Area Guide

UENO
Ueno is a cheap but convenient area with a large range of budget hotels and ryokans. Attractions include the famous Ueno Park, the art galleries contained inside and near the park, and Ame-yoko, a cheap shopping area. Ueno station provides easy access to all parts of central Tokyo and direct trains to Narita Airport.

MINOWA
Located near Ueno is the working class area around Minowa and Minami-Senju stations. Some of the old flophouses have started to be converted into cheap hostels. If you don't mind a bit of grit, it can be a cheap area to stay, and even though there are not many restaurants or shops around, a short train ride will take you to Ueno, Akihabara and other parts of Tokyo

NIPPORI
Nippori station is located near Ueno in north-east Tokyo. It is on the Yamanote line which travels in a loop around central Tokyo. The station provides direct access to Narita Airport.

ASAKUSA
Asakusa shows visitors the older, traditional side of Tokyo in what used to be the downtown. Because it is such a popular area with tourists and because land prices are cheaper than the more fashionable parts of Tokyo, there are plenty of budget hotels, ryokans and hostels to be found. It is an interesting, convenient area to stay with lots of temples, shrines and traditional streets.

RYOGOKU
The sumo stadium and the Edo Museum are located here, next to the Sumida River. Ryogoku is only a couple of stops from Akihabara and Asakusa.

OCHANOMIZU & AKIHABARA
This is a student area, so cheap accommodation can be found. Ochanomizu is known for its street of musical instrument stores and is only 2 express stops from Shinjuku. It is also near Tokyo Dome. Jimbocho and Kanda are the bookstore areas and not far from Tokyo station. Near here is also Akihabara, the electronics, computer and anime area.

NIHONBASHI
The Nihombashi district in central Tokyo is not far from the Ginza and Tokyo station areas. Because this is an office area and central, a lot of cheap business hotels can be found around here.

GINZA
Ginza is a rather expensive shopping area in central Tokyo with large department stores and brand-name shops. Good restaurants can be found here, as can the kabuki theatre. Budget hotels in Ginza are limited but reasonably-priced accommodation can be found nearby in areas like Tsukiji, the location of the huge fish market.

TOKYO
Staying near Tokyo station can be noisy, but it's convenient for catching the shinkansen and getting to other parts of Japan. The Imperial Palace and the financial and up-market shopping district of Marunouchi are located here. Tokyo and Otemachi stations are connected by underground passageways. Above ground, Ginza is also within walking distance.

YOTSUYA
Yotsuya is surrounded by parks and provides easy access to Shinjuku, Ochanomizu and anywhere in Tokyo

SHINJUKU
For nightlife, shopping, convenience and all the neon Tokyo is famous for, Shinjuku is a good place to stay. However, it's also noisy and busy, and many of the budget hotels are located in Kabuki-cho, the red-light district.

SHIBUYA
Shibuya is a very crowded and exciting area. It's great for nightlife, shopping and restaurants. Near Shibuya are fashionable areas like Omotesando, Aoyama, Daikanyama and Ebisu. The youth fashion mecca of Harajuku is in walking distance. Meiji-jingu shrine and Yoyogi park are also nearby.

ROPPONGI
By night, Roppongi can be a sleazy area with lots of bars and nightclubs catering to the foreign crowd. By day, it's much nicer with new shopping and dining areas like Roppongi Hills and the Mori Art Museum. Nearby Akasaka, Hiroo and Azabu are expensive areas and a lot of the embassies are located around here. Most of the accommodation in this area is high-priced.

TOKYO TOWER
Around Tokyo Tower is a nice but expensive area. Hamamatsucho station is on the Yamanote line which travels in a loop around central Tokyo. It also provides direct access to Haneda airport by monorail.

IKEBUKURO
This is a large, busy station in northern Tokyo in a very built-up area. It is not far from Shinjuku and provides convenient transfer to other parts of Tokyo and Saitama.

SHINAGAWA
A busy, convenient business area with large hotels like the Shinagawa Prince which contains everything from karaoke to bowling to an aquarium.

OTHER AREAS
Other areas in and around central Tokyo which can still be convenient to stay.