7 Quality Budget Hotels in Tokyo

Taking a trip to Tokyo either for leisure or business can be an expensive proposition. Japan is one of the more expensive countries in the world.

Because of this, many visitors are looking to get a good deal on their Tokyo hotel. Fortunately, with of the influx of tourists and business travelers to Tokyo, there is now a proliferation of different types of hotels that cater to different budgets. This ranges from business hotels (western style hotels that are located near the center of Tokyo) to Kanshuku, which are similar to hostels in that most facilities are shared with other travelers and rooms are simply furnished with tatami mats.

If you are on the lookout for good budget hotels in Tokyo, consider checking out one of these seven hotels.

Keio Plaza Inter-Continental Tokyo

Located at the heart of the city, the Keio Plaza Inter-Continental Tokyo is known for its perfect melding of the east and the west. It has a hospitable staff and tasteful decorations that consist of beautiful chandeliers and ikebana flower arrangements. Even though it is a part of the luxury Inter-Continental chain of hotels, the Keio Plaza still holds some of the more affordable rooms in the city. Additionally, it has many features that business travelers will surely welcome like high speed internet and a business center. Tourists, on the other hand, will appreciate the interesting restaurants, bars, and luxury services that the hotel offers.

Ana Hotel Tokyo 

The Ana Hotel Tokyo is conveniently located just a few minutes away from such popular places as Tameike-sanno, Roppongi-itchome, Kamiyacho and Akasaka Stations. Also, it is close to government offices, Akasaka and the Roponggi entertainment establishments, making it great location for both business and pleasure. The Ana Hotel Tokyo has nice amenities that is atypical of a budget hotel. The rooms all have air conditioning, satellite TV, and mini bar. There is also an in-house restaurant and bar. Conference rooms are available for business functions and there is also a swimming pool, sauna and spa.

Hotel New Otani Tokyo

The Hotel New Otani Tokyo is tucked away in a quiet section of the city away from the busy city center. It is located in the middle of a 10 acre Japanese garden that dates back to the 16th century. The hotel primarily caters to business travelers, offering world class amenities and services. Businessmen will be delighted to know that there are modern office services and equipment for their use. This includes 24 banquet rooms as well as meeting and conference rooms. The hotel has been the site of many large conventions and business functions. 

New Hankyu Hotel Tokyo

In terms of convenience, the New Hankyu Hotel Tokyo is one of the most accessible hotels in Tokyo. It is a short five minute walk away from Tsukiji Station, which makes it a very strategically placed hotel if you are planning on making frequent trips through the subway.
The hotel itself is located on the 33rd through the 38th floors of a distinctive commercial building that has a great view of the city, particularly landmarks like the Tokyo Tower, Sumida River and Tokyo Bay. Amenities are very respectable as the hotel offers great cuisine and beautifully designed rooms. The staff is very attentive to guests. The hotel itself is marketed towards business travelers, and as such all rooms have a massage sofa as well as a fax line. Guests can also request for a fax machine.

Sunshine City Prince Hotel Tokyo

The Sunshine City Prince Hotel is located just eight minutes away from the Ikebukuro Station. The hotel itself is located amidst the hustle and bustle of the Ikebukuro district, which features a number of great attractions like the International Aquarium, Alpa Shopping Center, World Imports Mart, and the Culture Hall, among others. The hotel features 1,166 rooms in a 38 story building.

New Koyo

One of the most affordable hotels in Tokyo is New Koyo. The hotel has earned a reputation for having the some of the most budget friendly prices in the city. For just $21 for a single room and double rooms at $44, you can see why it's considered a budget traveler’s favorite. All of the rooms feature a TV set and there is internet access in the lobby. The hotel even rents out bicycles for 500 yen a day. Also, The New Koyo has been favorably reviewed. Because of the unbelievably low price, expect to have difficulty booking rooms or making reservations.

Sakura Hotel

The Sakura Hotel is another budget friendly hotel that budget travelers will surely add to their list of affordable hotels in Tokyo. The Sakura hotel offers hotel rooms at very low rates (although not as low as New Koyo’s). A single room only costs $55. The hotel offers different room types that include double, twin and dorm style rooms (which are available with bunk beds). The dorm style rooms are actually just $35 per person. Consider getting this rate if you travel as a group - whether as tourists or as a business team.
The rooms in the Sakura are all equipped with basic amenities such as air conditioning. The hotel also offers other amenities and services like a laundromat, a café that’s open 24 hours, and an internet café. Reservations at the Sakura can be done online for added convenience.
This is a guest post by Dee Barizo. He does marketing for Japanican, a travel website specializing in Japan hotels

Book your Japan hotel today at Japanican.com.
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Japanese rightists out for Putin

対プーチン東京の右派

Japanese right wingers protest Russian Prime Minister Putin's visit to Tokyo, May 12 2009.

