Tokyo Cheapo: Where To Stay In Tokyo

Above, the Hotel Asia Center of Japan in the Minato Ward of Tokyo. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

When traveling to Tokyo, my preferred place to stay is the Hotel Asia Center of Japan. It is centrally located and within easy walking distance to the Aoyama-itchōme subway station in the Minato Ward. The hotel has nice rooms at reasonable prices and their own restaurant, again, at reasonable prices. The Ginza, Oedo and Hanzomon subway lines can be caught at the Aoyama-itchōme station.

The past few times to Japan found me in other hotels as either the Hotel Asia Center of Japan was undergoing renovation or booked up.

I have stayed in the Ueno area twice and once in Asakusa when this happened.

Many people visiting Tokyo for the first time haven't a clue where to stay and what sections to avoid (especially if they have children with them).

Fortunately, Tokyo Cheapo has an article that will answer any such questions people may have.

They begin with:

Finding the best area to stay during your trip to Tokyo depends on what you want to get out of your stay, how much you have to spend, and the level of convenience you require (or inconvenience you’re willing to put up with). 

A lot of what is referred to as “Tokyo”, is not even technically in Tokyo. For example, both Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo Narita Airport are located in neighboring Chiba Prefecture. Combined with the surrounding prefectures, the greater Tokyo area holds a staggering 25 million people. Thousands of train stations and numerous railway lines collect this together in a mind boggling transportation network. As a result, different neighborhoods often cater for quite different needs and interests.

To read more, go here.

Guide To Free Wi-Fi Cafes In Tokyo

Above, a Ginza Starbucks. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

If a hotel in Tokyo has poor or no free Wi-Fi, I have sometimes headed off to a local coffee shop (usually Starbucks or Tully's Coffee) to use their free Wi-Fi.

Above, a Tully's Coffee near Aoyama-Itchome Station. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

I still remember the days (before I bought a laptop) of using a hotel's lobby computers and having to deal with the fussy Japanese keyboards (one wrong move and the keyboard will switch from English to Japanese).

Tokyo Cheapo has a guide of free Wi-Fi cafes in Tokyo.

They begin with:

Tokyo has no shortage of great cafes, but free wifi isn’t as standard as you might be used to elsewhere, and it’s still pretty unusual to see Japanese people working from their laptops while out and about. As a tourist, your hotel/hostel will more than likely have wifi, and most Airbnb rooms come with it in a fixed or portable setup. The most reliable way to ensure connectivity on the move, though, is by buying a prepaid SIM card or renting a wifi router. 

Finding free wifi while out exploring can be a trying experience if you don’t know where to look. Some neighborhoods and train stations do offer public wifi, but you can’t exactly pull out your laptop on the street … or can you? Assuming you would rather sit somewhere nice with a table and possibly even a plug socket, read on for tips on how to get connected while you get your caffeine hit.

To read more, go here. 

Ginza Line Offers Free Wi-Fi

Above, the Ginza Line station sign in Asakusa. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Tokyo's Ginza Line on the Tokyo Metro system is probably the subway I use the most while in Tokyo.

It goes from Asakusa to Ginza and from there to Shibuya. Whenever I've stayed at the Hotel Asia Center of Japan, the nearest station to the hotel is the Aoyama-Itchome Station, which is a couple of blocks away. The Ginza Line stops at the Aoyama-Itchome Station.

Now, the Ginza Line is the first to have free Wi-Fi on board its trains as an experiment.

According to Japan Trends:

The Tokyo Metro Ginza Line will start offering subway passengers free wi-fi on trains from December 1st, aimed particularly at visitors from overseas. 

Tokyo Metro partners with NTT Broadband Platform and Wire and Wireless to offer three networks on subway trains (Metro_Free_Wi-Fi, Japan Connected-free Wi-Fi, and TRAVEL JAPAN Wi-Fi). 

Passengers have already enjoyed free wi-fi at all Tokyo Metro stations, but the city’s main subway service operator wants to experiment with offering online connections actually on trains. It will start with a single train running on the Ginza Line, which serves popular tourist spots like Ueno and Asakusa. This will increase to five trains by the end of fiscal 2016, aiming to provide a network for all 40 trains operating on the line by 2020.

 To read more, go here.

