So, you’re going to visit Japan! Wonderful! Here are the five best places to stay in Tokyo!
Airports
I thought I’d start off by stating that there are two different airports in Tokyo: Narita Airport and Haneda Airport. More flights land in Narita and they may be slightly cheaper. However, if you are planning on staying in central Tokyo (which I highly advise you do), Haneda Airport is definitely where you want to aim for. It’s much closer and will cause you less hassle and money to get to your accommodation by train, bus or taxi… Especially if your accommodation is one of the five best places to stay in Tokyo!
Where you stay should depend on which aspect of Tokyo you want to see and be surrounded by!
Traditional Japan
Asakusa
If it’s traditional, kimono-based, templey Japan you’re after, then Asakusa might be a good nesting ground for you. This is where the big Sensoji Temple is and people are often seen spending the day there in kimono. There are also a bunch of kimono rental shops if you would like to dress up yourself too. Furthermore, you also have the opportunity to get carted around in a rickshaw if you like! Sound good to you? That’s why it’s one of the best places to stay in Tokyo, my dear.
Trains and whatnot: The Ginza Line and the Toei Asakusa Line. The Toei Asakusa Line actually has quick access to both Narita and Haneda airports too, so there’s a bonus!
Odaiba Delights
Staying in Asakusa offers the bonus of travelling from there to Odaiba by boat! This little excursion means you can also sail under the famous Rainbow Bridge and Odaiba is a fun place that homes the giant Gundam statue (for any anime freaks out there). It also has an indoor theme park, called Tokyo Joypolis, the amazing Teamlab Borderless exhibition and the Poo Museum, for your viewing pleasure.
Odaiba doesn’t actually have any residents, so you can’t stay there, but you can certainly visit as many times as you’d like!
Crazy Japan
If you’re up for a crazier scene, then Shibuya or Shinjuku are two of the best hubs for this. The bonuses to these places is that the train stations have access to most lines you will need to get around and fully explore.
Shinjuku
Shinjuku is home to the giant Godzilla statue, found behind Shinjuku TOHO Cinema. Godzilla is not only the official tourism ambassador of Shinjuku, but he also lights up, breathes fire and roars every hour on the hour from around midday.
Shinjuku also houses the crazy Robot Restaurant, which is not actually a restaurant – don’t be fooled. Add to this a huge host club, hostess club and love hotel district (Kabukicho), and you have yourself a typical shady Japanese underground for you to discover at night.
Read More: Top 8 Things to Do in Shinjuku
Shibuya
What Shinjuku lacks in clubs (currently the only real club there is Warp), Shibuya makes up for ten-fold. Shibuya is home to around 20 different clubs, and they are sure to deliver you with the perfect Japanese clubbing experience! I sincerely advise you all to hit up a club at least once while in Japan because they’re certainly unique.
Shibuya also has the perk of being attached to Yoyogi Park, which is a great destination on a warm, sunny day, and also connected to the Meiji Jingu Shrine. If you walk through Yoyogi Park towards the shrine, you will also find yourself across the road from Harajuku – the craziest shopping district in Tokyo.
Harajuku
Harajuku needs a section all to itself because it’s that mad. If you want to go all out and immerse yourself in everything bright, colourful and cute, then Harajuku is the place for you! It’s also next door to Omotesando, another slightly more boujee shopping district for anyone who wants to buy from Gucci.
Now, visiting Harajuku and Omotesando is all well and good, however, I don’t recommend staying there. You can access Harajuku in mere minutes from either Shinjuku or Shibuya, so I don’t recommend this as a place to stay because it only has access to the Yamanote Line.
Read More: Hedgehog Cafe in Harajuku
Gamer and Anime-mad Japan
Akihabara
If you are into games, manga and anime, then Akihabara is the place for you! Not only does it have all of your anime-freak needs, it is also the biggest hub for cutesy maid cafes! This is the place where there are apparently vending machines that sell women’s used underwear…
Trains and whatnot: It has direct access to the Yamanote (the main line you will need for touristy Tokyo fun), Chuo-Sobu, Keihin-Tohoku and Metro Hibiya Lines, so it’s certainly a useful place to stay too.
Read More: Maid Cafes in Japan
Standard Japan
Ikebukuro
For nothing too crazy, but nothing too normal, Ikebukuro is another great area to stay in and explore. There are plenty of things to do here! You can visit the Pokémon Centre in Sunshine City or one of the many animal cafes (such as this owl cafe). In any case, you certainly won’t get bored!
Trains and whatnot: Although the train station here is quite a pain to find your way around in, it has plenty of different train lines to suit all your travel needs!
Fin.
So, those were the 5 best places to stay in Tokyo!
In summary:
- Asakusa – temples and whatnot
- Shinjuku – most convenient for travel – also has crazy red light district
- Shibuya – clubs and shops and stuff
- Akihabara – gamers and anime-freaks
- Ikebukuro – standard crazy Tokyo
I hope that helped you out a bit and gave you some food for thought on where you’d like to stay when you visit Tokyo!
All my love,
Jade xxx