No matter how carefully you have planned your monthly expenditures, there are are times when an unplanned expenditure leaves you short. What I do is save term deposits in my postal account. When I am short, I overdraw the postal account. I think I can overdraw to the limit of the time deposits that are in force. When I repay the overdraft I am charged interest but it is insignificant. I only overdraw small amounts when I am really desperate.

Another condition I have for borrowing in this way is that I must have confidence I can pay it back in a short time. The longest I have borrowed by overdraft is two weeks. The interest really was minimal. Doesn’t happen more than once or twice a year but it sure helps when you are desperate.

(Thank you for your comments! Keep writing!)

As a result, I’m always on the lookout for good deals on accommodations in major cities in Japan that also provide a relaxing, semi-private stay. This last trip, I decided to check out one of the untried hotels on my the Frugal Japan Wiki Hotel Tips list, Andon Ryokan.

The ryokan’s website looked very promising: an architect-designed building, only 1 1/2 years old, filled with unique spaces, Japanese antiques, and all for a reasonable price. I reserved a room for three nights, at 7,800 yen per night. The price is the same regardless of how many people stay in the room, and a room will fit up to three people, making this a good bargain option for couples or small families. The hotel requires a credit card for reservations, but you can pay in cash. A 2,000-yen key deposit is required, but refunded when you leave. (Note: a triple room is 10,800 yen, or around 3,500 yen per person.)

First, please remember the hotel is geared for international travelers visiting Japan on a budget, so there are common showers and bathrooms (all very clean), and the rooms are rather small. The single shower per floor is made up for a very lovely private jacuzzi bath, available for use by reservation at the front desk. Each room features a simple double futon set, a TV, DVD player, table, and small closet. It ALSO (for internet junkies like myself) features some of the speediest optical fiber Internet I’ve had the pleasure of connecting to ever — in each room. The ryokan even has LAN cables available. The front desk also boasts a movie library, discount train tickets, phone cards, iron/ironing board, and other amenities. Overall, very impressive.

The hotel common areas include, standard for most accommodations of this type, a lounge and kitchen. Free coffee and tea are available 24/7, as well as common Internet access. Breakfasts are a real treat, with a French toast and cinnamon toast option for 300 yen, and a full breakfast option for 500 yen. Absolutely delicious, and cheap to boot. Finally, both the unique architectural atmosphere and friendly staff made for a great stay. The hotel is located in Tokyo’s historic Taito district, a five-minute walk from the Minowa subway station on the Hibiya line, two stops north of Ueno. It’s a bit difficult to find, so download the map from the hotel’s website before you go.

All in all, I can recommend Andon Ryokan without hesitation, and would really love to go back, especially to get some more of that excellent French toast!

Note: The owner/operator of the hotel is fairly interesting herself. Check out the staff’s online diary in English, both for some funny insights into these artsy people, and to get a feel for the place.

© 2004 Wendy J. Imura.

…check the price before you agree to purchase an item or service!

I got skunked out of Y21,000 in removal fees for a large PC last week, simply because I neglected to ask the removal company (a truck with a driver) how much the service was beforehand. While admittedly convenient, any number of options, including the large trash collection and paying the fee, would have been cheaper than this.

I simply thought that (as common sense should dictate) the pick-up of a PC monitor, hard drive, printer, keyboard, and mouse (plus box) would be only around Y5,000-Y6,000. And it appears my common sense was wrong. (Has this happened to anyone in Japan before?)

So, in short — ask before you buy or agree to a service. You might save yourself the kind of nasty surprise I got.