Lunch Within 1000 Yen: The Best Cheap Eats in Japan
Cheap food in Japan isn’t hard to come by – you’ll always have something a stone’s throw away, and it’ll taste pretty good, too!
The 2024 exchange rate of the yen may be perfect for tourists, but much like anywhere else in the world, finding budget-friendly places to eat in Japan can sometimes be a challenge. How do you eat traditional Japanese food without breaking the bank? Where can you go for a quick meal in between sightseeing?
I had the same questions before visiting Japan, and it was a relief to discover that there are several restaurants and outlets across the country with great food and even better prices. Having lived here for almost five years now, I’ve found some amazing places to relax and relish my food without worrying about emptying my wallet.
While not all the restaurants mentioned here have Japanese cuisine, they’re popular with locals and have English menus to make your dining experience easier. Despite recent price increases, you can enjoy hearty meals for way less than ¥1000, giving you a chance to save up and indulge in something later.
Here are some of the best places to eat for cheap in Japan, and what’s on offer at each:
1. For families and free Wi-Fi: Saizeriya
This is a family restaurant chain in Japan that is famous nationwide and is frequented not only by families, but also by students and young professionals alike. Saizeriya is best known for its Italian food, offering a wide selection of pastas and pizzas alongside meat dishes and salads. An appetizer and main course will cost about ¥800 on average, but the portions are generous.
For those sticking around a while, Saizeriya offers free Wi-Fi for up to 3 hours, and an unlimited drink bar for just ¥300 (¥200 if you select it alongside a meal).
Personal recommendations: popcorn shrimp, Penne Arrabbiata, hamburg steak.
2. For affordable and quick sushi: Kura Sushi
Part of an extensive conveyor-belt sushi industry (also known as kaitenzushi), this chain will provide you with quick and delicious plates to satisfy your sushi cravings. Cheap sushi in Japan is not that hard to come by as long as you know where to go! Place your order on the given tablet, and it’ll be delivered via conveyor belt within minutes.
In the past, kaitenzushi restaurants used to have a slow-moving belt with ready sushi plates, but due to a series of incidents known as sushi-tero (sushi terrorism) where customers spoilt products on those belts, many chains have stopped using the slower belts for sushi. Instead, this belt will bring you condiments such as wasabi and recommend seasonal menu items.
If you’re a light eater, you can enjoy a refreshing meal for less than ¥1000, but even heavy eaters won’t need to pay an arm and a leg, as the cheapest plates start from just ¥110 (depending on the area). And because the servings aren’t particularly large, you have the freedom to pace yourself and try as many dishes as you like in one visit!
Personal recommendations: tuna nigiri, tamagoyaki.
3. For filling rice bowl meals: Sukiya
Beef, rice and raw egg – you can’t go wrong here. Sukiya is the place to go if you want a heavy meal that satisfies you for years. It’s popular across demographics in Japan, and while people mixing raw eggs in their meals might shock you at first, it’s pretty common in Japanese cuisine (though not something to try at home).
A standard gyudon (rice bowl with beef) currently costs ¥430, but you can always upgrade your meal to add more rice or meat, and even pick out some extras. Put together, a medium-sized bowl with a couple of toppings and sides is unlikely to cross ¥1000, making it more than ideal for a cheap and satisfying meal.
Personal recommendations: Gyudon with green onions and raw egg.
4. For ready meals 24 hours a day: Convenience stores
Convenience stores, or conbinis, are the lifeblood of Japanese society. The bigger the city, the more likely you are to find a convenience store every five minutes. The most famous conbinis in contemporary Japan are Lawson, Family Mart and 7/11, followed by Ministop and Daily Yamazaki. Each conbini carries a wide range of cooked meals that require little more than a microwave to heat up (and sometimes, the conbinis themselves can heat your food too!) and a selection of hot food, such as fried chicken and steamed buns, that you can gobble up right away.
Many conbinis are open 24/7, particularly in cities like Tokyo and Yokohama, so if you need a sandwich or noodles at 1 in the morning, you can count on them. For more on convenience stores and how to communicate with the staff, you can read my earlier article here.
Personal recommendations: Karaage-kun (Lawson), Fami-Chiki (Family Mart).
Eating for cheap in Japan doesn’t mean you have to compromise on the quality of food or the types of cuisines available. I hope this guide helps you enjoy your stay here. If you happen to visit these restaurants while you’re here, or if you come across other cheap eats in Japan, feel free to share your experience in the comments!