Taking N'Ex From Narita To Tokyo

Above, inside the Narita Express. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

One of my co-contributors at JapanTravel has posted an article on riding the Narita Express (N'Ex) from Narita International Airport to Tokyo.

Normally, I use the Narita Express as my means of getting into Tokyo from the airport, but last February, as I was staying in the Ueno area, I took the Keisei Line instead. My original plan was to try the Keisei Skyliner, but due to a big snowstorm (not exactly of "biblical proportions," but enough snow was dumped to snarl the Tokyo and Chiba area train lines), I ended up stuck midway between Narita Airport and Tokyo for about 16 hours. Since the Keisei Line and Keisei Skyliner goes to Ueno (and the Narita Express does not), that is why I chose to take the Keisei Line or Skyliner to Ueno on my last trip.

Well, due to the snowstorm, that didn't work out so well. But, as an "apology," the Keisei Line gave me a pass for free transportation into Tokyo that was honored by other train and subway line companies.

Above, the exterior of the Narita Express. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The article states that the Narita Express will arrive from Narita Airport to Tokyo Station in 55 minutes (and Shibuya Station in 80 minutes). I generally disembark the train at Tokyo Station to catch a subway line to my hotel (usually the Hotel Asia Center of Japan, which is near the Aoyama-Itchome subway station).

Above, a 2010 view of the Skytree from the Narita Express train. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The Narita Express is a comfortable train with plenty of room for one's luggage and it has nice, big windows to view the passing countryside. The line also has a special offer for inbound tourists. The inbound fare is only ¥1,500, down from the normal rate of ¥3,020. But, one has to pay the normal rate for the return trip to Narita Airport. So keep that in mind.

To read the article on the Narita Express at JapanTravel, go here.

Where To Stay In Tokyo?

Above, the Hotel Asia Center of Japan is my hotel of choice since it is
centrally located and is close to a subway station.  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

This is assuming that you have decided to take a vacation trip to Japan and will spend several days in the capital city Tokyo.  But where to stay?

According to an article in Viator's "Things To Do: Tokyo," that all depends what suits your personality. The article is essentially a primer on the main sections of Tokyo to help a would-be visitor make a decision.

It begins with:

Deciding where to stay in Tokyo has as much to do with your personality and interests as it does the quality of lodging you desire. Tokyo’s neighborhoods are as different from each other as they are numerous. With 23 wards that make up the city, the choices for where to stay are endless. Before booking a hotel, hostel, or traditional Japanese inn, or ryokan, here’s a primer on what you can expect in the city’s best known neighborhoods. Which one suits you?

For my first trip to Japan in 2001, I was primarily there for the Tokyo International Film Festival's premiere of Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack. The screening was held in the Bunkamura in Shibuya. So, since I was unfamiliar with Shibuya, Tokyo and Japan at the time, I figured it would probably be easiest to find lodging in Shibuya.

Since I was on a budget, I decided (after scouring the Internet on different Shibuya accommodations) to stay at a ryokan (Japanese inn) in Shibuya. It turned out to be a good choice as the rooms were nice and it was within walking distance of Shibuya Station. Additionally, a few blocks away was a Denny's Restaurant. I didn't expect to see a Denny's in Tokyo and it was quite a surprise, but a welcome one.  I generally had breakfast there.

Since then, I have become familiar with the layout of Tokyo and my hotel of choice is the Hotel Asia Center of Japan as it it centrally located in the city and it is only a couple of blocks from the Aoyama-Itchome subway station. Plus, they have a choice of buffet breakfasts: Japanese or western.

The article does not list any information on accommodations, but it does provide the reader with information on what to expect there.

To read the article, go here.

Dud WWII Bomb Found and Removed In Tokyo

Above, the Hotel Asia Center of Japan.  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

More than once during my trips to Tokyo I've wondered if there were any unexploded bombs in the city left over from World War II.

News On Japan reports that a dud bomb from World War II was located and removed near Akasaka Mitsuke Station.  The station was partially closed today during the bomb's removal.  The dud bomb was found September 20.

Akasaka Mitsuke Station is only a stop away from Aoyama-Itchome Station, which is the stop for the hotel I usually stay at while in Tokyo, the Hotel Asia Center of Japan.

To read the article, go here.