From a traveller who has been to Tokyo a dozen times since the early 2000's. One of the best places to stay is in and around Akasaka-Mitsuke Station. You are pretty much central to most tourist spots in Tokyo (for a 1st time Visitor) and you are on direct lines with only 5-6 stops from many of the big locations like Ginza, Shibuya, Shinjuku, Tokyo Station, Ikebukaro etc. Easy access from Haneda and Narita and in a salary man location so lots of amazing eating locations including some of the best ramen spots in Tokyo, a massive supermarket nearby and cheap accomodation. As a bonus, Hie Shrine 5 mins walk away and you can walk to Roppongi in about 25 mins.
I have checked many stations, I will tend to live the hotels that close to the Akasaka-Mitsuke Station. I assume it may closed to Shibuya and Ginza, the places I want to hang out.
This will be the very first time in Japan for us and I think I will listen to your advice. Our flight is at 15th this month, so 3 days left… I and my family are very excited since we don’t really have a travel plan for this one :D even though we will only stay for 6 days. I will keep our journey updated if anyone is interested.
I stayed Akihabara, where I met you guys at the 7/11 and I loved it there. I was close to Ueno and other places I wanted to go to and it was maybe 20 minutes if not shorter to Shibuya. I loved the culture of Akihabara and also the Apa Hotel was a bargain for me for a week. But like I told you, your advice made my first trip to Tokyo 100% and I'm still watching for my 2nd.. Keep up the awesome work
Hi! It was nice running into you. Glad you liked your hotel! We loved the convenience of staying in Akihabara, but the Airbnb we stayed in was one of the worst ever. Narrow stairs with no elevator, restaurant smells wafting up, and in disrepair. Another family left as soon as they checked in. It would have been a better experience if we had stayed in a hotel! 🌸 Heidi
@KenshoQuest it was because of you guys I did alot of research after I decided which prefecture I wanted to stay in and came away with Apa. It was 5 minutes walking from the Akihabara station, had great amenities, close to a beautiful mini shrine, 2 minutes walk to that 7/11and allowed me to experience Akihabara. All of that was from your channel. I'm not a fan of Air BnBs but since I'm a solo traveler my accommodations can be smaller.
Stayed at Otsuka back in November and Sugamo most recently in April. Both are along the Yamanote line and are more on the quieter side, making it easier to navigate in and out of the stations. 100% recommend these locations.
We are currently struggling with this, you really always upload at the perfect time!! Thank you so much for all your videos, they have made planning our first Japan trip so much easier!
My granddaughter and I stayed in Asakusa. It was awesome with everything you could possibly want to see. Plus the train station gave us access to several lines. Loved the area.
Expedia user here. That clear cancellation policy helped during my first visit to Japan as I had to change accommodations quiet a few times as my plans changed.
I stayed near Suidobashi. I liked the quiet area after seeing attractions all over during the day. The Hotel Niwa was so clean and comfortable. Next time I think I will pick somewhere more central so your neighborhood suggestions are helpful
For my solo trip I've ended up booking multiple Sotetsu Fresa Inn locations. I can transfer bags (although it's fine where I'm going thanks to shinkansen) but they have a membership scheme for free breakfast with your booking, money off 60-day in advance, a nice little bonus 500 yen back each night but more importantly early check-in/late check out! I think some folks are nervous with the scale of options with Japan but sometimes the budget franchises are great for solo travellers. Doing a nice big chunk on this trip, Tokyo, Kyoto, Hiroshima and Osaka. All the Sotetsu Fresa Inn's I've picked are all near major stations :)
Very useful video. In November. 2023, I went to Japan with six friends who have never been to Japan. Our hotel stays for the first few nights were near Tokyo Station before heading to Kanazawa and Kyoto via Shinkansen. After having a wonderful time in Kyoto, we returned to Tokyo for five nights and stayed in Ginza. The area has many convenient subway access points, restaurant choices, and interesting stores like the Muji Ginza Flagship store and the Ginza Itoya stationary store. Everyone had a great time. Since I have spent numerous days in all the Tokyo Wards mentioned in the video, I am now more interested in staying in outer wards or away from the concentrated tourist areas and finding restaurants popular with local residents.
