Hotels & stays
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Where to stay in Kyoto: the areas that save you an hour a day
Kyoto runs on buses, not trains, so hotel location bites harder than in Tokyo. A Japan resident on Kyoto Station, downtown, Gion and Arashiyama compared.
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Where to stay in Osaka on a first trip, based on the train lines
Namba, Umeda, Tennoji and Osaka Bay all feel different. I compare Osaka bases by the train lines, airport route and evenings you actually want.
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Where to stay in Tokyo on a first trip, judged purely on train access
A Tokyo resident on where to stay on a first trip, judged on train access — Shinjuku, Tokyo Station, Shibuya, Ueno and Ginza compared for lines and airport links.
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Japanese business hotels: tiny rooms, and why they're usually the right call
A Tokyo resident on what a Japanese business hotel actually is — the small rooms, the things they get right, the costs people miss, and when to book one over anything else.
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Is a ryokan night worth the price? What you're actually paying for
A Tokyo resident on whether a ryokan is worth it — what the price includes, how it differs from a hotel, the etiquette that trips people up, and when to book one.
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Booking sites for Japan compared: where the inventory actually differs
A Tokyo resident compares the big hotel booking sites for Japan — where the inventory really differs, how prices move between them, and which to use for what.