Where to stay in TOKYO - Don't make THIS mistake! | Japan Travel Guide
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- Опубликовано: 31 май 2024
- Ep.75 If you pick the wrong place to stay in Tokyo, you'll waste time on trains and may be very disappointed with your first experience. We take you through the dramatically different locations in Japan's capital so you can make an informed decision before booking your visit.
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Chapters:
00:00 - Start
00:44 - Traveling to Tokyo
04:57 - Shibuya, Tokyo
09:34 - Shinjuku, Tokyo
12:49 - Chuo, Tokyo
15:08 - Asakusa, Tokyo
17:45 - Chiyoda, Tokyo
20:25 - Minato, Tokyo
21:17 - Where do we recommend you stay in Tokyo?
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Great video! I've come to realize over my visits to Tokyo that the best place to stay is really Ueno for the following reasons:
1. Near the Keisei Skyliner station. FYI: Keisei Skyliner is the train that takes you from Narita Airport to Tokyo. It has two stops if I remember, Nippori and Ueno.
2. Near JR Ueno Station. If we're the same type of traveler who uses major cities as base for daily day trips outside, then Ueno is the place to stay in Tokyo. I usually take JR Ueno Station as my station to exit Tokyo to take the Shinkansen elsewhere. Another Shinkansen station is Tokyo Station but Tokyo Station is so very crowded for my liking.
3. Ueno is a rather quiet neighborhood. Its not too desolate but not too crowded either. I also noticed that you don't see a lot of young people staying in Ueno. I usually see families and older couples in the hotels that I'm staying in.
4. Its has the perfect balance. It's in the city, but you are close to Ueno Park where you can get clean, fresh air in the middle of the city (although you can get clear air anywhere in Tokyo), its near Asakusa, which gives retro/old japan vibes.
5. It's not the number one choice for travelers to stay. Which is perfect for me. You don't get the super rush hour vibes here like you do when staying in Shinjuku, Shibuya, Ginza, etc.
Ive tried staying in other places, but I always found my way back to Ueno. I'm coming back again in two weeks, and yup, Ueno always and forever. My second home in Tokyo. :)
Thanks for watching, Keeshia. We have heard others also say that they've really enjoyed Ueno. We appreciate hearing your perspective and we know our viewers appreciate it as well! Have an amazing time when you visit again. Safe travels! Here's a link to our full series from Japan if you are interested in watching. We spent 40+ days there. -Judy
🎥 Japan travel series: ruclips.net/p/PLNT98lWfwdF0V4Brx4J0uWJdQENFZKWBT
Really enjoyed this.Thank you so much, just what we needed for our approaching🤗 trip.
Thank you so much for watching! We hope you have an amazing time. We were just reminiscing today about ramen and also udon noodle soup! Here's a link to our entire video series from our 40+ days in Japan. -Judy
Japan travel series: ruclips.net/p/PLNT98lWfwdF0V4Brx4J0uWJdQENFZKWBT
What an insightful video. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you so much for watching and for this kind comment, Leslye! You might enjoy the rest of our series from Japan. We had some wonderful experiences during our 40+ days visiting three major cities. -Judy
Japan travel series: ruclips.net/p/PLNT98lWfwdF0V4Brx4J0uWJdQENFZKWBT
I watched your Egypt video and now this. I like how detailed your video is and the places you've mentioned. Very authentic
Thank you so much for watching! We absolutely loved Egypt and have an entire playlist of our month there. Japan was a completely different, but equally wonderful experience. Here are links to our video series in each of these cool countries. Thank you so much for kind words! -Judy
Egypt travel series: ruclips.net/p/PLNT98lWfwdF1WcH9GxfK4ngH49MXf5oOv
Japan travel series: ruclips.net/p/PLNT98lWfwdF0V4Brx4J0uWJdQENFZKWBT
WOW! Great video, laid out an itinerary I can follow!
Thank you so much for watching and for the great comment. We have an entire playlist from our 40+ days there. Here’s a link to it if you are interested. -Judy
Great video. Keep up the great format (info, history, tips). Thanks for putting the prices of the hotels and food. Enjoyed it!
Thank you so much for watching, Will, and for your very kind comment. If you are planning a visit, we have an entire playlist from our 40+ days in Japan. -Judy
🎥 Japan travel series: ruclips.net/p/PLNT98lWfwdF0V4Brx4J0uWJdQENFZKWBT
Excellent vid! you have really found your beat with the edits and format 🙌
Thank you so much, Russ! Your kind words mean more than you know. Cheers, mate! - Kevin
Wonderful !! Thank you for letting me know
Best wishes to you 😊
Same to you! Thank you so much for supporting our channel by watching our videos! -Judy
Thank you so much for your video and very well explained, will definitely help me on my 2nd trip next year !!
Hi Violeta, Thank you for watching and for letting us to know this was helpful. We actually have an entire video series (ongoing) from our time in Japan, which I've linked below. Yesterday's episode was all about can't-miss temples in Kyoto. -Judy
Japan travel series: ruclips.net/p/PLNT98lWfwdF0V4Brx4J0uWJdQENFZKWBT
I just discovered your channel and I absolutely loved this vid, thank you so much for the wonderful info…sending you hugs from Australia 🤗🤗
Thank you so much, Helen! We are glad to have you traveling along with us! We have an entire series from our 40+ days in Japan you might enjoy. Here's a link below. -Judy
Japan travel series: ruclips.net/p/PLNT98lWfwdF0V4Brx4J0uWJdQENFZKWBT
Congrats for your way of travelling. "Happy to leave, happy to come back home". We live in south of France.
We travel every year for two or three month . Our target is always the far-east as we feel the world is too big to be seen as a Whole and we love Asia.
We are 70 and 73 and are still backpakers :No plan, no booking, we stay in small clean hotels. A few years ago we stayied in a small hotel in Yunan, China.
The name of the place was (in french) : Auberge de la couleur du vent" - Guest house colored like the wind This is about our philosophy of travelling.
Wish you all the best.
Thank you so much for watching, Jacques! We are impressed that you are backpackers and travel without a plan. For as much as we love this idea, we are too much of planners to do it that way. Although because we are on the road full time, we don't always know what we are going to do once we actually arrive someplace. We figure that out as we go, but it's not ideal. After 42 days in Japan-and we have several more videos coming from there-we are in Vietnam and Southeast Asia for our first time. It's been an interesting experience so far and we are so grateful for the opportunity to travel and live like this. Thank you SO much for watching and for sharing your experiences and your travel philosophy! Safe travels! -Judy
Great info! Thanks for the video!
Thanks so much for watching, Erin, and always encouraging us by leaving a comment! -Judy
Great video! Thank you!
Thank you so much for watching! We have an entire series from our 40+ days in Japan if you're interested. We appreciate the kind comment! -Judy
Japan travel series: ruclips.net/p/PLNT98lWfwdF0V4Brx4J0uWJdQENFZKWBT
We will definitely make reservations for Kakaiya by the sea for March. Thank you for the recommendation.
We hope you love it! Also, you might want to watch our entire video series from our 40+ days in Japan, which is linked below. Have a great time and we'd love to know what you think! -Judy
Japan travel series: ruclips.net/p/PLNT98lWfwdF0V4Brx4J0uWJdQENFZKWBT
Hi from Costa Rica. Nice video and thanks for the tips.
Thanks so much for watching! We've not made our way to Costa Rica yet, but it's on our wish list from way back when our kids were growing up! You might be interested in the rest of our 40+ day video series from Japan, which is linked below. -Judy
🎥 Japan travel series: ruclips.net/p/PLNT98lWfwdF0V4Brx4J0uWJdQENFZKWBT
Nice presentation and great summary at the end.
Hi Ronica, thank you so much for your kind words. We enjoyed Japan a lot and have an entire playlist of videos from our 42 days there. You might like watching some of those episodes, so they are linked below. -Judy
Japan travel series: ruclips.net/p/PLNT98lWfwdF0V4Brx4J0uWJdQENFZKWBT
You two are adorable! I enjoyed your video. Keep on exploring the world!
Thank you so much! We have 2024 all booked out and a list a mile long of places we want to visit in 2025! We have no plans to stop! You also might enjoy our other videos from our Japan series, which I've linked below. Thank you for taking the time to leave such a nice comment! -Judy
Japan travel series: ruclips.net/p/PLNT98lWfwdF0V4Brx4J0uWJdQENFZKWBT
Kabuki cho was great. I stayed for a week right in the center as a visiting trainee. The sights, shopping, and food are amazing. I never felt unsafe as with other countries' red districts.
We didn't feel unsafe, but it has quite an energy buzz! We also were surprised that there weren't a ton of places for breakfast or morning coffee. Maybe we weren't looking in the right places though. Thanks for watching and for sharing your experience. By chance do you have any feedback to add to our video about things that surprised us that are different in Japan? I'll link to our Japan playlist here. That episode is in there, but so will all our upcoming ones from Japan. -Judy
Japan travel series: ruclips.net/p/PLNT98lWfwdF0V4Brx4J0uWJdQENFZKWBT
Thanks loved you guys. I will be in Japan July 1st
We hope you have an amazing time. Thank you so much for watching. You might benefit from the rest of our series from our 40+ days in Japan. Here’s a link. We’d love to hear about your experience when you return, Valerie. -Judy
🎥 Japan travel series: ruclips.net/p/PLNT98lWfwdF0V4Brx4J0uWJdQENFZKWBT
This was great! There are a lot of vidoes about Tokyo and a lot of them feel the same. This was uniquely different (in a good way! 😅). Thank you!
Thank you so much for watching and for this very kind comment! We appreciate it immensely! -Judy
P.S. Here's a link to our entire series from our 40+ days in Japan.
