Tight Travellers

Right, Japan. The destination that everyone told us we couldn’t afford.

For years, every time Japan came up in conversation, someone would say “oh that’ll cost thee a fortune” and we’d nod along and quietly shelve the idea. Then we got there, spent two months travelling from the far north all the way down to Osaka and Okinawa, and came home having averaged £75 a day for two of us. Not roughing it. Not surviving on instant noodles. Proper travel; road trips, onsen, incredible food, hidden temples, and one very memorable Formula 1 Grand Prix.

Japan has a reputation for being expensive, that’s honestly only half deserved. Yes, it costs more than Southeast Asia. But for what tha gets, the food quality, the transport, the sheer variety of things to see and do, it’s extraordinary value if tha does it right. Here’s everything tha needs to know.

How much does Japan actually cost?

We budgeted £100 a day for two and averaged £75. That covers accommodation, food, transport, activities and everything else. Broken down it looks roughly like this: accommodation £25–45 per night depending on whether we were camping or in a hotel; food £15–20 a day for two eating well; transport £8–15 depending on distances; activities often £0–10 because so much in Japan is free. (Which is why we love it sooo much)

The key to keeping costs down is eating where the locals eat rather than in tourist areas, using convenience stores (genuinely brilliant in Japan — nowt like back home), free camping at Michi-no-Eki roadside stations in rural areas, and booking accommodation early through Booking.com where we consistently found the best rates.

Where we went

Northern Japan – This is where we spent the most time and where we’d send anyone who wants to see Japan properly. Eleven prefectures, 26 days in a camper, 286 points of interest mapped. Most tourists never come up here and that’s exactly why tha should. Incredible scenery, free onsen, quiet roads, and a completely different Japan to the one on every travel blog. We’ve mapped the entire route – Details here.

Tokyo – Two separate stints in the capital, each time finding it less intimidating and more extraordinary. The transport network alone is worth the trip. Loads to do for free, food that’ll properly blow thy mind, and a scale that has to be seen to be believed. Read our full Tokyo guide below.

Osaka, Kyoto and Nara – The classic south. Osaka for street food and nightlife, Kyoto for temples and that particular kind of beauty that makes tha stop mid-stride, Nara for deer that have absolutely no fear of humans whatsoever. We did all three in five days on a budget that’d surprise most people.

Nagoya – The most boring city in Japan. Nobody talks about it and we cannot understand why. Brilliant food (it’s the home of miso katsu), a cracking castle, and none of the tourist crowds of Kyoto. And yes, we went to the Japanese Formula 1 while we were there.

Getting around Japan on a budget

For Northern Japan – hire a car. Public transport up there is sparse and the roads are genuinely spectacular. For getting between cities, the Shinkansen (bullet train) is brilliant but pricey. Local trains and overnight buses are cheaper and often just as good for shorter distances. We used 12go Asia to book all our transport and it made comparing options and booking in pounds much less of a headache. For flights to Japan, Skyscanner with flexible dates is always thy starting point.

When to go

March to May for cherry blossom (book everything well in advance – it gets rammed). September to November for autumn colours and cooler temperatures. December to February for snow in the north, plum blossom season, and fewer tourists everywhere – our personal favourite. July and August are hot and humid and best avoided unless tha specifically wants summer Japan.

Our Japan posts — start here