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Japan is one of the safest countries in the world, and there is a long tradition of students and busy professionals sleeping in public. You can pitch a tent in city parks and you will not be disturbed. See Wikivoyage’s guide to [http://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Urban_camping_in_japan Urban Camping in Japan] for more.
While on the road, you will often find yourself at either a ''michi no eki'' (道の駅) or service area (SA) at the end of the day. Both are usually great for camping as they have food, 24 hour toilets and vending machines. Staff will usually not care about you pitching a tent, although asking permission first is a good idea. A short ''tento wo hatte mo ii desu ka?'' (テントを張ってもいいですか？) will suffice. Generally, the person who you ask this to will point out an area where you can put down your tent for the night.
If you don't feel like sleeping outside but still want a guaranteed budget option anywhere in Japan, you can go to the internet cafe (ネットカフェー). These places offer free drinks, a private cabin with a tatami floor, and sometimes shower, usually for a mere ¥2000 yen per 9~12 hours. These are '''always''' located in bigger towns very close to the station area. Ask around (''nettokafee arimasu ka?'' ネットカフェーありますか？). From a service area, you generally have two ways of getting to one. The first is to get out of the service area and search for a busy local road lined with shops. Ask any local you run into. Another option is to ask the staff of the service area for the nearest bus station: ''chikaku ni wa basutei mo arimasu ka?'' (近くにはバス停もありますか？). You might end up being driven there by the staff. Busses from a service area will generally go to nearby train stations, where you can find an internet cafe.
== See also ==
