I heard that a friend took a 3-night, 4-day trip to Japan for 500,000 won. But my expenses for my trip to Tokyo last month were... 1.5 million won? Honestly, I felt cheated. It was definitely the same city and a similar length of time—so what on earth went wrong? It’s not like I went out for fine dining every day or went on a luxury shopping spree, either.
If you look at travel communities or social media, travel expenses in Japan seem to vary wildly. Some people say they booked round-trip tickets for around 100,000 won thanks to an LCC promotion, while others post proof that they managed to get by on just 20,000 won a day for meals by eating convenience store bento boxes and dining at gyudon chains. On the other hand, others post reviews about staying at a ryokan that costs 500,000 won per night or spending 300,000 won on a single meal at a Michelin-starred sushi restaurant.
At this point, it’s downright confusing. Just how much money should you budget for a trip to Japan? To answer this question, you first have to ask yourself: Is the goal of this trip “survival” or “experience”? My friend’s 500,000-won trip was strictly about “survival.” An early-morning flight, accommodations far from the city center, and transportation costs covered by walking. By sacrificing a little bit of the trip’s quality, they achieved their goal of “getting there no matter what.”
On the other hand, my 1.5 million won was money invested in “experiences”: a comfortable limousine ride to and from the airport, the convenience of a hotel right in front of the station, a meal at a popular restaurant where you have to wait in line, and even the coziness of returning to my accommodation after a long, tiring day. All these “choices” added up to create a massive gap of 1 million won. Ultimately, there is no right answer. Depending on the kind of trip you dream of, the cost can vary by a world of difference.
All right, let’s take a closer look at the countless choices that bridge the gap between my 1.5 million won and my friend’s 500,000 won. We’ll start with the two biggest factors that determine the framework of travel expenses: airfare and lodging.
Flights and accommodations—that's where it all begins
These two choices, which form the backbone of your travel expenses, account for more than half—and in some cases, as much as 80 percent—of your total budget. These are the areas where you can really save money if you’re careful, but once you start spending, the costs can spiral out of control.
First, the flight tickets. Since I decided to go on this trip at the last minute, I booked a flight on a national carrier for 450,000 won just two weeks before departure, but my friend snagged a low-cost carrier (LCC) promotion four months in advance and paid only 150,000 won. That alone is already a 300,000 won difference. It’s not just a matter of booking four months in advance. My friend likely opted out of checked baggage and chose the cheapest flights—those departing in the early morning and arriving late at night. While these flights save on a night’s lodging, they come with the physical strain of starting the trip exhausted from the very first day.
What’s more, you shouldn’t just look at the listed price of a flight ticket. Even in Tokyo, the time and cost of getting to the city center vary significantly depending on whether you land at Narita or Haneda Airport. You might end up in a ridiculous situation where you spend more on an airport limousine just to save 10,000 to 20,000 won. If you try to book tickets at the last minute during peak seasons—such as cherry blossom season or the year-end and New Year’s holidays—you can expect to pay three to four times the usual price. Once you’ve decided to travel, it’s important to make it a habit to start by searching for flights first, taking into account baggage allowances, flight times, and the airports you’ll be using.
Accommodations offer a much wider range of choices and are the main factor affecting travel costs. During my trip to Osaka last winter, I stayed at a capsule hotel that cost 30,000 won a night. While it was perfectly adequate for just sleeping, the cramped space—where there wasn’t even enough room to unpack my suitcase—and the shared facilities were, as expected, inconvenient. On the other hand, for this trip to Tokyo, I splurged and booked a hotel for 200,000 won per night with a view of the Shinjuku nightscape. The joy of sipping a can of beer while gazing at Tokyo’s sparkling nightscape outside the window was definitely worth the price, but it left a corresponding hole in my bank account.
My friend drastically cut down on accommodation costs by staying at Airbnb listings or affordable business hotels slightly outside the city center. This meant saving 50,000 won per night in exchange for spending nearly an hour each day commuting back and forth. If you’re on a short trip or want to enjoy the city center late into the night, you can’t ignore this “time cost.” A 10-minute walk from the station to your accommodation versus a 1-minute walk makes a world of difference in how tired you feel at the end of the day. Ultimately, while I spent my money on “experiences” at my accommodation, my friend focused solely on the practical function of “sleep.”
