This is by no means a cheap destination, but there are ways to keep costs down, from vending-machine restaurants to couchsurfing and capsule hotels
Budget hotels and hostels in Tokyo
The Japan Rail Pass is cost-effective for a week or more of long-distance travels, but if you’re visiting only a couple of cities, investigate the country’s low-cost airlines: they offer extremely competitive fares. Major domestic carriers such as ANA also have discount tickets for overseas visitors. Long-distance buses can be up to half the price of the equivalent route by bullet train. Companies such as Willer Express provide multi-day passes from £67 for three days to £100 for seven days. The cheapest option of all is hitchhiking: as long as you don’t look too scruffy, Japanese drivers are very accommodating of hitchhikers though some basic Japanese is recommended.
Related: Japan on a budget: readers’ travel tips
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