Where you stay can make a surprisingly big difference to your experience of Japan. With so many neighbourhoods to choose from, especially in Tokyo, it can be difficult to know where to start. And when you’re travelling with limited annual leave, location matters. You don’t want to spend your evenings travelling across the city just to get back to your hotel.

You also don’t necessarily need to stay in the most famous neighbourhood or book the most expensive hotel. The right area for you will depend on the kind of trip you want.

For a first trip to Japan, I’d focus on three main cities: Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka. They’re easy to combine, well connected by train and give you a great introduction to different sides of the country.

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Kyoto is smaller and more straightforward to navigate than Tokyo, but choosing the right area can still make your trip easier. For most visitors, I’d look at:

• Gion & Higashiyama : traditional Kyoto atmosphere
• Downtown Kyoto / Kawaramachi : restaurants, shops and central location
• Kyoto Station : excellent transport connections

Gion & Higashiyama

If you’re looking for the Kyoto you probably imagined before your trip, this is the area to look at.

You’ll be close to traditional streets, temples, shrines and some of the city’s most atmospheric areas. It’s particularly lovely in the morning and evening when some of the busiest sightseeing crowds have gone.

The trade-off is that some parts can be more expensive, and you’ll still need public transport or walking to reach attractions elsewhere in Kyoto.

Downtown Kyoto & Kawaramachi

For a good balance between sightseeing, restaurants and convenience, the area around Kawaramachi and central Kyoto is a great option. You’ll have plenty of places to eat and shop nearby, while still being well placed for exploring the rest of the city.

If you’re only spending a couple of nights in Kyoto, location is more important to me than having a particularly large or luxurious hotel. You’ll probably spend most of your day out exploring anyway.

Kyoto Station

Kyoto Station isn’t the most atmospheric part of the city, but it’s incredibly practical. If you’re arriving by Shinkansen, taking day trips or travelling onwards to Osaka, being close to the station can save you a lot of time. And when you’re travelling with limited annual leave, convenience has its own value.

Ready to book your Kyoto stay?

Once you’ve decided which part of Kyoto suits your trip, you can compare hotels and look for a convenient location with the facilities and cancellation policy you need.

→ Find hotels in Kyoto on Booking.com

Osaka is a little easier to navigate than Tokyo, and two areas stand out for most visitors:

• Umeda / Osaka Station : excellent transport connections
• Namba : food, nightlife and a lively atmosphere

Namba

If food is high on your Japan list, Namba is a very natural choice. You’re close to Dotonbori, restaurants, shopping and plenty of nightlife, making it easy to head out for dinner without worrying about a long journey back to your hotel.

It’s lively, so again, check the exact location of your accommodation if you’d prefer somewhere quieter.

Umeda / Osaka Station

Umeda is particularly useful if you’re planning to use Osaka as a base for exploring the wider Kansai region. Osaka Station has excellent connections, making day trips to places such as Kyoto, Kobe and beyond straightforward.

If your Osaka stay is more about exploring the region than nightlife, I’d seriously consider staying around here.

Ready to book your Osaka stay?

Whether you choose lively Namba or the transport connections of Umeda, I’d compare a few options before booking and check exactly where the hotel is located.

→ Find hotels in Osaka on Booking.com

You don’t need to stay in every destination you visit. One of the advantages of travelling around Japan is that the rail network makes many places accessible as day trips.

Depending on the length of your trip, you might also consider staying in:

• Hakone : for hot springs and Mount Fuji views.
• Hiroshima : particularly if you want more time to explore Hiroshima and Miyajima.
• Kanazawa : for gardens, traditional neighbourhoods and a different side of Japan.
• Nara : easy to visit from Kyoto or Osaka, so you don’t necessarily need to change hotels.

For a first trip, I’d avoid adding a new hotel every time you visit somewhere new. Your accommodation should make your trip easier, not add unnecessary travel time.

Once you’ve decided which city and neighbourhood you’d like to stay in, there are a few things I’d check before booking.

How close is it to a station?

You don’t need to be directly outside a station, but being within around 5–10 minutes’ walk can make a big difference, especially when you’re carrying luggage.

Does it have good transport connections?

Don’t just look at the neighbourhood name. Open the hotel in Google Maps and check which train or metro lines are nearby and how easy it is to get to the places you want to visit.

How easy is it with luggage?

Think about how you’ll get to the hotel from the airport and how you’ll travel to your next destination.

A hotel that’s a little further from the tourist centre but much easier to reach by train can sometimes be the better choice.

What’s nearby?

I love being able to walk out of my hotel and find somewhere to eat without having to get back on public transport. Check Google Maps for restaurants, cafés and convenience stores around your hotel before booking.

Check the exact location

This is particularly important in Tokyo. Two hotels can both be advertised as being in “Shinjuku” but feel completely different once you’re actually there. Look at the surrounding streets, transport connections and what’s nearby before you book.

For a first trip, you really can’t go too far wrong with Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka as your main bases.

In Tokyo, think about what kind of atmosphere you want. Shinjuku and Shibuya are lively and incredibly well connected, while Ueno and Asakusa offer a slightly calmer experience.

In Kyoto, choose between traditional Gion and Higashiyama, central Kawaramachi or the convenience of Kyoto Station.

And in Osaka, Namba is great for food and nightlife, while Umeda is particularly convenient for transport and day trips.

But don’t feel like you need to find the “perfect” neighbourhood. A convenient hotel in an area you enjoy is much more valuable than spending hours searching for the absolute best place to stay.

Once you’ve chosen your base, the next step is working out what to do when you’re there. My Japan Travel Map brings together curated places to eat, explore and add to your trip, so you can spend less time researching and more time exploring.

→ Explore the Japan Travel Map