{"id":11851,"date":"2016-08-02T12:20:11","date_gmt":"2016-08-02T11:20:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.insidejapantours.com\/?p=11851"},"modified":"2016-08-02T12:28:05","modified_gmt":"2016-08-02T11:28:05","slug":"12-cheap-places-eat-japan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/2016\/08\/02\/12-cheap-places-eat-japan\/","title":{"rendered":"12 amazingly cheap places to eat in Japan"},"content":{"rendered":"<h4>Like this post? Help us by sharing it!<\/h4><ul class=\"wpfai-list\"><li class=\"wpfai-list-item facebook\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F11851&amp;t=\" title=\"Facebook\" class=\"wpfai-facebook wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-facebook fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item twitter\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/twitter.com\/share?text=&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F11851\" title=\"Twitter\" class=\"wpfai-twitter wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-twitter fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item pinterest\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/pinterest.com\/pin\/create\/button\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F11851&amp;description=&amp;media=\" title=\"Pinterest\" class=\"wpfai-pinterest wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-pinterest fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item linkedin\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/linkedin.com\/shareArticle?mini=true&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F11851&amp;title=\" title=\"Linked In\" class=\"wpfai-linkedin wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-linkedin fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item envelope\">\r\n      <a href=\"mailto:?subject=&amp;body=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F11851%20-%20\" title=\"E-Mail\" class=\"wpfai-envelope wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-envelope fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item stumbleupon\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/www.stumbleupon.com\/submit?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F11851\" title=\"Stumble Upon\" class=\"wpfai-stumbleupon wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-stumbleupon fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item reddit\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/www.reddit.com\/submit?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F11851\" title=\"Reddit\" class=\"wpfai-reddit wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-reddit fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><\/ul><p>Japan has a reputation for being expensive, but on arrival nearly every traveller is surprised at the low cost and high quality of food throughout Japan. Of course &#8211; it has its fair share of high-end restaurants, where you can spend the equivalent of a year&#8217;s salary on the very finest quality cuisine, but don&#8217;t turn your nose up at the budget options either. You don&#8217;t need to pay through the nose to eat well &#8211; so read on for our guide to the awesome &amp; cheap places to eat in Japan.<\/p>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<h1>1) Kaitenzushi<\/h1>\n<p>Japan\u2019s sushi scene runs the gamut from Michelin-starred to bargain-bucket, but you can be sure that even the cheapest offerings are far better than the kind of stuff you\u2019d pay through the nose for at home. Don\u2019t ask us why, the Japanese just do it better. Conveyor-belt sushi joints (kaitenzushi) are the cheapest, some of them offering plates for as little as 100yen (or 105yen with tax). That\u2019s seriously cheap.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_11859\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-11859\" style=\"width: 1170px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11859\" src=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/IMG_2584.jpg\" alt=\"Conveyor-belt sushi: Delicious and incredibly affordable\" width=\"1170\" height=\"807\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/IMG_2584.jpg 1170w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/IMG_2584-300x207.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/IMG_2584-768x530.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/IMG_2584-1024x706.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/IMG_2584-564x389.jpg 564w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/IMG_2584-900x621.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/IMG_2584-720x497.jpg 720w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/IMG_2584-390x269.jpg 390w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/IMG_2584-780x538.jpg 780w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/IMG_2584-510x352.jpg 510w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-11859\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Conveyor-belt sushi: Delicious and incredibly affordable<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h1>2) Convenience stores<\/h1>\n<p>No, don\u2019t turn your nose up just yet \u2013 because you\u2019ve never been to a convenience store until you\u2019ve been to a Japanese convenience store. Called konbini, these little shops of wonder are scattered liberally throughout Japan (seriously, there\u2019s one on every corner) and sell all kinds of cheap deliciousness \u2013 from microwave meals to interesting snacks, from rice balls and sushi boxes to warming winter hotpots (oden). So grab a picnic and head out to the park for an incredibly cheap lunch!