🎥 Japan travel series: ruclips.net/p/PLNT98lWfwdF0V4Brx4J0uWJdQENFZKWBT
I prefer Ueno , stay close to the JR station and used the Yamanote loop line to travel around Tokyo or the Shinkansen bullet train for sight seeing outside Tokyo . Ueno is the best area in Tokyo . Ueno Parks , Tokyo zoo , , national museum and famous Ameyoko market street food where you can see hundreds of different restaurants where local Japanese enjoy theirs drink and eating.
Thank you so much for the suggestion and for sharing your experience! Did you happen to catch our video on the differences in Japan that surprised us? I'd be curious about whether there are any we might have missed. You can find it in our playlist linked below. We have several more episodes coming from Japan that we'll load onto that week by week. -Judy
Japan travel series: ruclips.net/p/PLNT98lWfwdF0V4Brx4J0uWJdQENFZKWBT
@ductritran8637 Do you have hotel(s) that you recommend in Ueno?
Ueno is also the starting station for one of the Airport Express to Narita
Thank you. Since I am still planing I have a lot to research to do. At the moment I also want to choose a hotel in Ueno because of the park, the Yamanote line and the Shinkansen. Thank you for the information about the Ameyoko market.
Enjoyed this video! We stayed in Akihabara on our first trip. It was really a joy for us anime lovers. Planning to come back and try staying in another location. Maybe Ueno or Asakusa area. Looking forward to your other videos, you seem like really nice people 😊❤
Thank you so much for watching and for the comment. We love to hear our viewers' experiences of the places we've visited. You might want to catch our entire series from our 40+ days in Japan, which is linked below. It's a pretty cool country! What time of you would you plan to return? -Judy
Japan travel series: ruclips.net/p/PLNT98lWfwdF0V4Brx4J0uWJdQENFZKWBT
Awww I love the pace, scope and range of information thats so different from others! Im back to Japan in April and you gave me some good tips too! PS the Science Museum at Imperial Palace site is SO FUN! ❤❤❤
Thank you so much for watching and for the kind comment and great suggestion! You might enjoy the rest of our Japan series, which is linked below. Safe travels! -Judy
Japan travel series: ruclips.net/p/PLNT98lWfwdF0V4Brx4J0uWJdQENFZKWBT
Thanks for taking the time to make this video. Japan is the coolest country in the world.
Hi Leonard, Thanks so much for watching. We had a great time in Japan and have an entire video series from our 40+ days there that you might enjoy. Here's a link to the episodes. -Judy
Japan travel series: ruclips.net/p/PLNT98lWfwdF0V4Brx4J0uWJdQENFZKWBT
Great video!
Thanks for watching, Alaster. We had such a great time in Tokyo. You might enjoy our entire series from Japan, where we spent 40+ days. I've added a link below. Thank you so much for taking the time to leave this comment. We appreciate it! -Judy
🎥 Japan travel series: ruclips.net/p/PLNT98lWfwdF0V4Brx4J0uWJdQENFZKWBT
Nice take on Tokyo. One of the greatest cities in the world. We took a tour there in 2007. The culinary aspect interests me most!
It took a little bit to get into a groove. Most of the sushi I eat are Maki, so the standing sushi restaurant was quite a unique experience and we definitely felt a bit overwhelmed. But by the end of our trip, we definitely got more comfortable with it all! We really hit our stride in Kyoto and have a few episodes we'll be bringing you from there. Stay tuned! -Judy
You both are so adorable and thanks for the great video …planning my Japan holiday 🥰
Thank you so much for watching, Tina. If you haven't seen it, we have an entire playlist from our 40+ days in Japan. We'd love to hear what you think of it after you return! -Judy
🎥 Japan travel series: ruclips.net/p/PLNT98lWfwdF0V4Brx4J0uWJdQENFZKWBT
@@FindingGinaMariewill definitely watch all the videos it’s so helpful ..great job 👏🏽 thanks again !
@Tina-mi9kv Thank you so much, Tina!
@@FindingGinaMarie ❤️❤️
I always go there month of April because I like Sakura and the weather is not that cold and not that hot. Onsen is also one thing to consider , very relaxing specially after a lot of walks
Do you arrive in time for the cherry blossoms, or do you try to wait until the crowds have dispersed? We did stay in a ryokan with a private onsen, and two of our hotels in Kyoto had public baths, but we didn't use them, unfortunately. Thanks for sharing your experiences with us. We love hearing about our viewers. Also, here's a link to our other videos in our Japan series, with more to come for at least the next three or four weeks. -Judy
Japan travel series: ruclips.net/p/PLNT98lWfwdF0V4Brx4J0uWJdQENFZKWBT
Great video! Really detailed and informative! Definitely going to help me with my Japan trip this coming March! 👍
How fun! I highly encourage you to read through the comments from this video and look at options others recommend as well because if you are not already booked up, you might find it hard to get your ideal location, depending on when in March you plan to be there. Also, please check out our entire playlist, which has lots of good recommendations and information before you go. Thanks for watching and for your encouraging comment! -Judy
Japan travel series: ruclips.net/p/PLNT98lWfwdF0V4Brx4J0uWJdQENFZKWBT
Nice video on Japan. Greetings from San Diego, CA +1 subscriber
My daughter and I stayed in the Tokyo area last summer for two weeks! I always like to see other people's perspective of their travel to Japan. I look forward to more videos like this.
Update: I just noticed that every place you visited on your second leg in Tokyo, we also visited. As you can guess, we walked everywhere and took trains and subways to get around the different wards. The one thing I can tell you about travel in Japan is that you will burn a lot more calories on the trip as compared to say...backpacking in Yosemite :).
Thanks so much for watching and for subscribing! What a lovely trip that must have been for you! We had such a good time with our daughter as well. We have several episodes from our time in Japan (42 days), so here's a link if you want to watch some or all of them. Thanks for sharing your experience with us! -Judy
Japan travel series: ruclips.net/p/PLNT98lWfwdF0V4Brx4J0uWJdQENFZKWBT
Enjoying this series very much and am sharing with our daughter and grandsons who are planning for their trip in 2024!
Thank you SO much, Maria! Our time in Japan was GREAT! We have four more episodes to bring you from Japan. Not sure if you caught our other one that's an overview of the places we visited and the things that are very different from what we expected. Here's a link to our playlist where we'll be putting the entire series. Thanks for taking the time to leave us a note of encouragement; we always appreciate it and you! -Judy
Japan travel series: ruclips.net/p/PLNT98lWfwdF0V4Brx4J0uWJdQENFZKWBT
Used to live in Japan and recently visited this past summer. It's great that people are experiencing and enjoying Japan like my family has.
1. Ignore the comment about not going to Shibuya Sky. It is currently the best view of the city and you do not need to book the "seats" (only if you want to drink on the rooftop, they have a free seating/drinking area with views below the main deck) to experience it. If you know how to book a plane ticket you can make reservations online.
2. The train system is easy to navigate and hotels are cheaper further from the "main" stations. The concept of "walking distance" for locals is a little further than further than US perceptions. Google Maps is your best friend here.
3. PLEASE WATCH ANY OTHER VIDEO THAN THIS TO LEARN THE CORRECT PRONUNCIATIONS! This will greatly help if you need assistance/taxi/food ordering.
@@raisedanchor Reservations for Shibuya Sky were very hard to get when we were in Japan during autumn, especially if you don't plan early enough in advance. And while it may be beautiful, we weren't keen to stand in the long lines that were necessary even for ticket holders. We weren't saying not to go there, but if you wanted to see the Shibuya Shuffle more cheaply and without lines, then Magnet was a great alternative. We travel quite extensively by train, but we think the crowds and all the different choices can be intimidating initially when you arrive in Japan (especially at rush hour like we did). And while you can move further away from main stations can save you money, you do lose time and some money if you go back and forth to your hotel. We didn't love to have to hunt around for a place for cappuccinos in the morning when we were at the Himalayan Cloud hotel and while it's easy enough to hop on a train, there is something to be said for having a number of choices very easily and quickly accessible. We learned when we traveled to Vienna that being in the heart of a city makes sense some times versus being on the outskirts just to save $$.
We did our best regarding pronunciations. We managed for 42 days and people were able to understand us. But we completely admit that we are novices when it comes to the Japanese language. -Judy
Heading to Japan for the first time in a few months' time. Have watched tons of videos over the past few months and have to say I really enjoyed watching this one!
Love your honest reviews and that you share your travel fails (we're all bound to have those!) so that others can learn from it.
Keep up the good work! ❤
Thank you so much for watching and for the awesome compliment! We have an entire series from our 40+ days in Japan that you might want to watch. I'll link it below. Have an amazing time. Japan is such a unique place! -Judy
Japan travel series: ruclips.net/p/PLNT98lWfwdF0V4Brx4J0uWJdQENFZKWBT
As someone that travel to Japan at least monthly for work, my single best advice is to run Google Map for everything. When you try transit or walking, make sure Google Maps is navigating you. Enable Bluetooth beacon scan in Google Maps and wear earbuds or something so you can hear the directions being played by Google Maps.. And also, if you see Google Maps tell you to take a train at a specific time, DO NOT board a train that comes early. Japan shares train tracks and they alternate the train to go to different places and at different paces. Google Maps does a great job at figuring all this out and given how precise Japan is, if a train arrives early, it's not your train :) I've lost count of the times that I have to help tourists when they boarded the wrong train. You can easily lose 30 min or an hour for such mistake, which can be better use to explore the city instead.
This sounds like excellent advice. Thank you so much; we were amazed by Japan's precison! -Judy
Great Tokyo guide.
