If Japan has been on your bucket list but your wallet said, ‘maybe next time,’ 2025 is your year to pack those bags! From neon-lit streets to serene shrines, sushi feasts to shopping sprees, it is now serving luxury on a budget.

This is great news for travellers! Since the yen’s value has dropped, your money will go further. A meal that might have costed ₹400 before is now ₹250. Whether you’re grabbing a bowl of ramen, shopping for souvenirs, or booking a hotel, everything is now more affordable.

If Japan has been on your bucket list, now is the best time to book that trip! Round-trip flights between major Indian cities like, Delhi, Mumbai to Tokyo or Osaka typically ranged from ₹45,000 to ₹65,000, depending on the season and how early tickets were booked. With airlines increasing travel frequencies and competitive pricing, travellers can now find return-trip fare starting from approximately ₹35,000. 

This reduction is due to both the yen’s depreciation and heightened competition among carriers. A standard 7-day tour package, including flights, accommodations, meals, and activities, averaged around ₹1.5 lakh per person. Enhanced affordability has led to more competion. For instance, a 7-night, 8-day package covering Tokyo and Osaka is now available for round about ₹1.3 lakh per person.

To get some real opinions, we asked two travellers how they feel about Japan becoming more affordable. Kashika Chabbra, 26, runs a home bakery named Pink Apron, shared, “I visited Japan in 2023 for a 10-day trip. I budgeted around ₹3 lakh for the entire trip, but ended up spending roughly ₹2.5 lakh, thanks to some cost-saving measures like booking the flight early and trying local cafes instead of expensive restaurants.” Out of all the cities she visited, Osaka felt particularly budget-friendly to her. “Had the yen been weaker, I could have saved an additional ₹10,000 to ₹15,000 on the overall trip expenses,” she added.

Parv Garg, 21, a Bachelor of Business Administration student at IILM Institute for higher studies, is planning a 10-day tour. Here’s how he’s mapping things out. He’s estimating a budget of ₹2 lakh. Favourable yen exchange has somewhat influenced his decision. He plans to visit Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka. He’s outlining a mid-range trip, balancing comfort, and cost-effectiveness. But refuses to compromise on experiencing authentic Japanese cuisine, even if it means allocating more funds for food.

Tokyo is amazing, but Japan has so much more to offer. To reduce overcrowding in the capital, the government has introduced special visa-free programs in other cities. As of February 28, 2025, it maintains visa exemption arrangements with 71 countries and regions, allowing short-term stays without a visa as mentioned in Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan. This means you can explore places like Hokkaido, Kyushu, and Okinawa without extra paperwork. Now, finally we can say ‘sayonara’ to overpriced trips and ‘konnichiwa’ to the most affordable Japan experience ever.