Where to Stay When Visiting Japan

As the morning sun casts a long shadow over the vermilion Torii, the neon lights that have adorned the metropolis all night have finally faded into the backdrop, leaving the main stage for the visitors to start their exciting Japan tour. With the fancy cherry blossoms covering the streets or the summer flowers blooming on a festival night, the ruby red fall foliage decorating the mountains, and finally hidden by the winter snow, Japan is such a charming city, always with so many things to see and do, making accommodation an unignorable consideration during your Japan tour, which to a large extent decides the next day's destinations and planning, really needs some time to take into consideration. Here is some information about some of the most recommended places to stay when traveling to Japan, wish it could bring some inspiration to make your clue. 

Where to Stay in Tokyo

As the capital of Japan and one of the most modern cities in the world, Tokyo offers a wide range of places to stay and experiences to enjoy. Whether it's a high-end, full-service star luxury hotel with clean rooms and a lobby with a great view, or a traditional Japanese tatami hotel with a restaurant where you can enjoy a cup of sake, they can all help you relax and get ready for the next day's trip.

• Shinjuku - Cozy city that never sleeps

A stay in Shinjuku is usually a very pleasant one. Most hotels are located around Shinjuku Station, the heart of the city, with over 200 entrances and exits that carry the daily flow of people and traffic, making it easy to get from Shinjuku to your next destination; just wait a few minutes for a train. To the west is the forest of skyscrapers, with various department stores, shopping malls, and business hotels that you can join the streets at any time, while to the east is Shinjuku Gyo-en, a palace garden of the Naito family in the Edo period, as well as a great place to see the spring cherry blossoms and autumn foliage, and even from the floor-to-ceiling windows of the nearby hotel you can feel the fresh scent of nature. Or spend the night in the Kabukicho district on the north side of Shinjuku, where it's even busier. Take in a traditional Kabuki performance or listen to a fantastic tune in a bar with swaying lights; it's likely to be an exciting and unforgettable sleepless night in this sleepless town.

Shinjuku

• Shibuya - Darling of the new wave

Another bustling district, with one of the busiest intersections in the world and a modern shopping street no less vibrant than Shinjuku. It's even more popular with young people thanks to its frequent appearances in films, such as the Resident Evil series and The Tale of Hachiko, whose station can be found at the entrance to Shibuya Station. When you open the curtains of your hotel in the city center in the morning and see the sun shining on the lively crowds on the crosswalks, it is hard not to be infected by their vitality, which makes you pick up your pace and start your day. Through the busy shopping streets, it is usually about a 5-minute drive to Meiji Shrine, a shrine surrounded by forests and a rare place of tranquility in this bustling city. It will be closer if you choose to stay in Harajuku, a good place to experience contemporary Japanese street culture, where you might accidentally stumble upon the forefront of Japanese fashion, and only a 10-minute walk to Meiji Shrine.

• Asakusa - Back to Edo

With its traditional Japanese style dating back around 400 years, Asakusa is one of the most unique places to stay in a highly modern city like Tokyo. It still retains the atmosphere of Japan's Edo period. If you like, you can wake up on Japanese tatami mats, enjoy kaiseki cuisine in a classic Japanese rock garden, then catch a show at the ancient Kabuki theater, visit the simple and elegant teahouses, stroll through the vermilion Edo-style shops behind the huge Kaminarimon, and visit the still magnificent Asakusa Shrine, where you can don a kimono and stroll around as if you have really stepped back in time to the Shogunate. Many festivals are still held here, such as the annual Sanja Festival in May to celebrate the founding of the shrine, a grand ceremony with traditional music and dance that attracts visitors from all over the world, and a hotel near Asakusa will give you a great chance to get the view.

Asakusa

• Akihabara - Electronics Mall & Anime World

A street that claims to have access to all kinds of electronics, especially the latest digital products, from common household appliances to high-end electronics, from the most versatile gadget accessories to rare and out-of-print products, can all be bought at a great price in Akihabara. This makes it a great final stop on your trip to Japan, where you can use your hotel room as a base to stock up on your own trophies or gifts for family and friends. Of course, if you have a strong interest in Japanese anime culture, you can also stop off in Akihabara and experience the purest form of anime culture while shopping for a wide range of manga, novels and related products. Find a nearby hotel do your make-up and put on the well-prepared costume to join a cosplay performance, visit a heart-pounding maid or deacon cafe, attend an exciting underground concert, or stay in a themed hotel for a unique travel experience.