Excellent tips! The use of the "map" feature to book rooms is important if you are coming without a car, and need to be close to a station. Also I've used google to see what trains are going to the location I want to go and stay. Last April we went to the Tokyo dome. I googled "train from tokyo station to tokyo dome". It brought up the train to take (Marunouchi line- red color train) the train schedule, and what station to get off. This helped me with planning. Just an idea.
If you are walking distance from any station on the Yamonite line (green) you are golden. Good advice. The only thing I will add as an exception is if you have young kids and the main reason you are visiting Tokyo is Disney Resort stay close to the resort. TDR is exhausting so it’s good if you can duck back to your hotel for a break (and kids nap).
I stayed at the Tokyo Stay Ginza in November last year. Very good location about 10 minutes by taxi from Tokyo station, but very close to Higashi Ginza, Ginza and Yurakucho subway stations. Hotel also has washer/dryer in rooms
You mean Tokyu Stay. I love that chain as I do not need to go out of my room to wash my clothes. I don't know if it is applicable for all their hotels (I stayed at their Gotanda branch), but there is free coffee from 7 am to midnight
Asakusa area is wonderful for the "Japanese" experience. Most of Tokyo is very modern & skyscrapper-ish, having been destroyed by bombing during WWII. However, Asakusa is very crowded (like Shinjuku and Shibuya). We actually ate at restaurants near the fringe of the neighborhood. You can get to the neighborhood via direct train from Haneda but not Narita. airport. It is not on the Yamanote line, so connections are a bit slower but I think this is the best location for first time visitors. My favorites are Asakusa, Ikebukuro, and Ginza. I haven't stayed in Ueno, but I imagine that would be good also. Young people will love Shinjuku & Shibuya but they are crazy busy.
Thanks for another helpful video on staying in Tokyo! I can say with confidence that the walk time back to the hotel after a day of sightseeing always seems to be longer. 😮💨😂
Awesome, I like to stay in shiodome area. Good thing to check is square ft of room. Family of 3 got to be bigger than 235 sq ft. Etc. we are here now and stayed at the Kahala hotel, Kagetsu hotel Matsumoto. Thanks for that video and now in Nagoya. Thanks for all the updates. Aloha
Thanks, nice to see how you select where to stay. We have stayed at one of the Prince hotels in Shinagawa to enjoy the peaceful foliage and ponds and trips to Yokohama and Disney. Then we stay in Shibuya for everything else. We’d like to try Shinjuku but overall didn’t seem as lively. We love the subways and Yamanote line
😎 Thanks again for these videos! I returned Monday from a week at Tokyo Dome City, great hotel! I also used your recommendation for the JR/Siuca link. I was able to see an amazing show in Osaka for a night, IC/QR code was perfect. Got to bypass dozens of people buying paper tickets - huge timesaver!!
My first time there 5 years ago I stayed in Shin-Okubo (aka Korea Town) which I loved. On the Yamanote line, just one stop up from Shuinjuku, but more of a 'real' area, less touristy but interesting and very lively with loads of different food options, bars and shops, and walkable too. Maybe not the best area for a family perhaps, but for me on my own it was great. I'm not too keen on hotels but I found a cool self-catering motel style place on Expedia (Airbnb is pretty useless for Tokyo - alright for Osaka though) which wasn't expensive and was great for me on my own. So the next time I went, last year, I fancied doing something different so I stayed in a swish place in Roppongi - a sort-of hotel but the rooms were actually self-contained apartments with a kitchen, washing machine etc. It cost me a fortune but was nice, had a good balcony with a view of Tokyo Tower and was close to lots of attractions (like you've mentioned). However, for me it felt too upmarket and despite the nightlife (and there's better areas for that) it lacked that real, buzzy Tokyo vibe, so next time I go back I'll be staying in Shin-Okubo again!
Was struggling before but Booked them before this video but pretty much figured similar process to book. With a little more walking due to booking availability but not too bad, Wanted to try japanese style room atleast but the best i can do was half japanese and half western style rooms.
Kamata is also one of the most underrated area to stay in, and it's still covered by JR Hokuriku Arch Pass since it's at the very edge of central Tokyo. ESPECIALLY if you arrive from Haneda as it's only just about 10 minutes away by Keikyu Line from the airport. And it's within walking distance to Kamata station & Keikyu-Kamata station.
