Travel in Japan – Finding a place to stay

Finding a place to stay

When you are traveling to Japan, whether you’re with friends or family or even alone, knowing where to stay is important. Location, location, location. Or to some, it’s more about the budget. But you can almost find anything that fits your budget in Japan.

Like for example this article written previously on K’s house which is basically a backpacker’s place. Nothing fancy like the Ritz but it’s clean, and well facilitated to accommodate travelers traveling on a shoe string budget. However, today we’re gonna look at the various types of accommodation available in Japan.

Types of Accommodation:

Ryokan – is a traditional Japanese inn and needless to say, it is different from a western style hotel. One of the main difference is everyone walks around in slippers and then you are given a Yukata, a kimono-like robe that is both your nightwear and what you wear outside of your room in the ryokan. Every room is covered with tatami mats, you will sleep on the floor with a futon mattress, and you will share a large public toilet with the rest of the residents in the ryokan. Meals are usually Japanese style which include rice and soup. A typical Japanese-style breakfast served in ryokan consists of rice, miso (bean paste) soup and Japanese style pickles.

Apartments/ Guest Houses – a very viable option for those who are planning to stay for a long period of time. The guest house provides a fully furnished place and tenants share some facilities like the bathroom/kitchen/living room. It’s basically like flatting with people during university. It’s definitely a great way to meet people. This type of accommodation is also called a gaijin house (foreigner’s house).

Sakura House – provides guest houses in Tokyo for foreign people.

Nichio Koyu Kikaku – provides private rooms in Tokyo.

The Wind Site – offers guest house search in Tokyo.

Gaijin House – offers vacant guest house room seach in Tokyo.

Tokyo Cozy House – provides guest houses in Tokyo.

Fuji Hakone Guest House – Japanese-style family inn (B&B).

Osaka English House – provides rooms for foreigners in Osaka.

Uno House – guesthouse in central Kyoto.

Homestays – If you want to live like a Japanese in Japan, homestays are the answer to your trip’s quest. You can find host families in Japan who are more than willing to accommodate you for a sum. And there are programs currently for student exchange. This is the best way to learn about Japanese culture and language. There is also a home visit system in Japan. It offers foreign visitors a chance to visit a Japanese family at their home. If your visit to Japan is brief, arranging a home visit might be a good idea.

Hotels – there are the expensive kind, the moderate kind, and the budget friendly kind (with a slightly different name: hostel). You can find a hotel whether it is local or international chains anywhere in Japan. Capsule hotels are cheap (only USD25-35 per night) and you sleep in a capsule, share a common toilet and bathroom. Some capsule hotels do not allow female tenants. Youth Hostel are also available if you don’t mind sharing a room with others and is in fact the cheapest accommodation you can find in Japan.