Thank you so much for taking the time to comment! We just released an episode today about Kyoto if you haven't seen it yet! Thanks so much for watching! -Judy
Japan travel series: ruclips.net/p/PLNT98lWfwdF0V4Brx4J0uWJdQENFZKWBT
I love both of your voices, very soothing and clear. Thank you! Very nice video.
I stayed at hotel across from Tokyo Station, so it’s easier for us to go to different cities.
Or Hotel across from Shinagawa Station.
Kikanbo Ramen, I’ve been going there for years, but after the 4th years, we moved on and we tried new places.
It is still good tho!
You are so kind to take time to leave us these nice words. We appreciate your recommendations! Thank you! Here's the rest of our series from our 40+ days in Japan, linked below, if you're interested and have more recommendations or feedback. -Judy
🎥 Japan travel series: ruclips.net/p/PLNT98lWfwdF0V4Brx4J0uWJdQENFZKWBT
great video! going for the first time in a month and we are staying near yoyogi park in a quiet one way street, in between shibuya and shinjuku. seems it's a perfect combination of accessibility and quiteness.
Thanks for watching and for sharing about your upcoming trip. We hope you have an amazing time! We have a few more videos from our time in Japan you might be interested in. We'd love to hear what you think of Japan when you return! -Judy
Japan travel series: ruclips.net/p/PLNT98lWfwdF0V4Brx4J0uWJdQENFZKWBT
Very informative. I am hoping to get there September 2024. I am your age and liked your style of travelling and visiting.Thank you!!
We are so glad you found us. We hope you have an amazing time in Japan. It was such a great experience for us. We have an entire series capturing our 40+ days there. Here's a link if you are interested in watching it! -Judy
🎥 Japan travel series: ruclips.net/p/PLNT98lWfwdF0V4Brx4J0uWJdQENFZKWBT
Great tips! We can’t wait for our first trip to Japan! Did what you guys did and booked our flight with points. It’s great when you can travel for so cheap! Great content and keep it up you guys!
Thank you so much for watching! It's a mixed gift for us because we wish we had more points to use but don't want to play the credit card roulette game. But for a trip like this, the extra points we used were well worth it! We hope you have an amazing trip. Have you seen our entire series from our 42 days in Japan? We'll link it below if you are interested in seeing it. Safe travels and have fun! -Judy
Japan travel series: ruclips.net/p/PLNT98lWfwdF0V4Brx4J0uWJdQENFZKWBT
Another tip is to link your icoca, suica mobile cards to your credit cards to get points.
@nateshf9303 I wonder how well that works for everyone. We couldn't get our mobile devices to use these cards. Our Mastercard and Visa and ApplePay wouldn't work. The only way we could load those cards was with cash. -Judy
@@FindingGinaMarie Correct. We had the same issue when we were there in April and July. The mobile Suica card rejected our Chase card (and probably most other non-Japanese bank cards as well) but it accepted our Apple Card which earns us Apple Cash back. Since the exchange rate is at 1:149 right now, we loaded up both the ICOCA card and Suica Card.
@@FindingGinaMarie We link ICOCA and Suica mobile apps to Apple Card and that worked.
We’ve been to Japan 18 times but I still enjoyed watching this video. Well done!
18 times?! How very cool! Sounds like your wife may be from there, so you probably have an inside track to all the incredible things first-time visitors know nothing about. Thank you so much for watching and for your kind comment! We have an entire series from our 40+ days there. And I see that you were just in Bangkok. We just wrapped up a month in Chiang Mai. Unfortunately, we missed Bangkok this time around. -Judy
🎥 Japan travel series: ruclips.net/p/PLNT98lWfwdF0V4Brx4J0uWJdQENFZKWBT
🎥 Thailand video series: ruclips.net/p/PLNT98lWfwdF3cqPH8_O_WDVYgoT13KJRq
@@FindingGinaMarie no we’re both Swedish. First visit was in 1999. Tokyo and NY are out 2 favorite places.
🤦♀️🤦♀️🤦♀️ I took a quick look at your channel and saw "A ghost from Okinawa goes to Tokyo searching for my wife..." and made a snap conclusion. We will check out your videos! -Judy
@@FindingGinaMarie thank you!
Haha yeah we mix “silly dramas” with VLOG style things. It’s not very professional but we have fun doing it. Yes please watch and subscribe if you enjoy. Maybe the video “Tokyo in 1999” might be fun for you to see how the city has changed since back then
Love this. We'll check you out. I just subscribed! -Judy
Good video. We are landing in Haneda then staying 2 days at the Keio Plaza Hotel 8 minutes walk to Shinjuku station. Then monorail back to Haneda for JAL flight to Osaka(Itami) airport for 4 nts. at the Moxy Osaka Honmachi Hotel where we will make two day trips to Kyoto by rail, then back to the Osaka(Itami) airport for 1 hour flight on JAL to Haneda, pick up one of our luggage in locker, and head by taxi to the Tokyo International Cruise Terminal to board Silversea Silver Nova for a Tokyo to Singapore cruise. stay 1 nt. in Singapore at Hotel Indigo Katang. Then fly home to Atlanta.
Hi Arnold, thank you so much for watching! It sounds like you have a busy vacation scheduled, and that cruise will hopefully give you a chance to take a breath! Have an absolutely amazing time! You might want to catch a few of our other videos from our 40+ days in Japan, which I'll link below. Let us know what you think of Japan when you return! -Judy
Japan travel series: ruclips.net/p/PLNT98lWfwdF0V4Brx4J0uWJdQENFZKWBT
great video
Thanks so much and for watching! We have an entire playlist from our time in Japan that you might want to watch. Our last episode of the series will be this Saturday from Hiroshima. -Judy
Japan travel series: ruclips.net/p/PLNT98lWfwdF0V4Brx4J0uWJdQENFZKWBT
Based on my experience, the best places to stay in Tokyo on a budget are within Shinjuku Station or Ueno Station, depending on your tolerance with crowds. Just be sure to study your Google Maps carefully, or you'll end up on the wrong train.
Shinjuku has the busiest train station in the world, and you can access multiple points in Tokyo with just one or two trains. You can also access the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, which has a free skyline observation deck.
Ueno is more laid back and has access to more parks, plus Senso-ji Temple and the Ameyoko Shopping District. In addition, Ueno is closer to Akihabara and Central Tokyo than Shinjuku.
I didn't mention Shibuya because hotel rates there are notoriously high, compared to Shinjuku.
If you're landing at Narita Airport, you have an advantage with transportation. The JR Narita Express has direct lines to Tokyo Station, Shibuya, Shinjuku, and Yokohama. The Keisei Skyliner is faster and cheaper, but is limited to Nippori and Ueno; all connecting lines to Shinjuku and other parts of Tokyo require a stop at Nippori Station.
Interesting, and you are right about Shinjuku station. Our tour guide said Tokyo station was the busiest with a million passengers per day, but Shinjuku has 3.5M per day! Unfortunately, the Metropolitan government building's 45th Floor observation deck was closed when we were there. All great suggestions and details; thank you for sharing and for watching our video. -Judy
Yea, I flew into Narita and the express into Tokyo is super easy. I stayed in northern Chiyoda and close to Akihabara, and agree this general area is cheaper and has great access. Shibuya was far too expensive to stay in, most places 2-3x.
@@objcWhat's challenging is that when you search for best neighborhoods to stay in for first time travelers, you hear Shinjuku so much. You really have to dig a bit to find the more reasonably priced, less overtouristed areas and trust they're going to be better options. We stayed outside the city center in Vienna to save money and it wasn't the best decision because we were in a boring section of town too far away from the action. It can sometimes be confusing to get the perfect fit, so thanks for your suggestions! -Judy
These areas you named are not that good. They are still expensive - if you have just one night and want to explore all, sure... Otherwise, stay between Haneda airport and central Tokyo is the best. I travel to Japan for work monthly...for years. You can easily get a hotel under $100... easily, except major Japanese holidays. So the prices indicated here are high because those are the key tourist areas. The main idea is to stay on the outer and edge area of central Tokyo but within the map limit of the transit pass, so you take transit to all the key areas. People don't realize that most of your "transit" time spent is going in and out of the maze of the major train station, more than the transit ride itself, so it's OK staying out of the central hot spots.
@@_w_w_ lol yes some stations are so complex, it took me like 20 minutes to figure out how to get out of Yokohama station ! (Lots of stuff to see so no loss)
Booking with APA Hotels in Shinjuku may be confusing at first, as they have five branches in Kabukicho alone. I stayed at the Kabukicho Chuo branch last May. Room was very comfy and the Indian restaurant by the entrance has some great food other than the breakfast buffet. The only downsides are that the hotel has only one elevator and there is no laundry room; instead, you have to walk a few blocks north to the coin-op laundry, which is beside the two northernmost APA Horel branches.
Booking is one thing; arriving at the right APA hotel is another confusing thing potentially as well, at least for my husband the navigator, who didn't initially realize there were many of them in close quarters to each other! Our room was comfortable, but very small. We appreciate the recommendation! -Judy
The place I always stay now is Shin-Ōkubo, it's a neighborhood in Shinjuku but on the edge so on a night is a lot quieter. I enjoy punk shows and underground idol scene so it is a location that I can go to these shows with little travel but still get back for a good rest. It also has a large Korean community so there is a lot of Korean food (chicken, bbq etc). A 3* hotel for 2 weeks will cost around £580. Not as fancy as APA but clean and friendly staff.
