where to stay in Tokyo

Where to Stay in Tokyo

Three things probably determine where to stay in Tokyo. They are

  1. Budget
    • Outskirts (Kamata, for example) will be cheaper than the central parts (Ginza, Shinjuku, etc).
    • Keep in mind that the room rate fluctuates quite violently by the season and by the days of the week. Normally, late March to early April (sakura: cherry blossoms + a new school year and a new fiscal year start on April 1) is one of the most expensive seasons of the year, and Fridays and Saturdays are generally more expensive than the rest, and Sundays and Mondays are less expensive. So, you might want to shift your schedule accordingly.
    • And hotels in Tokyo are for the most part more expensive than those in other cities in Japan, except Kyoto in late autumn "the foliage", which is the most expensive time and the most crowded place to travel to in all Japan.
  2. whether you arrive in HND (Haneda) or NRT (Narita), or by rail (e.g. from elsewhere in Japan)
    • If you are arriving in HND, Shinagawa is the closest area from the airport with decent selection of hotels, hence it may be more convenient. Also, there are a number of less expensive hotels between Haneda and Shinagawa, in Kamata and Omori, for example. On the other hand, if you are flying in/out of NRT, Asakusa or Ueno is way closer, and Shinagawa a bit too far.
    • It may also depend on the time you arrive at the airport (or a railway station). If you arrive late at night, with heavy luggage or with a toddler(s), you might just want to take a cab, which case, the closer the better.
    • If you are to get on/off the bullet train, near Tokyo station, Shiodome/Shimbashi, or Shinagawa (for heading to western Japan including Osaka and Kyoto) are more convenient than Ikebukuro, Shinjuku and Shibuya.
  3. where in Tokyo you want to spend your time in
    • If you want to spend days at Tokyo Disney Resorts (TDR), there's no point staying in the central part of Tokyo. Look in the list of TDR hotels, or consider staying outside Tokyo.

Having said that, if you are new to Tokyo, I'd recommend to stay near one of stations on JR Yamanote-line, and if you are also taking the bullet train to visit cities outside Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka, for example, consider a place near Tokyo or Shinagawa station, or at least along the east side of Yamanote-line, the top 3 areas in the list below.

Things you might want to know before booking a hotel in Tokyo

  • Know the main stations:
    • You should at least know where Tokyo, Shinagawa, Shinjuku, and Shibuya stations are, that they are all on JR Yamanote-line, and get rough sense of relative directions and distances between them. See the map above (and train/subway maps here).
  • Know the average room rate and room size:
    • The average rate of hotel room in Tokyo doubled from April 2022 (at about JPY14,000) to March 2024 (over JPY28,000). A graph available here (in Japanese).
    • The average room size is roughly 13-14 square meter, or 140 square feet.
      • A room smaller than 15sq-m, you probably will find it hard to fully open a suitcase.
      • A 20~25sq-m room is considered moderately spacious in Japan, quite so in Tokyo.
      • A 40sq-m or more is very spacious in Tokyo, and also in Japan.
    • Obviously the more you pay the wider the room.
    • Though there are exceptions, the room rate is based on the number of occupants (persons) per room, not by the room itself. So, unlike in the United States, the rate will be higher if two people stay in a room than one person stays in the same room.
        But I didn't get that in some of hotels in Minato-mirai in Yokohama, where booking for two people and one person are the same for the same room type.
  • Enjoy Free wifi:
    • Almost all hotels in Tokyo (or Japan) have free-wifi. For more (LAN access).
  • Ensure non-smoking:
    • Not all rooms are non-smoking. Make sure to book non-smoking if you have problems.
  • Prearrange early check-in, or late check out:
    • Hotels in Tokyo (or in Japan) in general do not allow early check-in unless you've pre-arranged it. The check-in time is usually 3PM. You might be able to check-in at 2:30pm if your room is ready, but not at 8:30am or 11am. Hotels are very rigid about that. The same goes with late check out. You will most likely have to pre-arrange it too.
        All hotels I've stayed in Japan would keep my luggage until the check-in time. So, even if you arrive way early, you can leave your luggage at the reception and go explore until the check-in time, or till your heart's content.
  • Avoid traveling during Rush hours with a suitcase:
    • I may be stating the obvious, but you must have watched how very crowded the trains and subways are in Tokyo during the rush hours, so it will be extremely uncomfortable to ride with a suitcase for you and for the people around you, even if it's not impossible during those hours. So, you will have to take that into account when picking a hotel or to adjust your itinerary.
        Or, stay near Tokyo, Shinagawa or Shimbashi station :)