<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_11866\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-11866\" style=\"width: 1170px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11866\" src=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Tour-group-in-konbini-in-yukatas.jpg\" alt=\"Konbini are a great source of weird &amp; wonderful (cheap) food - as this tour group discovered\" width=\"1170\" height=\"783\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Tour-group-in-konbini-in-yukatas.jpg 1170w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Tour-group-in-konbini-in-yukatas-300x201.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Tour-group-in-konbini-in-yukatas-768x514.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Tour-group-in-konbini-in-yukatas-1024x685.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Tour-group-in-konbini-in-yukatas-564x377.jpg 564w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Tour-group-in-konbini-in-yukatas-900x602.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Tour-group-in-konbini-in-yukatas-720x482.jpg 720w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Tour-group-in-konbini-in-yukatas-390x261.jpg 390w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Tour-group-in-konbini-in-yukatas-780x522.jpg 780w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Tour-group-in-konbini-in-yukatas-510x341.jpg 510w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-11866\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Konbini are a great source of weird &amp; wonderful (cheap) food &#8211; as this IJT tour group discovered<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h1>3) Ramen bars<\/h1>\n<p>Ramen hardly needs an introduction \u2013 but did you know how just how cheap it is in Japan? It\u2019s so cheap that you can get a bowl of Michelin-starred ramen for 1000 yen. Just ask tour leader Tyler, who went to check it out! Ordinary, run-of-the-mill bowls can go for as little as 300-500 yen \u2013 and there are almost no duds.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_11857\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-11857\" style=\"width: 1170px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11857\" src=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/IMG_2205.jpg\" alt=\"Ramen... god's own food.\" width=\"1170\" height=\"924\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/IMG_2205.jpg 1170w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/IMG_2205-300x237.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/IMG_2205-768x607.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/IMG_2205-1024x809.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/IMG_2205-564x445.jpg 564w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/IMG_2205-900x711.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/IMG_2205-720x569.jpg 720w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/IMG_2205-390x308.jpg 390w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/IMG_2205-780x616.jpg 780w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/IMG_2205-510x403.jpg 510w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-11857\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ramen&#8230; god&#8217;s own food.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h1>4) Coco Ichiban<\/h1>\n<p>These are two words that are almost guaranteed to turn any Japanophile all glassy-eyed and wistful. Coco Ichiban is a low-budget curry house serving delicious Japanese curry in all different levels of spiciness. It\u2019s a chain, so you\u2019ll find them all over the country. Don\u2019t leave without trying it!<\/p>\n<h1>5) Okonomiyaki restaurants<\/h1>\n<p><em>Okonomiyaki <\/em>originated in western Japan, and is a favourite food in Osaka and Hiroshima \u2013 though these days you can find it pretty much anywhere. A firm favourite with foreign visitors and locals alike, it\u2019s basically a cabbage-based pancake fried on a hotplate in front of you, slathered in yummy brown sauce and mayonnaise, and topped with dried bonito flakes. You can choose whichever ingredients you like (pork and squid is my favourite) \u2013 and if you like you can go \u201cHiroshima-style\u201d with a noodle-based version. Delicious.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_11854\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-11854\" style=\"width: 1170px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11854\" src=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/DSC_0204-2.jpg\" alt=\"A typical okonomiyaki restaurant\" width=\"1170\" height=\"780\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/DSC_0204-2.jpg 1170w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/DSC_0204-2-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/DSC_0204-2-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/DSC_0204-2-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/DSC_0204-2-564x376.jpg 564w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/DSC_0204-2-900x600.