How much does a trip to Japan cost? How much did I spend?
Dear Jane,
I was going to write an 18-day itinerary for you next, but it turns out writing a long itinerary is really tedious. So, I’m going back to the drawing board on that so that I can write it and you can read it in an interesting and digestible format.
And so instead, I present to you, as transparently as possible, my budget for an 18-day trip to Japan:
I set a budget of $2,000.
Here are the actual numbers.
Now let’s talk details:
Flights
Japan is notoriously expensive to travel to, and flights are typically the biggest purchase of any of my trips. For this one, I booked through Chase’s Travel Portal. I found a direct roundtrip from Newark to Narita. The original price for this was $1,196.95. I used 93,928 points and paid $22.85.
I acknowledge that these points are the only reason that achieving this budget was possible.
Flight prices have changed pretty drastically since the pandemic. I read an article last summer that explained, in part, this is due to the reduced number of budget airlines in existence and because the existing airlines have reduced their routes.
For the 2020 version of this trip, I paid $767.69 for a roundtrip from New York to Narita via Taipei with EVA Airways. This trip included a 10-hour layover in Taipei. The Taipei airport provides free half-day tours for anyone who has a layover between 7 and 24 hours long. There are limited spots available, and you have to pre-register. I was excited to try this in 2020. However, when I re-planned my trip, I couldn’t find this flight route. It looks like most flights from the U.S. to Japan are direct now. And the ones that aren’t direct are (or were) more expensive than the direct flight that I booked.
Hopefully, a future trip to Asia involves seeing Taipei.
Accommodations
Accommodations were the biggest part of my budget, and I stayed in a few different types of places. My accommodations averaged $32 per night on this trip. This is close to my usual goal of $25 per night. I did double pay for the night I was climbing Mt. Fuji: I paid for the mountain hut I stayed in, and I never checked out of the capsule hotel in Tokyo.
My capsule held onto most of my stuff for me. It probably would have been cheaper to stick my bag in a coin locker overnight, but it didn’t seem worth the hassle to check out and back in and lug everything around. This might be an option for someone who is planning to travel to a new city immediately after their climb. The big lockers in train stations are ¥700 per day.
For your reference, when I was in Japan, $1 = ¥140.
Capsule Hotels/Hostels
I’m lumping these two together. They both involve limited personal space, common space, and a bunch of other people. I stayed in these types of hotels/hostels while I was in Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka.
You might have guessed this, but capsules are nicer than hostels. I’m not technically a youth anymore, but I encountered travelers of diverse ages staying at these establishments. If you’re someone not in your 20s anymore and travelling on a budget, you won’t be alone in a hostel.
As a solo traveler, these were the most budget friendly options for me. And like flights, pricing has changed since 2020. In 2020, I had booked a $9 per night hostel in Kyoto. That same hostel survived the pandemic, but they charge real money now.
I reassessed my planning for this trip. Initially, I looked for the cheapest places to stay, but this time I looked for the cheapest place to stay near the transportation I needed to use to get to and from the things I wanted to see.
Regular Hotels
Caleb and I stayed in a regular hotel in Hiroshima. The room itself was a lot smaller than hotel rooms in the U.S., and it had twin beds. This was more affordable because we split the cost.
Some Japanese hotels provide free amenities that reduce the need for you to bring things like toothbrushes, slippers, and pajamas (although I would’ve called these robes).
Ryokan
A ryokan is a traditional Japanese inn. This was the height of luxury for any trip I’ve taken myself on. You cannot split the cost of a ryokan with anyone because they charge by the person, no matter how many people are staying in the room. The reason behind this is that they provide a multi-course dinner and breakfast.
A Friend’s Apartment
Staying with someone you know can be free, minus the cost of a gift. Never forget to bring your host a gift! I wanted to bring Caleb something from work, but when I looked into the customs situation, I wasn’t actually allowed to bring the specific item because there was soil involved. So I got him a Pokémon figure from a Gashapon machine. Ironically, it turned out to be a plant Pokémon. He later told me that when his students draw him Pokémon, they’re always plant types.
In Japan, it’s customary to bring food if you’re visiting someone. It’s a big deal to visit the homes of others, and I suspect unless you are direct relatives, you probably won’t be able to stay in someone’s home when you visit Japan. Find a friend like Caleb.
Transportation
Transportation was my next biggest expense. I rely on public transportation, and I planned to cover a lot of Japan on this trip.
Traveling to/from the Airport
If you live in a large city, you probably have a few options to get to the airport. You can take a taxi, train, or bus. Taxis are likely to be the most expensive option. I opted for a combination of subway and Express Bus. The Express Bus is nicer than taking trains or busses the whole way and reduces my travel time. And, it’s actually cheaper than switching to the commuter rail and AirTrain from the subway.
My budget has line items for my home airport and not my destination airport for this trip because I bought myself a Japan Rail Pass, which covered my airport transportation in Japan. Normally, I would include a line for all airport transfers.