Areas in Tokyo

In the order of my preference, which values time over expense:

  1. Shiodome/Shimbashi
    • Shiodome (汐留) is the east side of JR Shimbashi (新橋) station, two stations south of Tokyo or 4min ride, and in my opinion, it is the best location to stay in Tokyo. It is less busier than the other areas listed here including Shimbashi, the other (west) side of Shimbashi station. Shiodome is quiet except for the commuting hours.
    • It gives direct access to the two airports and various parts within Tokyo as it's got 3 subway lines (Ginza, Oedo and Asakusa lines) and JR station (Shimbashi), so you can get to Shinjuku, Shibuya, Tokyo (station), Akasaka, Asakusa, Ginza, Roppongi, even Odaiba (via Yurikamome) without a transfer.
    • It takes about 25~40 min to get to HND without a transfer. The trains for HND are available every 10~15min, but the fastest express (25 min) is available every hour. For more.
      • Getting to Tokyo station by cab is less than JPY2K (as of Oct. 2025).
      • A cab ride from Shiodome to HND (T3=Int'l terminal) on a Thursday around 3PM in April 2025 was roughly JPY7K and about 25min.
    • To get to Narita Airport, it will be about 70 min with Narita Express (one transfer) or about 100min via Asakusa line without a transfer, the latter is the only option to get to NRT early in the morning (around 5AM, when no N'EX). To get to Shimbashi from Narita, see this page.
        When you are heading to NRT via N'EX, get your ticket at Shimbashi station before boarding the local train to Tokyo (preferably the night before).
    • It is also 10-15min walk to/from the Tsukiji market (closed on Wednesdays and Sundays&holidays. Check this caledar) so sushi breakfast is practical. Likewise, Ginza is also a walking distance (about 15min).
    • However, there are effectively only four hotels in Shiodome: Conrad, beyond my budget so I have never had an opportunity to stay; The Royal Park Hotel Iconic, which has 6 coin laundry machines; Park Hotel, completely different from the Royal Park Hotels; and Hotel Villa Fontaine, and the rates have gone up quite drastically in the last few years. While there are many more hotels in the west side of the station, this also leads to Hamamatsucho /Daimon.
      • Hamamatsucho (浜松町) is one station south of Shimbashi on JR Yamanote-line, and Daimon one station south of Shimbashi on Asakusa-line, so you'll get the same direct access to HND and NRT via Asakusa-line.
      • Hamamatsucho is also the terminal station of Tokyo Monorail from Haneda Airport. So, coming in from HND is easy.
      • Daimon (大門) is on both Asakusa line subway and Oedo-line subway, so you will get direct access to Roppongi and Shinjuku, and Asakusa, and slower direct access to Shibuya (via Yamanote-line).
      • Just be aware the distance between Daimon (subway) and Monorail Hamamatsucho looks very close in 2D, horizontally, but in reality, you'd have to go between 6F (Monorail) and B4 (Oedo-line), and the shortest path often involves stairs, especially between the subways and the ground level.
      • So, Hamamatsucho/ Daimon is a less expensive alternative to Shiodome. It has no direct access to Ginza line (a shorter path to Shibuya, Akasaka and Yotsuya) or Yurikamome (though you can walk to Hinode station), and the (semi) express trains on JR Yokosuka and Tokaido lines won't stop at Hamamatsucho, so coming from NRT, you'd have to make a transfer to Yamanote/Keihin Tohoku line at Tokyo station, ascending from B5 (the abyss) to the 2nd floor, which will be daunting during the rush hours, if you care.
    • If you look for a hotel north of Shiodome, that's Ginza, so it will be a bit more expensive than Hamamatsucho.
  2. near Tokyo station/Ginza
    • If you are planning on going and in and out of Tokyo, staying near the Tokyo station also makes sense. It's the origin of the following bullet trains (Shinkansen)
      • Tokaido Shinkansen: for Nagoya, Kyoto, Osaka, and further west
      • Tohoku Shinkansen: for Sendai, Morioka, Aomori, Hakodate, Yamagata, Akita
      • Joetsu Shinkansen: for Niigata
      • Hokuriku Shinkansen: for Nagano, Toyama, Kanazawa, Fukui.
    • Tokyo station is quite big, so going from one side (Yaesu, east) to the other (Marunouchi, west) or vice versa may take upto 10 min on foot with a large suitcase. Because of this, hotels seemingly close to Tokyo station could be a long walk from the platform you are to get on|off, which is also why I prefer Shiodome.
    • In some cases, subway stations with different names are pretty close, e.g. Otemachi (north west of Tokyo station), Nihonbashi (north east), Kyobashi and Takaramachi (east).
      • But also be aware that some Otemachi stations (Chiyoda line and Hanzomon line) are pretty far to walk from Tokyo station.
    • Ginza (銀座) is also a walking distance from Tokyo if you don't have suitcases or a large one. A cab ride is not that much.
    • Ginza is obviously for highend shopping and fine dining, so the hotels here can be expensive or the room smaller for the same price.
    • There are also several subway stations with 'Ginza', but the Airport Express subway (on Asakusa line) skips Higashi Ginza and Takaramachi, and could be more.
  3. Shinagawa
    • Shinagawa (品川) is located at the southern most tip of Yamanote-line, and it's the first major station when you are on Keikyu line from Haneda airport. There are a number of hotels including Shinagawa Prince Hotel, one of the biggest hotel complex in Tokyo, which is across from the station on the Takanawa (west) side.