That's a great recommendation at a very modest price, Jay. Thanks for sharing it. We originally were avoiding Korean food because we had plans to be in South Korea in early 2024. Our plans shifted though, so we're really bummed to have missed out. Have you seen our first episode from Japan about the things that surprised us? I'd be curious if you have items to add to our list. I'll link the playlist below, which we'll be adding to as we cover another four or so videos from our time in Japan. Thanks for watching! -Judy
Japan travel series: ruclips.net/p/PLNT98lWfwdF0V4Brx4J0uWJdQENFZKWBT
I went a month ago and stayed in Ueno (Inaricho) in an APA Hotel. 15 minutes from Ueno Station and 5 minutes from Inaricho Station (Subway). I had views of the Skytree and it was a 35 minutes walk from Senso-ji. I spent roughly $50 a night for 5 days. One of the best locations honestly. Never had I used a public transportation system in my life and with Google maps I managed not to get lost and it only took a 1hour 10 minute trip from the Airport (Monorail to Tokyo Station then transfer to JR Line to Ueno). The area is very peaceful and out from the hustle and bustle of the main roads. Overall a very quiet place with a ton of accessibility.
I later stayed in the Shinjuku Prince Hotel in Kabukicho (large Brick Building near Shinjuku Station). Great place also but a bit more pricy. Overall the Ueno hotel and area was way better for me.
Thanks for sharing your experiences with us. We love hearing them! Bravo to you about navigating the train system. We travel by train a lot, but with the crowds, it was unnerving to us until we got the hang of it. We'd love to hear if you have anything to add to our previous video about the things we found surprising/different in Japan if you haven't seen it yet. We have several more episodes that we'll be bringing you, so we hope you'll stay tuned and share more of your insights! -Judy
Japan travel series: ruclips.net/p/PLNT98lWfwdF0V4Brx4J0uWJdQENFZKWBT
Try the Shinagawa Prince Hotel, across from JR Shinagawa station. Good connections from airports, Shinkansen and all of Tokyo. Also, go outside the big cities. Nara is great.
Thanks for the recommendation. We visited Nara to see the amazing temple there and we’ll cover that in our temples video next week. The area of Nara was spectacular, we agree, even without Tōdai-ji Temple! -Judy
Great choice - Shinagawa Prince Hotel! I used to teach there in the 1990s!! Probably changed quite a bit but easy access from the station.
Definitely visit the districts of Shibuya and Shinjuku at night time. The lights everywhere (inside and outside of buildings) are so mystical and magical, that I can't even fully explain. You have to see it for yourself. When in Shibuya, make sure you absolutely visit the Shibuya Sakura Stage at night time. The lights inside that building will truly amaze you. Explore that whole area, every floor level. It's my favorite place in the whole world. In certain areas inside the Shibuya Sakura Stage building, you can hear some really strange and unique sounds and music playing from speakers as you walk, that sound so futuristic. It's sounds mystical and magical.
Thank you SO MUCH for these tips, Bobby! We know we will be back in Japan at some point, but our viewers will benefit from this in the meantime. Have you seen the rest of our Japan series? We spent 40+ days there and we barely scratched the surface! -Judy
🎥 Japan travel series: ruclips.net/p/PLNT98lWfwdF0V4Brx4J0uWJdQENFZKWBT
@@FindingGinaMarieI'll have to check out those videos you posted sometime. Thanks for the link. So far, I have been to Tokyo 5 times over the years, and I absolutely love it there. Unfortunately, I only got to stay a week each time. I live just east of Tampa, Florida.
Very cool to have visited Tokyo so many times! We definitely will be back, but we're even enjoying finding Japanese food in parts of Southeast Asia like Chiang Mai and now Taipei. We are glad that Japan was the first city in our seven-month Asia tour! It's a shame that you don't have more vacation time, but it sounds like you're using it well! -Judy
I usually stay by the Ryogoku area, close to the sumo stadium, Asakusa area, KappaBashi (kitchen street and to get Japanese cutlery). But I also love the Shinjuku area just outside of Tokyo tower. Great guide btw!
Thank you so much for these suggestions and for taking the time to leave a comment. It's so helpful! Here's a link to the rest of our Japan series if you're interested in watching it! -Judy
Japan travel series: ruclips.net/p/PLNT98lWfwdF0V4Brx4J0uWJdQENFZKWBT
We were there last October for 10 days, we purchased the JR pass way in advance and booked the hotels, we did 4 days in Tokyo 3 days in Kyoto, and back to Tokyo for 3 more days, all of our hotels were within walking distance to train station, my daughter did all of the itineraries, I mainly just follow her😂it was a wonderful trip! I'm going back in March with my husband, his on a business trip and I'm hanging out with my friend who lives in Tokyo, I can't wait 😊
Hi Leah, thank you so much for watching! I'm glad you had such an amazing trip. You might enjoy watching our video series from Japan to see how it matched up to your experience. We visited a ryokan and also Hiroshima, which was surprisingly amazing. Our daughter didn't book hotels, but she was in charge of most of the activity planning and definitely the food tasting while she was with us for a week! -Judy
Japan travel series: ruclips.net/p/PLNT98lWfwdF0V4Brx4J0uWJdQENFZKWBT
Excellent video! I will be going to Japan next month. I will be flying economy and it’s only going to cost me 46k miles roundtrip. I subscribed!
Congratulations on your great deal, @Jaymeez! We're a little bit jealous! Have an absolutely amazing trip, and we'd love to hear about it when you return. We originally had planned to visit Japan in April ourselves, but we decided we couldn't wait and ended up going in October. We have an entire video series from our 40+ days in Japan and we hope it's also helpful for you. Thank you so much for subscribing! -Judy
🎥 Japan travel series: ruclips.net/p/PLNT98lWfwdF0V4Brx4J0uWJdQENFZKWBT
My first trip to Hanoi was on 1992. It was magical then
@8dragonsx: We do wish we had stayed in Hanoi longer. There's a lot left of Vietnam for us to explore. -Judy
Just spent five weeks in Japan. We stayed eight nights in Tokyo in Shimbashi. It is on the Yamanote line so very easy to get around.
How fun, Meiwun! Thanks for the recommendation. What other parts of Tokyo did you see? Have you seen our episode about things to know that surprised us? I'm curious if there are other items you'd add to that list. We've got about four more episodes from our time in Japan that all will be in our playlist here. Thanks so much for watching! -Judy
Japan travel series: ruclips.net/p/PLNT98lWfwdF0V4Brx4J0uWJdQENFZKWBT
wow very helpful experience friend
Thank you so much for watching and for your kind comment! We were trying to get to Cebu City in 2024. We just scheduled a pivot, so I'm not quite sure if it will be able to happen, but we'd love if it we could make it work! -Judy
yeah hopefully everything works out. Safe travels@@FindingGinaMarie
Thank you so much; we appreciate it! -Judy
you're welcome@@FindingGinaMarie
@@aRVeesBlog Can you give us some advice regarding Philippines? We are pretty sure we're going to lock in a month in Philippines. Because of the way we travel, we're interested in staying in one place for a month. Do you have recommendations of where to stay (with good, solid WiFi) and a suggestion of must-see things to do? We're looking at arriving in late March. It seems that Cebu City might be the most worthwhile, but we are open to all your suggestions! -Judy
Loving your Japan videos so far. Very informative. Keep up the great work 😊
Thank you so much for the encouragement and for watching! It means so much to us. Here's a link to our series, which includes our final video we released yesterday all about Hiroshima. -Judy
Japan travel series: ruclips.net/p/PLNT98lWfwdF0V4Brx4J0uWJdQENFZKWBT
I used to stay in Ueno when the main international airport was Narita, very easy to get the Narita express to Ueno and then easy exit from the station.
Now I stay around Hamamatsucho. Very easy transport from Haneda to Hamamatsucho monorail, then lift to the ground floor. Means I don't have to do station changes when going back to the airport with 2 suitcases which is important.
Is a business area rather than touristy, but short walk to Shinbashi, easy access to the Yamanote line, monorail for Odaiba and Daimon station for going West on the metro. Is a lot cheaper than other areas in Tokyo.
Thank you so much for watching and for the great suggestions, Oliver! You might enjoy the rest of our series from our 40+ days in Japan, which is linked below. -Judy
Japan travel series: ruclips.net/p/PLNT98lWfwdF0V4Brx4J0uWJdQENFZKWBT
I did a loop similar to you. I stayed in Asakusa the first time which I loved, and Shinjuku on the return which was exciting but noisy.
Hi Carolina, how fun! Our initial location was a bit of a bummer because we had no idea where to find food and it just wasn't what we were expecting! Our hotel was lovely and it even had an onsen (which we did not use), but it was nice to wander and experience more of what we thought would be Tokyo when we came back. We did like the high energy of Shinjuku, but we actually really liked the Ginza area. -Judy
I can’t believe the mean spirited comments… tourists come to America and can’t pronounce certain words/places, but they do their best and are much appreciated for visiting and contributing to our economy! You guys did great!!
Thank you so much, Davy. It means a lot. We really enjoyed Japan and wanted to be respectful of the country and also give our viewers a good experience. Definitely was not our intention to mispronounce anything, and we truly did our best!
We have an entire ongoing series from our time in Japan if you’re interested. -Judy
Japan travel series: ruclips.net/p/PLNT98lWfwdF0V4Brx4J0uWJdQENFZKWBT
You guys did just fine Judy. Everyone knew what you guys were trying to explain. I’ve been to Japan many times and I’ve never felt like I “disrespected or insulted “ anyone. I live in Hawaii and we have tourists from all over the world, we gladly accept tourists because without them we’d be in a mess as Hawaii is dependent on tourism! Even if I’ve been to Japan numerous times, I’m enjoying your videos!
@@davyf7620Thank you so much. Unfortunately with a channel like this there always will be a few people looking to criticize versus encourage, so your comments are especially meaningful. Most of our viewers and commenters are very kind, and we are grateful for that. But we like everyone prefer when the correction or clarification is done in a kindhearted way. Because surely even with mistakes we think there are some redeeming qualities! Your support means a lot to us. Thanks for taking the time to give it and for watching! -Judy
I couldn't understand some places they said, but I guessed. Japanese is simple, they don't have different sounds for the same vowels.