Where to Stay in Kyoto

A city with thousands of years of history, home to many ancient sites, shrines, and temples of all kinds, and the cultural capital of Japan, Kyoto is the birthplace of many of Japan's best-known arts, including the Japanese tea ceremony, geisha and kaiseki cuisine. Staying in Kyoto is a great way to get a glimpse of these magnificent cultures.

For the most efficient exploration of Kyoto's sights and sounds, you can stay in the Shimogyo district, home to Kyoto Station, from where you can easily take a trip to the beautiful Kiyomizu Temple, one of the great places to view the cherry blossoms and foliage, or the famous vermilion Torii tunnel that leads to the Fushimi Inari Taisha at the top of Mt. Inari. Even the golden Kinkaku-ji, a little further from the city center, can be reached in 40 minutes. For the most enjoyable places to stay and experience Japanese culture, you can choose the Chukyo district, home to the imposing Nijo Castle, which is quite close to the Kyoto Imperial Palace, the current residence of the imperial family. Easy accessible by public transport, you can also head to the Gion, where you can see the cherry blossom dances performed by the Japanese artists, the geishas, as well as a district where you can easily find a traditional tea house to learn something about the Japanese tea ceremony under the guidance of the locals, or a time-honored restaurant with a rock garden to taste authentic kaiseki cuisine, which is as delicate as a French dish.

Kyoto

Where to Stay in Osaka

As one of the most popular cities in western Japan, Kansai, as opposed to Tokyo in eastern Japan, Kanto, Osaka's bustling streets and extremely convenient transport make it a transit point to all parts of Japan, but even a short stopover is enough to soak up the city's charm.

• Kita-ku - Crossroads of undiminished charm

Home to Umeda, Osaka's main business district, and Osaka Station, it is easy to get around and find suitable accommodation between the skyscrapers along the Yodo River, which has several parks around it that you can stop by during your visit. Meanwhile, you can get a good view of one of the landmarks of Osaka, the Umeda Blue Sky Building. It is a blue, twin-towered building with a bridge in the middle connecting the two main towers and a finely designed open-air viewing platform at the top, which offers a good view of the whole city, especially at times with the slowly sinking sun and the gradually awakening neon lights. If you are a big fan of film, a 15-minute train ride from Osaka Station will take you to Universal Studios, where you can interact with movie characters before staying in one of the themed rooms, perfect for families.

• Chuo-ku - Intimate and lively area

The central Chuo district is arguably one of the most distinctive areas of Osaka. You can stay in a hotel near Osaka Castle Park, which offers not only a relatively secluded setting for resting but also a full view of the landmark building, Osaka Castle. With such a short distance, it would be quite helpful to find a good spot in the park to watch the green castle buildings covered with cherry blossoms in the spring days or take a pleasant night walk around the park with the unique beauty of the night cherry blossoms and lights. Or stay along the pedestrian shopping area of Shinsaibashi, a European-style street with large department stores, century-old shops and small shops for the general public, with the Dotonbori food court nearby, where you can enjoy all the delicacies of Osaka in a very intimate and life-affirming way.

Osaka

Where to Stay in Hakone

When traveling to the land of hot springs(Onsen), why not try a hot spring resort to stay and get the full experience of the lovely natural hot springs? There are many resorts for you to choose from along Lake Ashi, from the red or yellow mineral-rich healing hot springs with the smell of earth in the curling heat to the most ordinary clear-water hot springs with yuzu and apples floating on the surface for decoration, to the simplest open-air mini hot springs where you can take off your shoes and enjoy the relaxation of the hot water. Best of all, when you're tired of soaking, you can go straight back to your room with a pull of the sliding doors right behind you. With a comfortable bed inside and a separate, smoky hot spring outside, bring a cup of sake and a couple of eggs to warm up. That's what Japanese elegance is all about.