Japan Rail Pass
The biggest transportation expense was my Japan Rail Pass. I purchased a 21-Day Regular Class pass before the prices went up in October 2023. The JR Pass likely isn’t worth it anymore, but I encourage you to do your research based on your planned itinerary.
Use the Japan Travel Navitime app to calculate the cost of each journey you think you’ll take. The app allows you to select a tourist pass (JR Pass, JR Regional Pass, or another company’s pass.) Enter where you are traveling to and from (use Google Maps to make sure you’re putting in the correct information.)
It indicates if the proposed routes are covered by your selected pass. Open each route to see the cost in Yen, and if there are multiple legs, double check that the pass covers each segment. The JR Pass covers some inner-city JR busses and metro lines. I traveled exclusively on JR transportation, except for one trip in Tokyo, to get the most value out of my JR Pass.
With whichever pass you opt for, you should shop around. Passes purchased through “foreign travel agencies” instead of JR directly offer a discounted but non-refundable pass. Purchasing through JR directly is more expensive, partially refundable, and offers online seat reservation. I purchased mine on Klook, which was $30 cheaper than any other “travel agency.”
Even with the price increase, the JR Pass offers convenience through the ability to walk onto virtually any train at any time. You would otherwise need to learn the complicated ticketing system and can’t change your plans as easily.
If a pass is not for you, Klook also offers the option to purchase discounted Shinkansen tickets, and there’s rumor of an orange booth outside Tokyo Station selling discounted Shinkansen tickets.
Welcome Suica
I picked up a Welcome Suica card as a souvenir, but also for the one non-JR subway trip I took, and for the coin lockers I meant to pay for. The Welcome Suica card is an IC card specifically for tourists. The regular Suica cards were not available due to chip shortages while I was in Japan.
Japan is primarily a cash-based society, and their preferred digital method for payments is the IC card. Which they load using cash… If you want to use credit cards to load this card, you can do it at the JR office in the airport, like I did, or you can do it at convenience stores.
Coin lockers in major train stations can be paid for with IC cards in addition to coins. I ended up using the balance of the card on vending machines instead of coin lockers because I was trying to stay hydrated.
Activities
My budget has some activities highlighted in purple. Those are activities I hadn’t planned to do and represent some spontaneity.
Pocket Wifi
Okay, this isn’t an activity, but I didn’t want a “Miscellaneous” category that had one thing in it. Japan offers you the option of e-sims or pocket wifi, and I went wifi because I have an unlimited data plan and have no idea how much I use on a regular basis, let alone when I’m relying heavily on Google Maps.
I used this Pocket Wifi, from Klook, which uses one of the two major cell providers in Japan. One of the downsides of this wifi is having to charge the egg and remembering to carry it with you. For the most part the charging was fine and I didn’t need to charge it every day, but if I was out in the heat that affected the battery (same with my phone, which was 3 months old at the time). And yeah, there were a couple of times I went to the conbini and left the wifi in my capsule, and the one time I forgot to take it with me when I put my stuff in a locker at a train station. During those instances my ability to translate Japanese and navigate became limited.
Coin Lockers
Coin lockers were a planned/unplanned expense, which I did think would be coming from my Welcome Suica card. I used two lockers: a ¥700 locker in Nara and a ¥500 locker in Himeji. Also, while in Himeji, the castle’s admission office held onto my walking stick from Mt. Fuji for ¥100.
Climbing Mt. Fuji (& Gear Rental)
I paid $223.15 for my climbing tour with Willer Express Co. and $13.06 for equipment rental. Willer Express Co. offered the cheapest option.
On February 1, 2024, Japan announced that there is a new mandatory ¥2,000 climbing fee, which is separate from the ¥1,000 environmental conservation donation requested from each climber. Part of the new fee is an attempt to cut down the number of people climbing Mt. Fuji. This fee is not exorbitant for travelers from the U.S. and Western Europe, but it may cause others to pause their plans. There hasn’t been any announcement about whether or not tour groups like the one I participated in will be allowed, and there may be a discussion occurring about it. On one hand they bring in a lot of people, causing congestion on the mountain, but on the other, they provide a safer option to bullet climbing, which has become a major problem.
The tour cost included the conservation donation, and I expect future tours will include the climbing fee if tours like this are still allowed, so don’t be surprised by a price change.
Shin Yokohama Ramen Museum
The Shin Yokohama Ramen Museum, as I learned while I was there, is a theme park. The cost I included in my budget was the entrance ticket. The cost not included was all the delicious ramen. “Mini” ramen bowls were ¥600 each, and they were decent sizes.
Shiba Cafe
I had wanted to visit some sort of theme cafe, but hadn’t made any decision as to which one or where. Most of my research was focused on Tokyo, and in the end, I opted for Mameshiba Café Osaka in Dotonbori. I picked this specific cafe because it seemed the most ethical: you can not feed the animals, they are regularly rotated for breaks, and patrons can only pet the animals if the animal engages first. This cafe has mid-level reviews because you can’t handle the animals as much.
Himeji Castle
My original intention in Himeji was to see the castle from the grounds, but on the day of, I realized that I had a lot of time to spare because the Shinkansen trains are just that efficient. For $6.80, I explored the main part of the castle. While I was there, part of the castle that is usually not open to the public was available to tour for an additional admission fee.
