Hello! I'm planning a trip to Japan this coming august. I was hoping to know if anyone had any suggestions, air bnb recommendations or cheap hotels? I'll be in the country for a total of 14 days. Any feedback is greatly appreciated

Check out dotonburi in osaka

I was just in Japan a couple weeks ago for 9 days - 3 nights in Tokyo, 3 nights in Kyoto and 2 nights in Hakone. Travel between areas is super easy if you purchase a JR Pass ahead of time (you have to order this online before you go). It gives you unlimited travel on certain buses, subways, train lines (including the shinkansen bullet trains between Kyoto/Tokyo). I highly recommend the Mari-Car go-karting tour and Tsukiji fish market in Tokyo. For an authentic Japanese experience, stay at the Mount View Hotel in Hakone...a little pricey but the breakfast/dinner is SO worth it.

Hakonne is also amazing for their hot springs!

Yes it is! Just be prepared to go in nude in the public onsens (women only, but still took some time to get used to it) or pay extra to reserve a private onsen. It is amazing and so peaceful.

I second that comment. Do purchase a JR rail pass (you can only purchase it here, not in Japan). Having a JR pass makes travelling whole lot easier, and bullet trains are fun to ride on!

Yes I heard it's cheaper to buy ahead of time. I'll definitely be sure to check out the hot springs as well! Thank you all so much

You're welcome..have fun!

Blog from young woman who taught ESL in Japan - Trekking with Becky

You are going to love everything in Japan. I went there last year for three weeks and I used airbnb for my stay. I stayed in Ryogoku which is the district area where all the sumos live. It's a very nice neighborhood. My accommodation was only two blocks away from the subway. The pictures shown on airbnb platform don't reflect the real size of the room. Japanese units are very small just keep that in mind. Have fun and good luck.

can second ryogoku is a great area with great food! must try chankonabe! it's a bunch of meat and veggies stewed, the diet of the sumos. there's also a stadium there that has events. I watched a pro wrestling match there

Thank you!

make sure you make time for osaka! great city to explore and stay.

In terms of accommodations, you should look into capsule hotels (coffin sized rooms) in Tokyo as well as Ryokans (Japanese styled hotels). Hostels in Japan are clean and staff are really nice and that's where I stayed during my trip. You should check out Kyoto (cultural city full of temples and shrines) and Osaka for its food. If you still have room on your itinerary, I'd check out the peace memorial site at Hiroshima, and you can see its remnants from the atomic blast. There's a town called Fujikawaguchiko, and I believe you can get the closet view of mt.fuji. Not far away from there is the suicide forest if you ever need to feed your curiosity lol.

I lived in Japan for 10 plus years... travelled all over... I second the Japanese Inn experience in Osaka or Kyoto... Kyoto is beautiful and the inns provide dinner... usually Japanese style baths or hot springs ... go to Gion st. In Kyoto for geisha sightings ... they can sometimes speak English and may let you take pics ... capsule hotels are not for the claustrophobic person at all!! One more tip... a tourist and culture center provides a geisha show and if you wish to dress up there are places for traditional looking photography

Toyoko Inn was great. It's a chain, so there's plenty of them all over Japan. Comes with free japanese style breakfasts too! http://www.toyoko-inn.com/eng/

There's a really cheap airbnb near teradacho station in Osaka. You can use this link to save some money if booking via airbnb https://www.airbnb.ca/c/hannahl3005.
Super cheap rates and is like a hotel style http://abnb.me/EVmg/jMTDsMZYpD

Get the JR Rail Pass

Check out Nagoya and Kyoto they're also great cities. Wasn't a big fan of Osaka except for the food, kind of compared to the Hamilton to Toronto (industrial). Skytree is interesting, all the food and shopping is amazing.

Following

Careful with airbnb bookings since they aren't legal per Japanese hotel regulations. If anyone reports foreigners staying in an airbnb, you could be out. I believe the bylaws apply to stays less than 30 days if I recall correctly. If you google it, there are several threads or news articles on it. That being said, I found the hotels in Japan to be on par with airbnb pricing. Kyoto is great if you prefer history and less crowded than Tokyo. The ryokan Ohanabo in Kyoto is traditional style and their breakfast was awesome! In Tokyo, the Citadines Central in Shinjuku was comfortable and clean, very central to Shinjuku station which works well if you choose to go with the JR pass.

ryokan style is awesome, but avoid hostels that advertise old buildings and paper thin walls (literally, that's how their rooms are separated, by paper doors) if you're a light sleeper. I had some awful Italian people staying with us and they were smoking in the room... again, paper thin walls.

Len —Hostel, Cafe, Bar, Dining is the best hostel to stay at in Kyoto!

http://www.piecehostel.com/
I really liked piece hostel too, it had actual beds with a communal breakfast (you clean up after yourself but breakfast is included), which adds to the japanese experience cuz that's what they do in school too

Where ever you go bring a lot of cash!!! It's a cash country lots of places won't accept visa

Most convenient stores/post offices have atms where you cam withdraw cash too.

I found only some atms accepted my card so I would also recommend bringing lots of cash

http://wakjapan.jp/ cultural center with experiences for foreigners in Kyoto

I just got back from Japan and spend 2 days in Kyoto, 1 day in Hiroshima, 4 days and Tokyo and did a day trip to climb Mount Fuji.
In Tokyo I definitely recommend staying at Hostel bedgasm. The Carpe Diem guys are the best and the hostel has a great vibe. Check out the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building for a free view of Tokyo. The cafeteria also serves up authentic Japanese lunch. If you can swing it, go to the New York Bar at the Park Hyatt Tokyo for live jazz and pricey cocktails at night (if you're budget conscious just get a beer). It's on the 54th floor and has the best view of Tokyo.
I had the most fun just wandering around the districts and enjoying the vibe of the city. Whatever you do will be a lot of fun.
I highly recommend taking the JR bus to Mt. Fuji. It takes 2 hours but the drive alone is well worth it. I've never been on a more gorgeous drive through the mountains. You can hike up Mt Fuji to Station 5. That takes about 4 hours from the base. Bring lunch and have a picnic.
In Kyoto, Mt Inari has beautiful orange gates that makes for some great photos if you manage to avoid the tourists (get there early). The bamboo forest is a bit over rated in my opinion. Definitely get there at 8am if you want the place to yourself.

Wow thank you so much! I definitely wanted to climb mt Fuji and I didn't think it'd be that easy! Will def look into all these places

Hi Zachary, did you happen to use a travel guide for Mount Fuji? Trying to decide if that's the better route to go?

There usually is a guide leading a group of people. If I remember correctly it starts supeeerrrrr early in the morning and your "at the top" for sunrise. My friend James (also from Toronto but now living in Osaka) and I are climbing Mt.Fuji in August... If dates coincide, come!

Rob hi rob thank you for your post! I went to Japan this last August and it was wonderful. Mount Fuji is still on the bucket list!

Neetu Gill
Agata Monika

The Bullet Train