It's not mean spirited. It's just basic respect.
My favourite neighborhoods are Ikebukuro and Kanda for acommodation. Both are convenient and very well connected while being not as hectic as others and the stations are easier to navigate too.
I'm not sure if we would have visited Kanda had we not had a tour there, but we were glad to have seen it. And you are right that the station was easy to navigate. Thanks so much for watching! Our entire video series from our 40+ days in Japan is linked below if you're interested or have any additional tips or suggestions for us and our viewers since it sounds like you may be a pro regarding Japan. -Judy
🎥 Japan travel series: ruclips.net/p/PLNT98lWfwdF0V4Brx4J0uWJdQENFZKWBT
Very well-done video! Thanks for making this available. Just for the context of the airport, there are 2 airports serving the greater Tokyo areas; Narita and Haneda. You introduced Haneda only in this video and someone might be misled thinking that there is only one airport in the Tokyo area. This mistake happened to a coworker of my my friend so that might be something to watch out for.
Good point. We arrived through Haneda, but we can appreciate that's not always clear for people, especially ones who are early on their Japan planning journey. We'll try to incorporate that point in future videos when we're talking about cities with multiple airports. -Judy
stayed in Prince Hotel Shinjuku above the tran stations ..Fabulous ..stayed eight days and loved every minute
Thanks for the recommendation, and for watching! Here's a link to the rest of our ongoing series from Japan. We have an episode coming this weekend from our ryokan! -Judy
Japan travel series: ruclips.net/p/PLNT98lWfwdF0V4Brx4J0uWJdQENFZKWBT
Enjoyed watching your Tokyo travels. Quick tip on Shinjuku: the area surrounding the hotels on the west exit side of the station is much calmer. In fact the area seems pretty dead at night when you get to the Hyatt Regency, Hilton and Washington hotel area. I often stay in this area and it’s a nice balance of calm with easy access to the station and east exit area.
Thanks so much for the suggestion, Chad! Have you seen our videos from our 40+ days throughout Japan? I'll link it below. We had a great time in Japan! -Judy
🎥 Japan travel series: ruclips.net/p/PLNT98lWfwdF0V4Brx4J0uWJdQENFZKWBT
You're a Very Nice and kindly couple! ❤❤ I've absolutely in loving Japan! Visiting some cities 25 days ago. And today I arrived in Tokyo. I've already signed up here!
Hi Rayane, we hope you have a terrific time. How long will you be there? Thank you so much for watching and subscribing! We spent 40+ days in Japan, and while you might have already been to many of these places, I'm linking our entire Japan series here in case it's helpful. What has been your favorite place to be and food to eat? -Judy
🎥 Japan travel series: ruclips.net/p/PLNT98lWfwdF0V4Brx4J0uWJdQENFZKWBT
When traveling in Tokyo, the bus is actually more convenient than the train. Because there are many stairs in the station in Japan, and I'm tired. The bus time schedule is also roughly accurate, and it is rare to be delayed by 10 minutes even during rush hour, and you can check the location of the bus on the web and you will not be irritated.
Thanks for this information. We took city buses in Kyoto, not Tokyo, and we did find delays when it was raining. Also, they were very crowded and sometimes we had to stand. Interesting that it doesn't sound like that's the experience in Tokyo. We saw signs that big luggage shouldn't be brought on the bus (probably due to crowding). But it's great to hear that there is another viable option to the train station, especially for people who are just trying to commute versus arrive/depart. Thanks for watching! We have an entire ongoing series of videos from our time in Japan, so I'm including the link in case you have more good info to pass along for our viewers. The episode this weekend rates 11 different temples/shrines, and we have two or three more videos to come afterwards. -Judy
Japan travel series: ruclips.net/p/PLNT98lWfwdF0V4Brx4J0uWJdQENFZKWBT
Thank you for this video. I really enjoyed watching and especially listening to you both (your voices are really soothing). Will definitely go to the demon ramen 👺 since I usually stay in the same neighborhood but did not know about this place until now. which time did you visit? Was there a long line for waiting? That’s the only „annoying“ experience I made in my japan travels.. waiting in line for ages when you are really hungry after walking for hours 😹
Hi Anni, We arrived at 11:04am and were eating at 11:29am, so I don't think it was a terrible wait. And the ramen was really, really good! Thanks so much for watching. You might enjoy the rest of our Japan series from our 40+ days there. Here's a link if you're interested. -Judy
Japan travel series: ruclips.net/p/PLNT98lWfwdF0V4Brx4J0uWJdQENFZKWBT
Intercontinental Tokyo Bay is also a good choice. Reserve a room facing Rainbow Bridge
Remain blessed!
Thank you and same to you! If you enjoyed this episode, you might enjoy the rest of our series from our 40+ days in Japan, which is linked below! -Judy
Japan travel series: ruclips.net/p/PLNT98lWfwdF0V4Brx4J0uWJdQENFZKWBT
@@FindingGinaMarie Cheers!
The video will be great for me.
Best regards...
I've loved it so far. God bless and keep you both safe. Amen
Shalom
Hi I love your videos! Do you think staying in shinjuku at the Hilton tokyo is good? My aunt, me and some other people are planning on going
Thanks so much for watching. This isn't a budget hotel, but it's in a great, central location and the reviews for it are overall very positive (but people don't always think it's the best value for the money and it's more of a business hotel than a tourist hotel, so it isn't quite in the center of some of the places that tourists want to see). We don't have personal experience with it to endorse it, unfortunately. -Judy
🎥 Japan travel series: ruclips.net/p/PLNT98lWfwdF0V4Brx4J0uWJdQENFZKWBT
I recommend staying 1-2 stops on the Yamanote from the busy areas. It can be exhausting walking out of your hotel straight into the Shibuya crowd when you just want a sandwich from the convenience store. Most of the big districts will have areas adjacent packed with APA/Dormy Inn, Mystays etc, with small food places around that cater to local travellers.
Tokyo station has Kanda and Shimbashi, for example, which are both convenient when you arrive from the airports, or when you want to catch the Shinkansen to Kyoto/Osaka. You will see salarypersons full of cheer stumbling around, but it is never menacing.
Trains come along every few minutes, so getting anywhere is no trouble. It is often quicker to train from a nearby station to the heart of the district than to walk from an outlying hotel. A 10 minute walk from Kanda can halve your accomodation costs though, if you are on a tighter budget.
There are different grades of APA, but the basic ones are great. They are 3 star because they tend to lack dining, but that is not a problem in Japan. Some even have cheaper smaller rooms with a single bed.
You can go to ultra basic 2 star business hotels which are cheaper still, but most still have smoking rooms, and the non smoking rooms are not that well enforced.
I didn't realize when we used or referenced APA hotels that they have a sordid past run by an extremist family that we do not want to give any future money to support. And we completely understand about budget, but if there's any way to be in a more bustling area with coffee shops and restaurants nearby, I think it's helpful. Sometimes we just wanted good coffee and a small bite to eat and having to search that out before you could go about your day-especially us as digital nomads who sometimes had to head back to the hotel to get work done-diminishes the experience of a place because it's too residential. Even when we lived in San Francisco, we preferred living in areas that were close to shops and not only homes. But if it means missing Japan altogether, then we say go for it and stay a bit outside of everything. Thanks for sharing your perspective and suggestions. -Judy
@@FindingGinaMarie Good point about APA. For anybody else reading, the hotel chains I mentioned are not the only options either. I talked about it in another comment, but Agoda tends to have a wider range of the East Asian hotel chains listed. Other sites are likely available, but Agoda (no affiliation) has been reliable for us.
@@King-Kazma We have found the same regarding Agoda. We've booked with them a few times and had great experiences. One advantage of Agoda is that often the properties don't need to be paid for in advance, which is convenient for full-time travelers who often are paying for a lot of travel well in advance and it can help a lot not to have to tie up so much of our money well in advance. I've also found that Hotels.com or Booking.com doesn't have a property available, but I can find it on Agoda. We try to check prices between the three (and alongside Airbnb). I've decided not to have brand loyalty to any one because if one company offers a lower price, they should get rewarded for my business for that. Hotels.com used to have a great loyalty program, but it's lost its shine. Thanks for clarifying about APA. -Judy
Wow, you went to most of the places I used to live in Tokyo. I lived in Hatagaya, Kachidoki (near Tsukishima), Kanda (where karashibi is), and Aoyama (near Gaienmae).
That's very cool to know, John! Did you see the rest of our series from Japan? We spend 40+ days there. Definitely a place we'd love to return. Japan is such a unique place! -Judy
🎥 Japan travel series: ruclips.net/p/PLNT98lWfwdF0V4Brx4J0uWJdQENFZKWBT
My preferred area is by Shinjuku Station and in Kabukicho. I stayed at THAT actual hotel you showed, APA Kabukicho Tower., twice already. Last time was 2019. Just got back 5 days ago! I like the area because of the many Shops, Restaurants, Combinis and just! the whole VIBE!
If you want a Quieter area of Shinjuku, just a 12 minute walk from Shinjuku Station is APA Hotel Gyoenmae where the beautiful Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden is located just a block behind it.
What a small world! Thanks for sharing your recommendations and for watching. You might enjoy our full series from our 40+ days in Japan. Definitely it's a place for us to return and explore more. -Judy
🎥 Japan travel series: ruclips.net/p/PLNT98lWfwdF0V4Brx4J0uWJdQENFZKWBT
I stay at APA Hotel Higashi-nihombashi. I recommend as you can travel directly from Haneda airport about 40 mins no change. It is a business area so nice and quiet area to stay. There are 3 train lines. 15 mins to Shinjuku. 2 stops to Tokyo Station on JR line. There are several restaurants to eat at.
