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Japan: Hotel Recommendations
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On both my trips I stayed in Ryokans, Japanese-style hotels.
In these establishments you'll be living local style, sleeping
on futons on soft tatami-matted floors and using the deep
o-furo baths (though showers are available too). I think
it makes your visit much more fun and unique, conventional
hotels are the same all over the world after all.
There's as much price range as for normal hotels, but the
ones I stayed in are all small, family-run places and very
good value. This is Japan, so everything will be perfectly
clean and well run. The owners of all the places I've mentioned
speak English well enough to take your booking by email.
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Tokyo
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Both times I stayed in Tokyo it was the same place, the
Sawanoya
near Ueno. The owner is very friendly, on my first visit
he took all the guests out to a street party and his son
performs regular Lion Dances. The owner's young grandson
and elderly parrot make the place quiet lively, and there
is a computer in the lobby giving the guests free internet
access. Unsurprisingly it's very popular so you'll have to
book well ahead!
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Kyoto
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Here I've stayed in two different places, the
Kyoka and
Matsubaya.
Both are nice, old fashioned places near the railway station,
though I'd say the latter's owner is the more friendly.
She's an old lady with a habit of chatting at length to her
guests in Japanese, whether they understand it or not.
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