Posted: Tue Sep 21, 2004 11:17 am Post subject: Japan Hotel
Hi, I will be in Tokyo for about a week in early March 2005 as part of my RTW trip, Could anyone recommend a cheap hotel? Also what area of Tokyo is the best base for a tourist? Shinjuka? Shibuya? Akasaka?
The youth hostel costs about £18 a night, it's in Yoyogi Park (between Shibuya and Shinjuku). I can't remember the URL at the moment, but you'll find it easily enough.
Remember back when i was doing work for the US Navy & traveled extensively, Tokyo had the highest per diem of any destination we would go & that was in the mid 80s, I can't imagine what prices are now.
"... a cheap hotel? Also what area of Tokyo is the best base for a tourist? Shinjuka? Shibuya? Akasaka?"
the problem with 'cheap' is that it's such a relative term. you talking us$20/night, us$50 or us$80? also, you planning on spending them nights alone in your room or you thinkin' about having a 'guest?'
Stringbean; When i said per diem that was what the Navy paid for lodging,Food & necessities & transport to designated work area & That was in the mid 80's, If i remember it was in excess of $180.00 daily, Then that was extremely high compared to other destinations, As i said i cannot imagine what prices are today, But i thank you for the interest. I no longer travel since am retired from that type of work or any for that matter, Except for keeping in touch via internet with some acquaintances throughout Asia, Nostalgia perhaps.
"If i remember it was in excess of $180.00 daily."
that's a fairly respectable amount. hell, i'd be happy if someone offered that up to me now ...
mid to late 80s was definitely bubble time here in japan, so wouldn't be surprised if double that amount didn't get you very far back then. gonna go out on a limb here and say prices have changed a bit since. for the better. then again, what the hell do i know?
"20 years later and u think prices are lower? exchange rates then were about 250 to 1 since then the $ has weakened another 50%"
in short, yes. rates were probably in the 230 - 250 range then (taking your word on this. a bit before my time.) ... but if you'd come out in '86 or '87 instead, you would've seen the exchange rate firmly in the 145 - 160 range, as interest rates on deposits became deregulated and banks began lending heavily with land as collateral. the cost of everything pretty much went through the roof. 'retarded expensive' is a term that comes to mind. it was the eventual busting of this bubble ... ummm, and the japanese slowly coming to terms with this fact ... that brought the price of things back down to a 'reasonable' (well, by japan's definition) level. anyway, don't claim to be an economist and am not sure if i'm just the wiser now, but i've seen a noted difference even in the six short years i've been here in tokyo. not only in terms of selection (housing, food, clothes) and quality, but also in value. then again, i get paid in yen and could be talking outta my ass ...
Wait. Its coming back to me now. Think I paid about 60$ for one of those closet tpye hotels and then moved to normal hotel for about 90$ and ended up in someplace called rippongi prince? --the one with the cafe below pool level that you could see the people swimming below the water level--100$
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Remember back when i was doing work for the US Navy & traveled extensively, Tokyo had the highest per diem of any destination we would go & that was in the mid 80s, I can't imagine what prices are now. 
