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).
2. whether you arrive in HND (Haneda) or NRT (Narita), or by rail (e.g. from Kyoto/Osaka)
   • 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 arriving in Narita, Asakusa or Ueno is way closer, and Shinagawa is a bit too far.
   • It may also depend on the time you arrive at the airport. If you arrive late at night, with heavy luggage or with a baby, you might just want to take a cab, which case, the closer to the airport the better.
   • If you are to get on/off the bullet train, near Tokyo station, Shiodome/Shinbashi, 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 Disneyland, there's no point in staying in the central part of Tokyo.

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

• 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 probably about 13-14 square meter, or 140 square feet.
  • Obviously the more you pay the wider the room.
• Almost all the hotels in Tokyo have free-wifi.
• Not all rooms are non-smoking. Make sure to book non-smoking if you have problems.

In no particular order:

• Shiodome/Shinbashi
  • I personally think Shiodome the most convenient place to stay for visiting various parts within Tokyo as it's got 3 subway lines (Ginza, Oedo and Asakusa lines) and JR station (Shinbashi), so you can get to Shinjuku, Shibuya, Tokyo (station), Asakusa, Ginza, even Odaiba (Yurikamome) without a transfer.
  • Getting to Tokyo station by cab isn't that expensive (less than JPY2K).
  • 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.
  • When coming from NRT via Narita Express to Shinbashi, get off N'EX at Tokyo station, stay on the same platform, and get on the next (local) train. The first station will be Shinbashi.
    When you are heading to NRT, get a Narita Express ticket at Shinbashi station before boarding the local train to Tokyo (preferably the night before).
• near Tokyo station/Ginza
  • If you are planning on going and in and out of Tokyo, staying near the Tokyo station makes the most sense. It's the orgin of the following bullet trains (Shinkansen)
    • Tokaido Shinkansen: for Nagoya, Kyoto, Osaka, and further west
    • Tohoku Shinkansen: for Sendai, Morioka, Aomori, Hakodate
    • Joetsu Shinkansen: for Niigata
    • Hokuriku Shinkansen: for Nagano, Toyama, Kanazawa, Fukui
  • Tokyo station is quite large, so going from one side (Yaesu, east) to the other (Otemachi, west) or vice versa takes over 10 min on foot.
  • In some cases, subway stations with different names are pretty close, e.g. Otemachi (north west of Tokyo station), Nihonbashi (north east), Takaramachi (east).
    • But also be aware that some Otemachi stations (Chiyoda line and Hanzomon line) are pretty far to walk from Tokyo station.
  • Ginza 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 shopping and fine dining.
  • There are also a number of subway stations with 'Ginza', but the Airport Express subway skips Higashi Ginza and Takaramachi.
• Shinagawa
  • Shinagawa is located at the southern most tip of the Yamanote-line, and it's the first major station when you get on the Keikyu line from Haneda airport. There are a number of hotels.
  • Shinagawa is the second stop on Tokaido Shinkansen after Tokyo. So going to the western Japan is convenient.
  • Shinagawa is also convenient if you are planning on going to Kamakura and/or Yokohama, for example, but if you want spend more time at SkyTree or Asakusa, it may not be the most convenient. Which case, I'd recommend Asakusa or Ueno.
• Ueno/Asakusa
  • There are a number of museums and a park in Ueno.
  • Getting to Asakusa from Ueno is close, 7 min subway ride or JPY1K cab ride.
  • Getting to Narita airport from this area is more convenient.
• Shibuya
  • Shibuya has transformed into a super modern urban area in the last 5 years or so.
  • 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.
• Shinjuku
  • If you are planning on visiting Ghibli museum (that's in Mitaka), Shinjuku is the closest with a decent selection of hotels.
  • It has Busta, a large scale bus terminal, to various parts of Japan including Haneda airport and Narita airport, also places like Mt. Fuji.
  • You could get to Shinjuku by Narita Express 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.
• 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.
  • Getting on the bullet train may be less challenging than staying in Shinjuku or Shibuya (via Marunouchi subway line).

Summary

Area	Haneda Airport	Narita Airport	Bullet Train
Shinbashi/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)
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
Shinagawa	15~25min. No transfer required.	70min~110min No transfer required (N'EX).	0min
Ueno/Asakusa	60~80min. No transfer required (Asakusa-line).	50min~60min. No transfer required (Ueno with Skyliner, or slower Asakusa line)	10~20min. Transfer required.
Shibuya	50~60min. Transfer required.	70min~80min. No Transfer required (N'EX).	20min~25min to Shinagawa. Transfer required.
Shinjuku	60min~70min. Transfer required. Alternatively, you could get on the airport bus.	80min~90min. No transfer required with N'EX.	25min~30min to Shinagawa. Transfer Required.
Ikebukuro	70min~90min. Transfer Required.	90min~100min. Transfer Required.	25min~30min to Tokyo station (via Marunouchi-line).Transfer Required.

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

Links

• Travel to Japan
• Go Tokyo (external)

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Last Update: 2025-06-10