Japan has a wide selection of hotels, hostels, guesthouses, and traditional ryokan and inns for travellers from all parts of the globe. Nightly rates vary from a couple of thousand yen for a bed in a dormitory type room to a hundred thousand yen for a five-star luxurious private room.
For a unique and unforgettable lodging experience in Japan, why not book a night or two at one of the weird and quirky accommodation options below?
Hotel Zebra
Housed in a building covered with zebra prints and neon lights and decorations, Hotel Zebra is a love hotel situated in the heart of Ikebukuro in Tokyo. It offers rooms with rainbow-lit bath tubs, karaoke machines, and other entertainments, at a rate of around 5,000 yen to 12,000 yen. It also has massage chairs, board games, and other equipment available for rent to ensure that couples checking in will have a comfortable and memorable stay.
To get there, take the JR Yamanote Line or Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line to Ikebukuro Station. The hotel is just three minutes away on foot.
For reservations and other inquiries, visit Hotel Zebra’s official website.
Book and Bed
If you like to read before going to bed, Book and Bed offers you opportunities to do just that even if you are many miles away from home. It is a hostel made up of 52 standard and compact beds surrounded by shelves and shelves of books. Rates per night start at around 5,000 yen, and guests can avail of free wi-fi, shared bathrooms and toilets, luggage storage, and unlimited access to a wide selection of books.
Located in Tokyo, it is a short walk from Ikebukuro Station, which is along the JR Yamanote Line and the Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line.
More information is available on Book and Bed’s official website.
Ooedo Onsen Monogatari
After a week of sightseeing and touring, walking about 30,000 steps per day, spending at least a night at Ooedo Onsen Monogatari should provide the comfort and relaxation that your body needs to recharge.
An onsen theme park located in Odaiba in Tokyo, it is home to a variety of natural hot spring baths that contain warm and therapeutic natural onsen waters. Moreover, it has numerous stalls where guests can have fun playing different carnival games and activities, shops that sell various kinds of Japanese sweets, snacks, and dishes, and facilities for body massage, foot refloxology, and fish therapy.
Open from 11 am til 9 am the next day, it is equipped with a large tatami room where people can eat or just chill, and a lounge with reclining chairs where guests can rest or sleep. Admission costs about 3,000 yen, and includes yukata for guests to wear while in the park and unlimited access to the baths.
To get there, take the Yurikamome Line to Telecom Center Station, and then walk two minutes to the onsen theme park entrance.
The Ooedo Onsen Monogatari website provides more information on attractions, onsen, rules, and others.
Net Maru
Internet cafes in Japan are often used as budget, last-minute accommodation options. If you missed the last train back to your hotel, you can look for an internet cafe close to the train station and just spend the night there. These days, though, this type of lodging has become a must-try for some travellers that are seeking for odd yet exciting adventures that no other place on earth can offer.
Net Maru is an internet cafe that has private rooms equipped with desks and desktop computers, cushioned floor chairs, and just enough space to stretch out and lie down for a few hours of sleep. For the price of about 2,000 yen, you can get a room to stay for 12 hours. It is equipped with shared toilets, showers, washers and dryers, coin lockers, and other facilities, and has locations in Tokyo and Osaka.
To get to Net Maru in Tokyo, take the JR Yamanote Line or Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line to Ikebukuro Station. The internet cafe is about a five-minute walk away. On the other hand, the Net Maru in Osaka is situated in the Dotonbori area, accessible on foot from Namba Station, which is along the Midosuji Line and the Yotsubashi Line.
Check out the Netmaru website to find out more about its facilities, services, rates, and others.
Benesse House
To experience Japan’s natural beauty and contemporary art culture at the same time, book a room at the Hotel Benesse House. Opened in 1992, it occupies a large complex that is composed of a number of facilities that ensure guests are not only comfortable and relaxed but also kept interested during their entire stay.
With a museum containing art pieces done by local and international artists, a park, a beach, a restaurant/cafe, a spa, and a shop, you will not run out of things to do. Depending on the season, the price of a deluxe twin room starts at around 50,000 yen.
Benesse House is located on Naoshima Island, which is accessible by ferry boats from Takamatsu Port in Takamatsu, Kagawa Prefecture or Uno Port in Tamano City, Okayama.
Visit the Benesse House official website for rates, events, reservations, and other information.
Nishiyama Onsen Keiunkan
Established in 705, Nishiyama Onsen Keiunkan is the oldest hotel in the world. It is said to have welcomed several Japanese historical icons, including Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first shogun and founder of the Tokugawa Shogunate (1600-1868), and Takeda Shingen, a powerful feudal lord of Kai Province during the Sengoku period or Age of Warring States (1467-1603).
Found at the base of Akaishi Mountains, surrounded by the thriving forests of Yamanashi Prefecture, it offers traditional-style Japanese rooms with views of the river, Mount Fuji, and the valleys and gorge; outdoor public and private baths with natural hot spring waters; and the great-tasting Mountain Kaiseki Banquet, which is a highly-rated dish made with only the freshest beef, vegetables, and other ingredients. Nightly rates start from 30,000 yen.
To get there, take the JR Minobu Line to JR Minobu Station, and then transfer to a bus to Nishiyama Hot Spring-mae.
For reservations and other inquiries, visit the Nishiyama Onsen Keiunkan website
