My wallet is in a constant state of pain in Japan. I’ve always known I would be a big spender while traveling abroad, but I never predicted the bills to exchange hands so quickly. Fortunately, I’ve saved up accordingly for this trip.
If you ever plan to study abroad in Japan, I recommend creating a budget and giving with a little leeway.
Plan for a lot of wiggle room, especially as an anime fan like me. Prices for anime figures and merchandise are considerably cheaper in Japan than in the U.S.
However, despite the affordable prices, if you aren’t watching your spending, all those little amounts spent here and there can add up.
To avoid this issue, I’ve been going to second-hand stores. Locations such as Book Off and Hard Off are great places in Japan to not only find second-hand anime merchandise but beautiful clothes for slashed prices.
Whereas when I visit Animeito, an anime acrylic stand averages from 1,000-2,000 yen. That’s roughly $6.94 to $13.88 in the U.S.
However, at the second-hand stores I’ve visited, anime figures start as low as 500 yen and average around 1,400 yen, which is roughly $3.47 to $9.72 in the U.S.
Being an anime fan in Japan is like being a kid in a candy shop. A word of warning though: items at official stores or pop-up cafes can be pricier than expected.
For example, a keychain at Donguri, an official Studio Ghibli merchandise store, cost me 1,100 yen ($7.64) which was one of the cheapest items I saw there.
Food at pop-up cafes also tends to err on the pricier side. My meal at the Dr. Stone Cafe in Osaka cost a total of 3,113 yen ($21.65) for food and drink.
That may not seem like a lot, but food is typically much cheaper in Japan than it is in the U.S.
Each day, I set myself a food budget of 1,380 yen ($9.59). With this budget, I can either choose to purchase a set meal for breakfast, lunch and dinner on campus or I can put it towards snacks, drinks and other items at 7/11.
Snacks and drinks are relatively cheap too; soda usually costs about 120 yen ($0.83).
Japan is full of deliciously unique foods at low prices. However, you may need to curb your expectations and change your diet based on what’s available.
Fruit is one of the priciest foods in Japan. From my experience, apples, bananas, grapes and pineapple slices are the easiest to find at low prices. Everything else is a little expensive and I have not seen blueberries or raspberries anywhere.
Transportation is another expense and one that can be surprisingly expensive. However, prices vary wildly based on distance, location, mode of transportation and number of stops, so I don’t think I can give an accurate estimate here.
If you’re ever planning on going to Japan, I would recommend researching train and bus prices beforehand along with routes to be best prepared.
All in all, I’d say shopping, food and transportation are the most important costs to be mindful of when planning a trip to Japan.
When in Japan, remember to budget, but also remember to have fun. That’s the best advice I can give anyone.Liz Curtin can be reached at [email protected].
