Frugal Japan » Accommodations

FJ Friend: Japanese Guest Houses

Frugal Japan — Thu, 28 Dec 2006 21:00:55 +0000

Looking to travel within Japan, or hosting guests from overseas? Why not experience a night at a traditional Japanese inn (ryokan) or guest house? However, finding and reserving these accommodations can sometimes be a hassle, especially if you don’t speak Japanese. Well, Jeff Aasgaard in Kawanishi, Hyogo, has a solution for you. As he writes:

“I operate Japanese Guest Houses (http://www.JapaneseGuestHouses.com/), which is a free service to help English-speaking travelers make reservations at ryokans all over Japan. We represent over 500 ryokans in all price ranges.”

Japanese Guest Houses features extensive, reliable, and detailed listings of various traditional accommodations within Japan, and also offers excellent general advice as to what kind of ryokan to choose, travel tips for beginners and seasoned Japan veterans, and even what to expect when staying overnight in a Buddhist temple! The photos, guest comments, and guest ratings for each property are particularly valuable, and the range of accommodations starts at a relatively frugal (in Japan) 7,000-10,000 yen per person with two meals. If you’re planning a trip soon, or just curious, do check out this extensive gem of an English website.

Note that here are as many different types of ryokans in Japan as there are hotels in the world. Prices range from top-end luxury down to the rather more affordable. Jeff’s site will help you find frugal options, but don’t expect all ryokans on his site to be frugal. Remember, his site exists to tell you about various ryokans in Japan, not only the cheap ones. Use the classification system he has developed in order to find the cheapest option. (“D” seems to be the cheapest.) If you can’t find a cheap ryokan in a particular area, look into other options for accommodation in that area.

“FJ Friends” are foreign-owned or foreign-friendly businesses and services around Japan. If you know of a worthy business, or would like to introduce your own business to our readers, contact us!!

FJ Friend: Tama Ryokan

Frugal Japan — Thu, 28 Dec 2006 21:00:17 +0000

Finding inexpensive, and convenient, accommodations in Tokyo can be quite a hassle. What’s more, at a certain point many travelers become weary of the whole backpacker hotel/youth hostel scene. Well, if you’re looking for a frugal yet very centrally located accommodations in a traditional, family environment, why not try Tama Ryokan?

Run by longtime foreign resident Michael Turner, the “Tama Ryokan provides basic accommodations for a reasonable price in a central Tokyo location.” Located three minutes on foot from the Yamanote Line Takadanobaba Station, and literally seconds from the Tozai Subway Line station of the same name – you really can’t get much closer to the action than this.

The neighborhood is also a great draw: “offer[ing] a splendid variety of cuisine: Indian, Thai, Italian, French, Cambodian, Nepali, Burmese, and others, with some very reasonable lunch-special prices.”

“Other neighborhood attractions include a movie theater (not too common in Tokyo), an English-language bookstore (the Blue Parrot), and several hangouts popular with the gaijin crowd, most notably The Fiddler, a British-style pub with live music and no cover charge most nights of the week, and Ben’s Cafe, a New York-style cafe and bistro, with free internet access.”

The ryokan itself has four Japanese-style rooms, with rates starting at 4,500 yen for one person. Payment should be made in cash, and reservations are a necessity, as the ryokan is often booked up. A refrigerator and 24-hour customer lounge (with one desktop PC for Internet surfing and email) are available.

For very thorough information about the ryokan (and pictures), please visit the website.

For both a frugal night’s stay and a chance to view a unique, old-style Japanese ryokan in a convenient Tokyo neighborhood, the Tama Ryokan is definitely worth a visit.

Frugal Tip: Andon Ryokan

Frugal Japan — Sat, 23 Oct 2004 21:00:57 +0000

Having just finished my first business trip to Tokyo after moving to Osaka, I can say one thing: I’m not as young as I used to be. In fact, I’m getting old. The youth hostel, backpacker’s hotel, and other super-budget options leave me feeling more tired when I left than when I arrived. My back, and desire for some privacy, just can’t take it any more.