    • Shinagawa is the first stop on Tokaido Shinkansen after leaving Tokyo for Kyoto and Osaka, makes it ideal if you arrive in HND and you know you are heading to the western Japan, or the other way around, coming back from Kyoto/Osaka and flying out of HND.
    • Shinagawa is also convenient if you plan to visit Kamakura or Yokohama, but if you want spend more time at SkyTree or Asakusa/Ueno, it is not the most convenient. Which case, I'd recommend Asakusa or Ueno.
    • However, staying in Shinagawa, I feel a bit isolated from the rest of Tokyo, as most of touristy spots are more than 15min north of here, so I found going back and forth everyday between Shinagawa and Ochanomizu or Shinjuku, for example, a bit tiring, which is why I prefer Shiodome, or Shinjuku for that matter.
    • When you look for a room at Shinagawa Prince Hotel,
      • try Annex first, which is well-balanced in my opinion,
      • then the Main Tower, the biggest tower, and rooms are more spacious than the other towers, so for a family this might be a must, but also really long lineup at check-in (before 5PM) and out (around 11AM),
      • then N (New) tower.
      • East Tower offers very small rooms, but the least expensive :).
  4. Shinjuku
    • If you are planning on visiting Ghibli museum (that's in Mitaka), Shinjuku (新宿) is the closest with great many selections of hotels.
    • It has Busta, a mega bus terminal, to various parts of Japan including Haneda and Narita airport, also places like Mt. Fuji.
    • From NRT, you could get to Shinjuku by Narita Express without a transfer.
    • From HND, you could take a bus to various hotels in the Shinjuku area, but one time I spent more than 90 min in a heavy traffic with accident(s) in the (long) tunnel beteween Shibuya and Shinjuku. But I've found going from Busta to HND by bus constantly under 30min (once onboard).
    • You could get on Odakyu line for Hakone, or Enoshima (and then to Kamakura) from here.
    • But getting on the bullet train may be a bit more challenging than staying in Shinagawa or Shiodome or near Tokyo station.
    • Also, as Shinjuku station being the largest station in Japan, if not in the world, with some 200 exits, and continuous construction blocking/changing the flows of people, maneuvering through the station with or without a suitcase can be very overwhelming (See an illustration here). So, just like Tokyo station, hotels seemingly close to Shinjuku station could be a long walk, particularly those near/in Kabuki-cho.
    • And, "Shinjuku" is also a large area with a number of train/subway stations in it. So, the closest station to your hotel/destination may not be the JR Shinjuku station.
  5. Shibuya
    • Shibuya (渋谷) has transformed into a super modern urban area in the last 5 years or so, and turns the station into a dungeon, and still continue transforming.
    • You could get to Shibuya by Narita Express (N'EX) without a transfer.
    • But getting on the bullet train may be a bit more challenging than staying in Shinagawa or Shiodome or near Tokyo station. You can expect Yamanote-line between Shibuya and Shinagawa almost always crowded.
        But since March 2023, you can go to Shin-Yokohama (a station after Shinagawa on the bullet train for Kyoto and Osaka) from Shibuya without a transfer via Tokyu-Toyoko line. 26~30 min.
    • Like Shinjuku station, JR Shibuya station is currently undergoing massive constructions (until 2034, details here) that block and change the flows of people, and because the JR Shibuya station is considerably smaller than Shinjuku station, you will feel it a lot more crowded, and there are more temporary looking stairs without escalators here and there, so handling a bulky suitcase will be more challenging.
    • My colleagues and I used to stay in Shibuya when we had our Tokyo office near Shibuya (until 2005), but not much after that. I might have stayed once or twice more, but it's too busy to my liking.
  6. Ueno/Asakusa
    • The area around Asakusa (浅草) shows more traditional cityscapes of Japan, so if that's what you are after, this place is it.
    • There are also a number of national museums around Ueno park.
    • You'd want to get on Skyliner between NRT and Keisei Ueno, about 50min. If you are staying in Asakusa, you might want to get a cab to/from Keisei Ueno, but the most convenient taxi stand may be in front of JR Ueno, which should be less than JPY1,000 and about 10min.
    • It's a bit tricky to walk between JR Ueno and Keisei Ueno, or between those and Ueno on Ginza line subway. This map may help, or not :)
        The two platforms at the top left are Keisei Ueno. The two curved platforms in the center on the left are Ueno station on Ginza line subway. The biggest block of platforms in the center on the right is JR Ueno, and the two platforms at the bottom are Ueno station on Hibiya line subway.
    • Skytree is about 15~20min walk from Asakusa Senso-ji temple, across the foot bridge and along a walkway (Sumida River Walk). In the near future (planned for 2028), Keisei express trains from NRT will be diverted to stop at Oshiage (押上) station, which is directly underneath Skytree, and then for HND, so staying in this area may become more attractive.
    • YouTube
  7. Ikebukuro
    • Maybe the least convenient area among this list for getting in and out of Tokyo, but it's got its own charm, and a decent selection of hotels, and likley less expensive than the areas above in this list.
    • Getting on the bullet train may be less challenging than staying in Shinjuku or Shibuya (16 min via Marunouchi subway line as opposed to over 24min via JR Yamanote line).

