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Cheap accommodation in places you might want to visit...
There are hundreds of great value places to stay if you want to travel around Japan. Have a look at the Japan Youth Hostel Association web page http://www.jyh.or.jp/english/index.html or simply run an Internet search. The more traditional Japanese guest houses are called ‘Ryokan’ so be sure to search for these as well as you can find some really reasonable deals. Though be careful as these can often have a curfew – something you definitely won’t want in Tokyo or Osaka if you are to experience those cities in their full nocturnal glory. You can very often book online and often you can send an email in English. Sometimes you will need to pay a credit card deposit upfront.
Below are just a few tried and tested recommendations from Toyama ALTs for good, cheap, easy to book hostels and hotels in and around the big cities...
Tokyo
Guess T House Hostel
402 Place Bo Azabu, 2-13-7, Azabu-Juban, Minato-Ku, Tokyo
Guess T House is an international, multi-cultural guesthouse for both foreign nationals and Japanese as well. It is located in the heart of Tokyo, on the shopping streets of Azabu-Juban, just five minutes from Roppongi and Roppongi Hills, and one minute to the Azabu-Juban station.
It has no curfew so you can party the night away in Tokyo and still get in when you’re done. Guess T House doesn’t currently have its own website but you can make a reservation through http://www.tokyo.hostel.com/. You will probably have to pay a small credit card deposit. Apparently you can call them when you reach Azabu-Juban station exit # 4 and someone will come and pick you up.
A bed in a dorm (they have single sex and shared dorms) will cost around 3500 yen a night (this includes tax).
Hotel New Azuma – Ueno
A little out the way and with a midnight curfew, it is not what everyone wants on a trip to Tokyo but it is cheap: from 2,700 for a single room or 5,000 yen for 2 people to share a single room (with extra futon and pillow). It also has an English website and you can book online: www9.ocn.ne.jp/~h-azuma/uk/
Green Plaza Shinjuku
1-29-3 Kabuki-cho, Shinjuku-ku (Tel: 03 3207-5411) http://www.hgpshinjuku.jp/
It may not to be everyone’s taste but a cheap and easy way to find a place to crash out in Tokyo is to go to a capsule hotel. The Green Plaza is a very popular hotel and is thought to be the largest in Japan. If you pre-book prices start from 3100 yen. However, you may need a JTE to help you fill out the online application form as it’s all in Japanese. Most Japanese people do not pre-book though and if you just turn up you should expect to pay about 4000 yen a night. It is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week and is never fully booked. Some ALTs showed up during Golden Week (BUSY!!) and got a capsule easily. It seems that you can buy clean socks, underwear and razors from vending machines. They usually have coin-operated showers but the Green Plaza actually has a sento. It’s close to Shinjuku station (Seibu & other lines).
Warning to girls! The mens hotel may be capsule but the womens is not. I stayed there recently and it was more like a spa with a few open plan sleeping rooms above it. If you don't mind sleeping in a dimly lit room with 20-30 other people making lots of noise (why did I get the snorer??) then go for it, but I would recommend an eye mask, ear plugs, and a beer or two beforehand to help you sleep. Oh and they try to make you wear creepy little pajamas. Spa is nice though.
Kimi Ryokan
36-8, 2chome, Ikebukuro, Toshima-ku (Tel: 03-3971-3766)
7 mins walk from West Exit of JR IKEBUKURO Station on JR Yamanote Line or Subway IKEBUKURO Station on Subway Marunouchi and Yurakucho Lines, and Seibu IKEBUKURO Line.)
This is not a hostel and there is a curfew of 1am. However is it very reasonably priced (4500 yen for a single room, 6500 yen for a medium sized double and they have 4 person rooms for 2800 yen per person) and very central. It is really clean and has A/C in every room. No breakfast or parking is provided. They have English speaking staff so you can easily make a reservation over the phone. http://www.kimi-ryokan.jp/index.html
Andon Ryokan
2-34-10 Nihonzutsumi Taito (Tel: 03-3873-8611 Fax: 03-3873-8612)
This is a very stylish modern building full of Japanese Antiques. It's in Asakusa which is a little way off from some of the more popular areas such as Shibuya, Shinjuku etc but it is on the subway line (Hibiya Line, Minowa Station) and not far from Ueno Station (one of the largest stations in Tokyo). Again expect to pay from 3000-4000 yen per person per night, depending on the kind of room. Apparently, every room had a DVD player and they have over 300 DVDs, which you can borrow for free. It is a really comfortable place and they will cook you breakfast for 300-500 yen. http://www.andon.co.jp/home/info.html
Osaka
Raizen Hotel
1-1-3 Taishi, Nishinari-ku (Tel: 06-6647-2193 Fax 06-6647-2168)
Only 2,100yen a night, recommended by a fellow Toyama JET and with and English website: http://www.raizan.net/index2.htm
Kyoto
Backpackers Hostel - K's House Kyoto
418 Nayacho, Shichijo-agaru, Dotemachi-dori, Shimogyo-ku, Kyoto. (TEL +81-75-342-2444 FAX +81-75-342-2440)
This is the Youth Hostel that the Toyama JETs used for last years Kyoto trip. It is brand new, clean and well equipped. The staff speak excellent English and there is no curfew. It is located just 10 mins walk from the main Kyoto JR station and 4 mins walk from the nearest subway station. Rooms in a shared dorm start from 2,500 yen but they do have single, twin and double private rooms too. You can book by email or call and speak to the staff in English. They even have some space to park a car but let them know beforehand as they only have a couple of spaces.
