Female Solo Traveler, where to stay

I'm planning a trip to Japan for this November for 12 nights and am planning to spend five of those nights in Tokyo. I'm very nervous as this is my first solo trip and want to make sure I choose to right area for me. I'm in my early 30s and am not interested in the big name brand stores nor clubs/bars. I just want to experience the culture and food mostly but I'd like to be able to see what it's like walking around at night.

In order to stay near the Yamanote Loop, I was thinking about staying at Tokyu Stay Shinjuku, Tokyu Stay Shibuya, or Tokyu Stay Ikebukuro. I'm choosing this chain of hotels because it is reasonable and they have a washer in the room. (I plan on packing very light.) I'm interested in yaoi stuff but Ike seems too far out from the rest of the tourist spots.

Which location would you recommend and why.

Thank you for your help!

Personally, I would stay in either the Tokyu Shinjuku or Ikebukuro, because I think they are more convenient to their respective stations. It's a 12-15 minute walk from the Tokyu Shibuya to Shibuya Station. It doesn't sound like a lot, but can be tiring after a day of sightseeing and shopping, especially with all your bags.

Since outside of shopping, you've not mentioned tourist spots you want to visit so it's unclear if Ikebukuro is the furthest from spots. If you're trying to get to Ueno, Ikebukuro will be the fastest, if Tokyo Station, Shinjuku, if Harajuku and Meiji Jingu, Shibuya. It sort of depends on what you are planning to do. Everyone has different taste in what areas of Tokyo they like to visit and stay in.

Good luck!

If staying for 5 consecutive nights, I would choose Shinjuku simply for more food options. There are more restaurants at each location you listed than you can eat in 5 days, but Shinjuku is much bigger than the others and there are just more options. I like trying different restaurants each meal, even if I find one I really like, for the new experience. And I like being able to walk back (and not take trains) to my hotel after the dinner, which may include few drinks.

I find Shinjuku a bit overpowering & have never wanted to stay there. I would probably choose Ikebukuro as it's slightly quieter but close to Shinjuku if you want to go there of an evening. You say it's too far out but with the Yamanote line it doesnt take long to get there. I also travel light & have to wash clothes regularly. I wouldnt worry about having a washer in the room. Every hotel I have stayed in has a coin laundry room on a floor and I use them.

For a total night life, shinjuku is the option, but can be expensive, i've always stayed at Ueno which is located on the Yamanote line, plenty of shops and food at cheap to reasonal price. As long as you are located near the Yamanote line, you have good access to majority of the areas, but take into consideration that the JR train and metro service end service just after midnight.

Thanks for all your suggestions.

I know I'll want to walk around, eat, and maybe pickup a few souvenirs in Shinjuku, Shibuya, Harujuku, and Ikebukuro. I plan on doing a lot of looking around at both Animate buildings.

I'm on a tight budget and it seems that its ballooning out of proportion since I also planned on visiting Kyoto and Osaka. With the seven day JR pass and cost of hotels at those two previously mentioned places I'm thinking about cutting the vacation down and stay in just Tokyo instead to save money. Yet, I feel like I'd be "wasting" my flight to go to Japan and visit only Tokyo.

I'm torn really. The hotels and JR pass is what is really getting my budget down. I've found reasonably priced rooms but when you add them up for so many days it really adds up! I do know that I want a private room and I've never had to share a bathroom/shower before...I'm not sure how I'd feel about that. I'm pretty shy but I'm hoping this trip will help with that some.

Single rooms in Tokyo has gone up during these few years, here is where i'm staying for a few day in december, you might not like it, but it's cheap and clean and location is good.

At Ueno price start from 5600 yen depending on the days, in the heart of Ameyoko market.

http://annex.hotel-marutani.com/

At Asakusa price 4500 yen, just a few minutes walk to Asakusa Tsukube station, one stop from from akihabara.

http://www.toukaisou.com/index.html

Both are individual rooms with toilet, bath tub and shower.

You would probably be able to save some money in hotels in Kyoto by sleeping in Osaka instead. That is what I did a few months ago. Hotels in Kyoto were outrageously expensive, so I stayed in Osaka and took the train every morning and evening. With the JR pass it didn't cost anything extra, and it doesn't take that much time either.

There's nothing wrong with just visiting Tokyo (with maybe a few day trips) for your first visit to Japan. There's plenty to see and do for however many weeks you're here, and you can always take day trips to places like Kamakura, Nikko and Hakone if you want to see some less urban sights for a few days.