Thanks for sharing this. We did hear about some of the not great practices by the owners of the APA hotel group, so we don't recommend them, but it's hard to change up what works. You might enjoy the rest of our videos from our 40+ days in Japan or have insights to contribute. -Judy
🎥 Japan travel series: ruclips.net/p/PLNT98lWfwdF0V4Brx4J0uWJdQENFZKWBT
Having been to Tokyo a number of times now and in my early 70's, I perfer to stay in Sugamo APA hotel. Close to train station with Yamamoto line, which is like a city circle line. Reasonably priced and close to a plenty of eateries.
Thanks for the suggestion, Chris. We didn't learn about it until a viewer alerted us, but there are some shady dealings within the APA leadership, so I'm not sure if we can recommend them. -Judy
Our go-to places are back of Shibuya where all the embassies are and in the hills of Ebisu. Both are exclusive and $$$ but well-worth it.
Hi Nate, Thanks for the suggestion. Not something that full-time travelers like us can easily afford, but I'm sure this will be helpful for some of our viewers. -Judy
@@FindingGinaMarie Full-time travelers?!! Envy you.
@@nateshf9303It's pretty sweet. We've been traveling since November 2022 and it's been absolutely amazing. We have nearly all of 2024 planned out and a bunch of places offloaded to 2025 that we can't squeeze into 2024.
You might enjoy the rest of our series from Japan, where we spent 42 days this fall. -Judy
Japan travel series: ruclips.net/p/PLNT98lWfwdF0V4Brx4J0uWJdQENFZKWBT
We stay in Tamachi quiet at night and just a 5 minute walk to the JR loop line
Thank you so much for the suggestion! You might be interested in our entire video series from our 40+ days in Japan, which I've linked below. -Judy
Japan travel series: ruclips.net/p/PLNT98lWfwdF0V4Brx4J0uWJdQENFZKWBT
I have visited Japan 3 times so far and found Shinagawa ( Shinagawa Prince and Shinagawa Tobu) very nice and conviniently located hotels.
Thank you so much for these recommendations! I know we will be back and our viewers also really appreciate these additional ideas. Have you seen our other videos from our ongoing series? We have an episode coming out this weekend and another two or three to follow. Thanks for watching! -Judy
Japan travel series: ruclips.net/p/PLNT98lWfwdF0V4Brx4J0uWJdQENFZKWBT
If you have a choice, flying in and out of Haneda is recommended. Much closer to Tokyo, and in a pinch a taxi to a hotel near Tokyo station will be $50-60 outside of rush hour.
Haneda opens up a great travel hack, which is staying in Yokohama near the main station when you are either arriving or leaving Japan, as it is super close to Haneda. Stay in Tokyo at one end of your trip, but when returning from Kyoto etc, Yokohama is a convenient departure point and you don’t have to battle your way out of Tokyo after a long journey. The station is surrounded by a dining complex, and the old centre with a Chinatown is nearby, so you can try Japanese style Chinese food.
As a heads up, you want to stay near Yokohama Station, not Shin Yokohama Station. Shin Yokohama is where the Shinkansen runs through. Yokohama station has the link to Haneda, and you can also get a train direct to the major districts of Tokyo if you missed something.
Thanks for this advice! We flew into Haneda but out through Narita, but only because we were headed to Vietnam afterwards and the best/cheapest flights were from that airport. I think the primary reason people fly out of Narita is because the flight options are cheaper, but I'm not sure if then adding the cost of a longer train to Tokyo offsets it enough that it's a wash. Great tips! -Judy
Are you kidding? Yokohama main station is not close to Haneda. Yokohama itself is worth the visit but if your goal is Tokyo, getting north into Tokyo from Yokohama is not a short ride.
@@_w_w_ It is a single, less than 30 min direct train ride from Yokohama to Haneda. Yokohama station is a lot less busy and easier to negotiate with suitcases than any tourist area of Tokyo. It is ‘close’ in terms of time and how easy it is to get from a hotel to the terminal, plus your hotel will be a lot cheaper than Hamamatsucho.
And you don’t stay in Yokohama to see Tokyo. You fly in, stay in Tokyo, travel to Kyoto etc like most tourists do, stay in Yokohama, fly out. It is an easy and relatively low stress end (or beginning) to a tourist trip to Japan.
However, if you are following this itinerary and want to catch something in Tokyo you missed, you can still access the main centres of Tokyo without much hassle, although it is not optimal.
@@King-Kazma For about the same amount of time, leaving from HND, you could reach Tokyo station and nearby hot spots. If someone is making a Tokyo-focused trip, the added daily time from Yokohama (and cost) will add up. Yokohama is fine as a base if someone wants to travel all over Japan. However, for Tokyo-focused visitors, Shinagawa, Kamata, Kawasaki are better spots and hotel rates are lower... and even physically closer. Yokohama station is also outside of Tokyo-focused daily passes. You also mentioned about dining options and Chinatown of Yokohama. That is somewhat misleading, because you will need to transfer to Yokohama's Minatomirai line and it's not walking distance at all.
@@King-Kazma For the same amount of time, one can travel north and reach Tokyo station and nearby hot spots. And if you plan to visit Tokyo, the added daily time from Yokohama (and cost) will add up. It's OK to use Yokohama as a base if one plans to go all over Japan. For Tokyo-focused visitors, Shinagawa, Kamata and Kawasaki are far better and their hotels are still cheaper.
We are planning to stay at one of the APA hotels in the Shinjuku district. There's the APA Hotel Higashi Shinjuku-ku or the APA Hotel & Resort Nishishinjuku Gochome Eki Tower. Which of them is closest to a rail station? Thanks for all the tips and detailed info
Hi Ann, for local travel within Tokyo, both locations offer relatively easy access to the subway system. Shinjuku Station is one of the major rail hubs in Tokyo, offering extensive rail and subway connections, including JR lines, which can take you to a broader range of destinations both within and outside of Tokyo.
The APA Hotel Higashi-Shinjuku-Kabukicho is closer to Shinjuku Station than the APA Hotel & Resort Nishi-Shinjuku Gochome-Eki Tower, making it generally more convenient for broader rail travel. Hope this helps! -Judy
In 6 visits, I've only stayed at Ikebekuro of these major hubs. I would recommend Shinjuku for young people (Akihabara is another option) and for those less interested in night life, anywhere is fine as long as it's close to a train station. Not just for access, there's typically great amenities near all of them. I stayed near Uena and Kanda once, Iidabashi (half way between Tokyo and Ikebekuro) on my first visit, Nishi Kasai to the east and Tomachi to the south on others. So all over the place! Nishi Kasai was the cherry blossom visit so there were not many cheap options. Tomachi was because we planned to see Yokohama and it was close to the bullet train as we planned an early departure to Fukuoka. Most important to remember about trains is using the right station exit. Many hotels and places of interest instruct about the exit to use so take note! Otherwise you could exit two blocks away.
Great suggestions. We didn't particularly love the Kanda area, but your advice about being near a station is a good one. Ditto for using the proper exits. But that's a recoverable thing and sometimes part of the adventure. Boy is there satisfaction when you learn and get it right! Thanks so much for watching. We have an entire series from our 40+ days in Japan, which is linked below. -Judy
Japan travel series: ruclips.net/p/PLNT98lWfwdF0V4Brx4J0uWJdQENFZKWBT
@@FindingGinaMarie The Kanda stay was just two nights in a capsule hotel and I chose it because it's on the Yamanote line, so quick access to Ueno (3 stops) and Tokyo Station (1 stop). It was a night time arrival at Narita Airport so wanted shortest train distance to accommodation in and out. The Keisei Express terminates at Ueno while shinkansen departs at Tokyo. Otherwise, I agree, nothing remarkable about Kanda. I really only remember an overpass!
@@FindingGinaMarie Also, my main lesson with station exits is when staying at the Sotetsu Fresa Inn Tokyo-Toyocho, which, ironically, is two stops before Nishi Kasai. Not sure how I forgot Toyocho as I took my mother for her first visit that year (2014). We did cherry blossoms the year after. Anyway, the hotel said 50m from the station so I was puzzled not to immediately see it walking along the street. It turns out I was slightly wrong with the exit (did C1 instead of C2, something like that) and popped out across the street. I didn't wander too far away, as I knew it was close. It's just that my bearings were completely out. Then, suddenly, magically saw it across the street! No phone for GPS then. Of course, that's a minor adventure. Some places, there's a massive underground tunnel to them, so it would be a daunting proposition, especially without a phone.
Keep up the excellent and informative work! Japan can be daunting in general, so it's handy to see it quite normalised as you present it. My first time was 2004 and relied on books and printing stuff off the internet.
Hi Hal, We are so grateful for the internet and admire people who can navigate without it! Our first few international travels were ones where we had to rent a MiFi router device that brought the internet to us, BUT the battery died quickly, so we always were having to charge it or download maps so we could be offline. We don't miss those days! I think having a good attitude and treating travel like the adventure it is is key. Of course there's added stress if you get lost or detoured while trying to get somewhere, but we try not to pack our schedule so hard that we have to rush like that. It's always a sense of accomplishment when we can be as efficient as possible and not have to backtrack, but it's not the end of the world if we do. But we agree with your tip that it sure does help to clearly understand which exit you should come up from! -Judy
When I look for a hotel I always look for something close to direct public airport transportation and local metro/subway. I am planning a tokyo visit and I have my eyes on the Ueno area for now. There are 3 APA hotels (it's a famous hotel chain for good quality with low budget) in that town. For transportation there are metro, JR and a direct airport rail, very convenience.