Convenience Store Lunch Boxes vs. Omakase: Which Would You Choose?
The ultra-frugal “survival” mode mentioned earlier also makes a stark difference when it comes to “eating”—one of the greatest joys of travel. Japan really is a fascinating country. After all, it’s a place where you can enjoy a steaming bowl of rice for just 500 yen (about 4,500 won) per meal, yet it’s also a place where it’s hard to even get a reservation for a 50,000-yen (about 450,000 won) dinner.
If, like my friend, you stick mainly to convenience stores and gyudon chains throughout your trip, 20,000 won a day for meals is more than enough. In fact, the quality of Japanese convenience store items like tamagosan-do (egg sandwiches), mochi rolls, and fried foods is better than you’d imagine, and gyudon chains like Yoshinoya and Matsuya offer a hearty meal for around 500 yen. Another great money-saving tip is to stop by a local supermarket around 8 p.m. to buy fresh sushi or bento boxes marked down to half price and enjoy them at your accommodation. This alone makes for a “value-for-money culinary trip” in its own right.
But on this trip, I finally treated myself to the Ginza sushi omakase I’d been looking forward to for so long, spending a hefty sum of over 20,000 yen per person. The thrill of the melt-in-your-mouth tuna belly is still fresh in my memory, but I can’t deny that the cost of that single meal was equivalent to my friend’s food expenses for a three-night, four-day trip. A meal like this goes beyond simply filling one’s stomach; it is more like a “cultural experience” where one gets a glimpse into the chef’s philosophy regarding seasonal ingredients and enjoys the atmosphere of the venue. It is precisely this kind of "What Kind of Experience Will Make You Open Your Wallet?"The choice of [...], creates a cost difference.
Of course, most travelers fall somewhere between these two extremes. They might have a quick breakfast of convenience store rice balls, enjoy a lunch set at a popular restaurant for around 1,500 yen, and then treat themselves to cold nama-biru (draft beer) and grilled skewers at an izakaya for dinner. By balancing your spending—saving money one day and treating yourself to something delicious the next—you can fully experience the diverse flavors of Japan on an average daily budget of 5,000 to 7,000 yen.
The logic behind this “experience-based consumption” carries directly over to shopping. There’s a world of difference between stocking up on popular snacks and medicines at Don Quijote, picking out secondhand clothes at a vintage shop in Shimokitazawa, and buying luxury goods at a Ginza department store. On top of that, the “exchange rate” is a variable that can completely shake up your entire travel budget.
With the yen at an all-time low, high-end restaurants and shopping lists that would have been out of the question just a few years ago are now much more realistic. It’s like magic—a 100,000-won meal suddenly costs 80,000 won. Be sure to check the exchange rate before you leave and plan your budget accordingly. (KEB Hana Bank Real-Time Exchange Rate Information Note)
Conclusion: There is no right answer—let’s create our own unique travel experience.
Ultimately, the difference in travel expenses in Japan comes down to “choices.” This is precisely why you can’t say that a well-planned trip on a 500,000-won budget is “inferior” to one that cost 1.5 million won. Whether it’s a trip where you immerse yourself in the local vibrancy on a budget or a trip where you’re willing to splurge to enjoy complete relaxation and the finest cuisine, both are valuable experiences in their own right.
The important thing is not to feel anxious by comparing yourself to others, but to clearly define what you hope to gain from this trip. Before you set off on your trip, ask yourself just one question.
What is the one experience you absolutely cannot miss on this trip?
If your answer is “the sushi of a lifetime,” then it makes sense to stay at an affordable business hotel, save on transportation by walking, and splurge on a sushi restaurant in Ginza. If your sole purpose is to explore the vintage shops in Shimokitazawa, you’ll likely be much more satisfied if you make do with convenience store bento boxes for meals and pour all your savings into shopping. Or, if “rest”—escaping the bustling city center to soak in the open-air bath at a Hakone ryokan—is your top priority, the right move would be to give up everything else and pour your entire budget into your accommodations.
