Message from Adam
Between sleeping in my car and Couchsurfing, I dont think I have spent money on lodging in years. I love the freedom of sleeping in my car and I am so glad that my wife doesnt mind it either. And I cant say it enough...if you havent tried couchsurfing, please try! It is free and a wonderful way to meet wonderful people. I have learned a lot about life couchsurfing and have made some amazing friends.
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10 Ways to Budget Travel Japan
Budget Travel Japan Idea #1: Sleep in a car
This is my personal favorite! I love the freedom (and the cost effectiveness) of sleeping in my car.
If you don’t have a car, I would suggest renting a van on your next trip. It is cheaper than buying a Shinkansen ticket and it is cheaper than staying in hotel. Also, there is the added bonus of being able to see more of the countryside! Driving through small towns really gives you a good feel for Japan.
- 道の駅 (michi no eki)
Finding a suitable place to park the car is a lot easier than you might think. Japan has many 道の駅 (michi no eki). These are the rest stations that can be found on the highway and on normal roads.
These places are wonderful!
They are free to park in and sleeping there is allowed. You will often see many camping cars at one of these. They have bathrooms, so brushing your teeth and washing your face is easy to do. Some of these rest stations are really big and some are small. Some have restaurants or markets.
Each one is different than the last, which makes them fun places to go to. You can use this website to find michi no eki all over Japan.
- Trailheads, national forests and parks
There are other places that are good for parking over night as well.
In the countryside, you can find parking lots that are used for hiking trails. These trailhead parking lots are great for sleeping in and they are free! Look on the map for hiking trails and find these hidden gems. Not only are they free, but they are in beautiful locations!
Also, keep your eyes open for national forests or parks. These often have great parking lots to sleep in.
- Coin parking
Coin parking lots are also a good option. Coin parking lots are places that you pay per hour to park.
Most cities and towns have coin parking and you can usually find a 24 hour parking lot. There are many different coin parking companies, but these two are the biggest companies: 三井のりパーク (Mitsui Repark) and Times. Sorry both of these sites are in Japanese only.
The prices vary a lot, but on average 24 parking costs between ￥1,000 and ￥1,500. This is a really reasonable cost and it is a lot cheaper than a hotel or other options.
Look near train stations or the city center for these coin parking lots.
- Maybe ok for one night options
A couple of risky, yet doable options are 24 hour supermarket and restaurant parking lots.
These are ok options for a night but try not to advertise the fact that you are sleeping there. Police may come and ask you to move.
Budget Travel Japan Idea #2: Internet Cafe/Manga Cafe
Net cafes (also called manga cafes) are a good alternative to staying in a hotel.
These are far cheaper, and they have computers, showers and drink bars.
Every place charges differently, but you pay about ￥200 for 30 minutes in the café. This means that eight hours costs around ￥1,500.
It is true that the sleeping space is a lot smaller and it may not be completely private, but for the price it is well worth it.
Each Net café has a different system and prices, but generally you pay for a set number of hours in the café. You pay at the front desk and the give you a small room (usually with a small desk and computer to use).
These rooms look a lot like cubicles in an office building and they are small. Some have chairs to sit on and some don’t. But the floor is usually soft and a decent place to sleep.
If you are tall, then most likely you will have to sleep curled up because there is no room to stretch out. The size of the sleeping area is definitely the biggest drawback of net cafes.
But they have nice, clean toilets and showers to use. The walls are all covered with manga for you to read and some places have DVDs and games as well.
One of the downsides is that there is not much room for you and your luggage. If you have big bags, I suggest using a coin locker at a station before going to the net café.
Budget Travel Japan Idea #3: Couchsurfing or Warm Showers
The best places to stay are free!
- Couchsurfing
Couchsurfing is one of the greatest websites in the world (in my opinion)! Covid killed Couchsurfing for awhile but it is coming back!
Signing up to Couchsurfing requires a small fee but once you do, you will have access to millions of couches to sleep on for free worldwide. There are hosts in almost every country!
Simply, search for the city that you are going to and see if there are any hosts there. If there are, send them a request to stay and a short message asking if they are available to host you on a certain date.
If they are available, they will confirm your stay request. Then after some messages with details, you will meet them at a certain place at a certain time.
