Earthquake! While You're In The Bath

 Above, a bathtub in a Tokyo business hotel. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

During my 8 travels to Japan, I have experienced a few tremors while in Tokyo. Thankfully, they were relatively minor ones (around 3.0 on the Richter scale).

But what if a major one hits and it hits while one is in a bath? 

Time Out Tokyo has an article on what to do when an earthquake hits while you're in the bath.

They begin it with:

Japan is no stranger to earthquakes, experiencing about 200 per year with a shindo (intensity) rating of level 1 or more. If you’ve spent a lot of time here, you’re probably used to the tremors that punctuate everyday life in Tokyo. For bigger quakes, the basic safety tips are simple, but have you ever worried about an earthquake hitting at an inconvenient moment? Like while you’re taking a bath? 

To be honest, we hadn’t either, but after seeing these safety tips from online bath accessory retailer Bathlier, we haven’t been able to get the idea out of our heads. Not to worry, though – Bathlier says there are just five steps to remember to ensure you can bathe with confidence again.

To read more, go here. 

How Much Does A Japanese Business Hotel Cost?

Above, the Dormy Inn in Niigata. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

If a foreign traveler to Japan is on a strict budget and needs to find accommodations that is inexpensive, a Japanese business hotel is something to consider. I have stayed at a few over the years. On average, I've paid around ¥5,000 to ¥7,500 per night for a single room.

City-Cost.com has an article explaining what a Japanese business hotel is, features and costs. Some business hotels are a part of hotel chains, such as the Dormy Inn hotel chain, while others are private and non-corporate.

It begins with:

The ‘business hotel in Japan’ is something of an institution. An ever-present on the Japanese hotel scene, business hotels are the default selection for locals overnighting on a tight budget, their own or the company’s. Not exclusively the realm of the Japanese business person (salaryman / office lady), these hotels can make for a decent accommodation option for tourists and travelers of any shape, size, and nationality. You may also hear them referred to as ‘city hotels’, as predominantly, although not exclusively, this is where they are to be found, usually within easy walking distance of a train station. When considering the question, ‘How much does it cost to stay in a business hotel in Japan?, one also needs to clarify one’s own definition of a ‘business hotel’. In Japan, these places are synonymous with basic, no-frills functionality. This is not 5-star territory.  

 To read more, go here.

Foreign Visitors Discovering Japan's Business Hotels and Hostels

Above, a typical single room at the Tsukuba Hotel. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

With increasing numbers of foreign tourists flocking to Japan, the resulting demands for accommodations are putting strains on the Japanese hotel industry. But, foreign tourists are discovering Japanese business hotels and hostels.

The Japan Times reported:

With the drastic increase in tourism, the lack of lodging in the nation’s biggest cities, particularly Tokyo and Osaka, is providing a major opportunity for those running two types of accommodations: “business hotels” and hostels. 

Japan’s so-called business hotels are known for offering simpler rooms at more affordable prices than typical hotels. While they were traditionally patronized by budget-minded Japanese businessmen, frugal international travelers have caught on and are now among their major patrons in bustling Tokyo. 

Hostels, on the other hand, are not familiar to many Japanese but are frequented by foreigners on shoe-string budgets searching for something beyond the ordinary hotel experience.

The only business hotel I've stayed in while in Tokyo (in 2005 and 2014) was the Tsukuba Hotel in the Ueno section of the city. The rooms are tiny (I had a work cubicle about the same size as the main room), but the prices were very reasonable. The rooms were a tight squeeze, especially with my big suitcase. The only window in the room was in the bathroom.

Above, a different view of a single room at the Tsukuba Hotel. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

To read more, go here. 

Japan's Business Hotel Alternative

Above, the Tsukuba Hotel, a business hotel in the Ueno section of Tokyo. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

For those of you who are considering a trip to Japan, but feel you cannot afford to stay at a hotel. Well, Japan has many options on accommodations, including the business hotel

Gaijinpot.com has an article on business hotels that prospective tourists should take a look into.

