Budget Travel to Japan

Japan has the reputation of being an expensive travel destination. The truth, many visitors are surprised that their trip turned out to be reasonably within budget. You can save money by following some simple budget travel tips. Transportation
If possible, confine your trip to one region to avoid long distance domestic travel costs. However, if you have to do multiple regions on a single trip, consider different transportation options.
1. Japan Rail Pass - for unlimited, nationwide travel for 7, 14 or 21 consecutive days.
2. Japan Bus Pass - overnight trips will save you a night's hotel stay.
3. Package Tours - heavily discounted packages will save both transportation and hotel costs
4. Hitchhiking - is slowly gaining popularity in Japan.
5. Rental Bicycles - hourly or daily rates available Budget Accommodation
1. Hostels & Backpacker Dorms - from $20-40/person
2. Ryokan and Minshukus - are Japanese-style inns and B&Bs respectively, beginning at $40/person without meals, up to $124/person with meals
3. Capsule Hotels - cater mostly to men, but there are some women-only or gender segregated capsules. Rates range from $31-62/person.
4. 24-Hour Baths - for $25-40/person, some of these places are gender segregated and provide rooms for visitors to rest overnight.
5. Camping - allowed only on designated campgrounds, up to $13/tent if you bring your own tent.
Food
1. Choose a travel package that includes meals.
2. Make lunch your main meal. Most Japanese restaurants offer teishoku or cheap set menus for as low as US$13 during the lunch hours. Bento or lunch boxes cost as little as US$7.
It is fair to say that if you don't plan your trip well, it is likely that any place will be expensive. With a little careful planning, a budget trip to Japan is quite achievable.