Japan: Beautiful Sights on a Budget
Tl;dr: Here are some of the best under-the-radar attractions we discovered in Japan without breaking the bank.
We recently went to Japan. Although a lot of people advocate using points and miles for fancy travel to get more “value,” we’re not converts to that mentality yet. The main reason is that it tends to be more complicated, and we’re lazy. 🦥 Another is that the actual cost is way higher. We could have possibly flown to Japan in business class for as little as 300k points for the two of us. But that would have just almost wiped out our points balance; instead, we have plenty left over another trip, and by the time we take that one, we’ll have more than enough for another. Same for the hotels—while redeeming Capital One miles to erase cheap hotel purchases or to book Choice hotels isn’t a high-value redemption, it keeps us staying in Japan for free for a long time. And finally, the off-the-beaten path experiences are usually amazing!
Speaking of, here are some of the highlights of our trip: some ultra-affordable sights we were able to enjoy on the cheap.
Yamadera Temple
One of our first stops was the beautiful Yamadera Temple, located just about 20 minutes by car from Tendō or Yamagata. The entrance fee was just 300¥ ($2) per person, although you can also rent ice cleats in town, which we probably should have, as the steps were extremely slippery and didn’t always have a hand railing. Although the hike was steep and treacherous, on a snowy day we were treated to gorgeous views of the temple complex, forest, and, at the top, the town below.
Jazz Cafe (JAZZコーヒー園)
This lovely little cafe in Yamagata wasn’t really an attraction, but it was definitely an experience. We popped in on a whim, and were treated to a warm respite from the cold outside, listening to Jazz from the massive record collection inside and sipping カフェオレ (cafe au lait) while thick snowflakes fell outside.
AER Observation Terrace
I’m a sucker for a panoramic view, and in Sendai we found an office and shopping complex that offered a free observation terrace with a view of the city, including a Buddhist temple known as the White-Robed Colossus.
Aptly named
The viewpoint may have been free, but the shopping wasn’t, unfortunately. 🛍️
Snow Monsters
Next, we took a ski break at Zao Onsen Ski Resort. Skiing in Japan is much cheaper than in the US, but I wouldn’t exactly call it cheap. But if you only want to look around, you can ride the cable car for just 4,400¥ ($30). From there, you can see Zao’s famous Snow Monsters:
I see a penguin 🐧
Unfortunately, despite being a lesser-known attraction, the lines at Zao were quite long, so I’d recommend anyone planning a trip arrive early, dress warm, and bring snacks.
Mogamigawa Art Museum
This tiny museum overlooks the Mogami River and celebrates the works of painter Keiji Mashimo, a painter whose works focused on and celebrated the river. The museum, which cost only 300¥ ($2), is made of sustainable timber and is designed to blend into its environment and highlight and celebrate the river. This was one of my all-time favorite “let’s check it out” travel gambles, and I would love to go back sometime when the cafe was open to enjoy the view while studying and sipping tea.
Conclusion
Finally, a great way to spend time in Japan without spending too much money is to eat! There were no shortage of delicious restaurants with cheap eats like soba soup, ramen, and local dishes like seri. While more expensive options also abound, we love wandering around exploring smaller towns’ hidden treasures, and coming back with plenty of points and cash remaining to do it again.
Want to start travel hacking the lazy way? Check out our getting-started guide for 2025 here. Most of our Alaska miles that got us to Japan came from the no-fee Bilt card, which also comes with a concierge service that can help you make restaurant reservations in Japan, even without phone service. Our hotel stays were covered with points from our Capital One Venture X cards.