6 Cheap Hostels In Tokyo To Save Money During Your Trip

Everybody knows that Japan is an expensive country and that it’s even more expensive in Tokyo. You’ll find yourself spending a lot of your travel budget on accommodation and transportation. For the latter, you can minimize spendings by getting yourself a JR Pass. For the former though, the best way to save money would be to find yourself a nice quiet hostel that is both inexpensive and located just where you need it to be.

I’ll tell you about the hostel I stayed in when I first travelled to Japan and I’m also going to suggest 4 other hostels in different parts of Tokyo. Let me just give you this timeless tip before the countdown: make sure to book your room well in advance because, you guessed it, the best and the less expensive ones sell out first.

1. Haru Guest House

• Price per night: $25
• Location: Shin-Okubo, Shinjuku

So it’s in Haru hotel that I stayed during my very first trips to Japan in 2012, 2014 and 2015 because it is one of the cheapest hotels in the area and because it’s location is really convenient.

I like hanging out in Shibuya or in Roppongi and Shin-Okubo is a few stations away from both.

I really like Shin-Okubo too; it’s a Korean town in Tokyo where you can find lots of great Korean restaurants that serve deliciously spicy food. Icing on the cake? There’s a Soccer pitch near Haru Hotel where I use to meet with Korean and Japanese friends every Saturday for a game or two.

Is my life boring you? Let’s get back to Haru hotel. It’s got a nice little kitchen where you can cook your own food by yourself or with friends if you’re really on a budget, and I think that’s an advantage not to overlook!

As for bedrooms, they’re clean and rather comfortable. It’s not a five-star luxurious hotel but it has virtually everything you need.

2. ARTnSHELTER Guest House Tokyo

• Price per night: $25
• Location: Shinagawa

The ArtnShelter hostel is a very interesting reference in the accommodation industry in Tokyo so I had to mention it here. You may think of Japan as the country of manga, geishas and sushi and you’d be right to think that but when it comes to Tokyo, it is first and foremost a world-renowned art capital, and that aspect is something you will notice as soon as you get to Tokyo and meet lots of crazy but fun people to be around.

I really love that side of Tokyo and I think that the ArtnShelter hostel represents that sort of underground and street-style aspect of the city really well.

So to get back a little bit to the hostel’s main advantages, you’ll notice it’s not expensive at all and that bedrooms look rather spacious. It’s also located in Shinagawa which is a very convenient advantage whether you’re flying to or from the Haneda airport and there’s only a 13-minute trip between Haneda and Shinagawa.

Shinagawa is not far from Odaiba either, which is a must-see artificial island (picture below!) you should absolutely visit if you’re in Tokyo. More info about this area here: Visit Odaiba Tokyo.

Let me remind you that you can check out the best pictures of my trips to Japan on my instagram account, you won’t be disappointed!

3. Oak Hostel Cabin

Oak Hostel Cabin is another hostel that I really like to stay at when I’m in Tokyo. The people there are very welcoming and the hostel is very well located on the east part of Tokyo near Kayabacho and Suitengumae station. You then have a direct access to Hibiya, Tozai and Hanzomon station. For example, you can get to Ginza in 7 minutes or go to Shibuya in 20 minutes without transfer.

Another feature I like is that they have a large common room with kitchen that can be use by all the guests. You will also have a nice view on the Sumida river which is pretty cool. Don’t forget to say hello to the people passing by on a boat. 🙂

The Oak Hostel Cabin is actually a capsule hotel so you will keep your privacy when you are in your bed. The mattress and the pillow are actually very confortable so you get nights of sleep there. Nothing to say about the cleanliness either, it was perfect in all the rooms of the hostel. 🙂

4. Khaosan World Ryogoku

• Price per night: $32
• Location: Ryogoku, Sumida

The Khaosan World Ryogoku hostel is a little bit more expensive than the hostels on this list but it is suitable for those of you who are interested in traditional Japanese culture.

It is also located a few stations away from Akihabara, the favorite spot of otaku in Tokyo. Bedrooms are kept neat and look comfortable with a bonus terrific view of Tokyo.You can even visit the Tokyo Skytree tower, the tallest structure in Japan, which is only a couple kilometers away from the hostel.

5. Ace Inn Asakusa

• Price per night: $25
• Location: Asakusa

Ace Inn is yet another cheap hostel in Tokyo located in the traditional district of Asakusa where you can visit the famous Senso-ji Buddhist temple as well as the Kaminarimon, the Thunder Gate in Japanese.

6. East57 Guest House Tokyo

• Price per night: $25
• Location: Asakusa

Just like the previous guest house, the East57 is located in the area surrounding Asakusa so its proximity is very convenient if you plan on visiting the district.

Bedrooms look great and many nice wall paintings enliven the whole place.

Just to be clear on something before we go on with this list, I decided to include hostels with the most strategic locations on purpose, so that you can easily access the most interesting sites in Tokyo. I did find cheaper hostels that are relatively far from the center but you’d waste a lot of money on transportation, which is rather expensive in Tokyo.

But it can also be interesting for people flying very early from Narita to sleep not far from the airport. In that case I would advice to spend a night at the Azure Guesthouse located in Narita city.

The place is comfy and the prices are are affordable from 2,980¥ per night, which is around 26$.

The Alternatives

If you’re looking for a cheap and fun alternative to hostels in Tokyo, try capsule hotels. Most of the time, their prices are a tiny bit more expensive than those of the hostels I just mentioned but I think the experience is worth the extra yens. You can check out this list I made on the best capsule hotels to try in Tokyo.

Of course you can still go ahead and stay in a ryokan (Japanese traditional inns) if you’re willing to spend more money. I tried one in Tokyo and I tell you about it in this blog post. Here’s a foretaste of one of them, Homeikan Ryokan!

That’s it for today guys! We are done with our selection of the best hostels in Tokyo. Don’t forget to follow my journey on social media for more tips on how to spend a memorable time in Japan or Asia: Facebook Page, Facebook Group, Instagram, Youtube and Twitter.

Talk to you all very soon,

MF

PS: If you want to save more money when you travel to Japan, make sure you read these 10 tips: Travel to Japan on a Budget.