Posted: 3/24/2023 | March 24, 2023
Tokyo is the most important metropolis on this planet, house to a whopping 37 million individuals within the metro space. Town. Unimaginable, superb, and bewildering. However large.
When it comes to neighborhoods, there are 14 city hubs unfold out throughout the megalopolis. There are additionally 23 wards — 5 of which make up the central a part of city — and, inside these wards, lots of of neighborhoods.
However, as a customer to town, there are just a few areas which are superb to remain in. You don’t must undergo all of the facilities and wards. In my opinion, there are solely about eight areas value staying in.
Right here is my breakdown of these eight finest neighborhoods in Tokyo for guests (in addition to urged lodging in every) so you may work out which space is best for you.
However, first, listed below are some frequent questions I get requested about staying in Tokyo that I wish to reply:
What’s one of the best neighborhood for sightseeing?
Shinjuku is a busy, centrally positioned neighborhood that has sufficient sights to awe any customer — particularly a first-time customer.
What’s one of the best neighborhood for vacationers on a price range?
Shibuya is a full of life, action-packed a part of city that additionally occurs to have some good hostels, low cost eats, and reasonably priced nightlife choices.
What’s one of the best neighborhood in Tokyo for museums?
Situated in and round the primary park in Ueno are among the metropolis’s finest museums. If you wish to spend a day or three going museum-hopping, that is the place to do it.
What’s one of the best neighborhood for nightlife?
When the solar goes down, Roppongi comes alive. It’s already a buzzing neighborhood, however at night time the bars and golf equipment open up and fun-seeking locals gravitate right here.
What’s one of the best neighborhood for procuring?
Upscale Ginza is without doubt one of the world’s most well-known procuring districts. Everybody from legendary, household-name worldwide designers to native up-and-coming ones have shops right here.
What’s one of the best neighborhood for foodies?
Maybe probably the most bustling district within the busiest metropolis on the planet, Shinjuku can be an excellent place for hungry food-loving vacationers, as it’s house to swaths of bar-and-restaurant-flanked lanes.
What’s one of the best neighborhood for historical past?
Asakusa is a central neighborhood that additionally occurs to be one of the crucial conventional. Should you’re on the lookout for previous Edo — the erstwhile identify of this metropolis — you would possibly discover it in Asakusa.
What’s one of the best neighborhood for hipsters?
Shimokitazawa, generally known as “Shimokita” to locals, has been reworked in recent times right into a go-to spot for hipster cafés and cinemas.
What’s one of the best neighborhood general?
Marunouchi is smack within the middle of all of it. It’s not essentially loaded with all of the sights — in any case, that is Tokyo, so that they’re unfold out — but it surely’s geographically superb and has a little bit little bit of one thing for everybody.
So, with these questions answered, right here’s a breakdown of every neighborhood, with urged lodging, so you understand exactly the place to remain in Tokyo:
The place to Keep for Sightseeing: Shinjuku
Shinjuku is fascinating. It’s like Tokyo in microcosm. Glowing skyscrapers, temples, placid parks, hip and conventional eating places, chaotic road crossings, and the busiest practice station on the planet — it’s all right here. There are almost a dozen and a half Michelin-starred eating places within the neighborhood, in addition to scores of narrow-laned swaths lined by diminutive bars and street-food eateries, particularly Golden Gai and Omoide Yokocho. Shinjuku can be house to a LGBTQ+ district.
Greatest Locations to Keep in Shinjuku
- BUDGET: Unplan Kagurazaka – The dorms right here all have self-contained bunks full with a comfortable mattress, mild, energy outlet, and safety field. The hostel additionally has a standard room, shared kitchen, and lively bar/restaurant.
- MID-RANGE: Resort Century Southern Tower – Request as excessive a room as potential at Resort Century, positioned only a few minutes’ stroll from Shinjuku Station, and also you’ll be rewarded with a unbelievable view of the Shinjuku skyline. The spacious visitor rooms have a desk and a sofa. The hearty breakfast buffet is included.
- LUXURY: Hilton Tokyo – A ten-minute stroll from Shinjuku Station, the Hilton Tokyo is a swank and glossy resort bathed in mushy, off-white hues. The visitor rooms are loaded with all of the facilities you’d count on from a luxurious resort, together with posh bathtub merchandise and ultra-fast Wi-Fi. Should you can nab an upper-floor room, the views are spectacular.
