What and Where to Eat in Japan

One of the things I regret not having experienced during my Hong Kong trip years back was the local food. So in my succeeding travels, I always made sure to sample out the dishes that are popular to the locals of that country. Since I also love Japanese food, I made sure to make a list of things to try out and cross out all that we were able to sample. I thought of sharing the list, and a couple of comments and suggestions follow:

Ramen

Okonomiyaki

Udon

Sushi Onigiri

Yuba

Cold Soba Yakisoba

Tempura

Gyoza

Yokan

Taiyaki

Soft Cream

Kakigori

Wagyu

Sake Matcha Tea

Yakitori

Kobe Beef

Takoyaki Tonkatsu Karaage

There are a lot of places to sample Japan's delicious food. It depends on what food you would like to taste.

Ramen is one of the most common food for Japanese, so we opted to try this out first. For Ramen, we went to DARUMANOME (だるまのめ) in Akihabara. We were ignorant of how they ordered so we just entered the place and raised our hand to order, but the food is usually ordered through a machine located in front of the restaurant. Then a slip of paper will be printed after you have selected your order and this is what you will present when you get inside. Aside from Ramen, we also tried out their Gyoza. It's so different from what we have here in the Philippines. (Gyoza in PH usually makes me burp afterwards). It kind of tasted like pot stickers in TW. And of course, we topped in with that one huge glass of Coke! All these is priced at 1,150 Yen. The serving is huge so it's already good for two.

Next to Ramen in the noodle craze is soba. We tried one in Shibuya and one in Chiyoda.

Cold Soba with Vegetable Tempura

&

Cold Soba with Squid Tempura

Soba dipped in egg and spices with Beef Strips

We paired this soba with

Karaage

Alcohol-Free Suntory Beer

Another type of noodle that's famous in Japan is Udon. We got to try this out as part of a set in a restaurant in the airport, before we depart for home. It was part of a really affordable set with nigiri sushi. We also added another order of salmon sashimi, and free matcha tea.

Tsukiji Market is the best place to go to if you want to have sushi and all kinds of fresh seafood. Contrary to what I have researched over the internet, food in Tsukiji isn't so expensive after all. You just need to know where to go. We had the following in Tsukiji:

Grilled Oyster

Egg on Stick

Grilled Scallops with Sea Urchin

Nigiri Sushi

Freshly blended Grapefruit Juice

For the Nigiri Sushi Platter, we had it at the second store in the long line of places to eat. I don't know the name but below is a picture of the store. The sellers in this place are very friendly. The Sushi is also affodable. The whole platter is priced at 1,100 and comes with miso soup and free tea.

Now, if you're up for light snacks and sweets of various kinds, you can try Takeshita Street in Harajuku, Shibuya. It's one long street full of fun, colorful, and yummy treats for your tastebuds.

Gelato Strawberry Chocolate and Cream Crepe from SweetBox

Cotton Candy from Totti Candy Factory

Zaku Zaku Croquant Chou

ザクザク

(This is heavenly! Seriously. It's crunchy on the outside, with a filling that oozes right into your mouth with every bite! And the sweetness is just right ~ not lacking and not too much. It's a cream puff unlike any other!)

Cheese Sticks from Lotteria

Potarico Salad Fries from Calbee

Gindaco Takoyaki

(located not really in Takeshita Street but just a few blocks away)

Other sweets and snacks we have tried are the following from our tour in Mt. Fuji and Hakone:

Melon Pan and Coffee

Soft Creme in Choco Mint Flavor (above picture)

and Matcha Flavor (below picture)

Also from Asakusa, you can check these snacks out:

(don't know the name but it's round-shape and very sticky)

Asakusa Kagetsudo Honten Peach Pie

(We were ordering the cream cheese pie but it’s already sold out!)

During our tour in Mt. Fuji, we stopped by Yamanashi prefecture and had our lunch set at below restaurant. It was a quiet place with a really nice view of Lake Kawaguchiko.

