too early to book accomodation?

Hi everyone!
I am planning to visit JAPAN in March next year.
I have tried to book few accoms.in Kyoto & Tokyo.
All the replies I got was either
been booked out by groups, or do not accept any reservation yet and other excuses.
one even did not response.
Just wonder, Is it too early to book? if yes,
when will be the right time to do so?
Regards

What sort of hotels you tried to book, exactly what date? All international chain hotels in Tokyo have vacancies for March 2008. The New Miyako hotel in Kyoto you can book online now and there are vacancies, I just tried.

most hotels and hostels only take reservations 2 months in advance, so it might be really too early to make reservations, you can try making reservations in january though :)

Ifyou're staying at any big hotel (Hilton, Tokyo Dome Hotel, etc), no problems. Just book it and go online. You can easily reserve now.

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Smaller ones? Depends - some do, some don't. You'll have to try some and see.

hostelguide.com is a good place for some smaller ryokans.

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besides that, keep in mind that march/april can get busy due to cherry blossom season travels....and hotels will get booked up quickly as that date approaches!

Hi All, thanks for your responses.
Planned to stay from 30/03 to 2/04 - 4 nights in KYOTO,.
Tried to book SHIMIZU – ( initially was told booked out, then told not accept booking until JAN�f08 )
HATOYA – fully booked
Will spend next 4 nights in TOKYO from 3/04- 6/04
tried to book Anex KANGETSU – fully booked too.
I am puzzled, is it too early or too late to book?
Or don�ft you think hotels prefer to sell double occupancy rather than single?
I will travel solo.
Anyway, I will try other hotels as you guys suggested. Thanks- cheers.

Regards,

It is not unusual for some Kyoto hotels and ryokan to already be booked out for the cherry blossom season in late March and early April, especially on Saturday nights.

I had similar frustrations in booking accommodations for festivals last August. Some ryokans took reservations three months in advance, some two, some six...the only way I could find out was by having someone call each one individually.
If you are going to a popular destination at a busy time, you might consider booking a major hotel to be on the safe side, then checking later with ryokans that you might prefer. At least you'll have someplace to stay.