Kamado Jigoku
A lot of the planning for my Spontaneous Day Trip to Beppu happened on my way there. On the train, I learned about the Hells of Beppu, and checked my Klook app for discounted admission. In fact, I could get a super discounted admission to Kamado Jigoku with a snack included through Klook. I had 2 Klook credits from purchasing my JR Pass and pocket wifi. In the end, this whole experience cost me $0.50.
Takegawara Onsen
Beppu has many onsens to choose from, ranging from ¥200 municipal bathhouses to the Michelin-Three Star Hyoten. I picked Takegawara Onsen because of the sand bathing opportunity. The other sand bathing spas in Beppu seem to have closed during the pandemic, and I wanted to experience it.
Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum
The Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum charges ¥200 per adult. Tickets can be purchased in person (arrive early) or in advance through Klook. There’s no additional charge for temporary exhibits.
Miyajima Ropeway
In Miyajima, my intention was to hike to the summit of Mt. Misen. Due to time constraints, we bought round trip tickets on the Miyajima Ropeway, which cost ¥2,000. You can purchase a one-way ticket for ¥1,100 if you want to hike down.
Travel Insurance
Travel insurance is a must. This is the most expensive insurance I’ve purchased to date. It’s due in part to extra medical coverage for Mt. Fuji and the length of my trip. I’ve paid between $25 and $40 previously.
You can save a bit on insurance, depending on what you need and what your credit card might cover. The Chase Sapphire Preferred card has coverage for Trip Interruption/Cancellation, Baggage Delay, Auto Collision, and Trip Delay. This only covers purchases made on the card.
I compare insurance options on Squaremouth before purchasing.
Not included in my budget, but let’s talk about them.
Food
I don’t calculate food as part of my budget because I eat when I’m not traveling, and it’s an expense I would have anyway. In the expensive city I live in, my budgeting strategy is to spend as close to $0 as possible, and I applied that same strategy here.
Food is very cheap in Japan, and you can spend very little on it, or you can spend more on if you want to. Tokyo has the most Michelin-starred restaurants in the world, and Kyoto and Osaka take third and fourth places on that same ranking list. In Japan, I aimed to not spend more than ¥1,000 per meal. For quick mental math on the go, that was the equivalent of $10 (but it was actually less than that).
I counted the meals on my credit card statement for you, and I spent $120.92 on food. I probably spent $5-10 on food in cash as well. So if we take the higher number, I averaged $7.27 a day spent on food. And I ate very well. This includes snacks.
Hydration
Keeping hydrated is something I would normally lump in with food, but the Japanese summer heat was a beast. I spent $18.28 on water and sports drinks on my credit card and about $5 of the Welcome Suica budget.
Souvenirs
If I can, I like to purchase birthday or Christmas presents when I’m traveling. I’m very much in the carry-on only camp, so anything I buy needs to fit in my backpack. I also consider sending postcards to others as a type of souvenir, so I do that too. (Heads up: postcards are surprisingly hard to find in Japan.)
My stamped walking stick from Mt. Fuji was my most expensive souvenir. I wasn’t able to calculate the exact costs while climbing, but the whole thing cost an estimated $79. I didn’t even get to buy all of the stamps. My original plan was to mail this stick home with my hiking boots and other items I’d brought specifically to hike. I’d estimated $90-110 for that, but it turns out the post offices at Mt. Fuji aren’t equipped to mail walking sticks.
My flight came with one free checked item, and so I carried my walking stick and hiking gear for the whole trip. If you also find yourself checking your walking stick because you didn’t want to deal with figuring out DHL, FedEx, etc. in Japan, you can check it as a fragile item. Go to the fragile items counter specifically, and remember that your walking stick will be with the oversized items in baggage claim.
In Conclusion
Traveling to Japan for a long (or short) period of time on a small budget is possible. Your budget might look different from mine if you haven’t saved up points or don’t have points, and if you have different preferences for accommodations and meals.
My biggest tip is to do your research while planning. I visited Japan within nine months of its borders reopening to international travelers. They were unprepared for the number of people, like me, who immediately replanned and executed their pre-pandemic plans. As a result, there are new tourist taxes in some cities and sites (Mt. Fuji, above, and Miyajima, for example). Most are low cost ($1-2), so they aren’t going to prevent anyone on a budget from doing what they want to do. But you should know if you are paying for them in advance or when you get to Japan.
I also highly recommend getting a card with travel benefits. I use the Chase Sapphire Preferred card because it my lifestyle maximizes point earning best on this card. Use this referral link for the Chase Sapphire Preferred card if you’re interested in getting one.
If you’ve been thinking about going to Japan, I hope you enjoy it soon!
<3 Katherine
PS – I hope you liked this budget guide to Japan. My goal is to provide transparent and quality information so that everyone can understand their own circumstances related to travel. If you have any questions, they’re welcome!
PPS – The Klook links above are affiliate links. If you happen to click on them and buy something I’ll get the tiniest commission.