They begin with:

Visitors to Japan face a myriad of options for temporary accommodations. You could attempt to emulate the experience of Bill Murray in Lost in Translation by staying at the high end Park Hyatt in Shinjuku or splurge on a traditional Japanese ryokan which may cost ¥25,000/person/night (but typically includes two meals), go the budget route of staying at a capsule hotel for only ¥2000/night or even try your luck at one of the ubiquitous “love hotels” (best done with a fellow traveler!). 

While all of these would provide a unique experience and are, therefore, certainly recommended, where should you stay if you plan to visit the country on business and want a reliable, no frills hotel but don’t want to break the bank? The answer is to do what the locals do and book yourself into what’s simply called a “business hotel” to enjoy a terrific value. Business hotels are, by the way, not just for business, although don’t expect a pool!

To read more, go here. 

Latest Blog Post Pick-ups

The fine folks at The Japan Daily have picked up three of today's blog posts for sharing with their readers.

They are:

To read The Japan Daily, go here.

Japan's Business Hotels Targeting Foreign Guests

Above, the Dormy Inn in Niigata. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Japan's business hotel operators see opportunities in the current surge of foreign tourism. Several operators are upgrading their current hotels or building new ones to meet the expected demand as the 2020 Tokyo Olympics gets nearer.

According to Nikkei Asian Review:

TOKYO -- Japanese business hotel operators are trying to attract more foreign guests by upgrading their facilities or building new ones. 

Greens, which operates 50 business hotels nationwide under the Comfort Hotel brand through a franchise agreement with a U.S. company, will open its first new hotel in five years this autumn. 

TKP, a company that leases conference rooms, plans to open 10 business hotels by 2017, mostly in urban areas. 

Kyoritsu Maintenance, operator of the Dormy Inn chain of business hotels, will in fiscal 2015 set up a new hotel brand that takes traditional Japanese aesthetics as its theme.  

Another company, Fujita Kanko, will in April begin fully renovating the main building of its flagship Shinjuku Washington Hotel.

I've stayed at a Dormy Inn in Niigata in 2010 and at a Washington Hotel In Nagasaki in 2007. Both were nice places to stay and their prices were very reasonable.

To read more, go here. 

Six Tokyo Business Hotels

Above, the Skytree. One of the listed hotels has a view of the tower. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

My preferred hotel in Tokyo is the Hotel Asia Center of Japan. It has nice rooms, laundry, free bottled water and a nice restaurant with western or Japanese-style breakfasts. It is also centrally located in Tokyo and near the Ginza Subway Line.

Unfortunately, the hotel was fully booked during the time I was to be in Japan in February. So, I decided to stay at the Tsukuba Hotel in Ueno. I was familiar with the Tsukuba Hotel as I stayed there in 2005. But, I have since decided that I will need to find more reasonably-priced hotels in Tokyo, in case I run into the problem of a fully-booked Hotel Asia Center of Japan, to use as back-ups.

Rocket News 24 has a December 2011 article on six business hotels in Tokyo that may be worth a look into.

Keep in mind that the prices have changed, with or without the recent hike in the consumption tax (8%) and the current foreign exchange rate of the dollar (which is much better than when the article was written). I will be doing a blog article on budget or business hotels with more up-to-date prices soon. This will give you an idea on some budget hotels, what they look like and charge.

The article begins with:

When deciding to travel in Japan we are faced with a rather large assortment of hotels that don’t exist in our home countries, one of which is the “business hotel”. The label of business hotel may conjure up images of the infamous “capsule hotels” for some, while for other’s it may have the sense of a dank, narrow, room that was occupied by the cast of Mad Men. I suspected such things at first until, in an effort to save money, I bit the bullet and tried a few out. 

I can now confidently say that despite their label, business hotels are actually rather comfy – some of them downright elegant! 

These hotels don’t skimp on the amenities. For instance, it wouldn’t be hard to find a business hotel that offers air conditioning, humidifier, or even an air purifier. Most have fairly spacious bathrooms and offer a complimentary breakfast. Even if you are just looking for a place to have a brief romantic rendezvous, a business hotel can be a cheaper alternative to a dingy motel or robotic love hotel. 

Let’s take a look at 6 prime business hotels that can be found in the Tokyo area. All hotels charge rates less than 3,500 yen (US$44.80) per person when two people are staying in the room at a rate of 7,000 yen total ($89.60).

 To read the full article, go here.