This time i had to come back to Tokyo all by myself before the danna joins me later because i had to renew my residence visa before it expires. And i will be here for a month so i rented a small apartment and live like everyone else would in Tokyo.
The living spaces in Tokyo are miserable, but you get used to it. I was just mostly very very very very happy to get out of the whole haze situation in KL that had made me depressed and angry for a long time. All i wanted was to have the freedom of breathing some decent air and not feel like i’m trapped indoor indefinitely.
Rinrin is very sweet to move in and be my roommate for now to keep me company. Living in Tokyo for a month is gonna be expensive, which means we can’t afford to eat out the whole time, which also means we will have to start cooking, go to the mart and save some money.
And here’s what we do everyday!
My dream breakfast!
Japanese milk, cereal, banana and Hakata Amao strawberries. Best strawberries in the whole world.
Or a combini sandwich, milk and strawberries.
For lunch we usually go to the combini to get sandwiches/onigiri if we are in a rush.
If we have some leisure time we would go to a nice cafe for lunch. Usually the lunch sets in Tokyo cost about 750-1000 yen (RM23-RM32), which is not too bad!
So dinner we go frugal. Usually we buy vegetables, eggs and natto from the nearest mart and just cook nabe (hotpot) for a meal. It is surprisingly affordable!! Grocery costs about the same or even less here in Japan than KL, and it is insanely convenient. Supermarkets open until late night, and they have all the ready sauces/soup base for anything. If i live in Tokyo for years i really don’t know how i can survive anywhere else in the world being so spoilt by all these conveniences.
This our entire kitchen XD
And the only seasoning we had are soy sauce, frying oil and lemon juice XD
Dinner-making
This is my happiness. Freshly cooked rice.
This is the standard combination i can have everyday, forever.
Always batch-cook white rice and cling-wrap-store it for days.
Speaking of natto!!! It has just become my favorite food in Japan.
We bought 3 boxes from the mart for…. 78 yen wtf.
That’s like less than RM1 per box!!!! So yea the moral of this blog post is, learn how to eat natto, and you will survive (financially) in Japan. It is a vital skill.
Natto, hijiki and vege-galore hot pot. Looks gross but actually very yums!
Natto, tamagoyaki, consomme vege soup and just 随便炒一个菜 (stir-fry vege with beef). We didn’t even have salt lolol. Everything is soy-sauced but the vegetables are sooooooo fresh and yummy!!!
And during dinner time we switch on the TV and watch variety shows.
Everyday.
And already living like an old couple lolol.
That’s all for now!
Anyway if you have seen my Instagram, the early bloom sakura species have already bloomed 😀 More updates soon!
Good night!!
Hi cheesie, how can I rent an apartment like this in Tokyo? Is there a website that I can check out? Thank you in advance. Cheers
How to eat on a budget in Japan, amirite? I’ll try to eat natto and rice to save $$$ when in Japan, but it’s an acquired taste right? Haha. Your apartment is quite cosy..it’s nice 🙂
sounds like fun with you two <3nI was wondering.. in which language do you speak with each other since you are both not native Japanese? 😀
Natto’s not bad, I think if I’m going to stay in Japan I’d probably eat natto most of the time to save money, haha!nnhttp://itsme-hanie.blogspot.com
You can search for “weekly mansion” 🙂
Yeap!! I didn’t like it at first!
No :(( it’s too expensive to rent a place we don’t stay half the time
I speak English with Rinrin! 🙂
Haha as long as you like it!!
Aww Rinrin is so sweet to stay with you! are you giving birth in Japan then? nnYour photos remind me of 7’s sando T_T miss it so much hahaha! And those “socks” from tutuanna!! <3 so comfy!
May I know what camera u are using now ? Is it Casio tr series ?
Haha it’s from Lawson!!
I will do a post on that soon!!! 🙂
Natto is healthy! But I don’t know how to appreciate! How u do it?
Hi, what contact lenses are you wearing here?
