[Janice D. Soderling]

I have a ticket for Tokyo in late November. The Hi Hostel is full.

Does anyone have experience of the city or is able and willing to suggest accommodations. I'm not picky, just no party hostel. Nothing fancy, I just need a bed, clean, quiet; a dorm is fine.

I can even travel out of the city to a smallish town or countryside place. I haven't been in Japan before, so all suggestions and advice are welcomed.

[Orwn Acra]

You don't want to sleep outside the city: it is far too sprawling. It takes two hours by taxi to get from the main airport to the city center (unless I misremember, it was a long time ago). We stayed at the Tokyo Princess which seems to have undergone several renovations as well as a sex change (it is now the Tokyo Prince).

Have you checked Airbnb?

I stayed at an Airbnb one night in Budapest and discovered a hidden camera in a vase on the shelf above my bed, a situation I found far more delightful than disturbing. Among the amusing events it recorded was my spilling a glass of wine all over the white walls, my wiping the wall with a ferocity that cleared the wall of both wine and paint so as to strip the drywall of its covering (a comical recursion of events with my eye now voyeuristically scanning the exposed gypsum), my frantic probing the insides of various cabinets for a paintbrush and paint, and my painting.

[Max Goodman]

Airbnb may be the cheapest bet. There's a also a convincing case to be made that its existence drives up locals' rents, reducing supply as long-term rentals become short-term Airbnb rentals. (What the situation is in Tokyo, I don't know.)

Have a great trip, Janice!

[Orwn Acra]

Originally Posted by Max Goodman

Airbnb may be the cheapest bet. There's a also a convincing case to be made that its existence drives up locals' rents, reducing supply as long-term rentals become short-term Airbnb rentals. (What the situation is in Tokyo, I don't know.)

Yes. I am not sure what to think of Airbnb. It was useful in Hungary when I had to find a cheap place last minute, but in New York I had luggage stolen by some bnb'rs renting a room in the building (the tenants would leave their baggage in an alcove in the hallway since we trusted each other to not take it). It can be disruptive.

[Michael Cantor]

I have a great deal of experience and information about Tokyo, but to say it is ridiculously dated would be an understatement. I lived there from '63 to '65, and spent two to three months a year (in numerous trips of two weeks or so) through '80 - and, except for a couple of brief trips in the 80's, that's it. I can still function in Japanese with a (put on) heavy Tokyo accent, but I'm less than useless on specifics.

What I can tell you is that Tokyo is (or at least was) closer to Los Angeles than New York or Paris in physical layout. There is no single heart of the city. There are many neighborhoods, fairly widely separated, but with superb metro service. The Maranouchi-ku line is the main line which runs in a rough circle around the city, and the Chiyoda-ku line bisects the circle, running from Tokyo station in the south to Shinjuku (it was real sharp and "inside" to refer to it as "juku" in 1964 - now it's probably equivalent to "hubba-bubba) in the north. Ideally, you locate within the Maranouchi line, but I also suspect that may be very pricey. (And Orwn is right about the sprawling city - if financial circumstances force you outside the city, make sure you're near a train line.)

Each one of the main stops on the train lines - Tokyo, Chiba, Harajuku, Shinjuku, Roppongi, Akasaka, Asakusa, etc - is a city within itself, and fascinating to stroll. But walking from center to center can be lengthy and not all that interesting. I suspect your visit will include a lot of walking - and a lot of train riding. Or you may find one corner of the city - hopefully, the one where you're staying - that you fall in love with and spend most of your time there.

When I was there (and I gather it's still true, although not to the same extent) the part of the city to the west of the Chiyoda-line was far more
westernized, and was where almost all the visitors stayed. The eastern half was older, more residential, much more Japanese in style and feeling. (The geisha who flits in an out of a number of the poems in my book was from Yanagibashi, a classic entertainment district in the older part of the city. ) The center of the more traditional activity in the older part of the city is Asukusa, I gather it has become more open to foreigners in the past fifty years, and I have the feeling that you might have a better change of finding your kind of accommodations there.

Good luck. And if you meet any ex-geishas or cabaret hostesses in their seventies or eighties be sure to pass on my regards. You never can tell.

[Janice D. Soderling]

I'm not all that keen on Airbnb or Ûber and that sort of deal.

But via my airline SAS I've found a "capsule room for female" and I've booked and paid that. Should a better alternative turn up, I can unbook and get a refund. At least I have a bed.

I'm an old backpacker and my preference worldwide is always HI hostels (Hostelling International) where I am a member. The HI hostels in New York and in Boston this past spring were super-duper and I highly recommend them.

I saw there were rooms available this month at HI Tokyo and took for granted that since November was so far away it wouldn't be a problem. But alas, when I went to book, only male dorms had available beds. There must be some kind of female conference scheduled in Tokyo at that time.

I've slept in some pretty weird places including a tree house in Canada, a former schoolhouse on an island in the Baltic, a cell in an former prison, an active nunnery, a desanctified church in Scotland, an old military fortress, tents and boats and rooftops, and a sleeping bag under the stars in the Mojave complete with a visiting bear in the middle of the night. Not yet encountered any hidden cameras, Walter, but thank for the tip. I'll keep an eye out.

Stockholm in late summer. Nothing quite like it. This sailing ship will house me a few nights next week. (Check out the film ijust above the top photo, then book a ticket for Stockholm! With SAS!)

http://www.svenskaturistforeningen.s...n-Ship/Photos/

Consider this thread open for further suggestions, including what to see and do. I'm flexible.

[Janice D. Soderling]

Crossposted with Michael.

Good luck. And if you meet any ex-geishas or cabaret hostesses in their seventies or eighties be sure to pass on my regards. You never can tell.

That made my day!

[ross hamilton hill]

Airbnb is really worth considering, I wouldn't have chosen it but my daughter insisted and it was great, made all the difference to my stay in London.

[Marcia Karp]

Kramer might claim that the capsule rooms were his idea.

How alive and adventurous you are, Janice.