I was just wondering what location in these parts of japan would be the most convenient for transport?
other factors I would consider
Night life
Thanks
Best area to stay in Tokyo then Osaka and Sapporo?
trarob on 18/10/2018 - 17:23
Poll Options
- 0Asasuka
- 35Shinjuku
- 2Tokyo
- 3Roppongi
- 0Shibuya
Comments
I've stayed in both too. TBH it's hard to recommend one over the other, in terms of attractions and convenience, they were much the same and it's only a short train ride between the two anyway. I felt Shibuya had a younger crowd though.
Also stayed in Roppongi. It's got plenty of bars, but didn't have the same energy the other two places did. Bit more upmarket. Also not as convenient as a transport hub.
The area around Tokyo station is more of a business district.
In Sapporo, I stayed near the main station. It's a smaller city so the local transport is less comprehensive than Tokyo. Also, if you are going during winter time, the streets are full of snow… much more pleasant if you're close to everything.
+1 for Shinjuku, although public transport is perfect in Japan so either Shinjuku or Shibuya is easy to get to.
Asasuka is slightly out of the way and Roppongi is a hole.We stayed in Tamachi (next to Shinagawa) - it was perfect for us. It was quiet, right on the Yamanote line and made dragging our luggage around slightly bearable.
But of the locations you listed, I'd vote for Shinjuku. Shibuya has a more younger crowd (nightlife, drinking, smoking ..etc..) and Asasuka was a bit out of the way. We didn't spend that much time in Tokyo and Roppongi so I can't really comment on it.
Even though I voted Shinjuku, 2nd best would be Roppongi. We had a great time over there last May.
I stayed a few blocks from Tokyo Station. Great for transport, and there were two different subway lines nearby that suited where I wanted to go around Tokyo.
However, maybe it was the time of year (Christmas/New Year) but the surrounding area was dead quiet.
Tokyo station area is a business district, it's always a ghost town after 10pm
Shinjuku station, east side is where the action's at, west side is just offices and homeless people unless you are right next to the station. Here and Shinagawa station are probably the most well connected in Tokyo (don't stay at Shinagawa station). Ikebukuro station near Sunshine Alpa is also very happening and you won't find as many tourist as the other areas of Tokyo. I would say Ikebukuro is Tokyo's big undiscovered secret. Asakusa is packed with tourist and little ma and pa kind of shops and cheaper. Getting in and out of Asakusa is a bit trickier as it requires more connections. Roppongi crossing is great for drinking and partying but not so Japanese, the only area I felt unsafe in all of Japan. Roppongi hills and Tokyo midtown are also nearby but won't keep you occupied for very long. Shibuya is busy busy and lots to do, but train connections are not as good as Shinjuku. Around Tokyo station I would go for Ginza since there's shops and restaurants there but it is expensive.
I rate Ikebukuro too. It has a great late night food and bar scene, well connected on Yamanote line and cheaper for accommodation than Shinjuku/Shibuya. Ginza is also a handy place to stay if you are planning to visit Tsukiji market or Tokyo Disney or Narita airport. The fish market has recently moved to a new location but the outer market remains at Tsukiji and for me was the best part of the experience anyway as I could never get up early enough to attend the tuna auctions.
I stayed in this hotel last year and you will struggle to beat this in terms of quality and price location ratio
Anything on the Yamanote line.
Shinjuku for sure over Shibuya, Mainly because Shinjuku has many many more bars that are great to just hang out in a drink well past last train, which means your walk is short back to hotel. I find the nightlight in Shibuya is more nightclubs/dance clubs.
Osaka, I stayed in Tennoji area which was good for access to the park/Zoo, but really far away from nightlife, I preferred going out in the Osaka/Umeda station area. I can recommend Universal studios if your a potter fan.
Suskino district in Sapporo. It's a 5 min max cab ride from the main train station when it's not crazy ice festival time. Lots of great hotels, restaurants and shops. Walking distance to many places imvludimg underground shops.
If it's just for transport, there are so many hotels around the jr station, but price increases.
You didn't specify what type of transport.
I voted for Shinjuku, it has the largest station in the world and is a good starting/ending point for getting around Tokyo. It has the Yamanote line which is a big loop around Tokyo, it has the Chuo line when cuts straight through the Yamanote line, so you can get to the other side of the city quickly, and also has Tokyo metro as well. It also has a bus terminal for pretty much all buses so you can go anywhere
But things against it is that it's on the further side from Narita airport, so it will take longer to travel to and from the airport. Bullet trains also don't pass through it, so you will need to transfer to other stations to get to the bullet train. A thing to note as well is that Shinjuku ward(suburb) is huge, you need to pick a placed not just by it's suburb name as you could potentially pick a place in "Shinjuku" but still be an hour or 2 walking distance to the main Shinjuku station. Look on a map and see how far the place you want to book is from the station.
Any recommendations for a place to stay in Shinjuku for an ozbargainer?
I've stayed in Shinjuku and Shibuya.
Both waere really good. I preferred Shinjuku cause I managed to get to a place close to the station and restaurants so made it convenient and close to nightlife.