Where To Stay: Japan Hostels & Hotel Recommendations

I find it helpful to see where people stayed in certain areas, so I thought I’d share where I stayed in each part of the world. This is where I’ve stayed while traveling in Japan from February to April 2023 and again from February to May 2024. I’ll update this post with more hotels whenever I go back to Japan.

Things to note:

Since prices change so frequently I haven’t bothered to note what I paid for each room, but in general I TRY to stay at $30 USD or less per night.
I prefer single rooms with an ensuite BUT the shared facilities in Japan are so great that I actually preferred staying in capsule hotels when not in my own AirBNB.
Normally, if I’m staying in a particular area for longer than a few days, I try to get a place with a kitchen. I skipped this a few times because convenience store/grocery store pre-made food was relatively cheap and pretty good as a grab-and-go option.
I use Booking.com, Agoda, AirBNB, Hostelworld and Google Maps to search for places to stay, and I make sure to check my major credit card’s travel portal in case I can use CC points to save a bit of money.

Hotels with a little ♥ in front of them are recommended in particular.

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What's In This Post

Hotels, AirBNBs & Bed & Breakfasts in Japan

Daito (Osaka)

I wanted to stay outside of the main city for a bit, and Daito fit the bill. Small-ish but still well-connected by being on the main train line, with nice nature areas (and shrines), plus cute old-fashioned neighborhoods.

1 min to JR station !! (AirBNB). A small studio apartment in a little town about 30 minutes outside of Osaka. Features include a small kitchen with fridge, microwave, hot water kettle and rice cooker, a fairly comfortable bed and a small TV. Very quite neighborhood right off a strip with small shops and restaurants, plus several grocery stores within walking distance. Nice owner who responded quickly to my questions.

Here’s a room tour video I took:

I liked staying here so much that I went back the next year and stayed in a slightly bigger apartment in the same building for another month!

Fukuoka

I stayed here for a month because a) I got a good deal on a long stay and b) it’s a hub for exploring the nearby areas in south-west Japan. That said, it’s not the prettiest city, being a port town and very industrial-looking.

Coco Fukuoka Chiyo. An apartment-hotel, with a kitchenette and washing machine. About 15 minutes walking from the train station and basically anywhere else, including the metro and grocery stores. Fairly comfortable for a long stay, but the lack of counters and no pots made it tough to cook. Fairly quiet area BUT if your balcony faces the highway I’m sure it’s noisier. Mine faced the street so it wasn’t too bad.

Here’s a room tour video I took:

Hiroshima

I really enjoyed my stay in Hiroshima; it’s a beautiful city with lots to do, and very international-feeling with all kinds of different restaurants and shops from around the world.

Guesthouse POPTONE. A hostel with unisex dorms, located in a night club area. Surprisingly quiet despite that! Shared spaces included a microwave, hot water kettle, fridge, and a small sitting area. Owner was very nice, but the shared spaces were a little grubby and run down.

Trust Hotel. A capsule dormitory with a TV, small desk, and all the amenities you could want (including pajamas!). Shared spaces included a microwave, hot water dispenser, and laundry room. Japanese style buffet breakfast. Very close to the train station but on a quiet street, so it was convenient AND pretty nice to stay in.

Read more: Trust Hotel Hiroshima, Japan Review

Matsue

I took a cheap tourist bus from Hiroshima up to this area and stayed for a bit; it’s a small tourist town but fun to visit for a few days.

Matsue Urban Hotel Cubic Room. A capsule dormitory with truly excellent amenities and daily housekeeping of your capsule. Shared spaces include a microwave, hot water kettle, lounge space, and a laundry room. Everyone got an assigned locker in a separate room from the capsules, so noise was relatively low. The capsules got pretty hot at night so I ended up sleeping on top of my comforter (which also helped with the mattress’ comfort).

Read more: Matsue Urban Hotel Cubic Room review

Nagoya

I came here on an overnight trip while staying in Osaka– I went to see Cats the musical at Shiki Theater! Nagoya is a fairly ugly town (unfortunately) but there’s some fun stuff to do, including a few great antique markets that happen every week.

