Cheap & comfortable eat. 

If you're a Moslem like me, you'll probably wondering if there's halal food around. But unfortunately the chance is slim to zero, since the servant themselves don't know what do you mean by halal, nor paying attention to any pork material added to the food. Since pork, pork oil, pork sparkling, pork tears, are too common in Japan.

However the choice is always there, try to read the ingredients list, if you find 豚肉 or 豚 then it contains pork. For me, I just order food that clearly stated as beef of fish, it's not that hard.

Below are the places I usually eat because they are cheap, haha. What's cheap in Japan? A friend told me if it's below 500 JPY then it's considered cheap in Japan. So here we go:


1. Matsu-ya, Yoshino-ya, Suki-ya, Ten-ya, Saizeri-ya

Just like with Matsuya, they specialized in cheap, fast, daily eat. Menu & price range also similar, if you go to Yoshinoya or Matsuya likely there will be middle-aged man ojisan eating and no youngster haha but the point is they are cheap, baby. Yoshinoya is everywhere, could be easily spotted with bright orange color light.

Another cheap franchise options for "western" style food like pizza, pasta, french fries, is Saizeriya. Although some of the menu are exceeding 500 JPY, but if you want to try something else than bento or gyudon this is your option. Unlike others mentioned above, Saizeriya isn't likely a 24 hour restaurant.


2. Delica Pakupaku Bento

Just a short walk from where I stayed, Khaosan World Asakusa, There's a little outlet selling bento box for 250 JPY (+tax). By bento I mean it's a full meal, which usually sold for double the price in convenience store! Pakupaku is the cheapest meal during my Tokyo trip. Beside bento there's also onigiri (100 JPY), chicken katsu (200 JPY), takoyaki (200 JPY), potato korokke (200 JPY), only rice (80 JPY) and more. What's better is they cut down the prices after 9 or 10 pm. Usually I bought 2-pieces korokke during my way back to the guesthouse for only 100 JPY. Taste is OK, but price is extraordinary. Unfortunately, Pakupaku only have one outlet located at Asakusa (? cmiiw).

3. Konbini/convenience store

Konbini is huge in Japan. You can find 7/11, Lawson, FamilyMart, Daily Yamazaki, Ministop, Seiyu, and many many more. They have some light take-and-go food like onigiri, oden, yakitori, mochi, and various bread. They also sell bento box for 400-700 JPY. It's cheap, but compared to above restaurant there's not much different so for lunch and dinner I'll stick with Matsuya/Pakupaku/Yoshinoya. Afterall if you just buy 2 onigiri and eat it alone because it's cheap you can do it at home :))

Konbini is where I usually bought my drinks, yes I'm that unhealthy kind of person who can't stand drinking plain water. So instead plopping your precious 100 JPY to that vending machine that cost 130 JPY per 600mL bottled drink, buy it at konbini, it costs same price for 1L boxed drink.

6. Donki/Don Quijote

Cheap and crazy flavored foods galore! Bought a strange yet delicious kiwi-soda-drink here for 80 JPY once and many crazy snacks at low prices. Donki is practically a shop that sells everything like 100-yen shop, but they have eccentric and twisted taste for goods they sold.

Honorable mention goes to..

Getting around

In Tokyo, subway & trains are the most popular public transportation. Some of you might be thinking about the JR Pass, which allow you to travel almost everywhere in Japan including Shinkansen bullet train for 29,110 JPY (approx 4,760 USD) for 7 days and only usable for tourists. But re-calculate again, if you are about to explore Tokyo only, is that worth it? One way trip with PASMO cost 120 to 220 JPY (in common short range of popular destination in 23-wards of Tokyo). You could calculate your transport expense in hyperdia.

Not to disregard the JR Pass, it's ultimately useful for tourism, if you go to different cities in Japan. For me who just go around Tokyo, I don't take the pass. After I calculate on my transportation expense, I spend 15,000 JPY approx, plus 8,000 JPY to travel from Tokyo to Kyoto. And it's for 11 days not just a week, woohoo.


PASMO is a prepaid smartcard you use as payment by tapping on the ticket gate. Ticket price is 20-50 JPY lower than buying ticket with cash. PASMO card could be issued at vending machine in almost every train stations in Tokyo make sure you choose blank card. A 500 JPY is needed for deposit, it's refundable anytime by returning the card. If your balance runs out, you could top up at the vending. Get your PASMO as soon as you set your feet to Tokyo! How to get your PASMO card

At Akihabara station, there's a route finder you could use. For the most of time, use Hyperdia website. It will give you detailed information about route from stations to stations including the line name and numbers. Click here to read about Transportation in Tokyo from Japan-Guide.

Keep in mind that trains are only operated until midnight.

Learn more about buses in Kyoto and the bus track navigation map.