Japan had been set by me to be my top destination in East Asia after visited Hong Kong, Macao and Shenzen a year earlier.
For a backpacker who concerns with a budget like me, Japan becomes an expensive place that needs some tricks to spend minimal budget for 4 days exploring its magnetism. Japan magnetism has made every traveler are impressed to Japan.
For minimizing hotel budget, I got a free overnight stay at Kansai International Airport and also got a cheap dormitory at Yadoya Guesthouse (in Nakano area) and Kaga Hotel (in Osaka city).
Transportation budget was also helped by Tokunai Pass in Tokyo and One Day Pass in Osaka.
Well, I will tell how I chose some ways to got cheap food in Japan for saved budget. I did it because I has to save a lot of money for visiting another countries in the world to realize my long backpacker mission.
Lunch
When arrived at Narita International Airport on 11:15 then lunch was something that couldn’t be delayed anymore. It wasn’t possible to waited for lunch in Tokyo downtown. After searched it around Narita’s Arrival Hall, I just found some expensive price at food court, I finally pushed my steps into Lawson. Indeed many cheap onigiris, but single onigiri certainly wasn’t enough for lunch. Finally it was the best option that I took for my menu:
Two onigiris with some companion menu for 248 Yen made me enough satisfied.
Dinner
My thinking way is simple when being backpacker. I will eat on time to avoid sickness during trip. And wherever is it and when eating time comes then I will try to find the cheapest food around me. I don’t need to go back to a certain place for eating. Just calm and eat something as soon as possible.
My dinner happened when I was enjoying Ameyoko (Ameya Yokocho) Market hubbub near Ueno station. When hungry wasn’t unstoppable I finally started to looked for food around it. A lot of Turkish was opening kebab stall, but it seemed less for my portion.
Dinner at 4 degrees Celsius weather would be better if ate hot noodles like it:
Spent for 398 Yen and got a bottle of ice water …. made me could sleep so soundly
Breakfast
I had a breakfast near Yadoya Guesthouse in Nakano where I stayed during visiting Tokyo. Walking around home-based restaurant, I just found a relatively expensive menu. Finally I found Family Mart there. 10 slices of onigiri was being my dish
Simply paid 298 Yen
Menu in Amerikamura, Osaka
A day later, visiting Amerikamura required me to buy a lunch menu before moved towards Namba Parks.
So hard to found cheap food here, but finally I bought a menu at a home-based Japanese restaurant which selling Thai food.
Here was my choice:
Slightly expensive to spent for 680 Yen. Because of no other options. But the portion was very much for Indonesian liked me ….. I couldn’t breathe because of satiety.
Well for you who have a minimal budget, don’t worry for visiting Japan. There is always a solution as long as we tricky faced all condition there.
Let’s visit Japan, friends ……