Mount Fuji

One of Japan's most iconic landscapes, Mount Fuji, with its snow-capped peak all year round, is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Japan, making visitors always pray for clear weather during their visit to see the splendor and beauty of the mountain. It is a good idea to book a hotel nearby where you can see the bustling city below Mount Fuji in the distance through the window, such as the Mishima Hotel in Tokyo, where huge floor-to-ceiling windows frame Mount Fuji in its entirety, making for great photos even from the hotel. If you want to see the sunrise over Mount Fuji or try to climb it in the summer, you can stay near Fuji Five Lake at the foot of Mount Fuji for the shortest distance to the summit.

Mount Fuji

Where to Stay in Hokkaido

Hokkaido is the second largest island located in Northern Japan, with a high latitude and a special landscape of volcanic plateau, making this area a natural resort for summer holidays and winter skiing.

• Sapporo-Base for celebrating

As the largest city on the main island, there is no shortage of business hotels among the skyscrapers of the central business district, especially the part near Sapporo Station, which can take you to the bar hidden in the modern buildings, or the rare Western-style museum that used to be a beer factory, to tell you its ancient history with the smell of wheat and classic red brick of the 19th century, just a 10-minute train ride away. While in February, a hotel room close to the central district would be more important, which can give you great help to join the Sapporo Snow Festival, whether it is an overlooking perspective from the hotel window to avoid the crowds or the best spot to photograph the unique snow statues and ice sculptures, and most importantly, a comfortable base to keep warm after a day's visit.

• Niseko-Skiing paradise

Home to Mt. Yotei, the Mt. Fuji of Hokkaido, a green mountain with gentle slopes that are covered in white snow in winter, where you can easily find wonderful resorts to stay and enjoy quality powder. That would be an enjoyable stay at a ski resort, with an area well equipped with enough facilities to ensure that whether you are a beginner learning to ski or an experienced skier looking for a challenge, you will find the right course and slope for you. If you are a spa lover, you can choose a resort with hot springs to enjoy. Whether you're looking for a relaxing soak after a workout or want to enjoy the amazing experience of the hot springs and snow-covered landscape in the open-air hot spring pool, skiing resorts have it all.

Where to Stay in Hiroshima

A southern prefecture near the Seto Inland Sea, a vibrant place with many islands and parks to visit during your Japan tour, combined with the warm weather and less humidity, could be one of the most comfortable places to stay.

• Hiroshima City- Peace Memorial City

With the bustling city center and traffic flowing beneath the skyscrapers on one side and the remnants of the atomic bomb on the other, a stay on the banks of the Motoyasu River is such a unique experience. As a peace memorial city rebuilt after the war, Hiroshima has no shortage of parks, including the famous Peace Memorial Park, where you can get up close to the A-Bomb Dome, the arrested ruin left behind. It is also a city perfect for strolling. About a 10-minute walk from Peace Memorial Park is Hiroshima Castle. Especially the walk along the coast, which always leads to unexpected parks, where you might find the birdsong that woke you up today.

• Hatsukaichi-Departure for Miyajima

Next to Hiroshima, a city bustling with its markets, where you can join in to get some fresh fruits and vegetables, is one of the best places to soak up the atmosphere of local life. If you want to take something authentic as a gift, an early arrival by a hotel near the coast would be helpful. Most importantly, it is the city with the closest distance to Miyajima Island, where you can take a 30-minute ferry to the shrine with its floating torii gate, Itsukushima Shrine. A shrine in Japan may be quite a common sight, but the shrine that lies in the sea will not be seen as often. Whether it is the morning sunrise from the vermeil seawater or the low tide at dusk, with the twilight making the best chance to enter the shrine from the torii, a nearby stay would help you capture all of the beauty.

What is your ideal accommodation in Japan? Is it a night town in the middle of a bustling city, a street ryokan with a twist, a classic Japanese tatami in an old town, a hot spring inn with a unique experience, or a picture that has yet to be painted in your mind? Tell Odynovo about your idea! Whether you have questions or are just curious, we always look forward to traveling with you on your next journey.