The place to Keep for Finances Vacationers: Shibuya
When most non-Japanese individuals consider Japan, notably Tokyo, they consider Shibuya — whether or not they understand it or not: the intense flashing lights, the glass skyscrapers, the sidewalks full of individuals, the mesmerizingly busy intersections with pedestrians marching in each course.
It doesn’t seem at first that Shibuya can be an excellent candidate for the budget-minded traveler, however there are some very nice, reasonably priced hostels right here, and the thoroughfares are sprinkled with above-average road meals. Plus, the eye-candy spectacle of all of it means which you can simply plant your self someplace and spend hours beguiled by the extravaganza that’s Shibuya — all with out spending a dime.
Greatest Locations to Keep in Shibuya
- BUDGET: Almond Hostel & Cafe – This enjoyable and relaxed hostel has blended and female-only dorm rooms. The sleeping quarters consist of personal cubby-hole-like areas for max privateness. Every pod has a light-weight, {an electrical} outlet, hooks for hangers, and a shelf.
- MID-RANGE: Shibuya Creston Resort – Whereas a little bit bland, this resort is clear, snug, reasonably priced, and in an excellent location. Rooms have coffee- and tea-making machines and complimentary bottled water.
- LUXURY: Cerulean Tower – Set in a high-rise constructing within the middle of Shibuya, Cerulean Tower begins on the nineteenth flooring, so that you’re assured an excellent view out of your room, which will likely be massive and include Japanese inexperienced tea units, a chaise lounge, mini-bar, and luxe bathtub merchandise. The resort additionally has eight completely different eating places and bars.
The place to Keep for Museums: Ueno
The Tokyo Nationwide Museum, the Ueno Royal Museum, the Tokyo Metropolitan Artwork Museum, the Nationwide Museum of Nature and Science, the Nationwide Museum of Western Artwork, and the Shitamachi Museum are however a couple of of the museums which are sprinkled round Ueno — principally Ueno-koen, the Central Park–like swath of greenery that’s the centerpoint of the neighborhood.
Staying in Ueno means you’ll be mere steps from the most important and finest museums. Nevertheless it’s not all museums right here. Along with the good park, Ueno is a superb eating vacation spot too.
Greatest Locations to Keep in Ueno
- BUDGET: Grids Resort and Hostel – Situated proper throughout from Ueno Station, Grids is smack within the middle of the motion. The wood-paneled dorm rooms are clear and fashionable, and every mattress has a light-weight and energy outlet. The bogs within the shared loos are of the super-high-tech Japanese selection.
- MID-RANGE: Centurion Resort & Spa – Just some minutes’ stroll from a number of subway stations and a practice station, Centurion is an oasis. The spacious rooms have tea kettles and occasional makers, the loos characteristic luxurious bathtub merchandise, the in-house eatery focuses on steak, and the spa makes use of pure spring water.
- LUXURY: Mimaru Tokyo Ueno Okachimachi – The rooms at this property are extra-large; some have 4 futon beds, and others have kitchens and eating tables. Bathrobes and slippers in every room make the keep that rather more snug. And the placement is difficult to beat.
The place to Keep for Nightlife: Roppongi
House to the long-lasting Tokyo Tower, the Mori Artwork Museum, the Roppongi Hills, and Tokyo Midtown procuring/leisure complexes, Roppongi has a little bit one thing for everybody. However when you’re into nightlife, it’s notably nice. When the solar units, the golf equipment and bars shine — the whole lot from wine, craft beer, and liquor bars to golf equipment the place you may dance till the solar rises.
Greatest Locations to Keep in Roppongi
- BUDGET: Resort Villa Fontaine Tokyo-Roppongi – There are usually not a ton of price range choices in Roppongi, however Villa Fontaine makes up for it by providing superior service and clear, snug rooms with fridges, humidifying air cleaners, AC, electrical kettles, and TVs (and bidets).
- MID-RANGE: Mitsui Backyard Resort Roppongi – Set in a glossy high-rise tower, Mitsui Backyard is a great spot wherein to put your head. Rooms are available in various sizes — there’s one with a “tremendous king” mattress that would match a big household — and all are geared up with instant-coffee machines, inexperienced tea, fridges, electrical razors, pajamas, and a bidet within the rest room.