By setting priorities this way, you can finally “adjust the balance” of your budget. There’s no need to force your trip to fit into the total cost of a “3-night, 4-day” trip posted by others. After all, that total is merely a reference—it can’t serve as a blueprint for your own trip. So, are you ready to plan your own trip? If so, the following practical tips will definitely come in handy.
Practical Tips for Travelers
If you’re mentally prepared but feel overwhelmed about where to start when you actually open the Excel spreadsheet, these tips will help point you in the right direction. It doesn’t have to be a grand plan. Just by setting a few guidelines, you’ll be much less likely to find yourself scrambling for money or feeling disappointed while you’re there.
- Start by Deciding on a Travel Theme
First, you need to visualize in detail, “What kind of trip do I want to take?” Rather than simply dividing trips into “budget travel” and “luxury travel,” you should set a theme—such as “culinary exploration,” “shopping spree,” “art museum tour,” or “leisurely café hopping.” Once you establish this criterion, you’ll have a budget guideline for everything from airfare to meals. For example, if “gourmet dining” is your theme, you can allocate your budget so that you splurge on one meal a day at a Michelin-starred restaurant or an omakase experience, while keeping the rest of your meals simple and affordable. - Book flights and accommodations three months in advance, aiming for weekdays
This is a universal truth that applies to almost every trip. In particular, itineraries that include weekends—such as departing on Friday and returning on Sunday—are bound to be expensive due to high demand from office workers. If possible, planning a weekday itinerary—such as departing on Tuesday and returning on Thursday—can significantly lower both airfare and accommodation costs. It’s best to avoid local holiday seasons in Japan—such as Golden Week (late April to early May), the Obon holiday (mid-August), and the year-end and New Year’s holidays—as prices can be high or bookings may be sold out even three months in advance. - When Buying a Transit Pass, Check the Price First
Buying a JR Pass or an unlimited subway pass without a plan can be a waste of money. Before your trip, mark the places you want to visit as “Favorites” on Google Maps and add up the transportation costs for each leg of your journey. Once you’ve mapped out your daily itinerary, compare the total fare to the price of the pass. For example, unless you plan to take the subway four or five times or more in a single day within Tokyo, a 24-hour pass (800 yen) might actually end up costing you more. If you’re staying in just one city, it’s usually much more efficient to top up and use a transit card like Suica or ICOCA. Since you can use them at convenience stores and vending machines, they also help keep your coin purse from getting too heavy. - A "Flexible" Meal Plan
Rather than eating expensive meals every time, it’s more satisfying to vary your spending. Start your morning lightly with a delicious pastry or sandwich from a convenience store, and for lunch, go for a good-value lunch set for around 1,000 yen, designed for office workers. For dinner, keep an eye out for closing-time sales (which usually start after 7:00 or 8:00 p.m.) at department store food halls or local supermarkets—you might be lucky enough to enjoy delicious sushi, tempura, or bento boxes at half price. A wise dining strategy is to save the money you’ve set aside this way and “invest” it in a special meal you’ve really been craving, such as omakase sushi or Wagyu yakiniku. - Cash, Credit Cards, and Unexpected Expenses
Japan is still a country where cash is widely used. In particular, small restaurants, ramen shops, shrines and temples, and some local stores often don’t accept credit cards. It’s a good idea to have about 10,000 yen in cash per person per day just to be on the safe side. Of course, since you can use credit cards freely at department stores, drugstores, and large chain stores, it’s a good idea to get into the habit of using your card for larger purchases and cash for smaller ones. In addition, setting aside even a small amount for “miscellaneous expenses”—such as coin locker fees, drinks from vending machines, or small items you suddenly want to buy—can help you avoid the stress of going over budget.
It’s these small preparations that add up to determine the quality of your trip. Rather than strict rules, they’re essentially the minimum safeguards needed to help you focus more on the experience you want. Now all that’s left is to set your own standards and set off with a joyful heart.