Traveling in Japan and confused on what type of accomodation is right for you? Fear not, as here’s a guide to the main different overnight stay experiences Japan has to offer, from cheapest to most expensive (if you’re feeling bougie), and maybe even an unexpected one thrown in…Generally, you can expect the typical place to be more cramped than what you’re used to, and Japan does tend to price per person, not per room. Keep in mind I have not stayed in all of these types, but the following is a compilation of my own experiences as well as things I’ve heard.
Cheapest to Most Expensive (Generally)
Capsule Hotels: You may or may not have seen the viral capsule hotel experiences on social media. Your actual “room” is just a narrow bed in a “capsule” with barely any storage space other than a locker, and typically they’re separated by gender. There’s usually a shared common bathroom, a kitchen, and maybe a common room. This is probably ideal for people with little belongings and don’t really care about their bed situation. I’ve actually even heard of luxury capsule hotels.
Hostel or sharehouse: These are in a similar realm of comfort and living situation as capsule hotels. The hostels I’ve stayed in have bed spaces that are a bit bigger than the typical capsule, and don’t have lockers, but enough space in the shared room for you to store your stuff. Some hostels have private rooms if you’re staying in a group, and the nice thing is that if you’re a woman, there are female-only dormitories in most (otherwise, it’s mixed gender). Bathrooms, kitchen, and common area are shared. I believe sharehouses are a similar situation, except the vibe is cozier and intimate, at least from pictures I’ve seen. Not bad for solo travelers, if you don’t mind a lack of privacy.
Business hotel: Looking for an actual hotel with no frills but with private space? Business hotels are typically for well, people traveling for work that don’t need fancy accommodations. They’re the cheapest type of normal hotel, with the bare hotel necessities. Room itself tends to be cramped with little floor space other than the bed and desk, and though Japanese bathrooms are small, these are likely smaller than small.
Normal(?) hotels, luxury hotels, and beyond: The more you’re willing to splurge on your bed situation for your vacation, clearly, the better it will be, and more similar-looking to a normal Western hotel. Some will come with breakfast included (or for an additional fee).
Ryokan (traditional japanese inn): Ryokans are expensive, and fancy, but face it, you’re there for the vibes and experience. Most will come with yukatas for you to wear around the facility, and will probably have dinner and/or breakfast included in some sort of buffet or kaiseki (course meal) format. When reserving, you can usually choose from a tatami-Japanese style room, a Western style room, or a mix of both. Some may or may not have an onsen or communal bath. Hey, maybe even a private in-room one if it’s ultra fancy.
Internet cafe: If you’re really strapped for cash or prefer to live life on the edge, you can consider spending your nights hopping from internet cafe to internet cafe. There’s internet obviously, you can usually get your own little pod to yourself, showers, and they have food and drink within the cafe. That’s not the life for me, but hey, to each their own. I have a friend who did that once.
Whole apartment or room: Airbnb is a viable option in Japan, and if you want to really immerse yourself in that everyday life, you can find a whole range of apartment styles and qualities. Sometimes it can be cheaper than a hotel, and sometimes not.
Love hotel:…For the funzies or real Japanese experience, I guess. Actually, I think price-wise, the prices are pretty competitive with a business hotel (from what I hear, but obviously prices can depend on the place). It should have the normal functions of any hotel (I suppose and more…), but your room might be, uh, themed. I think most don’t allow same-sex couples though. Other than reading online, I have no experience on the matter. I’m just leaving this here.
Other than the last one, these tend to be the most normal ones you’ll see for the average tourist. There’s apparently a treehouse hotel in Okinawa (as I recently watched on YouTube), and there’s some campaign right now that allows people to stay in the gassho-style houses in Shirakawa Vilage, a world heritage site.
Where to reserve?
Airbnb: Again, you can directly reserve with Airbnb for those apartment rentals, but Airbnb also has listings for hotels or hostels if you happen to find a competitive price on there or find it more English-friendly.
Travel site: Recently, I’ve been using Agoda which has pretty good deals for places, and hostels to hotels are often on there. I also use Rakuten Travel from time to time because I have a Rakuten account, but I believe they have an English site as well.
Hotel’s site: Hotel site prices are exclusively listed in yen (whereas the other ones can change to your own currency) soyou might have to pay international fees, but with the weak yen and discount on using the hotel’s site directly as opposed to using a separate 3rd party, it might end up a better deal. Keep in mind that most big chains or fancy places will probably have English, but some might not have the option.
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