Every host is different and each house has its own rules, but everyone (almost) on Couchsurfing is wonderful. Not only will you get a free place to sleep, but you will get a chance to make new friends.
You can talk to a local and learn a lot about that city and the different culture there. I have learned so much about the world through Couchsurfing and I want more people to experience it. I haven’t paid for lodging in over six years and I have made many amazing friends in many different countries. Give it a try! This is my favorite way to budget travel Japan and everywhere else in the world!
- Warm Showers
Warm Showers is very similar to Couchsurfing but this website is for cyclists. This is also a free service to use, but it is mostly reserved for bicycle enthusiasts.
Riding your bike and using Warm Showers is a great way to travel cheap! 
This website works just like Couchsurfing, so you send a stay request for a certain date and if the host can host you, they will tell you a time and place to meet.
If you like to bike, then this is the site for you.
Budget Travel Japan Idea #4: Love Hotels
Yes, love hotels.
These are actually a decent place to stay for budget travelers and a legit way to budget travel Japan.
If you don’t know what love hotels are, they are places couples pay for by the hour to be intimate.
Paying by the hour is a pretty good deal if you only need a place to sleep for a few hours!
In Japan, there are love hotels everywhere! Each one has its own system and prices, so you might have to look around a bit to find a cheap one. Some of them can be really expensive so try to find the plain looking ones.
Keep in Mind
One thing to keep in mind is that these hotels are for couples. That means that a group of people or going solo probably wont work.
Some places have someone sitting at the front desk, but some places are all automated. So if you have a group of people, try to find the automated ones. They are almost like vending machines. There are pictures of each room available and after selecting the one you want, push the button and the machine will give you a key or unlock the door.
And if you are worried about the cleanliness of a love hotel, don’t be. This is Japan and even the love hotels are really clean.
Budget Travel Japan Idea #5: Hostels
No matter what country you’re in, hostels are a good option to stay at and Japan is no exception. They are a wonderful way to budget travel Japan.
There are many hostels throughout Japan and even more are being built all the time. Right now there is a huge influx of new hostels in preparation for the 2020 Olympic Games.
Bookings and Hostelworld are both fantastic apps to have on your phone! You can make reservations just hours before you want to go to a hostel.
Both of these websites have and impressive list of hostels to choose from. Search for the city you want to stay in and they will list all of the available hostels there.
You can search by the cheapest available and compare each hostel. There are some private rooms available and sometimes just a bed in a room with lots of beds.
These websites also list hotels and bed and breakfasts. There are many options to choose from so take your time and choose the option that is best for you.
Budget Travel Japan Idea #6: Airbnb
Airbnb is famous around the world and they have a presence in Japan as well.
There are some very expensive places to stay on Airbnb, but they have plenty of cheaper options as well.
You can find some absolutely stunning places to stay as well!
Go to their website, search for the location and the date you want to stay and they will list all the available options.
You can look at pictures of each property, read reviews and compare all the pros and cons of each place. It is free to join and it is an easy website to use.
The prices are more expensive during holidays and special events, so try to avoid these times to use this website.
Airbnb is always a good place to look for amazing places to stay. Look here first and if they don`t have anything, then look for hostels or internet cafes.
Budget Travel Japan Idea #7: Tocoo
Tocoo is a coupon website which gives huge discounts on hotels, ryokans, onsens and other lodgings.
It is unfortunate, but this website is only in Japanese. On this website, you can search by prefecture and city. Look for the place you want to go and this website will show you all the available coupons and discounts available in that area.
The savings are actually really good, but the downside is that all the places that you can get coupons for are really expensive places.
So even with the big discounts, these places are still expensive to stay at.
I put Tocoo on this list because even a budget traveler needs a good place to stay every now and then.
It might be good to treat yourself to a nice hotel sometimes. These coupons should ease the financial strain of staying at a nice place. The discounts are often 40-60% off, so it is a website worth checking out from time to time.
Budget Travel Japan Idea #8: Hitchhiking
When it comes to traveling, hitchhiking is a great option! The Japanese people don`t do a lot of hitchhiking, but for foreigners, it works pretty well!
Hitchhiking in Japan is generally very easy and incredibly safe.