Lunch Set is served!

from top left to right Salad, Shrimp and Vegetable Tempira, Chicken Teriyaki, Hoto (flat Udon noodles and vegetables in miso soup), Tofu, Rice, Raddish and Plum sides, and Yokan.

For yakitori and beer, Piss Alley is the way to go. But since we were very tired the night we were supposed to visit Piss Alley, we just opted to go somewhere nearer our hotel in Shinjuku - Irodori, which is located at 1-17-11 Kabukicho | 2F, Shinjuku 160-0021, Tokyo Prefecture. Note though that they charge 500 Yen per seat. In return, you can feel that you're eating in a real Japanese restaurant, where you had to remove your shoes before entering a small private room that's usually good for 4 people.

Salmon Sahimi

(just because we can't get enough!)

Yakisoba

Yakitori

There's a really good place to east Okonomiyaki in the back streets of Shibuya (with address 3 Chome-20-1 Jingumae, Shibuya, Tokyo 150-0001, Japan), named Sakura Tei さくら亭.  We got to cook on our own, which was very challenging but at the same time a one-of-a-kind experience. They also let you cook your own yakisoba, monjayaki, and more.

MOVIE

If you are on a really tight budget, convenience stores are always there to save you. As advised in my full Japan blog, it is advisable to go to convenience stores for at least one meal each day so you don't hurt your pocket too much. There are 3 main convenience stores - 7 Eleven, Lawson, and Family Mart. There are lots of branches (mostly every corner), and lots of food to try in each one, but we mostly bought different flavors of Onigiri and Maki. These are priced between 100 - 200 Yen.

Oh, in case you'll be travelling with kids who would plead for some fast food, there's also McDonalds, KFC, Shake Shack, etc. in Japan. As part of our travel traditions, we tried out Japan KFC. It did not disappoint, though KFC in Korea and Singapore is still the best for me. A pack of 3 pcs. chicken, 1 pc. Chicken fillet, 1 side of potato mojos, and 1 side of nuggets, with 2 glasses of drinks will cost you 1,600 Yen. 

We spent less than Php10,000 / US$200 / 21,000 Yen for 6 days and 5 nights, with around 3 meals each day. You can even spend less than this because this already includes our special meal of wagyu and kobe beef which is priced a little high because of the kind of beef served. This costs Php 3,980 / US$80 / 8,330Yen, almost half of our total spend on food.

Kobe Beef Karbi @ 5,800 Yen and Wagyu with Side Dishes and Drinks @ 1,500 Yen. Drinks and additional taxes sums it up to 8,330 Yen..

To have a taste of this affordable yet very delicious special beef, head over to No.1 Yakiniku Shabu-shabu Shinjuku Higashiguchi Store / No.1 焼肉しゃぶしゃぶ 新宿東口店 located in 1F FCC Bldg, 1-8-3, Kabuki-cho. Below is a picture of the place, for reference.

Japan Itinerary and Budget

I've been wanting to go to Japan for years now, but was always held back by the budget most of my friends are quoting. But with a number of articles shared over Facebook, and a short notice promo by Cebu Pacific, I just decided to give it a try, finally see what the buzz is all about and put a more realistic budget from my personal actual experience in Japan.

Below is our planned Japan Itinerary:

DAY 1
Arrival in Narita Airport
Travel to Hotel (Kabukicho Area, Shinjuku)
Check-in at Hotel
Travel to Asakusa (See Senso-ji Temple, See Geisha in Kannoura Treet [at the back of the temple], Nakamise Shopping Street, Sumida Park or Kototoi Bridge to take pictures of Tokyo Skytree)
Travel to Akihabara (Tokyo Anime Center, Electric Town)

DAY 2
Travel to Chuo
Watch Sumo Wrestlers' practice at Arashio Beya Stable
Tour around Tsukiji Fish Market
Hamarikyu Gardens
Shopping in Ginza (Uniqlo, Matsumoto Kiyoshi, Dover Street Market, Tokyu Hands, Mitsukoshi, Shiseido)
Travel to Chiyoda
Hibiya Park
Imperial Palace
Travel to Minato
Tokyo Tower