You might look into staying someplace in central Tokyo that's not as crowded or expensive as Shibuya or Shinjuku - for example neighborhoods like Suidobashi, Yotsuya, Iidabashi, Ochanomizu and so on are filled with restaurants and are very centrally located, but less frenetic and more relaxing than the major hubs.

Even if you end up taking one or two after-midnight taxi rides from Shinjuku you'll still save money. And there are lots of business hotels that are cheaper than Tokyu Stay but still nice enough if you're on a budget - you'll certainly have your own bathroom, even if the room itself is small.

I really like Kyoto, I go to Osaka to see friends, why do *YOU* want to go to Kyoto and Osaka? Because you feel obligated or is there something you really want to do there? Do you feel like you want to add something more "cultural" to your trip?

One easy and cheaper solution is a day trip to Kamakura which is not that hard from anywhere on the Yamanote-line. You could also look into a Hakone free-pass or Nikko free-pass and do a 2-3 day trip to one of those locations.

I would make sure to include how much you want to spend on souvenirs on your trip since it sounds like you're planning a lot of shopping. (and there is no shame in that! I mostly visit Tokyo to see friends and shop too, this is mostly so you think about finances and how you are going to get your loot home. ) Some hotels do offer a discount for long term stays and as Stan pointed out, most business class hotels offer coin op laundry. It's fairly common. Maybe price some more hotel options? I can understand wanting a private bath, I'm over shared bathrooms unless it's an onsen (because onsen!), but I have no qualms doing coin-op laundry outside my room. I do like to keep my hotel convenient to a station. I'd google map anywhere I want to stay because hotel websites can be a bit deceiving. In general, Ikebukuro and Ueno are cheaper to stay in than Shinjuku and Shibuya.

You really made me think about why I want to go to Kyoto and Osaka, thanks.

I think Kyoto because I want to visit a place that isn't so "all-city;" where it's more calming as as atmosphere. I also think it would be fun to see all the old-Japan type architecture.

For Osaka, honestly, I want to check out Dotonbori just one night and eat some amazing food. I'd also like to walk along the bridge/river-walk there. I play a lot of the PS3/4 game series, Yakuza, and I think it would be an experience just to see the place live since I've been there in the game so much.

This trip is supposed to be kind of like a, how do you say, mid-life crisis trip I guess. I've loved anime/manga for years now and have wanted to go so badly. I've having real issues w/ my job and what I want to do with my life so I thought a trip to somewhere I really wanted to go to get away from it all and experience a new culture would help get me out of my head so much.

This is why I want somewhere other than the city only so I can have some space to just "be" with my surroundings and nature...to contemplate things. Any areas near Tokyo that would fit that requirement?

I'm hoping to save enough miles to go next year to Japan as well, but it would have to be a quick week trip. I want to really be able to slow down since I have the opportunity to go longer this November, if the budget lets me.

I want to stress, I really like Kyoto. But... it still has a lot of big city to it. It has beautiful areas, but unless you are staying in said area it will feel like a big city at times , especially since those areas can get crowded with tourists. Last trip I stayed in Gion and I loved it in the morning when everything was quiet and empty still, by later in the day everything was busier. And unlike a PP, I found I could get a nicer hotel room for my money in Kyoto vs. Osaka. If you want to feel like you are getting away, look more at Nara near Kyoto and Osaka or Kamakura near Tokyo.

Have you looked at discount airfares like Peach or JetStar and Skymark? I've not flown any of them but I have friends who have. I've seen fares as low as 4000 yen to KIX and even if you need to takyuubin your bag that is 6000 yen one way. A lot of my JET friends use to do night buses as well. I'm too old and cranky, but if you're trying to save money, they're definitely an option. I just know I don't want to be on a bus all night.

I guess you need to decide if the cost of getting between Tokyo and Kansai is worth it and only you can decide that. Kamakura, Hakone and Nikko will all be calming and Kamakura will definitely give you some of that old time traditional Japanese architecture. Dotombori is only in Osaka. I'm not a gamer, so I don't have any sort of thrill visiting it. I just find it crowded and unpleasant, but I know I am in the minority on that. I go to Osaka to see friends and shop. If all my friends left Osaka I would skip it and just shop in Tokyo.

Hakone and Nikko are definitely more countryside. I happen to really like onsen. It took me a while to get over my fear of being naked with strangers but now they are one of my favorite things. I find them very relaxing. If it's not a week end and super crowded, Yunessun is a lark and allows bathing suits. The last few times I've gone, on week days when most people are working it has been much quieter.

