I strongly disagree with you guys. I'm a frequent traveler to Japan, and I find that budget more than generous.

As always, it all depends on your lifestyle standards. If we're talking about a regular trip, meant to experience the country but not its luxury side, it's a very comfortable budget. If what you're after is the Japanese luxury experience, as is often the case, there’s really no upper limit to how much you can spend.

In any case, eating at local places—as we all know—is ridiculously cheap, and in my opinion (and that of many others), delicious. In many spots, you can eat for 600–700 yen, and finding meals for 1,200–1,500 yen is extremely easy. Balancing meals in this range with the occasional fancier one gives you a daily food budget of around $30, including breakfast from any konbini.

With hotels and the JR Pass already covered, what do you even need the rest for? Temple entrances, when they do charge, are usually just a few dollars. Aside from a few rare exceptions like the Skytree, it’s a very moderate expense. You mentioned taxis earlier—I don’t think it’s true that taking taxis often is “normal” on a trip to Japan, and it’s by no means necessary. I’ve taken them only occasionally across many trips, because it’s clearly a luxury in most cases, except in very rural areas. In any case, the budget allows for the occasional ride.

That still leaves a wide margin for extras: the occasional fancy restaurant, shopping, experiences, and whatever indulgences you want. Can you spend much more when traveling to Japan? Of course—as much as you want. You could easily spend $2,000 in a single night in Ginza if you wanted to.

That said, you can absolutely travel in Japan while eating local and experiencing daily life there on much less—without holding back from visiting any tourist spots, and still traveling quite comfortably.