Many people share the same generalization that food in Japan is extremely expensive. The fact is you will spend quite a bit if you choose to eat in fancy restaurants. However, you can actually eat quite comfortably in Japan for only $20 a day.

The most important aspect of eating cheap in Japan is to find a convenience store like 7-11, Circle K, or even a local grocery store. The best thing about Japan is that in major cities, you can find a number of 7-11's on every block. The 7-11 stores in Japan are quite similar to the ones you find in the US, however, the main difference is the type of food they sell. You can find a few American goods like Coca Cola, Kit Bars, and other popular American-made junk foods but what separates the Japanese 7-11's is that they sell high quality bentos (Japanese box lunches) which offer fried chicken, fish, steamed rice, and vegetables. These bentos are even better than the expensive box lunches you can find at the famous Japanese store in Hawaii, Shirokia. Best of all, the bentos in Japan are cheap, usually averaging around $3.50.

Besides having great bentos, the convenience stores and grocery outlets also offer a wide variety of bread. You can get bread with pizza inside. If you're craving something sweet, you can try anpan (Japanese bread with sweet an). Most of the bread is relatively cheap, usually between $2-$3 and the anpan are individually wrapped and cost about $1. There are also a variety of desserts to choose from like mochi (a round Japanese confection made from rice cake) and cinnamon bread.

Like all convenience stores, you can wash your food down with a soft drink. This is where it gets quite interesting. Most Japanese grocery and convenience stores offer Pepsi and Coke, but the majority of the drinks they offer are interesting Japanese concoctions. Green tea drinks are quite popular and you can find many different varieties, however you should know the coffee drinks rank supreme. There are also a handful of other drinks that are hard to discern just by the looking at the bottle. It's even more impossible to tell what it is because the label is written in Japanese. If you do get a chance to check out the convenience stores, you should be adventurous and try one of those mystery Japanese drinks. You may be pleasantly surprised, or you may hate it, but you will have a great story to tell your friends back home.

And one more thing, if you happen to be in a rush and run out of 7-11 without buying a drink, don't worry. You'll probably pass by five vending machines before you hit the next block. The vending machines don't offer as big a selection as the convenience stores but they do their best to come close. While vending machines in Hawaii usually only offer five different drinks, the machines in Japan offer 15 varieties. And the best thing about each drink is that they only cost a little over $1.

In summary, my suggestion is that if you are lucky enough to visit Japan, find a convenience or grocery store and have a few meals there consisting of bentos and sodas. Then you can go out for dinner and try one of Japan's great restaurants without having to worry about being broke by the end of your trip.