Japan offers a wide range of accommodation types in both Japanese and Western styles, including some unconventional forms such as capsule hotels and temple lodgings. Rates range from around 2,000 yen per person in a cheap dormitory to over 50,000 yen per person in a first-class hotel or ryokan.
Below is a list of accommodation types with typical overnight rates:
Ryokan are traditional Japanese-style inns with Japanese-style rooms. A stay at a ryokan typically includes dinner and breakfast and is recommended to all travelers to Japan as it gives you the opportunity to experience a traditional Japanese lifestyle.
Minshuku are Japanese-style bed and breakfast lodgings. They are usually family-run, offer Japanese-style rooms, and often include one or two meals in the price.
Western style
Western-style hotels
8,000 to 200,000 yen per room
Western-style hotels, including various international and Japanese hotel chains, can be found across Japan, especially in the larger cities. 5-star hotels often cost more than 100,000 yen per night.
Business hotels offer small, simple Western-style rooms with snacks and drinks provided by vending machines. Some business hotel chains, such as Route Inn, APA Hotel, Super Hotel and Toyoko Inn, operate dozens of hotels across Japan.
Pensions are comparable to minshuku (see above), except that they offer rooms in Western-style rather than in Japanese-style. They are typically found in mountainous resort towns and in the countryside.
Hostels offer lodging and meals at the lowest budget level. Japan Youth Hostels, a member of the International Youth Hostel Federation, operates more than 300 hostels across Japan.
Airbnb and other vacation rental services are popular in Japan. On offer are apartments and rooms with traditional or modern interior, as well as restored historic houses.
Mainly targeting a male clientele in need of nothing but a bed, capsule hotels accommodate their guests in small capsules. A television, a shared bathroom and coin lockers are usually provided.
It is possible for tourists to spend the night at some Buddhist temple lodgings (shukubo). A stay often includes two vegetarian meals and the opportunity to join the morning prayers. One of the best places to experience a night at a temple is Mount Koya.
Manga cafes are establishments that provide their customers with seats or booths to read manga (Japanese comics) and surf the internet. Many of them are open 24 hours and provide various amenities that make them an option for low-budget overnight stays.
Not meant as tourist lodgings, love hotels are visited by couples who wish to enjoy some undisturbed time together. Rooms at love hotels can be rented for 2-3 hours during the day or for an overnight stay.
Overnight buses combine cheap transportation with one night worth of accommodation. Services are available between many cities and are particularly economical along the most popular routes, such as Tokyo-Kyoto/Osaka. Seating ranges from regular bus seats to private compartments.
Apartments and shared apartments, rented on a monthly basis, are among the most inexpensive ways of staying in Japan for an extended period. Several companies specifically target foreigners in Japan and offer rental contracts from as short as a single month.
