How We Made Japan Affordable as a Family of Six

Before we visited Japan, I was honestly a little nervous about the cost.

Everyone talks about how amazing Japan is (and it absolutely is), but they also talk about how expensive it can be.

As a family of six, that's something we always have to think about.

The good news? Japan ended up being far more affordable than I expected.

Don't get me wrong, you can absolutely spend a fortune there if you want to. But we found plenty of ways to experience the best of Japan without constantly reaching for our wallets.

If you're planning a family trip to Japan, here are some of the things that worked well for us.

Stay Near a Train Station (Trust Me on This One)

One of the best decisions we made was booking accommodation close to a train station.

The train stations were so convenient and we were glad that we chose accommodation near them

When you're looking at accommodation online, it can be tempting to save $20 or $30 a night by staying a little further out. But once you're travelling with tired kids, shopping bags, backpacks, and the occasional child who suddenly "can't walk anymore", that saving disappears pretty quickly.

Being close to a station made our entire trip easier.

It meant we could pop back to the apartment during the day if we needed a break, and we weren't spending extra money on taxis because everyone was exhausted.

If you're trying to decide between two properties, I'd almost always choose the one closer to the station. Luckily, Japan is incredibly well connected and there are train stations everywhere.

Apartments Were Worth Their Weight in Gold

As a family of six, this was probably our biggest money-saving strategy.

We simply can't afford to eat out for every meal when we're travelling for extended periods. When booking a hotel, adding breakfast can blow the budget very quickly.

So whenever possible, we booked apartments with a kitchenette. Nothing fancy. A fridge, microwave, kettle and small cooktop were enough.

Most mornings started with cereal, fruit and toast.

Many dinners were noodles with chicken and vegetables, or something simple we picked up from the supermarket.

I know that doesn't sound particularly glamorous, but I'd much rather save money on breakfast and spend it on experiences later in the day.

Having somewhere to store milk, snacks and leftovers also made travelling with children so much easier.

Everyone Talks About Convenience Stores, But Supermarkets Are Where the Savings Are

these little car bento boxes are sure to be a hit with the kids.. they were only about $5AUD each and the car makes a great souvenier also.

The convenience stores in Japan really are fantastic. There isn't much you can't get from them, and the prices are reasonable. A smoothie, for example, cost around 350 yen, and a frappe was a similar price. If we needed to grab a quick lunch, I would usually pay around $25–30 to feed our family.

Our kids loved trying different drinks, snacks and desserts, and honestly, they're much better than convenience stores back home.

But if you're trying to keep costs down, supermarkets are your best friend.

We bought most of our groceries, fruit, yoghurt, drinks and simple meals from local supermarkets. Not only were they cheaper, but there was usually a much bigger range.

One thing I started doing was saving nearby supermarkets into Google Maps as soon as we arrived somewhere new.

It sounds simple, but when you're tired and hungry after a day of sightseeing, already knowing where the nearest supermarket is can save a lot of stress.

The Evening Discount Stickers Became My Favourite Thing

This probably says more about me than it should.

Many supermarkets start discounting fresh meals, sushi, bakery items and prepared foods later in the day.

At first, I thought there must be a catch.

There wasn't.

The food was perfectly fine; it simply needed to be sold that day.

A few times we picked up dinner for a fraction of the normal price. It was already cooked and just needed heating at home. We also grabbed sushi and onigiri for the next day's lunches. The locals do this too, so you need to be quick, but don't worry—it's all very civil.

As a mum trying to stretch a travel budget, spotting those discount stickers started feeling like a competitive sport.

This Is Your Permission to Skip Disney

We did Disneyland when we were a family of 3. Hannah was 1 and doesn’t remember a thing, I remember paying $10 for small hotdog… and that was back in 2014… no thanks! …. I can only image what the price is for food now in Disneyland... We will do Disney another time, when we can afford it, it is not the season at the moment and that is perfectly okay.

I know this might sound controversial.

Disneyland is amazing.

DisneySea looks incredible.

Universal Studios is fantastic.

But they're also expensive (and really crowded—you are literally paying to line up all day... just saying).

If they fit your budget, wonderful.

But if they don't, please don't feel guilty.

I think social media sometimes makes parents feel like they need to do every major attraction for their children to have a good holiday.

The reality is that some of our kids' favourite memories had absolutely nothing to do with the occasional expensive attraction we managed to afford while travelling.

They loved riding trains and copying the announcements over the loudspeaker in Japanese.

