Full Disclosure: Brace yourself - I work for JTB Australia (a company that sells Japan travel related services).
Cue Gasps.
Hi all,
I know this thread is a bit old but just in case someone stumbles across it while doing research I thought it'd be helpful to add some extra info for their benefit.
Recommend you call these people.
JTB Australia - Your Japan Travel & Japan Holiday Packages Expert!
They are own by the Japanese government, so you can making a book with them with complete confidence.
Enjoy.
Thanks for the recommendation but just thought I should post to say two things:
1) We're not owned by the Japanese government (I don't know if I wish we were or if I'm glad we're not). We are about 101 years old in Japan (side note: Japan has about 50,000 companies over 100 years old according to something I read in Mx recently. The oldest company in Japan is a hotel, the Nisiyama Onsen Keiunkan which was founded in 705AD! There was an older company Japanese founded in 578 but that was bought out in 2006 (such a shame!)). We're 51 years old in Australia which is a fair while, I think we're the oldest in Japan. In any event we're not government owned.
2) A more up to date site is
www.jtbtravel.com.au, if you go to the old site there's still good info there but you'll eventually get redirected to the new site, so may as well save time by starting there if you decide to visit (no dramas either way, most of the companies out there doing Japan travel are pretty good).
My tip is make sure the hotel you pick is on the Airport Limousine Bus route. Otherwise there is a lot of schelping your luggage, or the cost of a taxi $$$$
Airport Limousine Bus-Airport Transport Service Co., Ltd
Top recommendation that and I would second it.
Drron's advice is good advice; try and locate yourself near a train line. It makes the world of difference if you can avoid having to pound the pavement too much.
A few things to keep in mind about Tokyo. First, very interestingly, there is a low penetration of English, even among those in service roles. Second, I found it absolutely exhausting and I am in my 30s--my feet were really sore from all the walking and upping and downing steps; so take good shoes! Third, my image of Tokyo was quite different from the reality -- I found it like a never ending Parramatta rather than a shiny, glistening mega modern city.
The upside to all of this is that the people are incredibly polite and obliging, the services and facilities are spotlessly clean, and you can feel safe and secure. All in all, I formed a real admiration for Japan and its people -- which I was not expecting.
All good points here from RWJ777 although not sure about comparing Tokyo to Parramatta, lol, but I get what you're saying. If it's not near the shuttle route then near a subway station is the next best thing. If you can then go to Google maps and wander around the area with street view. It might look close on a map but there could be a hill in the way or it might look closer than it really is. Only thing I'd add here in terms of general advice is to try and plan ahead if you need wi-fi access as common feedback we here from customers is that they were expecting it to be ubiquitous, free and readily available which is not usually the case. You can rent a pocket wi-fi at the airport or arrange one with agents who specialise in Japan travel ahead of time. Then again, if you're like me (working in digital) then holiday time is a chance to not stare at a screen all day!
Another tip - always carry the name and address of your hotel in Japanese in case you get lost.
Front desk have them readily available.
Gold there cosi! When I lived in Korea this saved me numerous times. That was just before the dawn of smartphones so now you could just as easily take a picture of the address to cut down on paper if you like. When my dad visited me in Korea he took photos of all the buildings and streets around me and had those ready to go in case he got lost. He also took pictures of signs with writing on them. I'm sure some of them just said things like: "No parking" or "Please be quiet after 8pm" but it did help him when he was lost a few times.
Bump!! I will be doing an overnight transit stay in Tokyo later this year.
I can't fault any of the recommendations given so far I think it just depends on what you're planning on doing during your time in Tokyo. Whatever area it is you can find at least one hotel that ticks the boxes of what you need. I guess good general advice is to (as I mentioned above) be close to a subway station. It's just make everything easier.
Even though I'm work in web and not customer service I'm happy to answer follow-ups and check with them before I give answers.
Cheers,
Christian Thurston
JTB Australia Web Team