Thanks for the recommendation. We had a viewer bring our attention to some of the extremist views of the APA chain owners, so I'm not quite sure that I'd recommend that chain, but we'd love to know what you think about the Ueno area. Also, here's a link to videos from the 40+ days we spent in Japan. -Judy
🎥 Japan travel series: ruclips.net/p/PLNT98lWfwdF0V4Brx4J0uWJdQENFZKWBT
Hello! ❤ Greetings from Bucharest!
Greetings! Thanks so much for watching! Have you seen our videos from Romania? Here's a link to them. We really enjoyed Romania and want to go back to explore a bit more! -Judy
Romania travel series: ruclips.net/p/PLNT98lWfwdF1eOk5S9Nipwnh0oINmUIPp
You’re a cute couple. I enjoyed ur positivity even in tough times like missing a place or stand in long lines, i know i’ll lose it! 😂🙏
One of our best pieces of advice is to never be starving. It's so much easier to keep you cool if you're not also hangry. Fortunately, 7-11s have quick and easy food to take the edge off! Thank you so much for watching! We have an entire series from 40+ days in Japan you might want to check out. ALSO, we have a "5 Biggest Travel Mistakes" we made while being full-time travels. The first one we share involves Tokyo. It's worth watching! -Judy
🎥 Japan travel series: ruclips.net/p/PLNT98lWfwdF0V4Brx4J0uWJdQENFZKWBT
🎥 Our 5 biggest travel mistakes: ruclips.net/video/GnIQKrEupoU/видео.html
For me I try and stay every time at the Shibuya excel as I did on my first trip.
I always come in via Narita Airport and take a limousine bus that will take me straight to the hotel and the hotel is across the road from the train station. If it’s raining you can always get to your train without getting wet. There is still a lot of construction going on at shibuya station but all the trains still run on time. Think the construction will be finished in 2027.
Thanks for these suggestions and for watching! We don't really consider taking a taxi because of the cost. What is the limousine bus you are mentioning? Also, we have an entire playlist from Japan if you're interested in watching it. -Judy
Japan travel series: ruclips.net/p/PLNT98lWfwdF0V4Brx4J0uWJdQENFZKWBT
Limousine bus takes you from the airport to most major hotels around Tokyo and back again. Operating from Narita and Haneda. It’s about ¥3200 from Narita. More expensive than the train but it will drop you off at the hotel if it on the list.
They have a website to book tickets. For me the desk at the airport Narita Terminal 1 right out side arrivals and the bus stop is just outside, perfect.
@coolrottie2565 Thanks for sharing this information! -Judy
I love that hotel, I stayed many times there, very convenient. It was perfect for the Toyoko-sen to go to Jiyugaoka.
Personally what I did was stay in Chiyoda City near Tokyo Dome near the Suidobashi station (JR Chuo Line). It was a nice mix of busy at times and quiet at times. I think depending on what you're in Tokyo for it would depend on where you would like to stay. Overall if you want quick access I'd highly recommend just being anywhere near a JR line (assuming you stay in Japan for 1-2 weeks which you can use JR on the Shinkansen to go practically anywhere and for inner city JR train lines such as in Tokyo and Osaka). Unfortunately the price for JR has increased as of late 2023 which I lucked out and bought the ticket before I went a couple months back
Oh and while Shibuya Sky can be crowded at times it's well worth it with the open air observation deck that on a clear day you can see the top of Fuji-sama along with neighboring metropolitans like Yokohama. It puts into perspective how truly massive Tokyo is. Plus the cost was like $15-20 and there's no time limit up there and a very good food court on the 13th floor
Thanks for all your suggestions. We do encourage people to look closely at their anticipated travel because with the price bump of the JR Pass, it may no longer be cost effective. The issue for us regarding Shibuya Sky was that you needed a reservation and it often was sold out. I wasn't sure that the views would be worth the cost since it would be three of us just for a view. I knew there was food, but I didn't realize it was a food court; I thought it was one very expensive restaurant and something else. This is helpful. -Judy
@@FindingGinaMarie No problem! Now remembering back, the reservation had to be done online and it didn't take my reservation at first so I had to redo it to get confirmation but having gone there in a group of three myself it was worth it! We went around lunch time so it wasn't too crowded but I know at night it is usually sold out. Hopefully y'all can go at some point!
@@emssasukeisunderrated7946 We would love to go back and experience it for ourselves. It was a little tricky trying to squeeze in everything our daughter wanted to see and do! -Judy
Ginza for sure is the heart of shopping in Tokyo - especially for high end brands. In that way it’s like 5th or Park Avenues … minus the crime and public safety problems
Ginza is a more expensive area for sure, but our daughter would have loved to spend more time in that part of the city! -Judy
@@FindingGinaMarie the really most expensive places are invisible. There’s a club in our apartment building that costs half a million dollars to join (we’re not members 😎). And there’s a steak place in Ginza called Les Trois Fleches which is completely UTR and $$$$$. Or Shihouan in Akasaka. Many places like that which tourists will never see.
Frankly, I have no interest in those sorts of places and at some point I think that's an irresponsible use of wealth. But I'm sure there are a good number of people attracted to the elitism of it. Thanks for sharing. -Judy
How often would you be able to take a similar points-based trip? Is that a yearly treat, every couple of years?
Usually points travel only happens once in a great while for me and my family. Takes a long time to build up!
It's slightly easier for us because our Chase Sapphire Reserve offers extra points for travel and eating out, so we accumulate more than normal due to how often we do those things. We probably earn enough points to do that once per year, but possibly not a trip requiring quite so many points as that one did. We know there are people who play the points game with a series of credit cards, but we aren't comfortable with that. And traveling full time means we don't typically spend as much money as we did when we were working and consuming more things, so that does offset how many points we earn as well. Thanks for watching. You might enjoy the rest of our series from our 40+ days in Japan, which is linked below. -Judy
Japan travel series: ruclips.net/p/PLNT98lWfwdF0V4Brx4J0uWJdQENFZKWBT
I'm heading to japan in the end of February, and am staying in Chiyoda City and Toshima city in Tokyo, then going to Nagoya, Kyoto, Osaka flying to Okinawa and ending in Tokyo.
Sounds like a great trip! We have an entire video series from our month in Japan, which is linked below. I'm not sure if you have allotted time for a ryokan or Hiroshima, but I highly recommend both. Hiroshima is so much more than we could have imagined. We'd love to know what you think of Japan when you return! -Judy
Japan travel series: ruclips.net/p/PLNT98lWfwdF0V4Brx4J0uWJdQENFZKWBT
@FindingGinaMarie thanks alot, will defentky take a look but I'm not 100% sure if I can make it to Hiroshima but will keep it in mind.
@@manierlinge7392 It may not be able to work out, but watch our video and see if you'll regret missing it. If not this trip, it's definitely a place to put on your list for another time. We already are missing Japan, so give it a hello from us. We're here in Thailand right now and there's some mall food of all places that have some really great Japanese restaurants and it reminded of some of our time in Kyoto, where we had some really delicious food. Enjoy! -Judy
Good afternoon I have booked the Shibia Park hotel in Tokyo. What do you think of that area? It’s just for a few days before we catch a cruise
Unfortunately, John, we weren't in this area at all, so we can't speak to that area. You might want to look through the comments from this video for recommendations where other people have stayed and had success if you're looking to alternatives to where we were. Thanks for watching. -Judy
Absolutely love your video, was wondering if you could send us an address of that second hotel that you stayed in. Thank you.
Hi Jane, Thank you so much for the compliment and for watching! Here is the link to the second hotel where we stayed in Tokyo: www.hotels.com/affiliates/apa-hotel-higashi-shinjuku-kabukicho-tower-tokyo-japan.sf9JJnH
Also, you might enjoy the rest of our episodes from our 40+ days in Japan. -Judy
Japan travel series: ruclips.net/p/PLNT98lWfwdF0V4Brx4J0uWJdQENFZKWBT
I just love Sanganjaya.. So near to everything but so far away from tourists.. Xx
Thanks so much for watching and for sharing your favorite location, Patricia! Have you seen the rest of our series from our 40+ days in Japan? I'll link it below if you're interested. -Judy
🎥 Japan travel series: ruclips.net/p/PLNT98lWfwdF0V4Brx4J0uWJdQENFZKWBT
We loved staying in Asakusa as well, just down the street from the temple. We were able to take a direct train from the airport to the station and then a five minute walk to our hotel.
We actually went there twice! The first time we visited through the side entrance, so it had a completely different feel to it. And then when Meaghan arrived, we wanted to share it with her but after all the temples we visited, we actually forgot until we were there that we already had seen it! But we got to go through the vendor stalls and Meaghan got to try some foods she wanted to taste, so it all worked out! 🤦♀️
So surprised and glad to see you enjoyed the spicy ramen place. My wife and I usually go to the one in Ikebukuro (45 mins wait).
We love spicy ramen! San Francisco has a great ramen place we enjoy eating at in Japantown (Marufuku Ramen), so it's the bar we compare our other ramen experiences against! And yes, always worth the wait!-Judy
@@FindingGinaMarie My wife and I are from SF!
@@nateshf9303 What a small world! We're so glad you found our channel. We're glad to be traveling, but it wasn't a place where we could afford to retire in, and when we figured that out, we decided to stop paying an ungodly amount of money (probably reasonable by SF standards) and travel the world. But San Francisco will forever hold a place in our hearts. Thanks so much for watching and for all your comments! -Judy
@@FindingGinaMarie I bought an as-is property by City College 30 years ago for 175k when I just started out as a math teacher. What an investment and smart move, but that's another story. Enjoyed your onsen video. We were in Shibu Onsen and Kannawa Onsen last year and went to all their free local communal baths. Quite an experience.
