Plan restaurants or improvise?

We're going to Tokyo, Kyoto and Nara (only 1 week total). We're definitely on a budget. Should I bother to compile a list of possible restaurants, or should we just pop into places that advertise reasonable prices outside?

I'm thinking that just figuring out how to get from site to site is already overwhelming me a bit, and not sure if I can do another research project to find restaurants in the areas where we'll be sightseeing. My thought is that, especially in Tokyo, it will be hard to find addresses of restaurants that are listed on websites.

What do you think?
Thank you.

There are so many restaurants in Tokyo and Kyoto (and I suppose Nara as well) that there is no need to plan. Unless you are looking for a specific restaurant. Otherwise just pop into one when you are hungry and if the price is right, eat. If not, there are plenty of others around.

There is a restaurant everywhere you look in Japan....nearly all (especially in the tourist/traveller areas) have menus and prices outside the door: some have photos, or even plastic replicas. It won't be hard to find good meals for reasonable prices. Start with the train stations: always good value

Tokyo alone apparently has 80,000 restaurants. You cannot turn around here without finding a place to eat. There is no need to decide on restaurants beforehand- just go for somewhere that is near where you happen to be when you get hungry and that suits your budget.

Over-planning is never a good idea, especially for a first time visit to a country- you'll probably find things don't go exactly the way you expected, and this is often a good thing. Leave some room for spontaneity.

I didn't plan where I was going to eat when I was in Japan. So I picked the places spontaneously, but then I often found myself regretting it. Because after eating, I saw something else I wanted to try. And you can only eat so much in a set amount of time.

There's no need to plan specific restaurants, but you should spend a little time reading up on the food culture of the cities you'll be visiting.

Japan is a nation of foodies and in Tokyo alone there are restaurants from over 160 countries (out of 190 total!).

Food can be just to keep you going between destinations but it also can be a huge part of the experience itself.

Knowing what's available can enhance your experience.

i think the point is not worrying about restaurants, but mostly about food you want to try and then looking for restaurant that serve those dishes.

as the above poster said, do some research about famous dishes in japan and make up a list of those you'd like to try. then, with list in hand, try to look for restaurants where those dishes are available.

there are just many dishes you can't miss and if you go by picking restaurants randomly, you'll probably end up skipping many many dishes.

Thanks so much for the advice to look up certain foods to try. We definitely do not just look at food as "fuel", but love to try different cuisines and the food is a major draw for us in going to Japan.

Tokyo is such a maze that I found it impossible to find a restaurant that I was looking for-the only place I actually sought out was the Meiji Chocolate Cafe, but it's right outside the station and is not in a convoluted area like Shibuya or Shinjuku.

I'd say just stop when you're hungry and look around! Despite what people say, there's lots of cheap places to eat if you spend a few minutes wandering around.

It's so good to hear that about Tokyo. I feel the same way about New York City, where I live. There are people who come here and think you have to spend $60-$100 for a dinner, because they are staying within the tourist or high-end areas. But you can also spend $10 for GREAT dinners here if you are willing to go into the great little nooks and crannies that are all over the city -- particularly that serve all sorts of "ethnic" foods (Indian, Vietnamese, Ukranian, Ecuadorian, etc.)

We are very interested in looking around Tokyo and popping into casual little places that are affordable.

MAYBE we could splurge once, though, and have a multi-course more "fancy", traditional meal. Maybe in Kyoto.

Thank you all for this discussion!