Maybe an odd choice but I've always chosen to stay in Komagome during my trips to Tokyo since it's a nice mid point between my most frequented spots in Shibuya and Akihabara. As always a great video.
My always go to on my travels to Japan is stay in near the Tokyo station area on my first two days in Japan before I move to other prefectures. And then on the last two days when i go back to Tokyo, I stay in Akihabara for my geek stuffs.
Nippori is great because it’s the first stop on the Keisei skyliner from Narita Airport. Lots of restaurants and the Hotel Lungwood has large rooms but showing its age. Ueno is good too as the Skyliner finishes there and you can catch bullet trains from JR Ueno station. Ueno park is good too.
We stayed in Ikebukuro near sunshine city. We chose this location as it's close to a train station and if I wanted to get up before my husband, who likes to sleep late on vacations, I could brows the mall. Likewise, if we got back late at night but were still itching for a little fun, the Round 1 entertainment building was right there too. 24 hour arcade.
In 2017 stayed at Keio Plaza Hotel(pricey), a very good hotel near Shinjuku station. And in 2023 stay at Daiwa Roynet Kyobashi near Tokyo station(.5 mi away) Also a nice hotel and walking distance to the Tokyo station(cost was about $150/nite)
Saw you or your clone at Bedok central, Singapore on Sunday July 14th. We have so many looks alike in this vast world. Love watching your family traveling. Very informative, educational and positive guidelines for travellers.
9:48 - Henna Hotel (which translates to "Weird Hotel") is the one with the robot receptionists; you'll talk to either an android, an anime hologram, or a talking velociraptor.
Used some of your videos prior to our trip and it was so helpful. Thanks for your wife’s tip about waterproof shoes and taking only the hikari and Nozomi. Our favorite place was in Kyoto in the Gion area. We went in July and it was during a holiday in Tokyo and in Kyoto so we were caught in two separate crowds. One for the Sensoji temple and the other was a parade in Kyoto!
I've definitely never found the need to stay outside of central Tokyo because I can always find clean, modern (sometimes newly built) and accessible hotels for under US$100/night - usually quite a bit less.
The one you chose to book (Tokyu Stay) is an amazing hotel chain. I love that their selling point is the washing machine in every room as you won't have to hassle yourself by having to go down (or up in some cases) just to do your laundry, and even worse having to wait for some other guest to finish. The free coffee from 7 am to midnight is another bonus. However, their Ginza hotel has a steep price so I choose their Gotanda branch. Another interesting area with whole lots of restaurants and izakaya. Also is a station of the Yamanote line and Asakusa subway (with through connections to Keikyu/Keisei lines) so access won't ever be an issue. Not really the best if you have children though as there are some sex workers and pimps at night roaming around, and sometimes even attempting to tout you
FYI, there are actually two different Asakusa Stations in Asakusa. The one highlighted in the video is jointly operated by Tokyo Metro, Toei Subway, and Tobu Railway. The second one is owned and operated by the Metropolitan Intercity Railway Company as part of the Tsukuba Express; it's closer to Senso-ji Temple and has a direct connection to Akihabara.
In Tokyo, Kabukicho is my home away from home, as Shinjuku Station connects you everywhere in the city and the hotel rates are reasonable, unlike Shibuya.
It will be great if you show us all the accomodations if possible that you had booked in all the times you are in 🇯🇵, it will help me a lot to decide the best place… near the train stn will be excellent thanks
Hi. We are slow-travelers and often stay much longer than people on vacation, so the locations and types of accommodations we book for our family are not necessarily then same as someone visiting Japan for a short trip.
Finally, found a step-by-step, easy to follow tutorial on how and where to book a hotel. For a solo traveler, would you recommend APA Hotels? Thank you.
@@tungvu we just stayed at one 2 nights ago in Nagoya. We are a family of 4 and spit into 2 rooms each. The rooms were small but clean and very inexpensive compared to most alternatives.
Hi. Our videos about gluten free restaurants/bakeries are from years ago and some of them have closed already. Is there a certain city you are wondering about? A major thing to watch out for is soy sauce, since it contains gluten and is in so many foods. Most of the hotel breakfast buffets have little signs indicating common allergens (and it’s surprising how many foods contain gluten). If you eat at a diner style restaurant they usually have one low-allergen meal, it might be on the kids menu, that doesn’t contain any of the most common food allergens.
