[MMM]

Cooking solo in a hotel? Bento and convenience stores will be cheaper, but you will be sick of it after a week. A 2000 yen a day food budget for a tourist is WAY low. Plan on any "restaurant" lunch meal starting at 800 to 1200 yen without beverages. Dinners start at 1000 yen, but it is very easy to spend 5000 yen on a filling meal at a yakiniku place or a sushi place that could throw your budget off. My point is, I worry about people that budget so little for food, as 1) Japanese food is delicious and 2) the good stuff isn't cheap unless you know exactly what you are doing, which tourists don't. 2000 yen a day is eating crummy food, and what are you coming to Japan for in the first place?

If you plan on being in one place for a while, then forget the JR pass...unless you are doing a Amazing Race tour of Japan, I haven't found it that amazing a deal.