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin is in Tokyo. He arrived on the 11th and will leave on the 13th. Tokyo’s Nagatacho area, the political heart of the country, and surrounding areas such as Akasaka and Kojimachi, were bristling with security, the roads accessing Nagatacho with fences drawn half across them, manned by riot police.

Japanese right wingers protest Russian Prime Minister Putin's visit to Tokyo, May 12 2009.

Although Putin arrived on the 11th, Japan’s extreme right wing was out in force on the morning of the 12th in numerous sound trucks, vans, and buses, that broadcast shrieks and hollers of political indignation, and Colonel Blimp-style brass band music, at such a volume that the shouting itself was sometimes drowned in its own shrill feedback.

Japanese riot police watch right wingers protest Russian Prime Minister Putin's visit to Tokyo, May 12 2009.

The focus of Japanese right wing fury today was the Kuril Islands just north of the northern large island of Hokkaido. Only 1,300 km lies between the tip of Hokkaido and Russia – not even 90 minutes on a Boeing 747 – and for all of that short flight, if you looked out the window you would see islands all the way.

Before the Second World War, Russia and Japan met roughly in the middle of that string of islands, but Russia occupied them all at the end of the war, a move which has prevented the signing of a post-WWII peace treaty between the two countries.

The trucks, buses, vans, and placards of today’s right wingers were therefore all emblazoned with a map of the Kurils and the slogan “Return the northern territories!”

Street security for Prime Minister Putin's visit to Tokyo, May 12 2009.© Japan Visitor

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One Love Jamaica Festival 2009

ワン・ラヴ・ジャマイカ・フェスティバル 2009年

The One Love Jamaica Festival has been an annual fixture in Tokyo at least since 2007.
It ran both days last weekend, 9 and 10 May.

One Love Jamaica Festival 2009.


The biggest attraction was, obviously, the music, and the sound shell stage at Yoyogi Park was pumping it out.
There were stalls by the dozen selling food and booze - a lot of it Jamaican-inspired.

One Love Jamaica Festival 2009.


Besides the ubiquitous, day-long reggae music from off the stage, there was a Jamaica travel exhibition,
an art event featuring live painting, and a Jamaica photography exhibition.

One Love Jamaica Festival 2009.


The weather smiled on the One Love Jamaica Festival. It was sunny, warm, and still not too humid.

The One Love Jamaica Festival is set to run again in 2010 at Yoyogi Park.

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Nagoya Friends THIS SATURDAY 5/16

Nagoya Friends TRAVEL Spectacular at Tsurumai!

Nagoya Friends is holding it’s 69th party in Nagoya!
  • Date: Saturday May 16th, 2009
  • Time: 18:15 - 20:45
  • Drinks will be served between 6:30pm-8:40pm.
  • Place: Nagoya Tsurumai City Public Hall, 1-1-3 Tsurumai (very close to JR Nagoya Station)
  • Fee: 3000 Yen Gentlemen, 2500 Yen Ladies 1st 15 foreigners 2000 yen each!
  • Dress code: Anything (Casual, etc)
  • Reservations: Not necessary but recommended and appreciated. Just show up to the party!
  • Over 25,000 Yen worth of exciting prize giveaways each month!
  • iPod Shuffle and JTB Travel voucher to a lucky winner!!!!

There will be free food along with free drinks (beers, wine, cocktail drinks and juices).
Our party is not a dinner party, but we will have light food & snacks.
Quantities are limited, so please come early! Please free to come alone or bring your friends.
EVERYBODY is welcome to join regardless of nationality/gender. Reservation is greatly appreciated.
About 125-150+ people are expected to attend. Approximately 55% female and 45% male, 70% Japanese and 30% non-Japanese.
Pictures from previous Nagoya Friends Parties.