They loved collecting stamps. On that note, remember to bring a little keepsake book. There are stamp stations at many of Japan's tourist attractions, both big and small, and the stamps themselves are often beautiful works of art.

They loved playgrounds.

They loved trying strange snacks from the supermarket.

They loved watching daily life unfold around them. Heck, even spotting the gorgeous artwork on the manhole covers became a highlight.

Japan is magical even without the big-ticket attractions.

Don't Overlook the Museums

One thing that really surprised us was how good the museums were—and how many there were.

As a homeschooling mum, worldschooling my kids, you don’t need to twist my arm to go to a museum… there are some fantastic options in Japan, so many are futuristic and interactive, quite different to the ones we have available at home.

In Osaka alone there are some wonderfully quirky museums, from collections dedicated to piggy banks through to highly interactive science and technology centres.

Japan does interactive learning exceptionally well.

Some of our children's favourite experiences were museums and science centres, and many of them were either free or very affordable.

As homeschooling parents, we absolutely loved this.

I've actually put together a separate list of our favourite museums in Japan because there were simply too many to include in this post.

Check Daiso Before Buying Souvenirs

If your kids are anything like ours, they'll want to bring something home.

Before spending a fortune in tourist shops, check out Daiso.

We found puzzles, stationery, gifts, craft supplies and all sorts of Japanese-themed items for a fraction of the price.

The kids were just as excited about many of their Daiso finds, and it's so nice being able to say "yes" when they really want something because it's actually affordable.

The Second-Hand Stores Were a Huge Surprise

This was something we weren't expecting.

Throughout Japan we kept finding second-hand stores filled with Pokémon merchandise, Nintendo items, plush toys and collectables.

It was fun to look at the plush toys in the Pokemon store, but we just could never justify paying those prices. We saw so many similar to these in the seconds shop for a fraction of the price.

The condition was often excellent, and the prices were significantly cheaper than many of the official stores.

In fact, for Maddie's birthday we bought her a Sylvanian Families dollhouse. We'd visited the official Sylvanian store in Tokyo and admired all the beautiful displays, but the price tags were well beyond our budget.

Then we stumbled across a dollhouse in a second-hand store for just $30.

And it got even better.

When Maddie opened it on her ninth birthday (definite mum win), the box was full of furniture, accessories and even extra characters. She was absolutely delighted, definitely well over $400AUD of value, and all in perfect condition .

We actually saw the same dollhouse in several other second-hand stores during our time in Japan, so it definitely wasn't a once-off lucky find.

There were also plenty of video games and collectables available for a fraction of what you'd pay in official stores.

If your children are Pokémon fans, I'd definitely check the second-hand stores before heading straight to the Pokémon Centre.

You might be surprised what you find.

Slow Travel Saved Us Money (And Our Sanity)

One of the biggest mistakes I see families make is trying to fit too much into one trip.

Japan is bigger than many people realise.

Rather than constantly moving accommodation, we preferred staying longer in one location and taking day trips.

Osaka was fantastic for this.

Accommodation was generally more affordable than many of the surrounding destinations, and we still had easy access to Kyoto, Nara and Kobe.

Not only did we spend less money on transport, but everyone was less tired as well.

Timing Matters More Than People Realise

If you're flexible with your travel dates, it can make a huge difference.

School holidays, Golden Week and peak cherry blossom season can push accommodation prices up significantly.

You need to ask yourself and your kids: do we really need to see the cherry blossoms this year, or could we leave that for a future trip when the kids are older and might appreciate it more?

Sometimes waiting can save a lot of money.

We also found weekdays much more enjoyable for sightseeing because attractions were generally less crowded.

The only exception was museums and science centres, where you'll often find local school groups visiting during the week. It wasn't a big deal for us, but just expect it to be a little louder.

Final Thoughts

One of the biggest lessons Japan taught me was that travel doesn't need to be expensive to be memorable.

When I think about our time there, I don't immediately think about attractions.

I think about discounted supermarket dinners.

The kids choosing strange snacks.

Finding an incredible playground.

Pulling out Google Maps in the morning and deciding which district we were going to get completely lost in that day, wondering what we might discover.

Watching trains come and go.

Laughing at how loud and windy the stations could be.

The simple moments ended up being the ones we remember most.

So if you're worried about the cost of Japan, don't let that stop you.

With a little planning, a willingness to slow down, and realistic expectations, Japan can be an incredibly affordable destination for families.

And honestly?

I think that's part of what makes it so special.

If you're dreaming about Japan but worried about the cost, feel free to reach out. We're always happy to share what worked for our family and help other families make their Japan adventures a reality.