on new territory means I love setting ‘date’ goals for myself. There are so many places that I say “Oh I’d love to go there one day” and every time, I end up asking myself “Well, why haven’t I been if it means so much?”. If there’s one small thing I’ve learned since entering my mid 20’s, it’s that ‘One day’ is today.
I am happy to say that Japan is now ‘yesterday’ or more accurately, last month! I love creating itineraries but as with South Korea, I don’t feel knowledgable enough after one visit. We were, however, on a strict budget managing to spend under £400 each for 8 days, accommodation included! Because of this, I thought I’d share some frugal tips on how to enjoy a cheap date with the beautiful country that is Japan.
There were so many places I wanted to visit in Japan; Noashima island, Hiroshima, Mt Fuji, Tokyo. Unfortunately, we could only choose a few places in the 8 days we had. We ruled out Tokyo (sad face) and the North as we figured it would be cheaper for us to stay down south and buy individual train tickets instead of buying the popular $250 JR pass. Tokyo is one of the most iconic cities in the world, but a tight budget called for a sacrifice or two.
We chose to focus on Osaka, Nara, Kyoto, and Himeji, in that order. Each place with its own unique charms. In hindsight, it’s extremely fast to get around Japan and we would have spent less time in Kyoto and opted for Noashima – the artists’ island, had we known how easy to travel it was. A perfect excuse to go back.
Osaka
Arriving at Osaka airport was the most seamless airport experience I’ve ever had. My first experiences in Japan were true to the hype. An extremely polite and ordered country. Queuing for everything, it put even us Brits the ‘so-called’ experts at lining up to shame.
Seasoned Uber and Grab taxi users need not apply, Japan has the fastest and most cost-efficient public transport links in the world. A £6 airport bus to Osaka station, then a 15-minute walk to our hostel meant no extortionate Yen prices on taxis.
Finally arriving to the Drop Inn Osaka hostel, we were pleasantly surprised to find our room had been upgraded from a shared dorm to a private 4 person traditional Japanese room. The hospitality here was amazing! Exceptionally clean bathrooms and a great kitchen and social lounge. The price was also very good for Japanese standards coming in at £15.80 per night each. Highly recommended.
We spent 3 nights in Osaka. Our first full day we visited the infamous Osaka Aquarium. I’m not a huge fan of aquariums but this was definitely worth seeing. You also get a great view of the harbour, where you can enjoy a coffee and watch the immaculately dressed locals pass by. Walking around Osaka is like wandering a futuristic city. Intricate, modern architecture adorns the skyline, against traditional architecture such as Osaka Castle (free admission).
Nara
Step just outside of Osaka and you can reach Nara by train. Here you’ll find very easily the national park that hosts hundreds of extremely friendly deer. Buy some deer crackers and watch them flock to you!
Daily spend
Initially, we gave ourselves £50 a day each for general spending. this was to cover food, drink, attractions, and transport. In reality, we spent much less than this!
On average we spent around £25-£30 a day on food and travel, each. This sounds crazy low, but trains and buses were fortunately quite cheap, much more so than the UK. Many attractions such as Nara Deer Park, Bamboo forest and the Fushimi Inari shrine were also free which gave us extra spending power for food or travelling longer distances.
In order to achieve this we restricted ourselves to one ‘nice’ meal a day, either lunch or dinner – no drinks or extras. Then used the 7/11 convenience store to snack on for the remainder of the day. Food and drink were the most expensive part of the trip to manage. In comparison, it’s the same as London. However, there are street food alternatives and the convenience stores offer easy takeaway stir fry’s, salads, pasta dishes and of course sushi trays for around £3.
Kyoto
On our 4th day, we ventured to Kyoto by train and stayed in a self-service hotel called ‘M’s Inn Omiya Matsuura’, which had its pros and cons but ultimately was a great location and very clean. This came in at £17.40 a night, each. In total, we spent £134.50 each on accommodation for 7 nights in Japan!
Kyoto was one of the places we had been most excited about seeing. Every friend that’s been said it was their favourite place and I could see why. The Geisha district was my favourite urban area, a great place to find a cosy cafe to drink green tea and taste Japanese desserts. It felt like stepping back in time.
In Kyoto, I couldn’t rave more about ‘Shomin’ sushi bar. At first, it’s hard to find, but then you spot this tiny narrow sushi bar, crammed with Japanese men in suits. This is THE place for inexpensive good quality sushi. We ate dish after dish with drinks for less than £10 each, and wish we’d found it sooner.
Kyoto was full of tiny bars and standing restaurants that looked as if only 4 people could fit, yet you’d see them bustling on an evening with a 20+crowd.
I personally wasn’t impressed with the Bamboo forest having come from Vietnam, where it’s something you can see naturally in mountain areas. The bamboo forest in Kyoto is free however, and very popular so there’s no harm in going.
For the £2.50 (400 yen) entrance fee, it’s definitely worth checking out the golden pavilion or Kinkaku-Ji. One of Kyoto’s many Instagrammable places. It goes without saying, the famous Fushimi Inari-Taisha shrine is a MUST. Being the set of Memoirs of a Geisha, it’s just iconic. More importantly than that though, is the architecture of the Shinto shrine. Over 5000 blood orange torii gates lead you up to the summit of 233m Mt and they’re still adding more routes.
I’d suggest going super early though to miss the tourists, we arrived at 8 am. The beginning of the hike was busy even then, but as we got further up to the top it got quieter. Also, a great morning work out!
Himeji
The last stage on our agenda was to visit Himeji Castle, Japan’s largest and most visited castle. This was our longest journey of the whole trip, totaling just under 2 hours from Kyoto. Himeji is a charming and quiet city, also a little cheaper for food than Osaka and Kyoto. The castle is around a 20-minute walk from the main train station and very easy to get to. This was our most frivolous day in terms of spending. Admission was £7.70 (1040yen) which included Himeji Gardens and then we enjoyed a nice meal and a dessert. Big spenders…
And here our frugal trip to Japan came to an end. It almost feels surreal that we even went. And yet, as with all destinations, there’s still so much left undiscovered. Our trip gave us a good taste of what Japan has to offer for any future visits, it is unfinished business for sure.
Highlights for me were the Sushi and Katsu curry along with visiting the Fushimi Inari shrine. A bonus was fulfilling my childhood nostalgia needs by visiting the most extra Pokemon store. Most cities in Japan have them as far as I’m aware, an old school fans dream.
I’d recommend if you’re planning a trip to raise some good funds for it if you have the means. On the other hand, if like us you’re desperate to experience Japanese culture and see the country, then as demonstrated it’s fairly easy to stay frugal.
By the end of the 8 days, we felt like this little kitty in Himeji. In need of a long rest and lots of food. Luckily our next stop was Thailand… 😉
