Where to Stay in Japan

Shinjuku is the most connected neighborhood in Tokyo, and probably the world. Shinjuku Station handles 3.5 million passengers daily, meaning you can reach Narita Airport in 80 minutes, Kyoto in 2 hours, and Hakone in 90 minutes without a taxi. Stay on the east side for nightlife. Golden Gai, a maze of 200-plus tiny bars behind Kabukicho, is 7 minutes on foot. The west side is glass towers and business hotels with better rates. Shinjuku Gyoen is 12 minutes from the station and one of the best parks in Asia, period. The neighborhood is loud, dense, and relentless. Do not stay here if silence is non-negotiable. Do stay here if you are visiting Japan for the first time and want maximum flexibility. Most hotels on the west side are within 4 minutes of the station exits.

Best for

first-timersrail travelersnight owlsbusiness travelers

Walk times

Shinjuku Station West Exit to hotel district 4 min
East Exit to Golden Gai 7 min
Shinjuku Station to Shinjuku Gyoen South Gate 12 min

Skip if: You want quiet streets, a traditional atmosphere, or are staying 5 or more nights and want neighborhood variety.

Local tip: Book west-side hotels for rates 20 percent lower than east-side equivalents. You get the same station access without paying the Kabukicho proximity premium.

Compare prices across providers

Prices shown for 1 room, 2 adults. Click to see current availability.

$90per night

Asakusa, Tokyo

Old Tokyo, honest prices, actual locals

Budget $55-$200/night

Asakusa is what Shinjuku was 40 years ago: walkable, affordable, and actually local. Nakamise Shopping Street runs 200 meters straight to Sensoji Temple, Japan's most visited shrine, which means crowds by 10am but empty stone lanes by 8am if you wake early. Stay within 5 minutes of Kaminarimon Gate and you are also 8 minutes from Kappabashi, where Tokyo's professional chefs buy their knives and equipment, and 20 minutes on foot from Tokyo Skytree. Ueno Park and its cluster of world-class museums is a 15-minute walk north along Kototoi-dori. The Ginza Line connects to Shibuya in 30 minutes. Prices run 20 to 30 percent below equivalent hotels in Shinjuku. For photographers and budget travelers, that trade-off is obvious. The neighborhood shuts down early, which is either a feature or a problem depending on your plans.

Best for

budget travelersphotographersfamiliesculture seekers

Walk times

Asakusa Station to Sensoji Temple 5 min
Kaminarimon Gate to Kappabashi Kitchen Street 8 min
Asakusa Station to Tokyo Skytree on foot 20 min

Skip if: You need fast Shinkansen access (Tokyo Station is 40 minutes away) or plan most evenings in Shibuya or Roppongi.

Local tip: Visit Sensoji before 8am. The entire compound is empty, incense smoke hangs low in the courtyard, and you get photos that look nothing like the midday tourist brochure versions.

Compare prices across providers

Prices shown for 1 room, 2 adults. Click to see current availability.

$62per night

Gion, Kyoto

Japan as you imagined it, priced accordingly

Mid-range $100-$700/night

Gion is the neighborhood Japan's tourist board uses in every campaign, and for once the reality matches the photos. Hanamikoji Street between Shijo-dori and Kenmacho runs through the main geisha district, flanked by ochaya teahouses and kaiseki restaurants. Ninenzaka and Sannenzaka, two stone-paved lanes 10 minutes east of Gion, connect directly to Kiyomizudera Temple. Nishiki Market, where you eat pickles, tofu skin, and skewers standing up, is a 15-minute walk west along Shijo-dori. Fushimi Inari Shrine is 20 minutes by Keihan Line from Gion-Shijo Station. Budget hotels here are almost nonexistent. If you can afford it, a machiya townhouse guesthouse on a side street off Hanamikoji is one of the best accommodation experiences in Japan. Two nights minimum. Arriving and leaving in 24 hours means you will spend most of that time in transit.

