Great accommodation tips for Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka

Hello,

I’m new to the forum (I live in Paris), though I’ve used it before during my past trips, a long time ago when I was young :). I’m now the venerable age of 49.

As mentioned in the title, I’m looking for some great accommodation tips for myself and my two daughters, aged 10 and 12, that you may have recently tried during your travels in Japan.

Ideally, since I haven’t been back to Japan since 2008, I’d love to get some reliable recommendations for hotels or ryokan where you’ve stayed.

When I visited Japan several times in 2007 and 2008, I didn’t have kids, so I wasn’t as concerned about comfort. Even though my daughters are used to traveling with me, I’d still like to use the Japan Rail Pass as I did before—except back then, I didn’t book in advance. With kids, I’d prefer to plan ahead.

So if you have any great recommendations to share for these cities (priority), but I’m also interested in Nara, Matsuyama, Fukuoka/Hakata, and Hiroshima.

All your suggestions based on your past experiences will be much appreciated here.

I’d also be happy to chat with you about the differences between Japan nearly 20 years ago, when I first visited, and today. Have many things changed or evolved?

Thanks so much for your help.

Arnaud

Hi there,

Before diving into accommodations, plan your itinerary. The travel dates and how far in advance you book will affect prices (flights, hotels).

For accommodations, trust reviews on sites like Booking or Agoda.

The JR Pass isn’t the no-brainer it used to be—it’s gotten a lot pricier. Check based on your itinerary and calculate costs with tools like Jorudan.

Happy planning!

Good evening,

Totally agree with the previous reply—first, plan your itinerary. Hotel prices will depend on your travel dates. Also, the Japan Rail Pass has become very expensive. Depending on your stops, it might be useless, so consider the bus instead, which remains affordable between all these cities. The 2025 World Expo in Osaka (April 13 to October 13) will affect prices depending on the neighborhoods.

Everyone’s answers to these questions can often be seen as subjective since they reflect individual feelings. So, you’ll need to sift through all the advice you receive based on your personal impressions.

For my part, given my heavy use of trains (it’s my hobby) during my many trips (8 times), I’ve always favored hotels located in the immediate vicinity of stations ("Ekimae")—even if the "mae" part is sometimes a bit of a stretch. This is also the option my son has chosen, who’s now taken over (already 9 times), with a preference for the Toyoko Inn chain, which offers decent comfort at an affordable price and comes with a loyalty card he uses for future bookings.

As for ryokans, I’ve had very few opportunities to stay in them, but it’s well-known that they come in all categories, and the top one is certainly the Iwaso on Miyajima Island in Hiroshima Bay.

If my personal favorites can help with your sightseeing choices, here are a few: 1) If you love castles, my favorite is Matsumoto Castle. It’s charming, easy to access, and the train rides to get there are really pleasant (Shinjuku-Matsumoto and the Kiso Valley route). 2) If you love gardens, Ritsurin-koen is one of the most renowned, and the train journey from Okayama to Takamatsu via the Great Seto Bridge (Seto-Ohashi) is fascinating—especially if you stand on the platform behind the driver’s cabin window. 3) To get to Miyajima, opt for the tram on Line 2 rather than the train or ferry, as you won’t see anything from the boat due to splashing. 4) If you like old wooden-house towns, check out Takehara, about an hour by train from Hiroshima along the coast (sometimes with a transfer at Kure or Hiro). 5) If you want to better experience local life during your travels, prioritize local trains (JR or private lines) over the Shinkansen, even though the latter are often very useful and comfortable for faster trips.