Backpacking in Japan

Japan has a well-deserved reputation as being an expensive place.  And most backpackers think of it as cost-prohibitive.  My experience is that Japan need not cost more than some of the cheapest countries in the world- if you know how to do it right.  So, here is my little guide to traveling Japan on the cheap.

Transportation:

Japan has a well-deserved reputation as being an expensive place. And most backpackers think of it as cost-prohibitive. My experience is that Japan need not cost more than some of the cheapest countries in the world- if you know how to do it right.

The bargain for most tourists is the Japan Railways Pass that only foreigner tourists can purchase and use.  It is a great bargain for mid and upscale tourists, with unlimited usage of the Shinkansen bullet train.

But, if you really want to go on the cheap you need a zero cost transportation option.  And, for that you have two categories: bicycle/rollerblade/walk and hitchhike.  I usually hitchhike long distances and rollerblade short ones.  For me, it is a winning combination.

Hitchhiking is really, really, really safe in Japan.  For men and women alike.  The Japanese are too busy killing themselves to kill others.   Ok, sorry, bad joke, but there is some true in the connection.  The Japanese have suicide in their culture as a way to show that they meant no harm to others, that they didn’t intend to be selfish when a mistake is made.  With that mentality, the last thing they would do is intentionally harm others.

A typical hitchhike experience starts with me copying the kanji (Chinese characters) for the place I am heading onto a scrap piece of cardboard found at one of the 7-11s on EVERY corner... almost.  I travel with a fat black marker to make this happen.  Often, by the time I am done copying out the kanji some curious Japanese who watched me write it offers to either drive me there, or to take me to the best place to get a ride there.  If they are doing a hand-off of me, which is common, they’ll drive me to a gas station along the highway, approach one of the drivers, tell them the story, and help me load up into the new car.

Once I am with my driver, I am the guest for the next 2 or 8 hours.  They treat me to tea and ice cream, food and drinks.  If we are driving by something that they deem worthy of my foreign eyes, they will stop, and wait, as I walk up the hill, explore the temple, or the like.  They pay for all of my entrance fees, including one time even a cable car up to the top of a volcano on the island of Kyushu.

In the end, they’ll either invite me to stay at their home for a night or two, or they’ll drop me off wherever I please.

They thank me, having much gratitude for having a little experience with a foreigner, and an opportunity to give.  Sometimes they speak a few words of English, sometimes nothing.

Lodging:

The normal low budget options in Japan are hostels, minshuku (bed and breakfasts), and capsule hotels.  Personally, I’ve never tried the hostels.  But, the other two options are great.  I love the experiences.  But, with that said, spending money on your lodging makes your Japan journey expense.  Therefore, I do two things: sleep in “people’s” homes and camp.

Sleeping in people’s homes is a broad category.  It can be the person who picks you up while hitching.  It can be friends that you may already have over there.  It can even be new friends and romantic interests.  Romantic interests, by the way, tend to be the most comfortable in my experience, as you feel most welcomed, and are taken care of with the most loving attention.  The norm is waking up to the smell of bacon on the stove, and being served a delicious breakfast in bed- with love.

But, the lodging that one should expect to rely upon to save those yen is the tent.  In Japan, tents can be erected without hassles most anywhere.  I’ve put up my tent in Central Park in Tokyo and Sapporo.  In Nagoya I’ve set up downtown along with the five-star homeless guys (who work part-time, have lots of money for food and drink, but don’t want to get caught in the hassles and burdens of being a “normal” homeowner or renter or full-time worker).

I’ve never had a single night that camping wasn’t easy to do.  Often camping means having the freedom to be on the beach, in the mountains, and, my absolute favorite, right next to the hot springs.

Hot springs in Japan require nakedness, and it is a special morning when you roll out of your tent, make your way 20 feet over to the hot spring naked, and soak your body in hot water.  I can never get enough of flirting with the cute, naked Japanese girls by day, and drinking sake and being vulgar with the full-body tatood Yakuza by night.

Food:

This is the last of the big three travel expenses: transportation, lodging, and food.  And in Japan, this is the only category that I tend to consistently spend on.  So, my food purchases tends to be my total travel budge.  Food can be frightfully expensive in Japan in the snazzy, big-city restaurants.  But, if you are looking for a simple donburi (rice bowl) it should cost no more than $5-10 USD.  So, simple foods can be had for $15-30 per day, at simple restaurants.  Not a bad budge for travel.  I never saw the need to compromise, and dip below the $30 food allowance.

For those who aren’t as attached to their food as I am, there is a cheap option- ramen.  Ramen are noodles, that often come in some kind of disposable container.  They can be bought at 7-11 for maybe around $1.  Simply add the hot water from the store, and there you’ve got a $1 meal.  Supplement it with some Japanese snacks, or a rice ball with tuna or salmon- which will cost you another dollar- and you’ve got a $2 meal.

Conclusion:

So, using the above advice, you could travel in Japan for as little as $3 per day.  In the cheapest of countries, these days it is hard to get by on $3 per day for room, food, and transport- although it is possible.

Japan is a simply amazing country- from the Northern island of Hokkaido all the way down to the tropical islands close to Ishigaki- a stone’s throw from Taiwan and the Philippines.  Enjoy yourself!