Cheap Accommodation Options In Japan

Above, inside my ryokan room in Sendai, Japan.  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Regular followers of this blog are familiar with posts I've made with different attractions, accommodations and other features that are available in Japan for the tourist.

Some things have to be searched, while others just seem to drop into my lap. Well, here's one that falls into the latter category.

JapanToday posted an article today on traveling in Japan on a budget with a focus on cheap accommodation options.

Here's a few:

Instead of the JR Pass, consider traveling via night bus. Night buses are fairly common in Japan and they have connections throughout the whole country. You get into a bus in the evening, drive through the night and arrive in the morning.

The nice thing is, you can sleep on the bus with the extra leg room they provide and save money on a hotel room.

But with no hotel, how are we going to take a shower? Since Japan has a big culture of public baths that is not really a problem. You can just go to the tourist information (they usually do speak English) and ask them to show you where the public baths are. You might even get a map so you can explore the area. A small bath should not cost more than $5. 

Another option on where to stay:

If you have friends in Japan, that is usually a nice way to spend a few nights, but if not, hostels are a good option. A friend of mine once stayed in a hostel in Tokyo for just about $20 a day.

These and other tips in the article are ways to save money while traveling in Japan.

The cheapest rooms I've found were in ryokans (Japanese inns). I stayed in one in Kumomoto that was around $35 per night. Another one was around $55 per night in Sendai. Most are family-run with great meals available.

To read the full article, go here.