  • Optional: Haneda Airport
    • Staying at HND for a night works great if you fly into HND but need to go elsewhere the following morning. I've stayed at the following three:
      • Tokyu Excel Hotel: in Terminal 2 (Domestic/ANA)
      • The Royal Park Hotel: in Terminal 3 (International)
      • Hotel Villa Fontaine Grand: just outside T3 (Int'l)
    • From T3 to T1 (mostly JAL) and T2 (mostly ANA), the free shuttle bus service is available, but the approach to this Bus Stop '0' at T3 is somewhat hidden and not the same as the rest of commercial bus services. You need to find the right escalator down from the 2nd floor (Arrival level), between 9 and 10 on this map where it says "To 1F Free shuttle bus to transfer terminals".
        Don't just follow the "Bus" sign sheepishly, which will most likely be for the commercial bus services to various places outside the airport, and you can't cross the street on the ground level.
    • If you are on JAL or ANA, you should be able to check-in to your domestic flight at the 2nd level of T3 and go through the security within T3, and bypass the security at T1/T2 via a different bus route.
        But there are a lot more restaurants/cafes and shops outside/before the security point in T1 and T2. So, if you have a plenty of time, you might not want to go through the security within T3, head to T1/T2 with the free shuttle bus, and have a meal/snack/beer there and then go through the security. But if you are short on time, you might want to check in at T3 before heading to T1/T2. There aren't many restaurants after the security point in T2 though there are quite a lot of souvenir shops. I've been to T1 only once in the last 10 years, so I don't remember what's like in T1 after the security point.
    • If you get an ANA flight for Fukuoka or Nagasaki and an A-side (left side) window seat early in the morning (like 6AM~8AM) especially in the winter, there'll be a better chance of viewing Mt Fuji from your window. For more
        all in Japanese, but pink arrows denote the left (A-C) side, blue arrows are the right side (J-K), so if you are flying to ITM, you need a right side window seat to view Mt. Fuji.