Man! I really could have used this info last year before my trip to Tokyo. I was in Tokyo for 10 weeks. Wasted like $4,000-$6,000 on hotels instead of booking an apartment. Critical NEED TO KNOW info. Next time I’m booking an apartment on Expedia. Everything was trial and error. I now know what I love to see again. What new things I want to see. Where to stay. What to book. Where to eat! How to navigate the trains. And I cannot WAIT to return to Tokyo next year for 6 weeks.
Thank you for this video. I am in the planning stage for a Japan visit. Hotels are already near capacity and you are often presented to one of the booking online agencies. I was wondering which one is the most reliable (fewer mishaps) and you seem to go with Expedia. I will trust you and use your affiliate link. Looking for reasonably priced place withing short walking distance of Shibuya Station. Thumbs up.
Wow, this video single-handedly vindicated our decision to stay close to Tokyo Station. Thank you!!! If only Expedia and Booking could API with Google Maps… Could you do a similar episode for Kyoto as well?
Hi, yes, we plan to make a few more videos covering different areas of Japan. And totally agree about the Google Maps integration with Expedia, it would be great ;)
@@KenshoQuest What times of year to book flights/when to expect flight prices to fluctuate/what are the average flight prices so there's a baseline to compare If there's anything in particular to know about flying to japan/stuff to have prepared pre booking a flight What to expect getting on a flight going back from Japan, i.e. how early should you arrive at the airport, experiences, advice What it's like going through customs Booking services i.e. Expedia/whatever else you recommend. Booking services in japan too. I know some within japan flights are pretty well priced so local booking if any/if they're useful.
I am planning to stay near mejiro station,as it is quiet and the train is for the yamanote line, and I will be visiting all the touristy places to Shibuya and Asaksa. Do you think it will be a great idea?
Hi, this can work well for you since it is a direct line to Shibuya and an easy one transfer to Asakusa. It might take a little longer but might be worth it for the convenience.
Great Travel Information ! I will be going to Tokyo for the first time in late December 2024 and staying 28 Days and I will be traveling Solo would you tell me the Best and Newest Tokyu Stay Hotel to stay at for that long,With the best ability to travel the area and Country from?(Mt Fuji) etc.🌏 🙏
I prefer to stay in Shinjuku. But I now try to avoid the big cities like Tokyo Osaka coz it's too crowded plus good restos always have a long wait. I love the countryside visiting the small towns like Takayama which offer a more authentic feel plus less people.
Hi Thanks for you helpful videos. We are coming to Tokyo on 29 September (Narita) but are confused as to how or whether we can get a SUICA card at Narita. Watched some very recent vids and looked online but it appears a card cannot be first loaded at Narita. Do you have any suggestions. Thanks Ken
Hi, if you are looking to purchase a physical Suica IC Card it will most likely be available at Narita. Please visit the JR ticket office once there as they are only sold in person. If they do not have, then check this site for updates to locations of where they are currently available: www.jreast.co.jp/multi/en Also, JR East, which covers the Tokyo are will be producing Suica IC Cards again in September, so most likely you will not have any issues. I'm sure plenty of RU-vidrs will be releasing videos on this as soon as the new Suica IC Cards are out :)
Shinagawa is a huge transport hub on the Yamanote line. You can get anywhere from there easily. All Shinkansen trains stop there. If you are heading to Kyoto or Osaka make sure you get reserved seats, at peak times non-reserved seats can get filled at Tokyo station. If you have a JR rail pass reservations are free I would not pay extra for the Green car, Nozomi or Mizuho if you are not travelling beyond Osaka. Of course, with a JR pass you can travel from Shinagawa to Tokyo (10mins) by shinkansen and then travel back the other way. I've visited Japan 20+ time. Every hotel has been excellent. Japanese service is as good as it gets. Never stayed at the Prince but if you spend about $100+ / night you will be fine anywhere. Make sure you have some cash, comfortable shoes, eSIM or SIM or PocketWiFI and... don't over pack! Safe travels...
