I often get asked whether I have any Japan tips. For people with autism, but also just in general. That’s why I created this blog series, so you can head off well prepared. In this part, I’ll tell you everything about cities and neighborhoods, and different types of accommodation. (You can read Part 1, about traveling to Japan, here. Part 2, about the seasons, can be found here.)

Most people who travel to Japan visit Tokyo, Osaka/Kyoto/Nara, and maybe Hiroshima or Nagasaki for the historical aspect. You could easily spend years enjoying Tokyo alone, so I understand the choice – but Japan has much more to offer. I often see images of an overcrowded bamboo forest in Kyoto, or the hordes of people at Sensō-ji Temple in Asakusa, Tokyo, and I can’t help but shake my head: you can find similar places in so many other locations! But first things first – let’s start with Tokyo.

Central Tokyo consists of 23 special wards, surrounded by the Tokyo Metropolis, which stretches all the way to the mountains of Okutama in the west. Most of the 23 wards, and many areas beyond them, are extremely well connected by public transport – the most common way to get around in Tokyo.

While you might initially feel inclined to stay in Shibuya, Shinjuku, or around Tokyo Station because they’re so central, I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it. These areas are expensive, noisy, and sometimes a bit grimy. You can easily stay a few train or subway stops further out, in a much quieter neighborhood.

Looking for accommodation works the same way Japanese people look for housing: by train line. Think about where you want to go, and how you’ll get there. Is your accommodation close to that line, or easy to reach from it? Perfect.

Because of the Olympic Games in 2021, many hotels were built in the Odaiba area. This is an artificial island in Tokyo Bay, with malls and entertainment venues. From there, you can quickly reach the eastern part of Tokyo, and Tokyo Disneyland is about half an hour away. If you’re planning to go there, staying around Odaiba (or nearby Ariake) can be a good option. The only downside is that the atmosphere is almost nonexistent.

Even though Tokyo is a gigantic metropolis, there’s plenty of nature in and around the city. You can easily take a day trip to Mt. Takao or even Mt. Fuji, and there are many beautiful parks where you can escape the city’s sensory overload for a while.

If you want to visit Kyoto, Osaka, Nara, or Kobe, it’s good to know that the entire Kansai region is essentially one large urban agglomeration. The cities more or less blend into one another and are easy to reach thanks to the many train and subway lines. Travel times between cities are often between 30 and 60 minutes.

Because of this, there’s really no need to stay right in the city center or to keep changing hotels. I would recommend choosing one fixed base close to a station, and from there visiting the deer in Nara, the historic buildings in Kyoto, Universal Studios Japan, and the lively Dotonbori area in Osaka.

I don’t live in the Kansai region myself, so I can’t tell you all that much about it. To be completely honest, it’s also not my favorite area – I find Osaka particularly intense in terms of sensory input, and Kyoto simply has way too many tourists. If you want to see things properly, it’s highly recommended to get up very early.

Japan is, of course, more than just Tokyo and Kansai. It’s precisely outside the well-trodden routes that you’ll find regions where the pace is slower, the nature more expansive, and where you can sometimes go hours without seeing another foreign tourist. I previously traveled to Shimane and Tottori, prefectures along the Sea of Japan with unique landscapes and small villages where time seems to have stood still – an atmosphere completely different from the major metropolises.

For our honeymoon, we also deliberately chose a less obvious destination: Shikoku, the smallest of Japan’s four main islands. This island is best known for its pilgrimage route, but we visited an underwater observatory, an abandoned cable car station, and a small museum featuring a salvaged World War II aircraft.

Regions like these sometimes require a bit more travel time or planning – for example, in Shikoku we had to rent a car for part of our trip, and in Tottori and Shimane it’s also nearly impossible to get around without one. Trains run once an hour instead of every few minutes, and transit cards often don’t work there.

In Japan, you have several options when it comes to accommodation. First of all, there are of course hotels. From luxurious, Western-oriented hotels to typically Japanese business hotels, and even love hotels – they all serve their own purpose.

Western hotel chains can be a safe choice for people visiting Japan for the first time. You have a better idea of what to expect, the staff will likely speak English, and the rooms are a reasonable size. These hotels are usually quite expensive, though.

A more affordable alternative is business hotels: hotels with small rooms, often used by business travelers on work trips. These hotels typically have an early checkout time (10:00), but sometimes offer paid late checkout options. The rooms are tiny, there are often still smoking rooms (watch out for this when booking!), and sometimes a Japanese breakfast buffet is included. Well-known business hotel chains are (in order from my most to least favorite): Toyoko Inn, Super Hotel, APA, and Livemax. Toyoko Inn offers a free Japanese breakfast, Super Hotel usually has a lovely bath, APA sometimes features rather over-the-top design and has a controversial owner who denies war crimes, and Livemax… well, let’s just say it’s cheap.

Love hotels are hotels designed for intimacy – but you can also just sleep there. It sounds a bit shady, but hear me out: wouldn’t you sometimes like to book a hotel during the day so you can relax in a bubble bath with your partner? Love hotels often work with hourly rates or time slots, but these days you’ll increasingly find them on websites like Booking.com, competing on the regular hotel market. That can sometimes be a bit of a culture shock: Love hotels follow slightly different rules. For example, you often have to hand in your room key at reception when you leave the building. Speaking of reception: that’s a bit bizarre too. Staff are hidden behind frosted glass or a curtain, or you do the entire check-in procedure via a touchscreen – 100% anonymous!

Love hotels actually come with quite a few advantages: the rooms are spacious and often equipped with a jacuzzi, a karaoke machine, and other forms of entertainment. Prices are low and you can often just show up without a reservation. Occasionally, you’ll also come across a love hotel with extreme theming. François and I once stayed in one where it was Christmas 365 days a year.

Airbnbs are fairly heavily regulated in Japan. Property owners need a special license, and they’re not allowed to rent out their place for more than 180 days per year (unless you’re renting for longer than a month – then this limit doesn’t apply). While Airbnbs can be ideal for families and people who want to stay for a longer period, there are quite a few things to keep in mind. Japan is notorious for its strict rules when it comes to trash separation, noise, and the like. Staying in an Airbnb means being willing to behave like a good neighbor – Japan style.

If you’re looking to rent something for a longer period, you can also turn to companies like Sakura House. They rent out apartments and rooms (usually in somewhat older buildings) for stays starting at around one month.

A ryokan is a traditional Japanese inn. Think rooms with tatami floors, traditional Japanese meals served in your room, and a public bath where men and women bathe separately, completely naked. Staying in a ryokan is a peak Japan experience, but not necessarily the easiest option. Staff often don’t speak English, and you’re expected to be familiar with Japanese customs. No shoes on the tatami, no hair in the bath…

You’ll often find ryokan in the mountains, and in villages known for their onsen (hot springs). The most expensive part of a ryokan stay is usually the food. If you don’t book meals, you can often stay at a ryokan for a reasonable price. Do keep in mind that your accommodation may be in the middle of nowhere, meaning you’ll need to hunt down the local convenience store for dinner.

For inspiration, be sure to also check out the related blog posts below. Before booking anything, read the reviews – but keep in mind that Japanese reviewers tend to be very critical, and that 3.5 out of 5 stars simply means “good” in Japan.

In the next blog post, I’ll go into more detail about the practical side of your stay: money, luggage, and mobile internet. See you then!