Where to stay in Tokyo, Gotanda or Asakusa?

My husband and I are going to japan next october. It is our third time in japan and we are planning to stay in Tokyo for 15 days and try to take a more relaxed trip.

We wanted to stay in an airbnb, but the main problem is that almost the 80% of the airbnbs were delisted on june 1 because a new regulation in Japan. I really worried because 15 days in a hotel are going to be really expensive, also you get more space for the same money in an airbnb.

Right now, looking in airbnb to the many less options available, there are 2 stay options about the same price. One is in Asakusa (Near Tawaramachi Station) and the other is in Gotanda (Near Takanawadai Station).

We don't know which one is better for our stay. In our last trips we didn't stay around these neigbourhoods and don't know what to expect. Also, I'm worried that both are kind of far away from the yamanote line and we are going to have some days the JR pass. Also I don't want to be so far away of all the tourist places in Tokyo.

Where is the best place to stay between these two?

If your usage of the JR pass is dependent on being able to use the Yamanote line you clearly shouldn't be getting a JR pass. It's for long distances.

Like the post above stated, you shouldn't be using a Japan rail pass just for central Tokyo or nearby area's, its a total waste. Also I wouldn't call Asakusa far, direct train to Akihabara, a two stops train ride to Ueno which is on the main loop.

Gotanda is on the Yamanote Line.
Asakusa is not well served by JR trains, but it is by the subway.

I'm going to stay for 4 weeks and a half in Japan, but only the las 15 days in tokyo.
We are going to buy the JR pass for 21 days (for travel around the contry) and have 5 days of JR pass in Tokyo. That is why I want to stay close to the Yamanote, or at least the closest to.

You may have 5 days of JR Pass in Tokyo, but any savings it gives you is going to be negligible. I still wouldn't let it influence where I stay.

Can you change your itinerary so that you can use the 14 day pass and save even more money? A 21 day pass with 5 days in Tokyo seems to be a waste....

Thank you for your answers!

Actually, I'm looking for opinions about the neighbourhoods, not the fact that I'm going or not to buy the JR pass.

Which one are the best overall and not to far away from the main areas (shibuya, shinjuku,...)

In my last trips I only used the Jr trains, is the tokyo subway a good option?

Fine, I thought I'd suggest a money-saving option, but that's okay. Is the subway a good option? Well, it is if it's your only option from both of your suggested places.... You'll have to take the subway no matter which place you choose.

I use the subway pass every visit. https://www.tokyometro.jp/en/ticket/travel/index.html

It depends on where you stay and visit. Study the route map and figure out if subway serves your needs.

One thing to be careful of subways is that entrance to a station is not clear sometimes - it's not as visible as a surface train station. And sometimes with smaller stations, entrances are separate depending on which direction (e.g., west vs. east bound) you want to go.

I don't know Gotanda but I have stayed in Asakusa a few times & it is very pleasant. It does get quiet remarkably early in the evening so if you are after nightlife somewhere else might be better. I really enjoyed having Sensoji pretty much to myself in the mornings. I would happily stay there again.

Agree. Asakusa is a great area to stay. Lots of character. Pleasant riverside park. One of the big two temple/shrines in Tokyo and as the previous poster said, often almost to yourself early and after dark. Tokyo skytree to gaze on if not visit. Riverboats. Wide range of eateries. Architecture of the Asakusa cultural centre. Interesting shops. And the Ginza line to take you everywhere you want to go.

Tawaramachi is in the north-east of Tokyo while Takanawadai is in the south-west. Tawaramachi is convenient for traveling to Asakusa, Ueno, Tokyo Skytree while Takanawadai is close to Shinjuku, Shibuya and even convenient for traveling to Kamakura and Yokohama. Can you split the dates for Takanawadai (maybe when the JR pass is valid, since you can do day trip to Kamamura) and Tawaramachi?

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1EOiq4HchAx46XQF_DE0WDsJOtO-RmOyn&usp...