Tokyo is a major metropolis and the capital city of Japan. Although not known to be a cheap place to visit, backpackers on a budget can take advantage of the many Tokyo hostels to help keep costs down.

Eating out in Tokyo is a unique experience. With around 180,000 eateries in the city travelers have a wealth of choice that caters for almost any budget.

After a day of sightseeing and experiencing historical attractions such as the Imperial Palace and Tokyo Tower, travelers may wish to re-charge their batteries with an evening of great food before returning to their Tokyo hostel.

Restaurants

Most restaurants serve a specific type of food and uniformly use fresh ingredients in their dishes. With sushi, noodle, tempura or yakitori (grilled chicken or vegetable skewers) restaurants on offer, travelers need not worry about a limited menu.

Before setting out from their Tokyo hostels, travelers may find it useful to know that some of the best Tokyo restaurants are often obscurely located in anonymous office blocks and vaguely signposted.

Sushi

No visit to Tokyo is complete without sampling traditional Japanese sushi. Ginza, Tokyo's entertainment district, houses some of the best sushi restaurants presenting unique Tokyo-style versions of the dish.

Many sushi bars have a conveyor-belt from which travelers can choose an item that tickles their taste buds.

Fish dishes

Popular sushi dishes include nigiri-zushi, which consists of molded rice adorned with wasabi and fish placed on top.

Maki-zushi is likely to be instantly recognizable to travelers, as the rice wrapped in seaweed is widely available around the world.

Fish market

Travelers looking for fresh fish should head to Tsukiji fish market.

Frenetic and hectic, a visit to the market requires travelers to leave their Tokyo hostels early in the morning. The best time to arrive is 05:00 (local time) when the catch comes in and raucous restaurateurs jostle to secure the best offerings.

Vegetarians

Vegetarian travelers may find that meat and fish-free dishes are not always instantly available. One sushi option is inari-zushi, which consists of fried tofu stuffed with rice.

Travelers can also look out for eateries serving traditional Zen Buddhist cuisine called shojin-ryori, which is completely vegetarian.

Izakaya

Travelers on a budget who are seeking an authentic eating experience may wish to visit one of Tokyo's izakaya establishments. These bars serve food such as noodles and sashimi at reasonable prices at an open counter.

Before settling down and becoming a copywriter for Hostelbookers. Paul Scottyn did a backpacking tour of Japan, he checked out a variety of the country's budget accommodation, including a number of most Tokyo hostels http://www.hostelbookers.com/hostels/japan/tokyo/.