300 yen Bento set

Hi all,i heard that Japan is now all the rage for cheap and chic stuff. I heard they have the 300 yen bento sets during lunch. Can someone confirm if its true? Can anyone pls advice if we can have cheap meals , average 300 - 400 yen per meals?

Thanks alot .

Where are you hearing that bentos are that price? That would be a very small bento- one that's enough for lunch would usually be at least 500 yen and they can be up to 1,000 yen depending on where you buy them.

You can get a bowl of noodles for 300-400 yen at some places, but it may not be very filling and doesn't include drinks other than perhaps tea. I would budget a bit more than 300 yen per meal (think more like 500-700 yen) unless you are looking to lose weight while in Japan!

Sharon80,

I hope you are aware that "bento" is a box-lunch. So of course there are bento that costs as less as 300 - 400 yen. There always was. McDonald's hotdog set only costs 390 yen. The quality and quantity usually meets the price.

Also, as it is in most countries, school cafeterias have always offered very cheap prices. You can usually have a satisfying meal for 300 - 400 yen, while you'll need to pay about 1000 yen at an ordinary restaurant to expect the same quality/quantity. Universities usually welcomes all visitors.

Btw, where hotels are, prices are usually very high. Local residents shop in their neighborhoods.

Sharon,

Thanks to spiralling deflation, it is becoming more common to see discount bentos in supermarkets in the 200-300 yen range, but you get what you pay for...

Disagree on one small point for 300-400 yen will not be fullfilling.
You can get a nice fine fullfilling lunch/dinner at any Japanese style "fast food" place. Matsuya, Yoshinoya, fujisoba etcs menu is full of large full plates (or bowls), and soup (usually miso soup also depends on the place) for all under 400yen.

For example,
A nice plate of rice curry at matsuya with free miso soup is only 350, tomato curry with chicken is only 290= you can also get a whole set (curry, soup plus bowl of salad for under 400 yen).

you can buy various types of bento from convenient stores like 7-11 etc.
you could ask the cashier to heat up your food if you prefer it hot at not extra cost too.