How to Live Thrifty While in Japan
Living on a student’s budget can be challenging especially when studying abroad. There are many things to consider when taking into consideration your daily expenses as a student. Japan can be quite an expensive country to live in especially if you don’t know how to spend wisely. Especially if you live in Tokyo, which is considered to be one of the most expensive cities to reside in the whole world. It would also be helpful to know the best places for affordable eats, how to save when using public transportation to get around, bargain shopping and other tips on living thrifty while in Japan.
KCP students on a classroom break enjoying the natural scenery of Japan.
Budgeting on food
Everyone needs to eat. Meals may or may not be included in your study abroad fees depending on what living arrangements you choose. Budgeting your meal allowance doesn’t necessarily having to eat food that doesn’t taste good or food that may be unhealthy for you. If cooking is not an option, there are several places to get delicious, healthy and affordable meals in Tokyo. Some of the places to get budget eats are at convenience stores, mall depachikas, vending machines and the like. You’ll never go hungry in Japan if you be smart in knowing where to get cheap eats.
KCP students having unlimited gyoza at Shibuya Gyoza restaurant.
Public transportation
Japan’s public transportation is a great way to get around. Tokyo’s train and subway system is a series of reliable, convenient, and comfortable network of state of the art carriages that can get you around the city and even out of it in hardly any time at all. You can get a suica travel pass which work all across Japan. This will save you time on thinking of what kind of ticket to purchase. You can also use the cards to pay for items from vending machines and at shops. Japan’s bus system can be useful to get to some areas the train or subway can’t get to. Bus fares are cheap and you can even use Pasmo/Suica contact-less payment cards.
KCP students visiting a shrine in Japan.
Sight see for free
Tokyo is a favorite tourist destination and a prominent financial, shopping, and entertainment hub. It is also a haven for Japanese history and tradition. Even if Tokyo is an expensive city, you can still experience so many of what it has to offer on a tight budget. There are places to visit for free when travelling to Japan such as the Imperial Gardens, Harajuku, Odaiba and so much more.
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