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The cheapest restaurant chains in Japan: where to eat well on a budget
Eating well in Japan does not mean spending a lot of money. Across the country, affordable restaurant chains serve filling, tasty meals for a few hundred yen. They are everywhere, fast, reliable, and perfect for travelers watching their budget.
Here are the best cheap restaurant chains in Japan that I personally recommend.
🍚 Yoshinoya – Japan’s Famous Beef Bowl Chain
One of the most famous gyudon (beef bowl) chains in Japan, Yoshinoya serves a simple yet flavorful dish: thinly sliced beef simmered in a sweet-savory sauce, served over rice. It’s fast, filling, and super affordable, making it a go-to option for budget-conscious travelers.
📍 Locations: Nationwide 💰 Price range: ¥400-¥700
🥢 Sukiya – More Than Just Beef Bowls
Similar to Yoshinoya, Sukiya is another popular gyudon chain, but with a more diverse menu. In addition to classic beef bowls, they offer curry rice, donburi (rice bowls), and breakfast sets. The food is cheap, served fast, and available 24/7 in many locations.
📍 Locations: Nationwide 💰 Price range: ¥350-¥800
Katsuya is one of the best cheap tonkatsu (breaded pork cutlet) chains in Japan. They serve crispy, golden-fried pork cutlets with rice, miso soup, and shredded cabbage. The menu also includes katsudon (pork cutlet with egg over rice) and curry katsu (tonkatsu with Japanese curry), making it a top choice for a satisfying, budget-friendly meal.
📍 Locations: Nationwide 💰 Price range: ¥500-¥900
🍝 Saizeriya – Japan’s Favorite Cheap Italian Restaurant
For cheap pasta, pizza, and Western-style dishes, Saizeriya is the best option. This Italian-Japanese fusion chain is loved for its extremely low prices, with most meals costing under ¥500. Perfect for a casual sit-down meal!
📍 Locations: Nationwide 💰 Price range: ¥300-¥700
🍣 Cheap Sushi Chains: Sushiro, Kappa Sushi, Hamazushi, Kurazushi
Who said sushi had to be expensive? Conveyor belt sushi (kaitenzushi) chains like Sushiro, Kappa Sushi, Hamazushi, and Kurazushi offer fresh sushi starting at just ¥100 per plate. These chains use a conveyor belt system, letting you grab whatever looks tasty, or you can order from a touch screen for freshly made sushi.
📍 Locations: Nationwide 💰 Price range: ¥100-¥250 per sushi plate
🍜 Marugame Seimen – Cheap and Fresh Udon Noodles
For freshly made udon noodles, Marugame Seimen is unbeatable. Their self-service system lets you choose your type of udon, then add tempura, onigiri, or rice bowls on the side. The noodles are thick, chewy, and made fresh daily, making this one of the best-value meals in Japan.
📍 Locations: Nationwide 💰 Price range: ¥290-¥800
🍛 CoCo Ichibanya – Japan’s Best Cheap Curry Chain
For Japanese curry lovers, CoCo Ichibanya is a must-try. You can customize your curry rice dish by choosing your spice level, toppings, and portion size. Whether you prefer crispy katsu (pork cutlet) or vegetable curry, the prices remain affordable and filling.
📍 Locations: Nationwide 💰 Price range: ¥600-¥1,200
🍤 Tenya – Affordable Tempura Rice Bowls
If you love tempura (battered and deep-fried seafood & vegetables), Tenya offers some of the best cheap tempura bowls in Japan. Their tendon (tempura rice bowl) includes shrimp, fish, and vegetables over rice, served with a flavorful sauce.
📍 Locations: Nationwide 💰 Price range: ¥500-¥800
🍛 Matsuya – Fast and Affordable Japanese Set Meals
Matsuya offers more variety than Yoshinoya and Sukiya, specializing in teishoku (set meals) that include rice, miso soup, and a protein. Their gyudon, grilled beef, and Japanese-style curry are all delicious and reasonably priced. Another perk? No need to order at the counter—most Matsuya locations have ticket vending machines in multiple languages!
📍 Locations: Nationwide 💰 Price range: ¥400-¥900
🥘 Nakau – The Hidden Gem of Cheap Rice Bowls
Nakau is a lesser-known but highly underrated chain serving cheap and tasty rice bowls, including oyakodon (chicken & egg bowl) and gyudon. They also serve udon and Japanese-style curry, making it a great all-around budget dining spot.
📍 Locations: Nationwide 💰 Price range: ¥400-¥800
🥩 Ikinari Steak – Cheap Steak, Japanese Style
If you’re craving steak on a budget, Ikinari Steak serves high-quality beef at reasonable prices. Unlike traditional steakhouses, you order steak by weight, and the meat is grilled fresh to order. It’s a standing-only restaurant in many locations, perfect for a quick and affordable steak meal.
📍 Locations: Nationwide 💰 Price range: ¥1,000-¥2,500
🍽️ Denny’s Japan – More Than Just an American Diner
Unlike its American counterpart, Denny’s Japan serves a mix of Japanese and Western dishes, including hamburg steak, omurice (omelet rice), and traditional teishoku sets. It’s a great family-friendly restaurant with lots of budget-friendly options.
📍 Locations: Nationwide 💰 Price range: ¥600-¥1,200
Plan Your Japan Trip More Easily
If you're going to Jpaan you're probably facing :
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This guide was created to solve that. It helps you understand how places connect, how many days make sense per area, and how to build an itinerary that flows.
With the interactive map, you can explore curated spots across Japan, follow ready-made itineraries and day trips, mix my routes with your own, and adapt everything to your pac
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Marie creator behind @Tabimawari
Hi, I’m Marie, the creator behind @tabimawari.
I lived in Kyoto, learned Japanese, and keep returning to explore Japan beyond the obvious.
Planning a trip to Japan usually breaks at the same point: you save a lot of places, but don’t know how to turn them into a realistic route. Cities are large, distances are not intuitive, and it’s hard to know what actually fits in one day.
This guide was created to solve that. It helps you understand how places connect, how many days make sense per area, and how to build an itinerary that flows.
With the interactive map, you can explore curated spots across Japan, follow ready-made itineraries and day trips, mix my routes with your own, and adapt everything to your pace.
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Marie creator behind @Tabimawari
Hi, I’m Marie.
French islander from Reunion island, Japan lover, and travel planner behind Tabimawari.
I spent a year living in Kyoto, learning Japanese and falling in love with the culture. Since then, I’ve kept going back, exploring every corner from Tokyo to the tiniest hidden towns.
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