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/DSC_0204-2-720x480.jpg 720w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/DSC_0204-2-390x260.jpg 390w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/DSC_0204-2-780x520.jpg 780w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/DSC_0204-2-510x340.jpg 510w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-11854\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">A typical okonomiyaki restaurant<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h1>6) Famiresu<\/h1>\n<p>Family restaurants, or \u201cfamiresu\u201d, are one of the best places to eat for cheap in Japan. Though it may sound as though they\u2019re orientated solely toward families, pretty much every demographic in Japan falls back on <em>famiresu <\/em>for a cheap, filling, and delicious meal \u2013 from businessmen to students. Choose from a huge range of Western- and Asian-style dishes, and pay just a couple of hundred yen for unlimited access to soft drinks and coffee. What\u2019s more, many of them are open 24\/7! Some well-known <em>famiresu <\/em>are: Caf\u00e9 Gusto, Denny\u2019s, Jonathan\u2019s, Sizzler\u2019s, Royal Host, Saizeriya<\/p>\n<h1>7) Izakaya<\/h1>\n<p>The <em>izakaya <\/em>is the quintessential Japanese eatery, and is usually described as something of a cross between a gastropub and a tapas bar. <em>Izakaya <\/em>come in all shapes and sizes, ranging from the tiny to the vast, from cheap-as-chips to Michelin-starred, and from uber-traditional tatami-mat affairs to order-your-meal-on-an-iPad joints. The cheapest <em>izakaya <\/em>serve tasty, filling dishes for as little as 340 yen per plate \u2013 and many <em>izakaya <\/em>offer <em>nomihodai <\/em>(all-you-can-drink) and <em>tabehodai <\/em>(all-you-can-eat) plans for an extremely reasonable price. Quite simply, it\u2019s a dining experience that cannot be missed.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_11867\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-11867\" style=\"width: 1170px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11867\" src=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Richard-Devine-credit-1.jpg\" alt=\"Dine at an izakaya for the quintessential Japanese night out\" width=\"1170\" height=\"780\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Richard-Devine-credit-1.jpg 1170w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Richard-Devine-credit-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Richard-Devine-credit-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Richard-Devine-credit-1-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Richard-Devine-credit-1-564x376.jpg 564w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Richard-Devine-credit-1-900x600.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Richard-Devine-credit-1-720x480.jpg 720w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Richard-Devine-credit-1-390x260.jpg 390w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Richard-Devine-credit-1-780x520.jpg 780w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Richard-Devine-credit-1-510x340.jpg 510w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-11867\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Dine at an izakaya for the quintessential Japanese night out (Photo: Richard Devine, IJT customer)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h1>8) Fast food chains<\/h1>\n<p>You don\u2019t want to go all the way to Japan just to eat in McDonalds every day \u2013 and thanks to the proliferation of domestic fast food chains, you don\u2019t have to! Check out home-grown brands like Hotto Motto (for takeaway <em>bento <\/em>lunchboxes), Sukiya (for curries &amp; <em>donburi <\/em>rice bowls), Yoshinoya (For <em>gyudon <\/em>\u201cbeef bowls\u201d) \u2013 or Mos Burger for a Japanese take on the classic fast food staple. Mmmmmm.<\/p>\n<h1>9) Department stores<\/h1>\n<p>Japanese department stores are an attraction in their own right, if you ask me. Not only are they packed to the rafters with weird and wonderful electronics, homeware, beauty products and other unfamiliar knick-knacks, but they often have an excellent food court where you can grab a quick, cheap bite on the go. Do check out the food courts in shopping centres too, as they\u2019re a great place to find excellent, low-budget meal sets that are much better quality than you\u2019d get at home.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_11864\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-11864\" style=\"width: 1170px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11864\" src=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/tashimaya_timessquare_2004-3.jpg\" alt=\"Check out the food courts for cheap deals\" width=\"1170\" height=\"780\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/tashimaya_timessquare_2004-3.jpg 1170w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/tashimaya_timessquare_2004-3-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/tashimaya_timessquare_2004-3-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/tashimaya_timessquare_2004-3-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/tashimaya_timessquare_2004-3-564x376.jpg 564w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/tashimaya_timessquare_2004-3-900x600.