Japan is rich in variety of dishes and restaurants. As in Brazil, each region has its typical food. While it's great to try new foods, the game can be quite expensive, so choose wisely.
If you want to save money while eating well, just write the names of the restaurants that I will indicate on Google Maps and it will show you the way. Note: the indications will be only for Japanese restaurants.
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The cheapest Japanese restaurants
First comes my favorite restaurant. “Sukiya”! Here you can eat well for just 500円. In addition to being open 24 hours, it has a well-diversified menu that basically consists of rice with meat on top, either beef or pork. There is also the option to eat curry and even dishes with eel.
You can eat for an entire week without getting sick. There is a competitor to "Sukiya" called "Yoshinoya", same style, same prices, just the seasoning that is slightly different. And the best part is that there are always these restaurants in city centers scattered all over Japan, it's quite easy to find anywhere. Note: Sukiya has a menu in English.
In addition to the 2 gyudon restaurants mentioned, you can find thousands of small places written Udon or Soba throughout Japan. These restaurants often serve soba, udon, and tempura for a very low price. There are specific chains, but there are thousands of restaurants that serve udon and soba, just identify them by writing うどん or そば.
Restaurants to eat cheap sushi in Japan
If you want to eat sushi, then here is a list of the cheapest sushi restaurants in Japan. “Sushiro”, “Kappa Sushi” and “Hamazushi”. All 3 are quite similar in terms of the menu and prices, each dish usually comes with two sushis inside and costs 108 円.
It's a good deal to try different types of sushi, paying reasonably little. The only problem is that they are not always easily accessible. All 3 restaurants mentioned have a menu in English. Orders are made on an electronic device.
Different types of sushi - Complete guide
Cheap ramen restaurants in Japan
If you want to eat Lamen, then just look for cheesy Lamen restaurants. The more cheesy, the cheaper. If you write らーめん or ラーメン on Google maps, there will be many options and the best thing is that the restaurants are rated in the app, the more stars, the better.
Kogashi ramen - The noodles that catch fire
Ramen - Discover and learn your recipe
Note: most do not have a menu in English, but they do have pictures of the dishes.
Tips for eating cheap in Japan
If you want to eat typical Japanese food at half price, just go to the restaurants between 11 am and 2 pm, as long as it is Monday to Friday. Here in Japan there is the ランチタイム (lunchtime) scheme. At this time, restaurants lower their prices to attract more customers.
If you want to eat something different, try it. Just look for a sign outside the restaurant saying ランチタイム and enter without fear of being happy. Note: a lunch can cost between 600 and 1800 yen, it all depends on the food.
Remember that many restaurants provide coupons or discounts through the QR code of Line. I hope you enjoyed these tips, but it's not over yet, we have another article talking about how to spend less on food in Japan, you can read it by clicking here.
This article highlights other interesting places like street food, convenience stores, and typical, inexpensive dishes like nikuman, gyoza, takoyaki, okonomiyaki, and yakitori. If you search for these foods on Google Maps you will find many cheap restaurants.
You can also save money by buying obento (ready meals) or by purchasing food and drinks directly from a supermarket, which is often much cheaper than the traditional and convenient convenience stores.
This article was based on the text of our book "Se dando bem no Japão" written by my friend Rodrigo Pedraça. You can download it for free by registering your email in the field found at the beginning of the articles on the entire site.
I hope you enjoyed the article and the tips, if you liked it, share it and leave your comments.