hi cheesie! do you have any advice on renting apartment for 1 for 8 weeks in tokyo? i tried weekly mansion but seems like they only let you stay for a certain number of days. thank you very much! 🙂
Hi cheesie! Mind telling us why you batch cook and put rice in the fridge? 😉 i thought cold rice turns hard and nasty ;/
Hi cheesie! Mind telling us why you batch cook and put rice in the fridge? 😉 i thought cold rice turns hard and nasty ;/
Hi cheesie! Mind telling us why you batch cook and put rice in the fridge? 😉 i thought cold rice turns hard and nasty ;/
love the natto! In malaysia it’s definitely more than 78 yen 🙁
I love natto!nIn my current apartment I don’t have a rice cooker – otherwise I’d eat it every day.nI love the following combination: raw egg, hot rice and natto with a bit of soy sauce. Makes such a great breakfast! ^____^nnI wouldn’t want to live in Tokyo. Everything is so expensive and narrow.nI’ve always only lived in the Japanese countryside and I love it! ^___^
Did you get the place off airbnb too? I thought you always live in danna’s place in Tokyo ;Dnboth of you look so good even at home too. haha..nnhttp://www.tenshichn.blogspot.comn
Cozy little feet in the last picture look so cute!nnAfter WWII food supplies are limited so people had to rely a lot on natto to eat. It does not taste very good but people survived on it. Now older Japanese people look on it with nostalgia. Other people look on it as very cheap! Americans and some other western people see Spam the same way (the canned meat, not the junk e-mail)
I tried it before and it’s not bad 😀
Nice post! ^^ I love food haha so this is making me hungry! I especially love the strawberries breakfast <3 omgnnxx Dewinmayclover.blogspot.com
Be careful of storing cooked rice in the fridge, don’t store it for too long. http://www.nhs.uk/chq/Pages/Can-reheating-rice-cause-food-poisoning.aspx?CategoryID=51&
Cheesie, is natto selling in different brand make taste big different? Last trip in tokyo I was getting this for lunch but felt “omg” then throw away… But all customers around us seem really enjoy… Kenapa??!!
Hi cheesie! You’ve mentioned that you buy groceries from supermarkets that are open til late at night but the last (and only) time I went to Tokyo which was last December I could not find/see any supermarkets during my 10-day stay there, even though I’ve been wanting to visit a Japanese supermarket so bad! There were only convenience stores around like Lawsons and Family Marts.n nCan you tell me what are the names of the supermarkets there? Thank you!
i envy ur life so much right now… although I know you probably have a busy life, but also seems pretty fulfilling and have lots of fun too =) nnI am so busy right now.. although they are def some fulfilling things.. but overall just exhausted.. nn& I should live on natto too. lol nnxo nwww.hitomiblog.com
i envy ur life so much right now… although I know you probably have a busy life, but also seems pretty fulfilling and have lots of fun too =) nnI am so busy right now.. although they are def some fulfilling things.. but overall just exhausted.. nn& I should live on natto too. lol nnxo nwww.hitomiblog.com
It looks like a fun ordinary life. I’m kinda thinking to do the same probably while taking some Japanese course. Hehehe. nnOh, and the strawberries look awesome!!nnFelnwww.studymandarinintaipei.blogspot.com
Please do!!!! 😀
Busy is good!!! Hehehhe
Oh that’s strange!! There will definitely be one that’s not too far! Places like Donki also sells groceries 🙂 it’s best to check with your hotel 😀 good luck!
If you want good ones you can ask for Tokyu, ISETAN, takashimaya or meidiya supermarkets 🙂
I guess it’s really an acquired taste like durian! Not everyone enjoys it 🙂
That’s only when it is not properly stored or heated up. No worries! 🙂
Haha come come
I love spammmmmmm
No not this time hehe
Me too!!!! I love inaka but man Tokyo is just waaaaaaay too fun to be missed out XD
Haha yea!!
Cuz lazy to cook it everyday? Haha
Really??? Mine is on a monthly basis. I’m sure there are many, hope you get to find one soon!
Keep training myself XD XD XD
Different brands but they are all dailies I bought in Japan 🙂
Looooove natto and nabe – could eat it everyday! I feel like I would actually enjoy eating living in Japan, and compared to Norway it’s so inexpensive!!! Maybe next time I’m in Japan I’ll have to rent an apartment myself and stay for longer ^_^ I’m definitely bringing back some boxes of natto when I have been there.
I LOVE JAPAN CAN I COME TOO!
I would really love to live in Japan when I’m older or at least stay there for a long while but I’m worried about how expensive it is to rent or buy, along with if I’ll be able to splurge as much as I want while there. Love your blog as usual you make me wish I could be in Japan right now too but I hope to be there when the olympics go there ^^
Cheesie, you look absolutely glowing and beautiful in the last photo, and i bet you had no makeup on right! you look gorgeous
If i live in Tokyo for years i really don’t know how i can survive anywhere else in the world being so spoilt by all these conveniences. ————-> totally agree with this statement! I’ve been to Tokyo and was there for 7 days ! I love Japan alot and by reading your blog it makes me miss Japan more ! XD take care !
old couple life is #winning :’Dn(i only say that coz i feel boy friend and i also live an old couple life. self-consolation, wtf.)
Thanks so much for all your comments :)))
is a good life. U live there? or travel?