- LUXURY: Ritz-Carlton Tokyo – Housed within the high eight flooring of one of many metropolis’s tallest skyscrapers, the Ritz-Carlton is without doubt one of the most luxurious spots in Tokyo. There are seven eating places and a complete flooring devoted to wellness and understanding. Rooms have floor-to-ceiling home windows, some with beautiful views of Mount Fuji. Even the fundamental rooms are big and laden with all the luxurious facilities you’d count on from a resort of this caliber.
The place to Keep for Buying: Ginza
Should you’re seeking to max out your bank card in Tokyo — and it’s definitely not a problem to try this — polished and posh Ginza is the place, Its streets are flanked by upscale retailers for all of the household-name designers, in addition to some Japanese ones that is perhaps unfamiliar to you. Regardless of the case, you may spend days right here leaping from boutique to boutique, immersed in all the most recent types and tendencies.
And if all that procuring builds up an urge for food, Ginza boasts a tremendous assortment of eating places. Not surprisingly, it’s simple to interrupt the financial institution right here at counters serving among the finest sushi you’ll eat in your life. However when you look a bit, there are ample reasonably priced ramen and soba locations, izakayas, and yakitori eating places scattered across the district.
Greatest Locations to Keep in Ginza
- BUDGET: Imano Tokyo Ginza Hostel – Imano has snug dorm-style rooms, wherein every mattress is in a pod-like setting. So count on to get some additional privateness right here — so long as you don’t thoughts sleeping in a pod. Every has its personal lights, shops, cabinets, and a snug mattress. There may be additionally a bigger room for touring households and some personal rooms, in addition to a communal kitchen and a snug widespread lounge.
- MID-RANGE: The Celestine Ginza – The 104-room Celestine is positioned up in a tower on a road flanked by retailers, eating places, and bars so it’s proper in the midst of the motion. The rooms are pretty massive and have desks, minibars, and spacious loos. Some have floor-to-ceiling home windows; others have snug sofas.
- LUXURY: Hyatt Centric Ginza – The 164 rooms at this property are understated however crammed with snug luxurious facilities. BeeKind bathtub merchandise, Bluetooth audio system, Nespresso espresso machines, and, after all, beautiful views of Ginza and past make this one of many poshest spots on the town. There’s additionally a celebrated restaurant and a 24-hour gymnasium within the resort.
The place to Keep for Historical past Lovers: Asakusa
Asakusa-jinja, certainly one of Tokyo’s best Shinto shrines (from the seventeenth century), the imposing neo-Baroque imperial palace, and a handful of different beautiful shrines contribute to the historic make-up of tranquil Asakusa. Should you got here to Tokyo to delve into the historical past of this fascinating metropolis, Asakusa is the place to plant your self for some time.
However there’s extra to this neighborhood than simply historic websites. Hoppy Road is a fringed with indoor and outside pubs; Nakamise Road is similar however for procuring. There’s additionally the historic Hanayashiki amusement park, and, in neighboring Ryugoku, you may witness sumo wrestlers practising.
Greatest Locations to Keep in Asakusa
- BUDGET: Plat Keikyu – Conveniently positioned throughout from Akasaka Station, Plat is bathed in a whole lot of wooden, giving it a really homey really feel. The hostel has personal and semi-private rooms, in addition to 12-person dorm rooms (and likewise a 12-person female-only dorm) with semiprivate pods which have lights and shops.
- MID-RANGE: Asakusa View Resort – This distinctive property tries to take you proper into the guts of historic Tokyo. Anticipate finding geishas strolling by as if the nineteenth century by no means ended, in addition to a theater for performing conventional Japanese performs. The rooms are snug and easy, bedecked in darkish woods and boasting bathtubs, TVs, and kettles for sipping inexperienced tea.
- LUXURY: Asakusa Excel Resort – A pleasant, luxurious base for a keep in Asakusa, this resort has an enormous gymnasium, a laundry room, an upscale Japanese restaurant, and even a cigar bar. The 487 rooms are all a bit on the smaller aspect, however they make up for it with among the most snug beds round.
The place to Keep for Hipsters: Shimokitazawa
As soon as the one-stop neighborhood to go thrift-store procuring in Japan, Shimokitazawa has modified quite a bit within the final 5 years. Shimokita, as locals name it, has been reworked right into a district for individuals who love indie movie, indie bookshops, hipster cafés, and cutting-edge eating places.
Better of all, most of the hip thrift shops are nonetheless right here. So you may keep in Shimokita and buy groceries throughout the day after which hit up the good eating places and bars which have opened up comparatively not too long ago.
