Shinagawa: Rich In History

Above, a map showing where Shinagawa is located in Tokyo. Source: Google Maps.

Last February, I went to Shinagawa Station in Tokyo to catch the Keikyu Railway Line to go to Yokosuka to see the Godzilla slide at the Kurihama Flower World and to meet up with Tom Logan, a college buddy who was living in Yokohama at the time.

Shinagawa has quite a history and The Japan Times has a feature article on the area.

Here's a snippet:

Today, Shinagawa is a place where old meets new. Visitors can deviate from the old Tokaido road near Keikyu Railway’s Kita-Shinagawa Station by walking along a street south of it that will show how close Shinagawa once stood to the coastline before additional land was reclaimed from Tokyo Bay.

Had I known about the history of Shinagawa, I may have taken a stroll around. But then, it was cold and snowy on each day I was in Shinagawa anyway.

Above, Tom Logan and I at a very cold Starbucks in Shinagawa Station.

If one is interested in Tokyo or Japan history, the article is well worth a read.

To read the article, go here. 

New Yamanote Line Station

Above, an artist's sketch of the new Yamanote Line station. Image by JR East.

Several weeks ago, it was announced that a new JR Yamanote Line station will be built between the Shinagawa and Tamachi stations in the Minato Ward of Tokyo.

A new artist's sketch of the new station's interior has been released by the East Japan Railway Co. (JR East).

According to The Japan Times:

The new station will sit roughly halfway between Shinagawa and Tamachi stations, which are also served by the Keihin-Tohoku Line running north-south from Saitama to Kanagawa prefectures. 

The project will take up most of what is now a 20-hectare rail yard in the Konan district of Minato Ward.

Although nobody has said when construction will begin, but it is expected to be ready in time for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Funny thing, I rarely go to the Shinagawa Station, but during my February trip to Japan, I had to go there to catch the Keikyu Line to go to Yokosuka (and back) to see the Godzilla slide and, later, I met up with college buddy Tom Logan for a reunion over coffee at the Starbucks in Shinagawa Station.

To read more, go here. 

Tokyo Business/Budget Hotels Under $100

Above, two budget hotels are near the famous Nakamise Dori in Asakusa. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Want to visit Tokyo, Japan but are unsure that you can afford it?  Well, you can!

As promised, I did some spot-checking for business/budget hotels with current prices that are below $100 (or, ¥10,000) per night.

As I previously posted, six hotels were given as examples over at Rocket News 24 back in December 2011. Unfortunately, most have jacked up their room rates to over $100 per night since the article was posted. So, I looked for six hotels who have current prices below $100 per night.

They are:

In Asakusa: Marroad Inn has rooms starting at ¥5,800, or roughly $58.00.

In Ueno: Hotel New Ueno has rooms starting at ¥6,510, or roughly $65.00.

In Shinagawa: Ours Inn has rooms starting at ¥5,700, or roughly $57.00.

In Ikebukuro: Hotel Ohedo has rooms starting at ¥7,200, or roughly $72.00.

In Shinagawa: Shinagawa Prince Hotel has rooms starting at ¥6,200, or roughly $62.00.

In Asakusa: Agora Place Asakusa has rooms starting at ¥8,200, or roughly $82.00.

If you want to pay for a room that charges over $100 per night, that is your choice. Some people do want to bask in luxury. The Imperial Hotel (a short walk from the Godzilla statue in Hibiya) is one such hotel. It is a lot more upscale since Steve Martin stayed there in 1954. Another luxury hotel that immediately comes to mind is the Park Hyatt Hotel in Shinjuku that was featured in Lost In Translation.

By staying at a business or budget hotel, this'll free up money to spend on Godzilla toys or other goodies.

So, since there are affordable hotels in Tokyo, all you need (besides available cash) is your passport, plane ticket and a copy of The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan and you're good to go!