They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and with plenty of quick and cheap options throughout Tokyo, there’s no excuse not to grab a morning bite.
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Dependable Chains
Dependable Chains
Tokyo’s many chains of counter restaurants aren’t known for their innovation, but they’re dependably delicious and get your food in front of you within minutes of you placing your order. Breakfast sets at ubiquitous ticket-machine restos like Yayoiken, Matsuya, Yayoiken, and Sukiya include a full tray of eggs, fish, rice, miso soup, and other Japanese mainstays such as natto.
Dependable Chains
Yayoiken lets you order at the counter, which means you don’t have to rifle through your pocket for change before digging into your brekkie. Either way, Japanese breakfasts are packed with protein, turbo-charging you for the day ahead, and you’ll be out of pocket only about 500 yen.
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02
Nosh on Noodles
Nosh on Noodles
If you don’t feel like rice, grab a bowl of noodles. A hearty serving of udon or soba will fill your belly—and can help to quell a lingering hangover from the night before. Near West Tokyo’s Shin-Koenji station, pop into 24-hour Taroken for a quick bowl of soy sauce-based ramen with wakame seaweed and bamboo shoots. In Minato, Oniyanma’s chicken tempura udon comes topped with spring onions and a thick serving of warm chewy noodles, while Hanamaru Udon lets you pick from tasty à la carte options like rice balls or crispy tempura to round out your breakfast.
Soba is served hot or cold, which makes it perfect any time of year. Near Nezu Station in old-fashioned Yanaka, Nezu Takajo opens for a two-hour breakfast slot starting at 7:30. -
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Western Wonders
Western Wonders
If you’re angling for a Western breakfast, you’ve got plenty of options. While Denny’s is known for greasy gut busters in North America, its Japanese incarnation is a huge step-up with delicious plates of eggs, salad, and pancakes, and with unlimited coffee. Family-favorite Gusto has a similar breakfast menu, and both Kohikan, a subsidiary of coffee giant UCC, and Beck’s both dish out a sturdy morning set with fluffy scrambled eggs, bacon, and thick slabs of golden toast.
Coco’s Breakfast Cafe stands out for its all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet for a mystifyingly low price (around 700 yen). If you can’t decide between pastries, croquettes, scrambled eggs, or hot dogs, relax, you don’t have to. Be advised: it’s slightly more expensive (and crowded) on weekends. -
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Coffee Shop Sets
Coffee Shop Sets
If you can’t imagine breakfast without coffee, you might opt for brekkie at one of these cafes. Doutor can be found throughout the city and offers breakfast sandwiches and toast options to go with its extensive coffee menu. Ro-Star (with locations near Toyosu and Takadanobaba Station) does too, although it’s got more—and arguably more interesting—sandwich options. Cafe Renoir has a bit of an old-school reputation but boasts a super-cheap morning set with a bread-based main, an egg, a cup of broth, and a seasonal surprise for under 200 yen when ordered with a coffee.
If you’re cheap but still fancy, pop into the Nagoya-born Komeda Coffee for a rather spartan yet satisfying toast and boiled egg combination. Hoshino Coffee has a nice pour-over coffee, which is an excellent companion to its soufflé hotcake, a spongy tower of soft pancakes, whipped butter, and—if you’re not counting the calories—toppings like creme anglaise.
Note: Many of the establishments mentioned in this article are chains. Unless otherwise mentioned, they have multiple locations throughout Tokyo and Japan.Richmond Hotel Tokyo Shiba
2-3-4 Shiba Koen, Minato-ku Tokyo
Hearton Hotel Higashi Shinagawa
4-13-27 Higashi Shinagawa, Shinagawa Ku Tokyo
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Mitsui Garden Hotel Toyosu Premier / Tokyo
2-2-1 Toyosu, Koto-ku Tokyo