~$95–254 per person ¥15,000–40,000
Traditional inn: tatami floors, hot baths, and dinner usually served at a fixed time, chosen when you book rather than on the evening itself; priced per person rather than per room.
When to bookThe day booking opens, around 6 months out
All about ryokan inns
~$45–95 per room ¥7,000–15,000
A compact, functional room, always within a few minutes of a station, run by one of the national chains.
When to bookIt can wait. The price moves daily
All about business hotels
~$19–38 per person ¥3,000–6,000
For a night in transit, not for a stay. A large suitcase won't fit and goes to a locker, and floors are often single-sex.
When to bookA few days ahead is enough
All about capsule hotels
~$51–95 per person ¥8,000–15,000
The family-run version of a ryokan, simpler and cheaper. Mostly rural, and common along the walking routes.
When to bookEarly. There are very few rooms
All about minshukuJapanese sites and international ones, compared. See which site suits which trip
Shinjuku for the train connections, Asakusa for budget rooms and the few ryokan inns.
The home of the traditional ryokan, and the city that fills up earliest.
Onsen hot springs and half board. Here the ryokan is the norm, not the exception.
A business city, so rates peak midweek and drop on the weekend.
A small town with a tiny supply. Everything goes at festival time.
Few beds for a lot of visitors, and the gap shows the day booking opens.
You cross the center by tram, and sleeping on Miyajima is a separate decision.
Almost everyone comes for the day, and the hotel stock has settled around that.
A valley that climbs: the shrines at the bottom, the hot baths at the top.
The gateway to Kyushu, with affordable business hotels around Hakata station.
A hot-spring town, almost entirely ryokan inns, with seven public baths you walk between in a yukata robe.
A business city and a rail junction, rarely a destination in itself but a useful stop.
The last boat decides your evening, and a night on the island is priced per person.
Temples that put you up rather than ryokan inns, dinner included and an arrival time to keep.
The north shore for Mount Fuji at breakfast, but no shinkansen stops here.
Pick your month to see how crowded it gets.
Tanuki Trip never books and never takes payment on your behalf. You book it yourself, wherever you want. We tell you what to book and when.
End of step 4
Next stop: whether a rail pass pays for itself.
