How to Save Money on Hotels in Japan

Hotels are often one of the highest expenses of any trip, if not the most expensive. Depending on your length of stay in Japan, this can add up quickly.

However, for those wanting to be more frugal and save money where they can, Japan has plenty of options for cheap and comfortable stays that help keep the cost down. Here’s how you can save money on hotels in Japan.

Book as early as you can

Booking early ensures that you are getting some of the best deals on your stay. Hotel room pricing is most commonly priced by supply and demand. Those booking closer to their intended stay have less supply but potentially higher demand. If you book early, hotels will have plenty of supply, and not much demand yet.

Aim to book at least 3 months in advance, but if you can, do even more. Some hotels will let you book almost a year in advance. Booking early is one of the easiest ways to get the best deal.

Stay at Guesthouses

Guesthouses are the Japanese equivalent of a western backpacker style hostel. Cheap rooms, basic amenities, and options for private or shared room options. You will likely not have your own toilet or shower in your room, but if you don’t mind having shared space with others, then these can save you a lot.

For a cheap, but comfortable stay, try to find a guesthouse with your own private room. Dormitory style rooms are very common, but most guesthouses will have a few private rooms. Some will even have their own bathroom if you are really lucky. However, for the sake of a shared kitchen space, you can save quite a bit compared to other hotels.

Stay at Business Hotels

Business hotels are also great places to stay when you are travelling on a budget. A Japanese business hotel are often more basic than your standard western hotel. Their purpose is to cater more towards people travelling on business who don’t need much more than a bed to sleep on and a hot shower. The rooms are typically compact with not a huge amount of spare space.

However, for a tourist who will be spending their day exploring the city, rather than relaxing in their hotel room, then a business hotel is all you need. They typically range anywhere from $50-125 USD per night, and are a reasonably comfortable stay for 1-2 travelers that can be quite affordable.

APA Hotels are a common hotel chain in Japan. Even in busy cities, you can still find these hotels for cheap. While the rooms aren’t spacious, they are pretty comfortable with the neecessary ammenities to stay a few nights. With hotels all around the country, these are great stays for an affordable price.

Try out capsule hotels

Capsule hotels are a unique way to stay. You are given a small capsule or a pod to sleep in that has the bare minimum. Simply put your luggage in a secure place, find your pod, and get some rest. These capsule hotels can be cheap, with prices sometimes as low at $15 USD.

Capsule hotels might not have all the amenities that everyone is used to having, but for those used to bare bones travelling, then capsule hotels may be a great way for you to save on your trip to Japan.

Overnight buses between cities

If you are heading between Tokyo and Osaka, or even further, then overnight buses may be an option for you to stretch you money further. Combining both transport and hotel fees into one, with overnight buses typically costing anywhere between $40-$70 USD. For comparison, a Bullet train ticket from Tokyo and Osaka costs around 100 USD – then you have to find a place to stay.

If you are looking for a bargain, and can sleep just about anywhere, then overnight buses might work for you.

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Stay just outside the main city

A really good way to save a lot of money on your hotel bill, is just staying slightly outside of the area you want to be, and take the train or bus where you want to go. For instance, rather than staying near Tokyo Station, where you can find hotels for an average of $500+ USD per night, stay two stations up the train line in Akihabara, where hotel prices drop to between $75-150 per night.

As long as there is a direct and easy train connection to where you want to be going, then you can easily cut your hotel bill significantly. Just check out this map below. Input your dates, where you want to stay, and see a range of hotels and their prices.

Recommended Hotels

We’ve travelled all around Japan to find content for you. And as such, we’ve stayed in our fair share of hotels around Japan. Here are some places we’ve stayed, without breaking the bank.