food & drinks

[Anonymous]

I have lived in Japan twice as a exchange student and as a chef at japanese style hotel in both cases i didnt have to worry about buying for food for myself. When i was a exchange student i went to a japanese co-ed boarding school so the cost of food and drinks was covered by the school and when i was a chef we all ate our dinner and breakfast etc... at the hotel.

SO i was wondering how much will i expect to spend on food and drinks for a month? would about 80,000yen cover it?

[Anonymous]

well if your Japanese wife cooks for you it will be cheaper. Where did you find her?

[Anonymous]

I said i dont have a japanese wife just a girlfriend(long-term relationship)

I met her in Kyoto

[Glenski]

Figure on 30,000-40,000 yen/month for groceries.

If you go out twice a week and drink moderately, you will probably spend 30,000-50,000 yen/month on this. Depends a lot on whether you order snacks with your drinks, whether you eat/drink in tabehodai/nomihodai style, whether you miss that last train/subway home and need the taxi that charges double fare after midnight, etc.

[Anonymous]

Thank you. Where in Kyoto?

[Anonymous]

a guest house!

give it up man! no one can answer your questions you want the only person who answer them is you!

ANYWAY

Glenski--- is 30,000yen-40,000yen really enough?does this cover all 3 meals?

[Jackie Treehorn]

I;m in the same situation as you......I have never had to pay for food when living in Japan (unless I ate out)......well, along with Glenski, I also came up with the 30,000-40,000 figure. That is without eating out......

[Anonymous]

Jackie.....i thought it would cost about 70,000-80,000yen figure.

[osaka gurl]

i allow myself about 10,000 - 15,000 a week for food (not including eating out)

[EW]

If you don't eat out, you can eat on 20-30,000 yen / mo. easily. but you hafta know how to shop...

[Anonymous]

yep, yep, I was one of those people who lived on 100yen meals for my first month, just because I was paranoid I would run outta money before my first pay day. I ate breakfast if I felt like it , but mostly just ate lunch at work and prepared something cheap for dinner.

Whatcha do is buy the 6 or 8 slice loaves of bread, and eat that for breakfast and buy cheap filling nutritious things like pasta, rice (although a tad expensive) and tinned tuna fish and instant cup noodles for dinner.

Someone told me that milk tasted gross in Japan, before I left, so I took over 1kg of powdered milk with me, and I think that was the best thing I brought with me, it saved me so much money, and I was only using it for my coffee so it lasted me about 5mths. Even tough I now know there is nothing wrong with the milk in Japan, I think I will still bring a long a pack with me this time.

You should also consider bringing other light weight stuff that you think you'll be able to get through customs, like other instant stuff, powderd cup-of-soups, instant pasta meals, dried fruit, even a big box of your favourite cereal, coz dang thats expensive in Japan.

If all else fails and you find yourself out of food and money, make friends with some locals and get yourself invited to their place for dinner!.