Staying in an authentic Ryokan or a guesthouse in Japan can be an enriching experience. Nothing like capping the holiday in the Land of the Rising Sun in an authentic Japanese Guesthouse but they are expensive. Some travelers have made the conscious decision to split their stay in ryokans and backpackers to stretch their money. But even backpackers don’t come as cheap, although cheaper ones will probably set you in a rat-hole or the likes.
Anyway, there is another alternative accommodation choice to look into and you wouldn’t believe where….*drumrolls* Internet Cafes!
It’s true, numerous internet cafes in Japan offers overnight stays, foods and shower facilities in their vicinity. Their price ranges from 500yen/hour to 2000yen/night and for that value, it is hard to beat. However, it is not exactly the most family friendly option as sleeping arrangements can vary from a reclining chair to a sofabed.
How to find internet cafes that offers such services? Check out World 66 for your pick!
If you’re looking for cheap accommodation to accommodate a shoestring budget in Tokyo, try Economy Hotele Hoteiya backpackers’ hostel. I know the name sounds a bit weird, like a mix of Japanese, Spanish and English but what’s a backpacker if it’s not international, eh? It’s located at 1-23-9Nihonzutumi,Taito-ku,Tokyo,111-0021 and is only about 8 minutes walk away from the Minami-Senju Station (JR & Hibiya line) that means everything is just a ride away.
Check out their webpage.
Do you want to look for accommodations in Japan and have a shoe-string budget – worry no more because this online place contains some of the cheapest accommodations you can find in Japan. It will definitely suit your budget for sure; you just got to be a little diligent in looking. Some of these youth hostels are located in prime areas so you might want to check that out. The place to look at is HostelWorld.com. You can basically search for youth hostel all over the world but they have an impressive listing on Japan’s hostel as well :)
Do check them out: HostelWorld.
Ino’s Place
If you’re visiting Sapporo, Hokkaido and are at loss with where to stay, I’d recommend Ino’s Place.It’s backpacker’s haven as the place is clean, friendly and warm. Oh and not to mention the price is pretty good too from $31 per night. On Yahoo! Travel, Ino’s place was rated 5 stars out of 5 too.
The location of this guesthouse makes it a great place as well as it is about 12 minutes away from the city center (7 Minutes by subway and 5 minutes of walk). Hey, if you’re backpacking, that’s like the walking to your neighbour’s house in Australia, Zone D.
Reception Area
Accommodation at Ino’s Place includes:
- Good Location for sightseeing
- Helpful & English speaking Staff
- No Curfew
- Private Shower Rooms (24hrs Free)
- Fully Equipped Self-Catering Kitchen
- Laundry Facilities
- Central Heating
- TV Lounge
- Internet service
- Wired and Wireless(11b/g) LAN available
- Tourist Information
- Free coffee & tea
- Clean & Cozy Lounge Room
- Western style facilities
- VISA & Master Cards accepted
Lounge Area
And we musn’t forget the type of rooms and rates:
- Dormitory bed 3,400 Yen
(co-ed room is available)
- Private room from 4,300 Yen/Person
Family/Group room 3,800 Yen/Person
- Special Rate for long-term stay.
(from 2,800 Yen/night)
- Supplemental heating charge
200 yen per night (nov.-Apr.)
Dorm Rooms
So if you’re every visiting Sapporo and is looking for a place with great value and warmth (as well as meeting folks for all over the world), drop in to Ino’s Place.
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).
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.
Images taken off here and here.
K’s House is a chain of backpacker hostels in Japan. They started out in November, 2003 in Kyoto (which has perhaps the highest concentration of backpacker hostels anywhere in Japan) and have since opened hostels in Nagano prefecture and Tokyo.
The prices are cheap (starting at 2500 yen for a dorm bed in Kyoto, 2800 in Tokyo and Nagano) and the entire hostel has a very modern and welcoming atmosphere. Features in all hostels include:
- Communal living and dining room
- A well-equipped communal kitchen
- Internet, laundry and bicycle hire
- Separate bathrooms and toilets
- No curfew, English speaking staff and air conditioning in all rooms
- No YHA membership required
After staying at the Kyoto hostel numerous times, I can tell you that the place is clean, airy, modern, comfortable and best of all – cheap! The staff are all very friendly and will always try to be helpful. They all speak English reasonably well.
One thing that I found very useful was how the hostel has a room availablity chart online for three months in advance. This is updated daily, and bookings can be made via email.
I highly recommend this place. While I haven’t been to the Tokyo hostel, if it’s anything like Kyoto’s (which was, by the way, voted best hostel in Asia by Hostelworld, an online booking service) then you won’t be disappointed. Besides, 2800 yen for a bed is probably unheard of in Tokyo.
Link:
K’s House – in English
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