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.

Consider Weekly Mansions for Longer Stays in Japan

Frugal Japan — Sat, 23 Oct 2004 21:00:28 +0000

If you are staying long term in Tokyo (or anywhere for that matter), have you considered a “weekly mansion”? These are smallish rooms (singles mostly, though family-style rooms for couples or even four or more are available) that include a “unit bath” (toilet/shower/bathtub combo), and a small kitchen with a fridge, sink, and one burner. You get a table, wardrobe, bed and TV also. These are great if you will be staying a week or more somewhere, as the cheapest (read most out of the way) locations will be as low as around 25,000 yen for 7 nights, for a per-night stay of around 3,000-4,000 yen. I used the following company: Weekly Mansion Tokyo. I also found the places pretty foreigner friendly, with international phone-card vending machines, English maps, and instructions in English. The bad part: you need to place a 20,000-yen deposit that they apply to your overall bill. A bit cleaner and more private than a gaijin house or guest house.

Cheap Sleeps in Tokyo

Frugal Japan — Sat, 23 Oct 2004 21:00:08 +0000

This week we are looking for the cheapest night’s stay in Tokyo. Several hotels boast they provide it, so I’m going to round ‘em up and check them out!

The New Koyo, Tokyo Japan
“Hotel New Koyo is the cheapest hotel in Tokyo for travelers touring the country on a limited budget,” says the website – and indeed, the rooms are cheap, at 2500 yen per night per person for a small single Japanese-style room. According to the Andon staff (they are apparently sister hotels, though the Andon is more upmarket), these rooms are precisely “2-jo”, or two tatami mats large. That’s about enough space for a 5-foot person to lie down in. Really, the rooms are for sleeping only! A medium single is 2,700 yen. The hotel has common bathrooms, showers, and a kitchen/lounge, as well as laundry facilities available. One cute extra is the yellow shopping bikes available for rental.

Tokyo International Youth Hostel
In many cities, the youth hostel is almost always the cheapest option, but not in Tokyo! However, Tokyo International Youth Hostel has location, location, location. Located literally atop Iidabashi station in the 18th and 19th floors of Central Plaza Building, TYIH offers shared-dormitory style accommodations for 3,500 yen for adults, and 2,000 yen for children. Shared baths and showers are a given, as well as the standard youth hostel curfew (10:30). You also cannot stay in the hotel between the hours of 10:00AM-3:00 PM. If you’re young, robust, and on a budget, and like meeting new people and then sleeping in the same room with them, this might be an option. Families are asked to inquire about family rooms.

Hotel Villa Fontaine
This chain of hotel is definitely NOT the cheapest for single travelers, but it does provide a very nice room at a reasonable price for couples travelling together. With locations in Osaka’s Shinsaibashi, Nihonbashi, Hakozaki, Ueno, Otemachi, Hamamatsu-cho, Jinbo-cho, Roppongi, Tamaike, and Kayaba-cho, you’re bound to find a convenient spot. Villa Fontaine’s hotels are all fairly new, clean, traditional hotel rooms with private baths and toilets, double beds, and a free breakfast service. Some hotels have Internet access. While single prices range from 8,925 yen to 9,450 yen on weekdays, and 10,550-11,500 yen for double-use (still cheap, but not amazingly cheap), the real deal is the special “Otoku na Shumatsu Plan” (Weekend Deal Plan) for all double-room type rooms for 8,925 yen PER ROOM (with two people using it) on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, Mondays, holidays, and the day before holidays. At around 4,400 yen, that’s only 1,000 yen more than the youth hostel above. You get your own room, bathroom, and shower, plus a free breakfast. Check the website for locations, or call 03-5339-1200 for reservations at the entire chain. While they do not advertise English ability, I saw plenty of foreigners there the last time I stayed.