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/tashimaya_timessquare_2004-3-720x480.jpg 720w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/tashimaya_timessquare_2004-3-390x260.jpg 390w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/tashimaya_timessquare_2004-3-780x520.jpg 780w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/tashimaya_timessquare_2004-3-510x340.jpg 510w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-11864\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Check out the food courts for cheap deals<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h1>10) Yatai<\/h1>\n<p>Yatai are Japanese food stalls, and they\u2019re found at festivals and events throughout Japan \u2013 though in some places (famously Fukuoka) you\u2019ll find them all year round. Selling everything from <em>okonomiyaki <\/em>to <em>taiyaki <\/em>(sweet, fish-shaped cake), chocolate-covered bananas, crepes, <em>takoyaki <\/em>(fried octopus balls), meat buns and much more \u2013 <em>yatai <\/em>are the perfect place to fill up while sampling the best of Japanese street food.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_11858\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-11858\" style=\"width: 1170px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11858\" src=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/IMG_2451.jpg\" alt=\"A typical yatai stall\" width=\"1170\" height=\"878\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/IMG_2451.jpg 1170w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/IMG_2451-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/IMG_2451-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/IMG_2451-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/IMG_2451-564x423.jpg 564w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/IMG_2451-900x675.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/IMG_2451-720x540.jpg 720w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/IMG_2451-390x293.jpg 390w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/IMG_2451-780x585.jpg 780w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/IMG_2451-510x383.jpg 510w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-11858\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">A typical yatai stall specialising in yaki soba noodles<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h1>11) Bakeries<\/h1>\n<p>Japan isn\u2019t traditionally known for its baked goods, but it actually has some excellent bakeries where you can pick up freshly baked pastries, sandwiches and cakes galore for very little yen. Perfect for a picnic under the cherry blossom \u2013 or the autumn leaves.<\/p>\n<h1>12) Nabe restaurants<\/h1>\n<p><em>Nabemono, <\/em>or <em>nabe <\/em>for short, simply means \u201cthings in a pot\u201d \u2013 and it kind of does what it says on the tin. At a <em>nabe <\/em>restaurant, you\u2019ll be given a pot of broth over a small, portable stove, and have a variety of different vegetables, noodles and meat to add to it. There are all kinds of <em>nabe <\/em>available \u2013 including <em>oden <\/em>(which can be bought ready-heated at convenience stores), <em>sukiyaki <\/em>(a hotpot cooked in sweetened soy and dipped in raw egg), <em>shabu-shabu <\/em>(thinly sliced meat &amp; veg dipped in sauce), and <em>chanko nabe <\/em>(a favourite meal of sumo wrestlers). The different regions of Japan all have their own varieties \u2013 so give it a try while you\u2019re in Japan!<\/p>\n<p>These really are just a few of the cheap food options to be found across Japan. The truth is, Japanese food is very often extremely reasonable \u2013 and the quality is high even at the lowliest <em>ramen <\/em>bar or family restaurant. Take the time to explore and try out the options \u2013 you won\u2019t be disappointed!<\/p>\n<p><strong>If you\u2019re interested in Japanese food, take a look at our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/self-guided-japan-holidays\/i-gadc\/gastronomic-adventure\/\">Gastronomic Adventure<\/a> itinerary, which will introduce you to the very best of Japanese cuisine \u2013 or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/about-us\/contact-us\/\">contact one of our expert Japan consultant<\/a>s to begin discussing you trip today.<\/strong><\/p>\n<h4>Like this post? 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Help us by sharing it! Japan has a reputation for being expensive, but on arrival nearly every traveller is surprised at the low cost and high quality of food throughout Japan. Of course &#8211; it has its fair share of high-end restaurants, where you can spend the equivalent of a year&#8217;s salary [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":54,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_sitemap_exclude":false,"_sitemap_priority":"","_sitemap_frequency":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2366],"tags":[1368,1400,2799,2800,2801],"class_list":["post-11851","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-japanese-food-and-drink","tag-budget-travel","tag-cheap-food","tag-affordable-japan","tag-budget-japan","tag-food-drink-in-japan"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11851","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/54"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11851"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11851\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11851"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11851"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11851"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}