Where to Stay in Japan
Gaijin Houses
Accommodations while Traveling
Youth Hostels
Most budget travelers and newcomers to Japan spend their first few nights at youth hostels because they are inexpensive and full of other bewildered foreigners.
Despite the name, people of all ages are welcome at youth hostels. A few are open only to International Youth Hostel Association (IYHA) members, and almost all charge cheaper rates to members. Those planning on hosteling in Japan should get a membership and a Japan Youth Hostel Handbook, both of which can be purchased in the United States or Canada or at IYHA's Japan headquarters in Tokyo. The handbook lists hundreds of hostels throughout Japan. For a map that includes a complete listing of hostels, get the "Youth Hostels Map of Japan" from the Japan National Tourist Organization (addresses are included below).
We have only enough space to list those hostels that will be the most useful to recent arrivals in Japan. Those listed below are in very heavily traveled areas, so make reservations well in advance.
Kobe
Chorin-ji Youth Hostel
9-4 Zaimoku-cho, Akashi
Kobe 6F3, Japan
(078) 911-4727
Kobe Tarumi Youth Hostel
5-58 Kaigan-dori, Tarumi-ku
Kobe 655, Japan
(078) 707-2133
Kyoto
Higashiyama Youth Hostel
Shirakawa Bashi, Sanjo-dori, Higashiyama-ku
Kyoto, Japan
(075) 761-8135
Kyoto Ohara Youth Hostel
113 Todera-cho
Ohara, Sakyo-ku
Kyoto 601-12, Japan
(075) 744-2528
Utano Youth Hostel
29 Nakayama-cho
Uzumasa, Ukyo-ku
Kyoto 616, Japan
(075) 462-2288
Nagoya
Nagoya Youth Hostel
1-50 Azakameiri
Tashiro-cho, Chikusa-ku
Nagoya 464, Japan
(052) 781-9845
Osaka
Gyokusen-ji Youth Hostel
1438 Yamanobe
Nose-cho, Toyono-gun
Osaka, Japan
(07) 2734-0844
Hattori Ryokuchi Youth Hostel
1-3 Hattori Ryokuchi
Toyonaka-shi
Osaka 560, Japan
(06) 862-0600
Tokyo
Mihara-sanso Hostel
Sumakien Motomachi, Oshima-machi
Tokyo, Japan
(04) 9922-2735
Mitake Youth Hostel
57 Mitake-san, Ome-shi
Tokyo, Japan
(04) 2878-8501
Takao Youth Hostel
2438 Takao Machi, Hachioji
Tokyo, Japan
(04) 2661-0437
Tokyo International Youth Hostel
1-1 Kaguragashi, Shinjuku-ku
Tokyo, Japan
(03) 3235-1107
Tokyo Yoyogi Youth Hostel
3-1 Yoyogi Kamizono-cho, Shibuya-ku
151 Tokyo, Japan
(03) 3467-9163
Gaijin houses are another common destination of new arrivals. Informal, cheap, crowded, and often decrepit, these houses in suburban Tokyo offer a chance to meet other teachers while living inexpensively and getting established.
Rents range from ¥45,000 to ¥125,000 (US$349 to$969) per month, with shared rooms costing significantly less than private rooms. There are generally no leases involved and some offer rooms on a weekly basis. Here are some well known gaijin houses in the Tokyo area:
English House
2-23-8, Nishi Ikebukuro
Toshima-ku
Tokyo, Japan
(033) 988-1743
Rent: ¥49,230 per month
Friendship House
3-21-11 Izumi
Suginamiku
Tokyo 168, Japan
(03) 3327-3179
International Club House
3-8-18 Kami Takeda
Nakano-ku
Tokyo, Japan
(03) 3319-6382
International Guest House
306 Casa Vienna
3-25 Ichigaya Tamachi
Shinjuku-ku
Tokyo 162, Japan
(03) 3266-0979
Kimi Ryokan
2-36-8 Ikebukuro
Toshima-ku
Tokyo, Japan
(033) 971-3766
Rent: ¥4,300 per day (daily only)
Mickey House
2-15-1, Nakadai
Itabashi-ku
Tokyo, Japan
(033) 936-8889
Rent: ¥33,000 per month (shared)
Sansuiso Ryokan
2-9-5, Higashi-Gotanda
Shinigawa-ku
Tokyo 141, Japan
(03) 3441-7475
Rent: ¥5,000 per day
Tokyo Guest House
2-36-7 Higashi Nakano
Nakano-ku
Tokyo, Japan
(03) 3366-7209
Rent: ¥47,000 - ¥55,000 per month
Here's what one teacher who spent his first six months in a gaijin house had to say about the experience:
"Gaijin houses don't have a very good reputation - people think they're crowded and dirty. It is true that I didn't have much privacy at mine, but it certainly wasn't dirty. A lot depends on which one you get into; the people there make or break it. You should definitely look around a bit before choosing one. Having done both, I'd say living in an apartment is better, but I met my current roommates at my gaijin house, and I couldn't have afforded an apartment right away, so it was worth it."
Check newspapers and magazines, especially the Tokyo Journal, or ask around for gaijin houses outside of Tokyo.
Accommodations while Traveling
After you have been in Japan for a while you may decide to do some traveling. We recommend staying at minshukus (bed & breakfasts), ryokans (Japanese inns), temples, campgrounds, communes, and youth hostels during your tour of the country.
A ryokan is a Japanese-style inn. Each room comes complete with futon, tatami (straw mat) floor, and access to a Japanese-style toilet and bath. Depending on the area, a room can cost anywhere from ¥5,000 to ¥9,000 and up. If this sounds interesting, contact the Japan National Tourist Organization office nearest you for ryokans where English is spoken. See below for addresses.
Minshuku are inexpensive inns located in fishing and farming communities. In essence, minshuku are equivalent to the American bed and breakfast. A room and two traditional meals usually cost about ¥5,000. Contact the JNTO office nearest you for their pamphlet entitled "Minshuku in Japan."
Many temples and shrines throughout Japan offer accommodations to foreigners who wish to learn about Japanese religious life. This is a great opportunity to learn about Buddhism and Shintoism. For more information, contact:
- Japanese Inn Group (Tokyo): (03) 3822-2251
- Youth Hostel Association (Tokyo): (03) 3288-1417
Japan National Tourist Organization (JNTO) Offices
JNTO (head office)
10-1, Yuraku-cho, 2 chome
Chiyoda-ku
Tokyo 100, Japan
JNTO
One Rockefeller Plaza, Suite 1250
New York, NY 10020
(212) 757-5640
Fax: (212) 307-6754
Email: jntonyc@interport.net
JNTO
401 North Michigan Avenue, Suite 770
Chicago, IL 60611
(312) 222-0874
Fax: (312) 222-0876
Email: juntochi@mcs.net
JNTO
360 Post Street, Suite 601
San Francisco, CA 94108
(415) 989-7140
Fax: (415) 398-5461
Email: sfjunto@aol.com
JNTO
624 South Grand Avenue, Suite 1611
Los Angeles, CA 90017
(213) 623-1952
Fax: (213) 623-6301
Email: jntolax@intertamp.com
JNTO
165 University Avenue
Toronto, ON M5H 3B8
Canada
(416) 366-7140
Fax: (416) 366-4530
Email: jnto@inforamp.net
