The protagonist of Dai-Tokyo is Kōsuke, a college graduate who decides to live a simple 'no frills' lifestyle on little money in the Greater Tokyo Area.

In this way Kōsuke breaks many traditions of Japanese society, such as not taking on the role of salaryman and striving for personal economic betterment.

In the title of, and throughout the manga, Maekawa chose to spell the Japanese word for poverty, binbō, using katakana instead of the usual kanji for two reasons.

Although Dai-Tokyo's main concern may be entertainment and political statement, it also serves as a how-to guide for pulling off a successful and happy poor lifestyle.

The entire second page of the manga is devoted to examples of 'cheap living', with several practical instances given, including ways to save money on food, drink, shoes, clothing accessories, and others.

Despite the manga's Japan-only availability, at least one writer has recommended Dai-Tokyo to people traveling to Japan as a good guide on how to enjoy their stay without spending too much.