Yep, check out the bus https://blog.gaijinpot.com/guide-traveling-japan-cheap-highway-buses/
I've never done one, but they certainly look a lot better than any bus on offer in my home country!

If you want relaxation and countryside, why not head to a mountain hot spring place for a couple of nights? There's loads of choice. If budget is an issue, and you can't find a cheap ryokan, then a minshuku may be what you're looking for.

I've looked at the local airlines to fly to Osaka/Kyoto instead and the only one available during my dates is pretty expensive at ~$190 round trip. To use my airline miles efficiently I have to fly out of the same city I arrive in, so I sadly cannot arrive in NRT/HND and leave via KIX.

The big things I wanted to see in Kyoto are the Bamboo Garden and the Fushimi-Inari shrines. I've heard both are a sight you don't want to miss if you're traveling all the way to Japan anyway.

I know if I skip Kyoto/Osaka this trip and cut it shorter I'd save money since I wouldn't get the 7-day JR pass. Yet, if I go next year it'll have to be a world wind of probably 3-4 days Tokyo and 3-4 days Kyoto/Osaka.

The decisions are so hard while balancing budget. I just don't want to regret staying in and around Tokyo only and cutting my days short in order to save money when I'm spending so many miles to get there in the first place. /sigh, decisions, decisions.

Not to be awful but $190 is still less than the $254 it would cost for a Rail Pass. That's $60, and you don't necessarily need to lose all that money either because there are 1000 yen buses to/from the airports. But like Winter Visitor said, the highway buses are the most economical method to get between Tokyo and Kansai.

Ive been to Fushimi Inari once. It was nice? I was going to go back this past trip but my daughter got sick so our plans got readjusted. I don't feel like she is suffering because she hasn't seen that particular site in Japan. It's cool, but there are a lot of cool and interesting things and it is impossible to do them all on one trip.

The bamboo forest in Arashiyama is nice... you can experience something similar in Kamakura.

Kyoto is super popular and super touristy. As you said, everyone says you need to visit Fushimi Inari, which means unless you go super early or super late it is going to be crowded.

One thing I've noticed, Tokyo hotels tend to raise their rates on Friday and Saturday and Kyoto hotels don't. I don't know when you're arriving but if you decide you do want to do Kansai or overnight in Hakone or Nikko, see if they have better week end rates? I tend to use Booking, Rakuten and the actual hotel websites to compare prices. I like that Booking and Rakuten tend to include all taxes in their prices.

Here's one thought, you could always do the Tokyo area extensively for 12 days this trip (overnight in Hakone or Nikko or even Kamkura) and then for your second trip just do Kansai. I did a trip that was only Kansai once.

Budget tips from a budget-minded traveler (this is actually how I travel Japan):

1. Stay at Toyoko Inn where ever possible. [a] Becoming a member on your first check-in gets you 5% off on all M-Sat stays and 20% off on Sundays, membership fee is only 1500 yen; [b] After 10 stays in single rooms you get one night free, to maximize this benefit take this free room offer on M-Sat (avoid Sundays if possible, see [a] for reason why); [c] You get free breakfast. Coin laundry is available near the lobby. Rooms are small, but always clean. They just opened a brand new branch near Tokyo Station, Tokyo-eki Yaesu Kitaguchi. A single room is less than 8000 yen in Tokyo. https://www.toyoko-inn.com/eng/index.html

2. Buy the 72-hr subway pass(es) for transportation needs within Tokyo. Buy it at the airport. Available in 48 & 24 hour increments, too. http://www.tokyometro.jp/en/ticket/value/travel/index.html

3. JR Pass is not worth the cost if you are going only to Kyoto. Express buses are cheaper, but it takes about 8 hours to get from Tokyo to Kyoto. To ride the bullet train Shinkansen (which you want to experience at least once) economically, buy the non-reserved ticket and board it at Tokyo Station. Non-reserved seats are about 5000 yen cheaper, and they are good and clean quality seats. The reason I board at Tokyo Station is because these trains originate at Tokyo Station and all seats are empty when the doors open at Tokyo. If you board at the next stop Shinagawa, most of the seats may already have been taken. Traveling solo, I have never failed to obtain a seat in non-reserved section by boarding at Tokyo Station (not sure if it works during major holidays).

4. In Kyoto, buy the 500 yen all-day bus pass. I hear the price is going up to 600 next March, but it is still a good deal.