Best for

couplesculture seekersphotographersstays of 3 or more nights

Walk times

Gion-Shijo Station to Kiyomizudera Temple 25 min
Hanamikoji Street to Nishiki Market via Shijo-dori 15 min
Gion to Kyoto Station by Karasuma subway line 20 min

Skip if: You have only one night in Kyoto or are on a strict budget under $120 per night. Options below that price point are in Fushimi, 30 minutes away.

Local tip: Walk Hanamikoji south of Shijo after 6pm on a Tuesday or Wednesday. These are the quietest evenings. Weekends bring tour groups. The women in kimono near the teahouses after dark are more likely geiko than tourists.

Compare prices across providers

Prices shown for 1 room, 2 adults. Click to see current availability.

$112per night

Namba, Osaka

Eat everything. Regret nothing.

Budget $55-$230/night

Namba is where Osaka's reputation as Japan's food capital gets earned, one standing meal at a time. Dotonbori canal runs east to west through the center, lined with crab signs, blowfish lanterns, and takoyaki stands that have been open since 1935. Shinsaibashi-suji, a covered arcade stretching 580 meters north of Dotonbori, absorbs daytime crowds well. Kuromon Ichiba Market, the city's main wet market and Osaka's kitchen, is a 15-minute walk east and best before 11am. Namba Station connects to Kansai International Airport in 38 minutes on the Nankai Rapi:t express, the best airport connection in Japan. The neighborhood is loud until 3am on weekends. Rooms are small even by Japanese standards. But rates run 25 to 40 percent below Tokyo for equivalent quality. For a first Osaka visit, there is no better base.

Best for

food travelersbudget travelersnightlife seekersKansai Airport arrivals

Walk times

Namba Station to Dotonbori canal 5 min
Dotonbori to Kuromon Ichiba Market 15 min
Namba Station to Shinsekai district on foot 20 min

Skip if: You are a light sleeper or plan heavy day-tripping to Kyoto temples (75 minutes each way by Shinkansen adds up fast).

Local tip: Skip the giant crab restaurants on Dotonbori. Walk two blocks south to Sennichimae Doguyasuji and eat at the standing bars near Namba Yasaka Shrine. Half the price, none of the tourist markup.

Compare prices across providers

Prices shown for 1 room, 2 adults. Click to see current availability.

$62per night

Hakone

Mt. Fuji views and hot springs, 85 minutes from Tokyo

Mid-range $120-$600/night

Hakone is not a city. It is a mountain resort 90 kilometers southwest of Tokyo, built around natural hot springs and views of Mt. Fuji on clear days. The Romancecar limited express from Shinjuku arrives at Hakone-Yumoto Station in 85 minutes and requires no Shinkansen pass. From there, the Hakone Tozan Railway climbs to Gora in 40 minutes via three switchbacks cut into the mountain. Owakudani, the active volcanic valley with sulphur vents and black eggs, is 15 minutes by ropeway from Sounzan. The Hakone Open Air Museum, 2 minutes from Chokoku-no-Mori Station, holds a Picasso pavilion worth at least an hour. Stay in a ryokan with a private outdoor onsen if budget allows. Two nights minimum is not a suggestion. Mt. Fuji views are clearest from November through February.

Best for

couplesMt. Fuji seekersryokan experienceday 3 or later of a Tokyo trip

Walk times

Hakone-Yumoto Station to Gora by Tozan Railway 40 min
Chokoku-no-Mori Station to Hakone Open Air Museum entrance 2 min
Sounzan Ropeway Station to Owakudani 15 min

Skip if: You have fewer than 2 nights or are on a budget below $150 per night. Basic accommodation options here are sparse and unimpressive.

Local tip: Book for Sunday to Thursday. Weekend rates jump 40 to 60 percent and the shared onsen fills with Tokyo day-trippers. A Wednesday in November with clear skies gets you Fuji-san from a private tub with nobody else around.

Compare prices across providers

Prices shown for 1 room, 2 adults. Click to see current availability.

$134per night