Trip & Sleep Hostel. Fairly crowded dorms, but the beds have curtains which is nice. Located next to a shopping street. The staff are friendly and good about telling guests of local events near the hostel.

Narita (Tokyo)

Usually people are only flying in/out of Narita, but there’s some nice things to do for a little sightseeing. I highly recommend visiting Naritsan Shinsho-ji if you can.

International Garden Hotel Narita. A business hotel with a free airport shuttle. Located in a somewhat industrial area so really only good for a stopover. Comfortable bed, great bathroom, and the room had a mini fridge and hot water kettle.

Here’s a room tour video:

I came back and stayed here again for a few nights the next time I came to Japan. Still just as good as the first time!

Odawara (Hakone)

I stopped by here for two nights to try and see Mt. Fuji, but of course the weekend I went was super foggy! ;D Oh well, I’ll just have to stop by and try again sometime in the future.

Hostel Have a Nice Day. A cute hostel about 15 minutes from the Odawara train station. Cozy bunks but the shower is IN the room which is a bit strange. Cafe at the top with tables for working if you want. Self-check in so it’s a bit lonely compared to other hostels with staffed entrances.

Osaka

Osaka is such a fun city! It’s huge, too, so picking where to stay can be tough. Generally people recommend staying near Dotonbori because it’s the main strip, but honestly if you don’t mind going on a subway 15 minutes or so then you can stay really anywhere.

Guest House Yadomaru. Located near the aquarium in a quiet-ish residential-ish neighborhood, about 10 minutes walk from the nearest subway station with several convenience stores nearby. Dorms have curtain beds and a shared mixed gender shower/bathroom. Very small, but a fun artsy/old school hostel vibe. Free drinks such as tea and coffee. They have a cat!

Hotel the Rock. A capsule hotel but more on the hostel side of things rather than business. Comfortable pods with curtains, single gender bathrooms/showers. You can only get up to your floor with a keycard, so pretty good security. Free breakfast (toast, cereal, onion soup) plus coffee/tea in the afternoon. Good tables for working if you like, though they can get crowded at breakfast time. About 10 minutes from the nearest metro station, 5 minutes from several convenience stores and a Sukiya.

Tokyo

The big one! I stayed in two neighborhoods to get different vibes. Taito City is more residential and near places like Asakusa and Ueno Park. Shinjuku is probably better for people who enjoy night clubs, bars, etc. I preferred Taito City myself.

Guesthouse toco (aka Toco Tokyo Heritage Hostel). A hostel in an Edo era house. Fairly comfortable beds and the location was good; not far from two metro stations and in a residential neighborhood, so it was quiet. Pretty cold in the winter, but the rooms have heaters and you can borrow electric blankets. Shared spaces include a kitchen with microwave, fridge, induction cookers, and hot water kettle.

Read more: Toco Hostel review

r knowledge ryoguku bldg302 (AirBNB). A teeny tiny studio apartment just off of Asakusa neighborhood, about 15 minutes from the train station and right across from a Lawson, with a grocery store about a block away. It was an adjustment staying somewhere so tiny, but I ended up loving it. Bonus for in-unit washer/dryer!

UNPLAN Shinjuku. A capsule-style hostel where you sleep in an enclosed bunk bed. Laundry room on site. Free breakfast (hardboiled eggs, toast, tea/coffee, juice) and guests have access to a shared kitchen. Shared spaces seemed a little dirty but the capsule was fine.

Yonago

A short distance away from Matsue and well worth visiting for at least a half-day trip. I needed someplace cheap to stay, so I went here for a dew days and actually really enjoyed it. It’s a fairly funky little town with a lot of retro shops and tourist areas, I really liked it.

Good Bless Garden Sauna & Stay. A capsule dormitory with relatively huge capsule spaces, including a desk with a chair, and all the standard amenities such as bathing goods and pajamas. Shared spaces had a microwave and hot water dispenser, laundry machines, and a large lounge area. Guests have access to the sauna room(s) as well. Directly across from a grocery store and about 20 minutes from the train station. The bed itself was VERY firm and the ladder to the upper bunk was a little painful to use.