Just realized my total food spend in Tokyo was under $100 for a full week

I was going over my trip notes and added up every single yen I spent on food. It came to 14,800 yen, which is about $94. I did this by eating one big meal a day from a local supermarket around 4pm, when they start marking down the bento boxes and sushi packs. I'd get a full meal for 300-400 yen, then just snack on cheap fruit and onigiri from 7-Eleven the rest of the day. I stayed in a hostel with a kitchen, so I could heat things up. It mattered because I always thought Japan was too expensive to visit, but this hack let me stay longer and see more. Has anyone else found a specific supermarket or discount time that worked in another city?

3 comments

3 Comments

king.aaron3mo ago

My hostel in Shinjuku was next to a Seiyu supermarket that did 50% off sushi after 7pm. I lived on that and 100 yen onigiri from FamilyMart, which left me enough money for a proper bowl of ramen at least every other day. The discount bento hunt became its own fun daily ritual, and I still got to try plenty of real local food. Isn't the point of travel to make it work for your own budget and style?

luna_craig583mo ago

That's a smart way to save money, but honestly, it sounds like a rough way to experience Tokyo. The food is a huge part of the culture there. Missing out on ramen shops, izakayas, and even cheap conveyor belt sushi feels like missing the point. Saving on lodging to spend on food seems like a better trade-off to me.

rosed321mo ago

The 4pm bento markdown at Life supermarket in Shibuya was my go-to, got a decent katsu curry bowl for 350 yen most days. I see where luna's coming from but I actually felt more connected to Tokyo doing the supermarket thing, watching what real locals pick up for their dinners. I still splurged on a 1000 yen bowl of tsukemen twice that week, and those meals felt way more special because I wasn't eating them every single day. It's not about missing out, it's about stretching your trip so you can afford to stay longer and see more, which is why I got to spend an extra three days in Kamakura.