Summary

AreaHaneda AirportNarita AirportBullet TrainPlace to visitHotels I've stayed (since 2005)
Shimbashi/
Shiodome		 No transfer required (Keikyu + Asakusa-line). 25 to 40min Either JR (70 min with Narita Express (transfer at Tokyo station) to 100min with a local train, every 30~60min) or Asakusa line (80~100min, every 15min or so). 15min (5min to Tokyo)
  • Tsukiji market
    		•
  • Royal Park Hotel
  • Park Hotel
  • Hotel Villa Fontaine Shiodome
    		•
    Tokyo Station/Ginza 40~60min. A transfer required (Tokyo station) but Not the Ginza area (Asakusa-line) 60~70min. no transfer required if you are on N'EX. 0~10min
  • Kitte Building Observatory deck
    		•
  • Hotel Ryumeikan
  • Hotel Gracery Ginza
    		•
    Shinagawa 15~25min. No transfer required. 70min~110min No transfer required (N'EX). 0min Aqua Park Shinagawa
  • Shinagawa Prince Hotel (Annex and Main Tower)
    		•
    Shinjuku 60min~70min. A transfer required. Alternatively, you could get on the airport bus. 80min~90min. No transfer required with N'EX. 25min~30min to Shinagawa. Transfer Required. Tokyo Metropolitan Bldg Observatory Deck
  • Shinjuku Prince Hotel
  • Keio Plaza Hotel
  • Hotel Century Southern Tower
  • Hotel Gracery Shinjuku
    		•
    Shibuya 50~60min. A transfer required. 70min~80min. No Transfer required (N'EX). 20min~25min to Shinagawa. Transfer required. Shibuya Sky
  • Hotel Excel Tokyu
  • Cerulean Tower Tokyu Hotel
    		•
    Ueno/Asakusa 60~80min. No transfer required (Asakusa-line). 50min~60min. No transfer required (Ueno with Skyliner, or slower Asakusa line) 10~20min. A transfer required for Tokaido Shinkansen.
  • The museums in Ueno
  • Ueno Zoo and the park
  • Yanaka district
  • Senso-ji
  • Kappabashi
  • Skytree
  • Sumida Walk
    		•
  • Asakusa View Hotel
    		•
    Ikebukuro 70min~90min. A transfer Required. 90min~100min. A transfer Required. 25min~30min to Tokyo station (via Marunouchi-line).Transfer Required. Sunshine City
  • Hotel Metropolitan
    		•

    Then again, the differences could be just between any two hotels...

    Outside Tokyo

    Yokohama/Minato Mirai
    If you want a spacious room without paying premium and don't mind a 30-40 min train ride each way to Tokyo, I'd recommend Yokohama, particularly Minato Mirai and get a greencar seat especially when you have a suitcase.

    Kawasaki
    Kawasaki won't be too bad if you stay away from the trains in the rush hours.

    Makuhari
    Makuhari (幕張) in Chiba may be an less expensive choice for Disneyland goers, especially when arriving in NRT. Situated between NRT and TDR, it has a good selection of hotels, some of those with shuttle bus services directly to TDR. Even without shuttle services, a train ride from Kaihin Makuhari (海浜幕張) to Maihama (舞浜), where TDR is, is 16~25min one way. After all, TDR is in Chiba, outside Tokyo :)
    When taking a train for TDR, use Kaihin Makuhari on Keiyo line (京葉線), and don't go to Makuhari (幕張) station or Makuhari Hongo (幕張本郷) station, two of which are on a completely different line (Sobu line or 総武線). Makuhari (Messe) is also where the Tokyo Game Show takes place.

      Makuhari is NOT a practical place to stay for visiting various parts within Tokyo as it will be about 50-min train ride one way, AND the platforms for Keiyo line is about 10min away on foot from the rest of Tokyo station.


    Long term stay

    Check goodroom (Weekly & Monthly).

    Links

    Last Update: 2026-02-25

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