Some of us are jumping on this hot deal : https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/510824?
So next thing is to check for hotel.
Any recommendations for Japan (Tokyo) accommodation (with two kids under 7yo)?
Recommendations for Japan (Tokyo) accommodation
anonymoususer on 07/01/2020 - 14:29
Comments
APA Hotel chain have a series of hotels around Japan and a fair few off the Shinjuku area which are ideal. Clean, modern with decent amenities. May be a struggle with kids as rooms are generally very small and cramped in Japan.
Can I throw in a recommendation for Airbnb? I found the Airbnb accommodation in tokyo/osaka/kyoto to be far superior to the equivalently priced hotels when I visited a few years ago. I never had any problems at all with hosts, got a wide range of accommodation styles to select from and was able to stay where I wanted within the cities.
Obviously YMMV, but it was memorably good for us, particularly given how superb the public transport is there - it makes getting anywhere a breeze if you pick a location near a station.
Airbnb were great, however the laws in japan for shared accommodation has changed a couple of years ago making it harder for hosts, so they have to jump through hoops and provide variying information to get it past Airbnb. we had our canclled a few weeks before we stayed because the host exceeded her limit in the amount of days her she was allowed for the accommodation we booked. alternate was arranged with discount but was in a slightly different location and size.
Second this. We stayed in a couple of great little Airbnbs in Kyoto late last year (self contained traditional houses). Fantastic locations easily available there.
japan hotel rooms are usually quite small unless you got to chain brand hotels they are usually a little bigger but a lot more expensive
the one we stayed at twice was with kids 5yo and 3yo was daiwa roynet in Ginza. room was spacious compared to others.
has a family mart, 7 eleven and lawsons in the same block as the hotel. so convenience for supplies is excellent.
walking distance to tsujiki fish market, and main shopping strip.
walking distance to Tokyo central
i used airbnb there last year and no issues, rooms are small but we preferred airbnb cause small kitchen which allowed us and the kids to have breakfast so not so rushed to get out for the day.
How hard is it to get around there without any Japanese language skillz?
Easy
Touristy areas it’s ok not great. We found each major shopping department store has a help desk with usually at least one decent English speaking person to help. So we tended to use those a lot when we needed directions that were complicated. Hotels always have someone who speaks English too.
Outside tourist areas like small towns terrible/non existent. Recommend making sure you have data sim so can use google translate if needed.
Would disagree, have always been able to get around in any locations without needing to speak to somebody. Don't let not know any Japanese or not being tech savvy stop you.
Having data either through hotspot or sim is a must though. In all my time there I have had to rely on Google translate once (for a pharmacy) but then pharmacist spoke perfect English.
Thanks all. :)
I'd recommend those business hotels - we used airbnb but found them either too small or a bit dirty (booked one near a uni in Kyoto). Business hotels were only a few bucks more expensive, but the bath, extra room and daily fresh sheets/towels made it all worthwhile (nothing like being on your feet all day at Disneyland, then coming back to the hotel and soaking in a hot bath)
Side questions guys…
We are planning to goto Tokyo and thinking to visit either Osaka or Kyoto.
Do you think we should try look for multi-city flights?
eg Sydney to Tokyo and return from Osaka to Sydney?
Just trying to see if we can avoid unnecessary return bullet train journey from Osaka/Kyoto to Tokyo?We are planning to goto Tokyo and thinking to visit either Osaka or Kyoto.
Don't think. 100% do both, especially if it's your first time out there. Stay in either city and it's less than an hour travel for day trips. If you're there for couple weeks or so then add Nara and Himeji too. Week in Tokyo and week in Osaka/Kyoto is ideal.
Do you think we should try look for multi-city flights?
Always worth considering but I don't think Osaka Kansai has direct flights back to Sydney except for Qantas whom are usually pricey. You'll need a Jetstar via Cairns or something. If you're getting a JR Pass anyway that covers your time there then it doesn't matter, just bullet it back to Tokyo.
Is JR Pass alrite if traveling only one side ( eg Tokyo to Osaka) ?
One way travel only? No chance, get a single ticket at the station. The rest depends on destinations and time really.
Tokyo to Osaka to Tokyo is approx 27,000 yen while a 7-day pass is 29,650 yen so it doesn't save you money. But if you added in extra trips to Kyoto/Nara/Himeji or beyond then yes it would save you money. Over a 14-day period it likely won't unless you travel extensively.
There's a calculator you can try out here: https://www.japan-guide.com/railpass/
Usually kids under 6 are deemed to share with adults. Someone above suggested APA, and I’d agree that they are clean but really small. My advice is check the bed count/configuration when checking out rooms.
Shinjuku is a cool place and on Yamanote line (big loop around the city in an hour).Def Airbnb! Been twice since the new laws were put in, both times amazing and perfect and Airbnb is amazing. Better to have some extra room (compared with the tiny hotel rooms) for the kids to run around in (we have one).
I visited Tokyo in October and stayed at Hotel Century Southern Tower in Shinjuku. It had great views, good size rooms and a really good buffet breakfast was included. It’s a very short walk to Shinjuku station which has a direct connection to Narita Airport. Around $200 per night, highly recommended.
We (couple) stayed at Citadines Shinjuku a couple of years ago. Room was spacious given the usual size of Japanese hotel rooms. Paid around $150 a night. Excellent staff/breakfast etc. Don’t know if they have family rooms. Saved around 10% by booking direct with the hotel after joining their club(free).
Getting around is pretty easy but suggest you carry a printout of important things – like the name of your hotel – in Kanji. Makes it a lot easier if you have to get a taxi.
Tokyo was great but a highlight was a side trip to the monkeys in Nagano.
We found a later trip to Kyoto harder as there are not too many places to actually sit.
Use Hyperdia to plan your train trips and Google translate for the odd time you might need it.
What you do is download Apps like Expedia and conduct a search for Hotels in areas you wish to stay. You have your Google Maps open on your computer, and you compare side by side.
In fact, even Google Maps have information on Hotel accommodation. Just click, and all the details will be presented before you.When I was last in Tokyo (Sept 2018) a lot of the online booking services had the room sizes in sqms. I've been to Japan 4 times but that trip was the first that I paid attention to the room size indicator.
You could be paying for the same room facility between two hotels, and the only real indicator to know if one suits your needs room-wise is the sqm indicator. A lot of places in Tokyo are notoriously small for a couple let alone a family. A few extra sqm makes the difference when placing luggage/bags in the room.
Photos always look good too so can't necessarily be relied upon for space/area judgement.
I believe most hotels would let you stay with 2 kids under 6 year old for free if you book a twin room as long as they're sharing your bed. If your kids are older than 6 then most likely you will have to book 2 separate rooms as they will be considered 'adults'. Have a look at the Mimaru Hotel chains, the rooms are nice and they are very family friendly.
Pick a Tokyu Stay hotel. Not very exp and has washing machine in room. So you can do laundry directly in your room. Handy if you have kids and need to wash clothes often. Understanding that of course most Japanese hotels have laundromats but having one in the room is godsend.
RE: Travel to Osaka/Kyoto, it depends if you have the time for it e.g. are you there for 7 days? or 4 weeks? Ive been to Japan 8 times in 9 years, each time I go, is to a different city. I never cram it as it takes hours to go from East to West.
What's your budget?