@@nateshf9303 That was a GREAT investment! We were spoiled by our apartment that had a view of the Golden Gate Bridge in Pac Heights. When we moved from Houston to SF, we didn't want to be tied down to the housing market and be at the mercy of selling at the exact right time (or not being able to move because housing prices are down). That worked out well for us because when we started traveling, we didn't want to have a home base that we needed to pay to maintain. Even at some point very far down the road, we don't want to be tied down to a home/property that we have to maintain or worry about selling. -Judy
Thanks for the video! Some cool places I didn't see the first time and will have to check out when I go back. I really enjoyed going to Tokyo, it is massive, there is just so much to see, it's all so walkable and you can hop on the subway to get somewhere fast. We stayed in Chiyoda near the British Embassy and Akihabara both very central and this made it easy to get around and get the trains. I really enjoyed Tsukiji, it has a bad reputation online but I found the prices fine while it is touristy it's vibrant and there are a lot of shops. My favorite area is Omotesandō in Shibuya, it is very upscale with a lot of small shops, fun shopping and restaurants. The real question is - did Kevin go to Guitar Street and also get a good bottle of whiskey?!
We love hearing your insights and experiences! Dang, no, we did not make it to Guitar Street! But we did pick up some smaller bottles of whisky for him to review on WhiskyRiffs. We also found a sake that was aged in oak barrels that he already posted to his channel. We spent much more time in Kyoto than Tokyo, and some of the time in Tokyo on our first leg was in our hotel working on our videos. The downside of a quick trip to see family is that our next destination afterwards requires us to be heads down playing catch up. Ideally we would have been able to have a few episodes in the can, but that didn't work out. We will have to go back now just to visit this famous street! -Judy
I loved Kyoto and really can’t wait to get back and would stay longer than we did so I can’t fault you at all for spending a lot of time there, it’s so livable and charming. Glad to hear Kevin got some whiskey, I found there aren’t a lot of liquor stores so it’s kind of inconvenient. I’m currently looking to go to Italy for the first time so really appreciate all the videos you have up from there, super helpful!
@@objc You are right about Kyoto. We stayed in a few different places there as well. We were much more comfortable there versus Tokyo.
We’d love to know where you are headed in Italy. We have another trip scheduled there for 2024, but we don’t know quite where we want to land yet. Darn Schengen for limiting our time in Europe! -Judy
@@FindingGinaMarie We’re looking at northern Italy, flying into Milan, and train to Florence, maybe see Venice or other cities. We’ve got 7-10 days to go and take our two youngest teens during their April break.
@@objc We love both Torino and Verona and have videos from both of them (you may have seen them already). Those are some lucky kids. Our daughter will be meeting us in Italy for the first time this summer and we are thrilled our schedules are finally aligning to do it. We couldn't afford international travel when our kids were growing up, so we are making up for lost time now. We'd love to hear all about your trip when you return! I can't speak for whether it will be crowded at that time of year, but the weather should be lovely! -Judy
i only stay in shinjuku even after visiting tokyo for my 67th trip. I love to drink and go back to my hotel right away without taking expensive taxis in tokyo. there are a lot of touts who try to ask you into nightclubs , just politely give them the obi wan hand wave " I am not the customer you are looking for" For single ladies, they can be more persistent.
Wow. 67 trips. That's pretty impressive. Do you have a few recommendations of hotels that you prefer? I wonder what you think of our other videos from our 40+ days in Japan. As first-time travelers, Japan was a lot to absorb, so we are eager to return and explore more! -Judy
🎥 Japan travel series: ruclips.net/p/PLNT98lWfwdF0V4Brx4J0uWJdQENFZKWBT
I prefered staying in Ginza - Its a perfect stop for some comfortable hotels, safe environment and great services around. also close tokyo station
We liked that area as well! Thanks so much for watching! -Judy
🎥 Japan travel series: ruclips.net/p/PLNT98lWfwdF0V4Brx4J0uWJdQENFZKWBT
Would you recommend the JRP train pass ?
Hi Aramos, I think it really depends. It used to be that it was a no brainer and everyone was encouraged to get one, but the price has gone up and up. You really need to be moving a lot in order for it to be worthwhile. Their website recently added a travel calculator that allows you to input your destinations and it will let you know if the cost of buying the pass will save you money: www.jrpass.com/farecalculator. For us, it wasn't worthwhile, but we were there for a month and didn't fast travel between cities. We always caution against traveling too fast, even on vacation, because you lose exploration time with all the moving around from city to city. You may want to watch the rest of our video series from Japan, which is linked below. -Judy
Japan travel series: ruclips.net/p/PLNT98lWfwdF0V4Brx4J0uWJdQENFZKWBT
Where to stay in Tokyo!? Amazing! for me base on my experience is Shibuya Crossing, the Street for Cherry Blossom, Yoyogi Park and also Asakusa Temple, Sumida River Park Over view Skytree there its Amazing my Experience April 1-10, 2024, maybe I' be back a Nice memories experience in Tokyo Japan.
Did you see cherry blossoms still in full bloom at that time? We originally were going to visit during March/April, but we decided we wanted to get there as soon as possible and saw the autumn leaves instead. Have you seen our other videos from Japan? I wonder what your thoughts are. Thanks for your recommendations in Tokyo! -Judy
🎥 Japan travel series: ruclips.net/p/PLNT98lWfwdF0V4Brx4J0uWJdQENFZKWBT
I think the Metropolitan Building Observation Deck mentioned at 7:07 is actually in Shinjuku, not Shibuya.
You are absolutely right! Thanks for the correction. You might enjoy the rest of our video series from our 40+ days in Japan, which is linked below. -Judy
Japan travel series: ruclips.net/p/PLNT98lWfwdF0V4Brx4J0uWJdQENFZKWBT
Judy, do you have a link for the ebike tour ?
Absolutely. We forgot to include it in our video description, but we’ll add it there, too. link.findingginamarie.com/Tokyo-ebike (this is an affiliate link, so if you use it, we make a little money at no cost to you).
We like staying at Hotel Century in Shinjuku.
Hi Sean, thanks for the suggestion! If you're interested, we have an entire series of videos from Japan you might enjoy. -Judy
Japan travel series: ruclips.net/p/PLNT98lWfwdF0V4Brx4J0uWJdQENFZKWBT
With the strong dollar just book a car service from/to the airport. It is just too much hassle with baggage to go on super crowded trains and lugging suitcases up/down stairs or wasting time finding the elevators
I guess that could work, but you are at the mercy of traffic and we arrived at the height of rush hour. I'd prefer to pay less, learn the train system since you will be using it a lot as a tourist, and save myself some cash-$15 for two on a train versus $85 for a cab. That's a savings of a few good meals in Japan or a tour. It depends on what sort of traveler you are, but as full-time travelers, we try not to spend more than we need to. Thanks for watching. We have an entire series of videos from Japan linked below. -Judy
Japan travel series: ruclips.net/p/PLNT98lWfwdF0V4Brx4J0uWJdQENFZKWBT
Depending on where you are going in Tokyo a taxi from Narita will be ¥ 25-35,000. From Haneda ¥6,000-12,000. If you’re going to the west side town it will be e a bit more.
Trains are better, even buses, do not spend in a car unless you are traveling very late at night or before 6am.
Hi,,, Im so happy to see your video. Im spanish speaking, english also and I´ll be visiting a friend in Tokyo in March. She lives in Mushashino área in Nishitokyo, so there´s no hotels in the area. I will follow your advice to stay in a hotel near a station but I really would like to be near a crowded place where i can visit at 7 am to see it with less tourist. For example, is there an hotel in Asakusa, near the gates, so I can visit them very early in the morning. I saw videos of people visiting places at 6 am or 7 am and it´s so beautiful. Can you give me your opinion on places to visit very early ?
Arigato gozaimasu!
Looks like you’ll be on the Seibu Line so Shinjuku would be a good choice. Try the metro government side of the station - hotels like Shinjuku Hilton, Keio Plaza, Century Hyatt, Shinjuku Washington. Take the limousine bus from the airport. Cheaper, less hassle, more or less just as fast as NEX.
Hi Claudia, Unfortunately, I don't know enough about staying in that area to give you solid recommendations, but it looks like one of our viewers was able to help you. You might enjoy the rest of our video series from Japan, which is linked below, which can give you some additional information beyond Tokyo if you plan to enjoy more of Japan. -Judy
Japan travel series: ruclips.net/p/PLNT98lWfwdF0V4Brx4J0uWJdQENFZKWBT
@8dragonsx Thanks for these hotel recommendations. However, I don't think that NEX is more expensive or even an equivalent expense to a limousine bus, and it certainly takes some of the fun of experiencing the train system in Japan, which is such a large part of the experience of getting around. It will solve perhaps the initial hassle of being overwhelmed, but it's way less satisfying. It can make sense if you have brought a lot of luggage, but we don't recommend doing that, either.
Shinjuku Station to Asakusa Station is 40 minutes on the Oedo subway line. While in Tokyo use Google Maps for directions, it will tell you which train, which platform, and even which car to get on for the easiest connection.
@@FindingGinaMarie NEX NRT-Shinjuku is ¥3070. Limousine Bus to hotels in Shinjuku Station is ¥3600. So, if you can walk from the station to your hotel then the train is cheaper. If you have a JR Rail Pass then the train is essentially no-charge for you. If you need a taxi from the station to your hotel then that’s an extra cost. If you fly into Haneda (my preferred option) then just take a taxi to your hotel. From HND to our apartment in Azabujuban it’s about ¥7500 and about 25 minutes. I could save money using metro but I’m lazy.