The Japanese people are super helpful towards travelers so getting picked up isn’t a problem. It is also not uncommon for a driver to take you 100km out of their way to get you to where you want to go. Sometimes they will even invite you to their house for lunch and maybe even invite you to stay at their house.
Hitchhiking in Japan is amazing! It helps if you hold a sign written in Japanese, but the people who stop usually speak a little English. Even if they don’t, communication is rarely a problem.
Some pro tips
a. If you are trying to go far, just ask for a ride to the nearest 道の駅 (michi no eki). These are rest stations on the road and they have many travelers there. It is a good spot to find people going as far as you want to go. Look at this website to find the nearest michi no eki to you.
b. Trying to hitch on the highway or at the entrance of the highway is illegal. If you try, there is a good chance that the police will come and ask you to move.
c. Learn some basic Japanese. Here are some super basic examples:
Sumimasen – excuse me
arigato – thank you
(place name) ni ikitai desu – I want to go to (place name)
anata wa yasashi desu – you are kind
d. Umbrellas can be your best friend in rainy or sunny weather
e. Smile. No one wants to pick up a scary looking gaijin.
f. Be patient. It is easy to hitch hike in Japan, but that doesn’t mean that it is always going to be fast.
For more information about hitchhiking in Japan you can read this article done by WikiTravel.
Budget Travel Japan Idea #9: Overnight Highway Bus
Taking the 高速バス (kosoku bus) is a one of the cheapest ways to travel in Japan. These are the sleeper buses or overnight buses.
The shinkansen is obviously the fastest, but it is crazy expensive. Even other trains and buses are expensive to use for long distance travel.
If you don’t mind sleeping on a bus then this is your best option for covering long distances for cheap (besides hitch hiking). A big reason why this is a cheap way to travel is because if you sleep on the bus, you don`t have to spend money for lodging!
These buses are also designed for sleeping, so they are a little more spacious than a normal bus. They often have “hoods” attached to the seats that you can pull over your head to block out some of the light and to give you some privacy.
These buses will stop at rest areas on the highway so you can go to the bathroom or buy some snacks or drinks.
Highway buses usually require reservations made at least one month in advance so plan accordingly.
This is a good website to use for making reservations; Kosoku bus. Here you can see the prices from all the different bus companies.
Willer Express is one of my favorite over night buses. Their buses are pretty comfortable and their service is reliable.
Budget Travel Japan Idea #10: Discount Airlines
If you really must fly, then fly for the cheapest price possible.
Buying far in advance is always a great way to reduce the price of a plane ticket, but here are some airline companies that offer cheaper than average prices. The following airline companies are the top discount airlines in Japan.
(The Yen Pincher is not affaliated with these airlines in anyway. This is just a list of the discount airlines in Japan)
Because they are discount airlines, they usually don’t have any in-flight services. Though they do have food and drink for purchase on the plane.
- Japan`s Discount Airlines
Skymark Airlines They have one of the most extensive flight route networks of all the discount airlines in Japan. They have one of the best luggage policies.
Peach Aviation They have a great route network as well. They were also the first true low-cost airlines to be introduced in Japan. Their prices are usually really low, but be careful of hidden fees. They have a very strict luggage policy, so keep that in mind as well.
Vanilla Air This airlines is almost the same as Peach Aviation. IN fact they will be incorporated into Peach Aviation in 2020. Decent network, but strict luggage policy and they also like to try to get you with hidden fees.
Jetstar Japan Jetstar is one of my favorites. It has a good route network and they have pretty good service. They are pretty strict with luggage though, so make sure you know the size and weight of your bags.
Air Do They don’t have a very big route network, but they do have good airfare. They are also less strict about luggage than the other airlines. If they fly to where you want to go, they will most likely be the cheapest option.
Bonus tip for traveling in Japan
Download and use this app!
This is a really good app to download on iOS or Android. Search for “Japan Travel” in your app store and this should be one of the first apps listed.
This app can be used for figuring out what buses or trains to use. It will also have updates about delays or cancellations. The interactive railway maps are really useful!
It can even be used to find wi-fi spots, ATMs, tourist information desks and even 100 yen stores!
If you are a traveler with a Japan Rail Pass, this app can optimize your routes with Rail Pass eligible buses and trains.
All in all, this is a useful app to have. Even if you have lived in Japan for a long time, this app can be very helpful.
