The headline numbers
Per person per day, excluding flights: budget travellers manage on ¥12,000–18,000 (≈ $80–120), mid-range comfort runs ¥25,000–40,000 (≈ $170–270), and premium travel with 4–5 star hotels and private guiding starts around ¥60,000 (≈ $400). The weak yen has made Japan better value than most of Western Europe.
Where Japan is surprisingly cheap
Food is the great bargain: a superb ramen is ¥1,000, a convenience-store breakfast ¥500, and even quality sushi sets are ¥2,000–3,000. City transit is inexpensive, museums rarely exceed ¥2,000, and temples charge ¥300–600. Free things — shrines, gardens, entire neighbourhoods — fill half a good itinerary.
Where it's worth spending
One ryokan night with kaiseki dinner (¥30,000–80,000 per person) will outshine five ordinary hotel nights in your memory. A private guide on day one pays for itself in navigation confidence for the rest of the trip. Peak-season Kyoto hotels are expensive because they're worth it — location determines how much of Kyoto you actually see.
How we keep pricing honest
Every Nippon Tours quote is itemised — hotels, rail, guides, experiences — with no hidden margins on top. Tell us your total budget in the free consultation and we'll show you exactly what it buys, and where a small shift creates outsized value.