All of the information for K’s House in on their website at: http://kshouse.jp/
Budget Inn Ryokan
295 Aburanokoji-cho, Aburanokoji, Shichijo-sagaru, Shimogyo-ku, Kyoto (Tel: 075 344 1510)
This is another brand new hostel in central Kyoto. You can book online but all staff speak English if you want to call. It is just a 6/7 minute walk from JR Kyoto Station. You can find the map on the website. The prices are also listed on the website but expect to pay around 3000 yen per night if you share a larger room and from 4000-4500 yen a night for a private double room. http://www.budgetinnjp.com/
Tour Club Ryokan
362 Momijicho, Higashinakasuji, Shomensagaru, Shimogyo-ku, Kyoto. (Tel: 075-353-6968)
This ryokan is run by the same people as ‘Budget Inn’. It is a slightly older hostel but has just been renovated and reopened. The prices are very slightly cheaper than those of ‘Budget Inn”. It is a 9 minute walk from JR Kyoto Station. Again, you can book online or you can give them a call and talk to them in English. http://www.kyotojp.com/
Both of these hotels are very foreigner friendly. The owner is a guy called Kenji Shimizu. This guy backpacked around 30 countries and saw the need for cheap, friendly accommodation in Japan. He first opened Tour Club and due to demand later opened the Budget Inn.
Nara
Ryokan Seikanso 29 Higashikitsuji-cho, Nara City, Nara Pref. Tel: 0742 22-2670
This ryokan costs 4000 yen per night and a western breakfast in just 450 yen. It is very centrally located. It takes 10 minutes by No.1 loop by from the main JR Station and is a 12-minute walk from the Kintetsu Nara Station.
Hiroshima
WFC (World Friendship Center)
8-10 Higashi Kannon-Machi, Nishi-ku (Tel 082 503 3191) This place is apparently run by an American couple and offers an ‘American-style’ breakfast. Also, it’s only 3500yen/night.
Nagano
If you want a cheap place to stay whilst enjoying the world-class Nagano pistes check out these two hostels. These hostels are both located just off route 148 in Hakuba, Nagano ken. Run by very friendly New Zealanders, they both have mini-buses to pick you up from the station or there are car spaces for those who drive. Both hostels are close to the ski areas, Goryo being only a short trip up the road. They both have dorm rooms, common areas, cable TV, beer vending machines and kitchens that can be used as you wish!! Cost is about 3000 yen/night.
Hakuba Alps Backpackers, 22407-4 Ooaza Kamishiro Hakubamura Kita-azumigun Nagano-ken 399-9211, Tel/Fax: 0261-75-4038 Email: h.a.backpackers @ sweet.ocn.ne.jp
Travellers' Nest Backpackers, 22200-7 Kamishiro Hakubamura Kita-azumi-gun Nagano-ken 399-9211, Tel: 090 9668 8171 (Ben), 090 9668 7865 (Jenny - English or Nihongo!) Email: greennzs @ hotmail.com
Nagoya
If you're looking for cheap accomodation in Nagoya then this funky little capsule hotel could be the answer! Apaiser Capsule Hotel (http://www.apz-spa.com/index.html) is located in Imaike, a relatively central area, and is only 3,800 yen a night! It's also within a spa, so you could get some beauty treatments done when you're there if you fancy it!
Across Japan:
Toyoko Inn (across Japan in the bigger cities)
ALTs have found Toyoko Inn hotels to be nice and reasonably priced places to stay. It is a business hotel chain so the rooms are very spacious. Prices vary slightly depending on the location but you should expect to pay max (these are the prices for Tokyo – Shinjuku Kabuki-chou):
Single room A ¥6,980
Double ¥9,240
Twin room ¥9,240
DX twin room ¥12,390
The above prices include tax. The double and twin prices are the total cost per room (two persons). http://www.toyoko-inn.com/eng/
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