Sorry, I don't quite understand. Here is our video showing a 1-Day Tokyo itinerary using the 24-Hour Tokyo Subway Ticket: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-mZKurw1pFRs.html
Hi, yes both are easy. To get to HND you want to take the Asakusa line which is a straight shot without any changes. For Disney you will need to change at hatchobori as mentioned in the video, which is nearby, still very easy access.
Hi, we used to use them but haven't recently due to their parent company, Booking.com's data breach last year. We do not know if the issue has been resolved as booking.com hasn't been very transparent about it: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-4cpKUBpLUT8.html
Has hotel rooms with cigarette smell been a problem on your various trips? I've done lots of looking around and found lots of comments about the smell & inability to open the windows. That's a worry for me, I absolutely cannot stand cigarette smell (and would much prefer a hotel with a window I can open) and it'd put a real negative on a trip if I couldn't escape that smell on relaxation time. I find this is never mentioned in YT videos, but is all over booking sites. Thanks.
Hi. We've had more trouble with cigarette smoke in Airbnb rentals than hotel rooms. If it really bothers you, I would look for a completely non-smoking hotel. Some hotels mix smoking and non-smoking rooms on the same floor, which doesn't make sense to me since the smoke travels down the hallway, and you need to walk through the hallway to get to your room. The issue we had at an Airbnb was the neighbors standing outside in the parking lot smoking and the smoke drifting in the windows. The good thing about booking a hotel is that you can ask to be moved to a different room, and the staff have always been accommodating. 🌸 Heidi
@@KenshoQuest Thanks for the advice. I think I'm overly sensitive to it because I was raised in a house where both parents smoked. Consequently I've never even tried it and can't stand it. I'll keep your advice in mind when booking hotels 👍
Are there any issues dropping off luggage at your hotel, before check-in time? So you can walk around and explore until the room is ready? Really appreciate this video 😊
We will be staying in Tokyo 3 nights before cruise. We will be booking on Expedia. What hotel and area you would recomend ? We would really appreciate advice. Near hystoric center. If we see only one art museum, which one you recomend?
Hi, Tokyo is very spread out as you can see in the video. To be very central to historical areas I recommend either Chiyoda, Chuo or Taito wards. For hotels, it really depends on your needs and your budget. Expedia does have a good selection. If you were to only see one museum it would be the Tokyo National Museum: (aff link) geni.us/tokyonationalmuseum The national museum is located next to Ueno Station in Taito. This is also close to Asakusa where the famous Sensoji Temple is located.
I picked a rental near Kabukicho before I knew it was near and what Kabukicho was. But its near Higashi-shinjuku, Shin-Okubo stations so it fit the bill for location and now I have Kabukicho to explore. I used Vrbo for the stay as hotels at 300-400 usd a night for a place to store my clothes, and sleep I suppose, is to much. Hotels are boring anyways! Get an IC card and the trains are great. The buses are great in a pinch but pretty crowded and harder to understand you destination if your like me and suck at Japanese. Damn kanji's!!
Great video! I booked a hotel for Nov. through Expedia. Although the booking stated free cancellation until three days before the arrival date, my credit card was charged. When I called customer service, they informed me that I would need to pay a $75 cancellation fee if I chose to cancel the reservation. Have you ever had a similar experience?
Hi, sorry to hear about this! We have not faced this issue with our credit cards. But also, when you cancel through Expedia, you do it through the Expedia website/app. Not directly through your credit card. So maybe you won't be charged the fee??
@@KenshoQuest Thank you very much for prompt reply! I contacted Expedia to ask why my credit card was charged immediately instead of three days before arrival, as per their free cancellation policy. The customer service representative asked how much was charged and then informed me that there is a $75 cancellation fee if I want to pay later. Did I misunderstand the free cancellation policy? I thought "With Expedia's Book Now Pay Later you don't pay for your rooms until you arrive at the property." Does Expedia always charge the credit card immediately when the hotel is booked and then refund in full if the cancellation is made before the deadline? I am sorry for all the questions. Your videos are very informative and helpful.
Shimbashi is also a great location in Minato! Especially if you are interested in the nearby sites like Tokyo Tower and Tsukiji. We just couldn't cover everything in the video :) The key is to be near a station that can get you to attractions quickly and easily.
Luckily almost no tourists stay in the area I usually stay in and it wasn’t mentioned here. Makes it quieter for me and it’s just well behaved drunk Japanese people around.
