Accommodation Options in Japan: Hostels and More

A year and a half ago I went to Japan. Since it was not my first trip to Japan, I decided to travel on my own. In fact, I pointed my finger at the map at random and ended up in Kyoto. So I went to see the Golden Temple.

Options for accommodation
Overnight accommodations in Japan are quite difficult. If you don't have friends in a particular place, you probably can't get a free place to stay. Or for less than $10 U.S. dollars. Although even this amount seems suspicious: I'll explain why below.

Often even close friends can't take you in, because most Japanese have very small apartments. If anyone knows what I mean they resemble our small apartments converted from former dormitories. I used to live in one. As I joked at the time, I even had a shower in the closet.

It's even more complicated in Japan. There, the bed can be positioned right above the shower. The latter is a basin separated by a curtain.

Families who live in separate houses are another matter. There's usually more space. I was lucky. I know people like that in Japan, but not in Kyoto. So there was only one option left: renting a place to live. I couldn't find an apartment for a decent price, and hotels were too expensive, too. So I settled on the hostel option.

Price and quality
I started from the fact that I would go to the hostel only for rest, so I decided to save money. It turned out - not in vain, though had to put out for the night almost 20 dollars.

The hostel was located on the outskirts of some street. It was a one-story building, rather gray for Japan. But from the inside it was quite nice.

As my friends told me, the Japanese believe that everyone should live in a certain comfort. So even the cheapest housing options have not only a comfortable place to sleep, warm futons and a separate shower room with free hygiene products. There are more "extras" that can be considered a kind of gesture of hospitality.

For example, some always have water, coffee and tea readily available. Others offer something like a buffet twice a day. In my case, it was just the latter option. I must say, the food there is very good. But the assortment is poor. Nothing has changed in four days.