Where to stay in Tokyo
Tokyo has no center. The district you drop your bags in decides your daily journeys far more reliably than the room rate does.
Last checked September 3, 2026
For a first visit, Shinjuku or Ueno: the connections are simplest there and the airport link is direct. To pay less and sleep somewhere quieter, Asakusa. Ryokan are rare in Tokyo itself, and what there is sits around Asakusa and Yanaka.
The districts of Tokyo
| District | Who it suits | What to expect | From the airport |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shinjuku | First visit, packed itinerary | The busiest station in the world, and the starting point for almost every line. Loud, dense, open late. | Narita Express direct, or coach from Haneda |
| Asakusa | Tight budget, older atmosphere | The Tokyo of before, with its craftsmen and the few ryokan the city has. Far from the business districts, which you pay for in subway minutes every morning. | Skyliner to Ueno, then five minutes by subway |
| Ueno | Late arrival, early departure to Narita | Skyliner terminus, next to the park and the Ameyoko market. Little nightlife. | Keisei Skyliner, about 40 min from Narita |
| Shibuya | Nights out and late dinners | Young and expensive. Very well served, but at the same price the room is smaller than elsewhere. | Direct coach from both airports |
Journey times are the operators' own, with no connection or waiting time, so check the day's timetable before you set off: night trains and airport buses run to a different grid.
Ryokan, business hotel or capsule in Tokyo
Ryokan
Rare in TokyoA handful of addresses in Asakusa and around Yanaka, and that is about it. The rate is per person, and dinner is not always served, unlike the mountain ryokan.
See ryokan in Tokyo on Trip.com →Business hotel
EverywhereA small clean room, two minutes from a station. The rate moves daily: this is the only kind of bed where waiting can bring the price down.
See hotels in Tokyo on Booking →Capsule hotel
CommonFor a night, not for a stay. Large suitcases stay in a locker, and floors are often single-sex.
See capsule hotels in Tokyo on Booking →Where to book
No single site shows all of Japan. We explain who gives access to what, and which one fits your case.
Which site to choose for your case →Two hotels at the same price can mean one extra connection every time you go out, morning and evening, for the whole trip. Check the lines before the price.
Accommodation tax: up to ¥200 (about $1) per person per night, depending on the room rate. The rates change on April 1, 2027: 3% of the nightly price, and nothing at all below ¥13,000 (about $83) per person. Last checked August 4, 2026 against the official source.
When ryokan and train bookings open
Tokyo is the city where waiting costs least: tens of thousands of rooms, and hotels that put nights back on sale until the last minute. The Asakusa ryokan, though, follow the calendar below.
| Stay | Ryokan | Trains |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 2026 | Feb 27 · open | Aug 1 · open |
| Oct 2026 | Mar 29 · open | Sep 1 · open |
| Nov 2026 | Apr 29 · open | Oct 1 · closed |
| Dec 2026 | May 29 · open | Nov 1 · closed |
| Jan 2027 | Jun 29 · open | Dec 1 · closed |
| Feb 2027 | Jul 30 · open | Jan 1 · closed |
| Mar 2027 | Aug 27 · open | Feb 1 · closed |
| Apr 2027 | Sep 27 · closed | Mar 1 · closed |
Last checked August 6, 2026. No guarantees: a single property can open a little earlier or later.
How the opening calendar works, and why an empty calendar is not a full one: inns here open their rooms about 6 months ahead, train seats go on sale exactly 1 month ahead, and nothing at all exists before those two dates. Search earlier and the page comes back blank.
Three things here sell out before you land, and each runs on its own calendar: Shibuya Sky, 14 days ahead , the Ghibli Museum, on the 10th , Tokyo Disney, priced by date and sumo, three of the six tournaments .
A night in a ryokan, an hour from Tokyo
Hakone is ninety minutes from Shinjuku, and it's where the ryokan with a hot-spring bath becomes the norm rather than the exception.
Ryokan in Hakone →Bookings for your dates open on a fixed date. We write that day.
Say you're after the cherry blossoms in April 2027: ryokan inns open around October. On the day, you get an email, you book, and it's done.
Tanuki Trip never books and never takes payment on your behalf, and the links to booking platforms on
this page are plain search links rather than partner links, so nothing here changes what you end up
paying or what we write about it.
You book it yourself, wherever you want.