I can't speak for #1, where someone wants to stay is a personal decision.

#2 I don't know I don't think when I am in Tokyo I go through 1200 yen in 48 hours or even 800 yen in 24. I think you need to take a lot of subways to get there and depending on where you are going to the subway is not the best. The subway can be great, but I don't always want to do several transfers depending on where I am trying to get. I also think depending on what sort of anime goods OP is interested she is going to spend a lot more time at various shops than she thinks. The Mandarakes in Shibuya and Nakano and Ikebukuro can be huge time sucks. I was vainly attempting to track down a toy on day in Tokyo, and while I went to quite a few places, I doubt I made that 800 yen threshold just because it takes time to look places!

#3, I think PP is confused. The fee for reserving a seat on a shinkansen is 300-800 yen not 5000 yen. Sure you will save 300-800 yen each way and have no problem getting a non-reserved seat from Tokyo and probably from Kyoto for your non-reserved seat as well, but it is not going to save you 5000 yen each way. I am not sure how you got that 5000 yen amount.

#4 if the two places you want to visit most are Fushimi Inari and the bamboo in Arashiyama you do not need a bus pass and neither is particularly easy to get to via bus. If you want to visit Kinkakuji, Ninnanji, Kitano Tenman-gu, and lots of other temples and shrines, sure buses are great, but Arashiyama, Fushimi Inari and Tofukuji are a few of the only places readily accessible from JR.

Thank you so much, everyone, for your help! It is very much appreciated.

There are quite a few things that I did not think about previously, such as why I truly want to go somewhere and the amount of time lost by just looking around in shops. I'm a big window shopper too and I never considered how long it may take just to go through one large store plus everything is new and exciting so I'll want to look at each and every thing probably.

I've taken a hard look at my budget and thought about what everyone had said, especially about going certain places just because most say it is a "must see." I think I was trying to pack too much into this one trip and stay in prime locations and my budget just could not handle it.

I've decided on an 11 night stay in Japan (really 10 considering the plane arrives in the evening Japan time). The plan so far is to stay in Ikebukuro, near the station, for five nights, then go to Nikko and stay there for two nights, after that I'd come back to Tokyo and stay another four nights. I don't want to feel rushed through shops and places and I may want to just sit and relax for a bit at a park or something. I'm going to skip the JR Pass completely which will save a little chunk of change. The next trip (hopefully next year if I'm very lucky) I'll do maybe 3 days Tokyo, 4 Days Kyoto w/ a day/night trip to Osaka.

Glad to be of help and hope going to Japan really gives you a chance to think about things. I know you will have a wonderful time.

And yeah, stores in Japan can be small, but they are so packed with stuff and they can be a much bigger time suck than you would think. I always wish we had 1 more day in Tokyo to get more shopping done lol I have to just buy things when I see them and not try to go back.

There are lots of fannish events throughout the year as well (to add to the time suck.) I use to regular attend Doll Show. Last trip we ran into a huge cosplay event in Ikebukuro by accident.

Now that I've ironed out that I'll mostly stay in Tokyo w/ some day trips and a sudden decision to stay in Nikko for two nights since it was cheaper than weekend rates in Tokyo, I'm still mulling over which neighborhood to stay at in Tokyo.

I've heard so many different opinions of staying in West or East Ikebukuro that I'm just stuck. Some say its a little seedy and worse than Shinjuku for foreign women walking alone and others say it's just fine. None of the hotels below are inside of Romance Street in Ikebukuro and I don't drink or party and don't plan to stay up beyond midnight/1am walking the streets. I'm considering a few hotel options such as:
Tokyu Stay Shinjuku
Tokyu Stay Shibuya
Tokyu Stay Ikebukuro
The B Ikebukuro, Hote
Resol Ikebukuro
Hotel New Star Ikebukuro
New Star Ikebukuro
APA Hotel Sugamo Ekimae (Ike)
Hotel Tateshina (Ike)
Hotel MyStays Higashi-Ikebukuro

Has anyone stayed in these or know about them? From when I want to stay (for 9 nights total) I could save anywhere around $150-$250 total choosing Ikebukuro over Shibuya or Shinjuku. I know that doesn't sound like a lot of money, but this was an unexpected get-away so I didn't really save for it. My S.O. is very worried about me staying somewhere unsafe or somewhere sketchy and be scared out of my wits walking around at night near the hotel. lol

Sorry, I have so many questions!