5 Budget (But Super Fun) Dates in Tokyo

Want to impress your date but can’t really afford a fancy dinner out? Not a problem. A great date in Tokyo doesn’t have to break the bank!

Tokyo always makes it in the top 10 of the world’s most expensive cities to live in, but going on a date in this megacity doesn’t always have to cost a third of your paycheck. In fact, some of the best dates here can cost you no more than ¥5,000 per couple. Here are Savvy’s personally recommended budget dates for couples in Tokyo, suitable for all ages.

1. Seasonal Picnic Plans

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Autumn foliage, winter illuminations, cherry blossoms or fireworks—there are plenty of seasonal events to enjoy in Tokyo, and many of them are usually gratis. If you want to make them into a proper date, head to your nearest 100 yen shop and get a plastic sheet to sit on and some lap blankets for fall/winter dates, then choose a few drinks and treats from your local supermarket, café or restaurant. Find a good spot and take in the atmosphere!

Since it’s the fall, enjoying an afternoon sitting in Yoyogi Park (free entrance!) or Showa Memorial Park (¥450 entrance fee per person) with some hot chocolate and a blanket to wrap around yourselves is a wonderful, casual date idea too.

You can literally customize this date course to match any season, event or situation. It’s not only a cheap date, but one that you can do in a variety of different ways and even make into a tradition if it goes well enough. The only expenses to consider here are transportation, food and admission costs to parks if applicable, though aiming for a free park is even smarter.

• Average Cost: ¥1,500-¥2,500
• Recommended Places: Yoyogi Park, Showa Memorial Park, Shinjuku Gyoen, Arisugawa-no-miya Memorial Park, Kasai Rinkai Park, Odaiba Kaihin Park, Shiba Park

2. Walking Tours & Mystery Games

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You may have lived in Tokyo for several years, or even your entire life, but how well do you really know the city? There are numerous private guided tours of Tokyo that offer unique courses of their own. If you are on a shoestring date budget, try a free walking tour offered by groups like:

• Tokyo Localized
• Tokyo Free Walking Tour
• Tokyo Free Guide
• Tokyo SGG Club

They are a great way to see the city up close and personal. Some offer free private tours, too, so if you don’t want to share your date with a group of tourists, inquire about those as well.

Best of all, you can always stop by at a taiyaki (fish-shaped red bean dessert) or takoyaki (savory octopus balls) stand, café or restaurant after the tour and enjoy a fun, local meal in a little-known shop with your partner.

And if you’re a bit more adventurous, buy your Tokyo Metro Underground Mystery Game kit at one of the designated locations and spend the day solving real-life puzzles and playing Sherlock Holmes in Tokyo. The game kit costs ¥3,300 per person but includes a 24-hour valid transportation ticket for the subway and lots of bonding and team-building activities with your partner as you desperately try to figure it all out. The game is renewed annually, so it’s worth making it a yearly tradition!

• Average Cost: ¥0-¥3,300 for the tours, plus transportation and food

3. Public Art & Garden Tours

Tokyo is renowned for its diverse styles in fashion and cuisine. Still, it’s also home to some incredible architectural works, stunning Japanese and Western gardens and parks, and beautiful public art pieces. While I’ve written about Tokyo’s top 10 unique date spots before, going to check out public displays of art in places like Roppongi, Shibuya or Shinjuku, can lead to new discoveries, great conversations and maybe even finding your own little piece of Tokyo to share.

If you want help finding public art near you, check out the Japan Traffic Culture Association’s website, where they have lists of wonderful sightseeing spots to enjoy.

There are also many free public museums and art galleries with impressive gardens and cafes: the Museum of Contemporary Sculpture, TEPIA Advanced Technology Gallery, Museum of Yebisu Beer, Shiseido Gallery, Advertising Museum Tokyo and many more.

• Average Cost: ¥0-¥4,000
• Recommended Places: Roppongi Hills, Midtown, Mohri Garden, Ikebukuro Sunshine City, Ginza Six, Tokyo Station and all museums and galleries mentioned above.

4. A Kaitenzushi Date

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Who doesn’t love kaitenzushi (conveyor belt sushi)? It’s affordable, delicious and offers some truly unique flavors if you visit a lesser-known chain location.

Many kaitenzushi diners sell a wide variety of other dishes like karaage (fried chicken), takoyaki, French fries, edamame and other non-fishy delights, as well as a good selection of beers, highballs, and, of course, sake. They also have season-limited special dishes, and sometimes collaboration desserts with famous pastry shops in Tokyo, too, so you never know what you might find.

There are plenty of great sushi train chain restaurants to explore, and many of them offer English menus as well. Plus, depending on which chain you choose to go to, or what day of the week you visit, you might only pay ¥100 per plate of sushi, which makes this an even more budget-friendly option.

• Average Cost: ¥1,000-¥5,000
• Recommended restaurants: Hamazushi, Kurazushi, Gansozushi, Sushiro, Genki Sushi, Kappa Sushi

5. Hanging Out At A Game Center

© Photo by iStock: Liderina

While visiting a game center might sound like the most junior high date around, it’s actually so much fun for any age group out there. If you and your partner are into video games, UFO catchers, gatchapon (mini toy machines) or good old purikura (photo booths), embrace your geekier side and go for it!

Some purikura stations have special, season-limited photo booths too, featuring holiday-themed characters, celebrity backgrounds or even posing with one of Japan’s pro wrestlers. It’s a lot of fun just to see what they have to offer, too.

If you prefer more physically active games, many game centers nowadays have VR attractions, basketball or dart shooting games, table tennis, air hockey and virtual soccer that you can play together too.

And even if you aren’t that into video games, you never know what sort of fun you might get up to. A good friend of mine had some time to kill while waiting for a movie, so she and her date went to the game center and played Mario Kart. They had a blast racing one another, and it really opened up new avenues for conversation between them, which brought them closer and led to them starting to date seriously.

• Average Cost: ¥500-¥5,000

Tokyo is an amazing wonderland of things to see and do that suit literally all tastes and interests, but dating doesn’t have to leave you shaking your wallet for spare change before payday. Consider this your guide to getting the most out of your dates in the city.

What are your recommendations for fun budget dates in Tokyo? Let us know in the comments below.