Map & Directions

Contact: 080-3648-1666(Japanese) 080-5469-6317(English)

Get off at Tsurumai Station (JR Chuo Line [South Exit] or Subway Tsurumai Line [Exit #4])


Nagoya City Public Hall (4th Floor, #7)

1-1-3 Tsurumai (2 minutes walk from Tsurumai Station)



Train Directions
  • From Nagoya Station from Nagoya Station take the JR Chuo-Honsen Line and get off at the second station (Tsurumai). From Tsurumai Station, get off at south exit
  • From Sakae/Fushimi Area, catch the Tsurumai Subway Line at Fushimi Station(bound for Akaike) and get off at the third (3rd) stop - Tsurumai. From Tsurumai Station, get off at exit #4
Tsurumai
JR Tsurumai Station
Chuo-Honsen Line(Chuo Line)




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Ozawa To Resign

小沢一郎

Ichiro Ozawa, leader of Japan's main opposition party Minshuto (Democratic Party of Japan), has announced he will step down in the wake of a fundraising scandal that has reduced his popularity and that of his party battling to end the unpopular Liberal Democratic Party's grip on power.

Ichiro Ozawa election posterProsecutors in Tokyo have alleged that Ozawa's political fundraising organisation received 21 million yen ($216,000) in illegal donations from a mid-size construction company, Nishimatsu Construction between 2003-2007. Ozawa replied that he believes the charges are politically motivated.

Ozawa's move comes ahead of a general election that must be called before October this year. The Democratic Party of Japan has a real chance of toppling the government of Taro Aso and the LDP and Ozawa stressed that his move was to limit damage to his party before the poll.

Ozawa entered politics in the late 1960s and was elected to the Diet in 1969, becoming a member of the powerful Kakuei Tanaka faction.

Ozawa has twice held key offices in previous LDP governments, first in 1985 as Home Affairs Minister under Yasuhiro Nakasone and in 1989 as LDP Secretary General.

During the fall-out from the Sagawa Kyubin/Shin Kanemaru corruption scandal, Ozawa jumped ship from the LDP, where he had made many enemies during his heady rise, to form the Japan Renewal Party in 1992 along with long-time ally Tsutomu Hata.

This alliance lead to the end of LDP rule for the first time in 38 years with the short-lived administration of Morihiro Hosokawa in 1993, while Ozawa and Hata pulled the strings in the background in true kuromaki style.

Ozawa's became the leader of the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) from 2003, where he has joined forces once more with Tsutomu Hata. Ozawa was forced to step down briefly as leader in 2004, when he was caught up (along with a number of Japan's political elite) in the ongoing Pension Scandal.


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Japan This Week: 10 May 2009

今週の日本

Japan News.Toyota Posts an Annual Loss

NY Times

Hitachi predicts record losses for a Japanese manufacturer

Guardian

Japan Inspecting Airliners for Flu Victims

Washington Post

Japanese scientist claims breakthrough with organ grown in sheep

Times on Line

'Play along' tactic thwarts cons

Asahi

La déflation revient au Japon

Libération

Google crosses line with controversial old Tokyo maps

Japan Times

Communism on rise in recession-hit Japan

BBC

Holy Mackerel: A breakthrough in tuna science

Global Post

Wang Liqin into final at table tennis world championships

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Last week's Japan news


Japan Statistics

The percentage of children in Japan has fallen to 13.4% of the overall population. The 14 and under set continues to shrink. At the local level, Okinawa Prefecture had the highest overall population of children with 17.9%. At the other end, Akita Prefecture recorded the lowest with just 11.5%.

Read more about graying Japan.

Source: Asahi Shinbun

Top five future dream, girls:

1. Chef
2. Day care worker
3. Teacher or Nurse
5. Singer/TV Talent

Top five future dream, boys:

1. Baseball player
2. Soccer player
3. Academic
4. Doctor
5. Chef or Carpenter

Source: Asahi Shinbun


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Kofu Super Toilet

甲府

On a recent visit from Tokyo to Kofu in Yamanashi Prefecture during Golden Week, we came across this "Super Toilet" in the Eclan Department store above Kofu Station.

Listen to the sounds of the Super Toilet

Kofu Super Toilet

The toilet was about the same size as my friend's Tokyo apartment and certainly a lot cleaner and less cluttered. Relaxing music was piped into the convenience, which was a modern toilet and bidet combination, ideal for the job in hand.

95% of all toilets now produced in Japan are these western style "throne" types and the traditional Asian squatter type (below) is gradually disappearing. Young children are unaware as to how to use squat toilets at school and as a result are remaining constipated throughout the day until they rush home after class to release their bowels.

Bog standard squatter

Access

Kofu, west of Tokyo, is 90 minutes from Shinjuku Station by Super Azusa or Kaiji express train. The toilet is in the west wing of the department store on the 2nd floor.



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