Find a hotel ‘'on the fly’'

Dear friends,

I am planing to buy the two weeks JR rail pass to traveling around Japan in middle Oct. Since this is my first time there, I am not sure how long I am going to stay at each destination. i.e., I might stay at one place couple of days or couple of hours and move on. So it seems hard for me to book the hotel in advance. Is it easy/possible to find a place to stay near the JR station ''on the fly''? Thanks

It depends on the day and city. Kyoto on a Saturday evening, for example, could be a little bit difficult. But in most cases, it should be possible to find a room in a business hotel close to the station, especially if you have a flexible budget.

Uji is of course correct.

We were always lucky (on three trips) finding somewhere near the station on a reasonable budget. It's an adventure, as well, when you can't speak or read Japanese, and you arrive somewhere late at night and the tourist office (which are generally really helpful for accomodation) are closed.

Maybe, if it interests you, you could maybe plan one or two nights in ryokan in a couple of your stops. If you think you're going to be in [x] town for three or so days, then you can book a ryokan for one night in advance and it doesn't matter whether that's your first night or your last night, as long as you can crash at a cheap business hotel the other two nights. It's also a good way to inject a bit of unforgettable Japanese luxury into a budget trip.