DAY 3
Travel to Shibuya
Meiji Shrine
Yoyogi Park
Takeshita Street
Owl Cafe & Bar
Hachiko Memorial Status
Shibuya Crosswalk

DAY 4
Train to Keio Plaza
Viator Tour
Mt. Fuji Fifth Station
Lake Ashi
Hakone Ropeway
Shinkansen Train

DAY 5
Samurai Museum
Ninja Trick House
Piss Alley
Shinuku Gyoen National Garden
Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building (to view Mt. Fuji come at dusk to catch the sunset and the city burst into neon-lit action)

DAY 6
Shop for gifts and souvenirs
Travel back to Airport


Below is a summary of our expenses, which is actually a bit high:
CEB Roundtrip Airfare 6,816
VISA Application Fee      950
Travel Tax                      1,620
Accommodation           12,638.72
Load                               1,497.50
Entrance Fees, Tours      9,064.45
Transportation                3,872.46
Food                               9,757.78   

Total of 46,216.91

TIPS:
Below are some tips to make the most out of your trip in Japan, money-wise, time-wise, and energy-wise.

• Plan your trip - I know that some people do not like having itineraries, but you will save a lot by planning your trip and spending consecutive days in places within reach by the Tokyo Metro and Toei Subway. Buy the 72-hour Tokyo Metro and Toei Subway pass, which only costs 1,500 Yen / Php 715 / US$14. This, however, is not available in Tokyo Stations, and can only be bought in the Narita Airport.
• The train stations are huge. Though some stations are connected, some will still take a lot of walking to get to the exit or to transfer lines. If available, use the elevators available in each station. Note however, than in some stations, you may need to ride more than one elevator because you need to tap out before transferring.
• Learn about the different types of train passes. Tickets are sold through machines. You can choose English as a language first so you can understand what you are about to press :p Then, understand that there are different train lanes and different passes. The 3 day pass mentioned is not available in these machines so it's already out of the picture. The Tokyo Metro line is comprised of Ginza Line, Marunouchi Line, Hibiya Line, Tozai Line, Chiyoda Line, Yurakucho Line, Hanzomon Line, Namboku Line, and Fukutoshin Line. The Toei Subway has the Asakusa Line, Mita Line, Shinjuku Line, and Oedo Line. Living in the area of Shinjuku and going to different districts each day, we were able to ride on all lines except those in red fonts. So we were really able to maximize it! The 1 day pass for both lines cost 900 Yen. Take note that it's a one day pass (based on the date) and not a 24-hour pass (which starts counting the moment you use the ticket and valid for 24 hours) like the one available for Tokyo Metro Line only.
• If you are not delicate about sleeping terms and sharing comfort rooms and shower rooms with others, you can save a lot by choosing capsule as your accommodation, or even hotel rooms with common CR.
• Spend on your lunch, have dinner at convenience stores. Convenience stores offer a wide choice of satisfying but inexpensive food. Having more during lunch works in two ways ~ (1) some restaurants become more expensive at night (based on my net search lunch and dinner prices shown for the same restaurant are different, not sure though if it's only for some places that charge a seating fee) and  (2) you'll be needing much of the energy as you tour around anyway.
• Japan has potable water. You can drink straight from the faucet, which is a no-no in the Philippines. Instead of buying bottled water, which is quite expensive for me (500ml costs around 100 Yen), you can opt to bring your own jug and just fill it up before going out
• Internet seems necessary. You cannot download Japan's map. And map seems necessary when travelling in Japan. The public WIFI internet is a bit slow. We opt to get Globe's roaming data services which is at Php 599 per day, which is one of the reasons our expenses is a bit high. You can actually buy a sim or rent an internet stick. There are different choices in the airport, and they are all way cheaper than what Globe or even Smart if offering.
• If possible, buy your gifts and souvenirs in a single purchase. A number of stores offer Tax Free items, but with a minimum of 5,000 Yen.
• Some stores inside the airport offer tax free items, without any minimum purchase
• Below are some of the items I believe you should buy in Japan as they are cheaper: Shiseido, Casio, Seiko, Uniqlo, Royce