Three budget levels
Where to eat cheap — and well
Gyudon chains
Yoshinoya, Sukiya and Matsuya are gyudon chains — rice with beef in sauce. A meal costs ¥400–600 and fills you up. Often open 24/7. No shame in eating there — locals do too. Sukiya has the best curry version.
Standing ramen and soba
Below and around stations you'll find tachigui restaurants — stand and eat. Ramen or soba costs ¥400–700. Fast, cheap, often surprisingly good. Look for signs reading "立ち食い".
Depachika at lunch
The basement floors of major department stores (Isetan, Takashimaya, Mitsukoshi) are food halls — depachika. At lunch, bento boxes sell for ¥600–1,200 and the quality is high. Far better than a tourist restaurant at the same price.
Free things in Tokyo
Tokyo has a surprising amount that's free. Temples and shrines are generally free (Senso-ji, Meiji Shrine). All parks are free. Major department stores have free rooftop terraces. Shibuya Sky and Tokyo Skytree cost money, but Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building in Shinjuku is a completely free observation deck on the 45th floor — open until evening.
Hidden costs — what you don't always expect
Otoshi: Mandatory starter charge at izakayas, ¥300–600 per person — see izakaya guide.
Cash: Many places don't take cards — smaller restaurants, temples, markets. Always keep ¥3,000–5,000 cash on you.
Coin lockers: Station storage lockers cost ¥300–700/day. Worth it if you don't want to carry everything all day.
Day trips add up: Day trips (Kamakura, Nikko, Hakone) cost surprisingly much in train fares — budget an extra ¥2,000–5,000 for day-trip days.