Shinjuku
Shinjuku Station links JR lines, the Keio and Odakyu railways, the Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line and the Toei Shinjuku and Oedo lines. You get department stores, Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden and city views from the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building nearby.
- Best for
- First-timers, transit convenience
- Getting around
- About 55 minutes from Haneda Airport, 1 hour 35 minutes from Narita Airport and 14 minutes from Tokyo Station, per GO TOKYO.
- Keep in mind
- The station is extremely busy every day, and the Kabukicho area east of the station is a neon nightlife district. Trains stop around midnight.
Hotels in Shinjuku ↗Shibuya
Shibuya is Tokyo's fashion and pop-culture hub, home to the Scramble Crossing, Shibuya Sky and MIYASHITA PARK. Tokyo Camii, Japan's best-known mosque, is in Shibuya ward a short train ride away, and Shibuya PARCO has a free prayer room.
- Best for
- First-timers, shoppers, Muslim travellers who want to be near Tokyo Camii
- Getting around
- Shibuya Station is served by JR lines, the Keio Inokashira, Tokyu Toyoko and Tokyu Den-en-toshi lines, and the Tokyo Metro Ginza, Hanzomon and Fukutoshin lines. It is 7 minutes from Shinjuku and 23 minutes from Tokyo Station on the JR Yamanote Line.
- Muslim-friendly
- Tokyo Camii is a 5-minute walk from Yoyogi-Uehara Station on the Odakyu Line, and has a halal market inside. Shibuya PARCO has a free prayer room on the 5th floor with wudu facilities and separate areas for men and women.
- Keep in mind
- Very crowded. Thousands of people cross the Scramble Crossing every couple of minutes, so it can feel overwhelming if you want a quiet base.
Hotels in Shibuya ↗Asakusa
Asakusa is built around Sensoji Temple, the Kaminarimon (Thunder Gate) and Nakamise shopping street. It has a traditional feel, the Sumida River waterfront and Kappabashi Kitchenware Town nearby.
- Best for
- Culture lovers, first-timers who want old Tokyo
- Getting around
- Asakusa Station is on the Tokyo Metro Ginza Line, Toei Asakusa Line and Tobu Skytree Line. About 50 minutes from Haneda, 1 hour 25 minutes from Narita and 20 minutes from Tokyo Station.
Hotels in Asakusa ↗Ueno
Ueno Park holds the Tokyo National Museum, the National Museum of Western Art, the National Museum of Nature and Science and Ueno Zoo, Japan's oldest zoo with about 2,500 animals. Ameyoko market is next to the station for cheap shopping.
- Best for
- Families, Narita arrivals, museum fans
- Getting around
- Ueno is on the JR Yamanote Line (8 minutes to Tokyo Station, 24 minutes to Shinjuku) and the Tokyo Metro Ginza and Hibiya lines. Keisei trains run from Keisei Ueno Station toward Narita. About 50 minutes from Haneda and 80 minutes from Narita.
- Keep in mind
- Ameyoko market is crowded with shoppers.
Hotels in Ueno ↗Ginza
$$$Ginza is Tokyo's most upscale shopping district, with historic department stores, Ginza Six, Kabukiza theatre and high-end restaurants. The main street becomes pedestrian-only on weekend afternoons.
- Best for
- Luxury, couples, central location
- Getting around
- Ginza Station is on the Tokyo Metro Ginza, Marunouchi and Hibiya lines. Ginza-itchome (Yurakucho Line) and Higashi-Ginza (Hibiya and Asakusa lines) are close by. Tokyo Station is about a 15-minute walk.
- Keep in mind
- Geared to high-end shopping and dining rather than budget stays.
Hotels in Ginza ↗Price levels ($ to $$$) appear only where an official tourism source rates them. Hotel links search Booking.com, and some earn us a commission at no extra cost to you.