Greatest Locations to Keep in Shimokitazawa
- BUDGET: The Wardrobe Resort – This hostel has personal rooms and a big dormitory for these on a severe price range. As is the case in lots of hostels in Japan, the sleeping scenario within the dorms is pod-like: every visitor will get their very own particular person pod with a light-weight and outlet — and subsequently, much more privateness than your common hostel dorm room.
- MID-RANGE: The Mustard Resort – Opened in late 2021, the 60-room Mustard is a minimalist boutique resort within the middle of Shimokita. Naturally, the visitor rooms have document gamers with a choice of vinyl. The on-site café serves up third-wave espresso to locals and guests alike.
- LUXURY: Yuen Bettai Daita – Situated simply to the west of Shimokitazawa, it is a ryokan-style property (which means a standard inn). There’s even an onsen (scorching spring) within the resort. The visitor rooms are minimalist within the Japanese method, however oh-so-comfortable on the similar time. The on-site conventional Japanese restaurant/teahouse is value staying in for.
The place to Keep for Comfort: Marunouchi
Should you can’t work out a neighborhood to remain in since you’re too little (or an excessive amount of) of a foodie, historical past buff, shopper, nightlifer, and many others., then simply shrug and put your self in Marunouchi. Geographically, it’s within the middle of all of it.
The neighborhood is host to traditional conventional websites in addition to tall glass skyscrapers. So it’s previous and new, conventional and modern. House to Tokyo Station, the Nationwide Museum of Fashionable Artwork, the Tokyo Worldwide Discussion board, and scores of procuring facilities, galleries, and eating places, Marunouchi is only a brief practice trip to the remainder of Tokyo.
Greatest Locations to Keep in Marunouchi
- BUDGET: Resort Metropolitan – Marunouchi doesn’t have a whole lot of reasonably priced lodging choices. Resort Metropolitan might not have hostel costs, however for a bit greater than a median hostel, you may keep in whole consolation right here. Situated in a tower throughout from Tokyo Station, the rooms listed below are on the smaller aspect however have bathtubs, bathtub merchandise, flat-screen TVs, and free bottled water and inexperienced tea (plus electrical kettles).
- MID-RANGE: Marunouchi Resort – It’s onerous to get extra Marunouchi than this resort. The property has a couple of good eating places, together with French, Japanese, and teppanyaki ones. The big commonplace double rooms have large beds, plus sufficient facilities to make any traveler really feel relaxed and cozy.
- LUXURY: 4 Seasons Resort at Marunouchi – You possibly can count on to be pampered at his posh, centrally positioned, five-star resort. The rooms are big, and plenty of have nice views of Tokyo Station and past. There are solely 57 rooms at this boutique 4 Seasons outpost, so count on to get all the eye you need right here. The in-house eatery fuses French and Japanese cuisines to nice fanfare.
Tokyo is huge. There are few different locations the place I really want to emphasise that the placement you select to base your self is of utmost significance. This fashion, you received’t spend a lot time traversing town on the subway.
However don’t be too involved about it, both. Tokyo is nice for simply wandering too, taking within the organized chaos that’s the world’s largest — and busiest — metropolis.
E book Your Journey to Japan: Logistical Ideas and Tips
E book Your Flight
Use Skyscanner to discover a low cost flight. They’re my favourite search engine as a result of they search web sites and airways across the globe so that you all the time know no stone is left unturned.
E book Your Lodging
You possibly can e-book your hostel with Hostelworld as they’ve the most important stock and finest offers. If you wish to keep someplace aside from a hostel, use Reserving.com as they persistently return the most affordable charges for guesthouses and low cost resorts.
For extra locations to remain, try my article on my favourite hostels in Tokyo. It has an extended listing of them!
Don’t Overlook Journey Insurance coverage
Journey insurance coverage will defend you in opposition to sickness, harm, theft, and cancellations. It’s complete safety in case something goes flawed. I by no means go on a visit with out it as I’ve had to make use of it many instances previously. My favourite corporations that provide one of the best service and worth are:
In search of the Greatest Corporations to Save Cash With?
Take a look at my useful resource web page for one of the best corporations to make use of once you journey. I listing all those I take advantage of to save cash after I’m on the street. They are going to prevent cash once you journey too.
Remember to try the Japan Rail Cross when you’ll be touring across the nation. It is available in 7-, 14-, and 21-day passes and might prevent a ton of cash!
Need Extra Data on Japan?
Remember to go to our sturdy vacation spot information on Japan for much more planning suggestions!