Before staying with airbnb in Japan I hope you’ll read this to make sure you have made a good comparison to the benefits of staying in a hotel in Japan.
I don’ t have some sort of conspiracy against Airbnb in Japan. I promise. When you find a gem/ Brilliant!! In fact, here is a very very positive story of an airbnb holiday for a small family in Japan.
But, no accommodation withOUT kids can turn into a funny all nighter, an extra long karaoke session or a night in an Internet cafe or a capsule hotel.
But with kids? Not fun. I think I, personally, would just need to sit down and have a little cry.
I completely understand why Airbnb is appealing as hotel prices can be sooo overwhelming. But ,unfortunately, I just keep hearing scary cancellation stories so I want to keep my readers informed and remind you of some important things to check when making an airbnb reservation.
Please be aware that: because of the language barrier in Japan. By choosing Airbnb in Japan over a hotel you are relinquishing the option of assistance with restaurant bookings, someone to call you an ambulance, someone to hold your luggage before or after check out.
This can also mean it will be harder to courier your luggage as, unless your host will be there to accept your luggage, it is not possible to forward luggage to your accommodation.
Also, unlike a hotel, an airbnb cannot hold your luggage after you check out (this can be especially handy on your last day if you have a night flight and want to explore the city or have one last lush meal before making your way to the airport.) Some hosts are happy to still help you forward luggage from your airbnb so I think could be worth asking in advance.
Many people believe that Airbnb in Japan can be iffy because some are not licensed. This is not true. If they are on the AirBnB site, they are licensed.
My Airbnb rules in Japan, until I’m convinced otherwise, are…
Only book if…
1) They are listed as a super host on the airbnb website.
2) You email them a question and you actually get a response. (Their English does NOT need to be perfect though, of course.)
3) You’ve found genuine , good reviews for the property – and even better if you can find them on instagram and can check that the reviews are from real people, and even better than that ? You can see their real photos of the property.
4) You’ve confirmed that the building is easy to locate, that is easy to access that building and that it is easy to get your hands on the keys.
5) You are comfortable not having the benefits of a hotel concierge – especially if you have children. ie. There would not be a person there for you to call a doctor, if required, or even something less dramatic like call and book a restaurant for you in Japanese.
6) You have a back up accommodation organized if you’re even a tiny bit unsure. Booking.com and Agoda often have free cancellation options ( or minimal fee cancellation options). For peace of mind, for a happy and easier holiday – I think that money is worth it.
Something extra to consider : if you choose an airbnb over a hotel, because of the language barrier, you will not have the same assistance for a medical emergency that you would at a hotel with a front desk who could call an ambulance or search for a doctor on your behalf. For medical emergency information for a medical concern while in Japan please see my post here.
Japanese customer service within hotels means that you will have a concierge to also book restaurants for you and also forward your luggage within Japan.
Common rules to be aware of at airbnbs in Japan that may surprise you:
– most places don’t allow laundry to be dried outdoors. Especially if it will be visible from the street / to neighbors.
– washing machines will often not be allowed to be used outside of certain hours (for example between 9pm -8am etc) This can be a pain if you have kids and are busy during the day so it is best to check on these rules ahead of time.
If you really really love Airbnbs and really really want to try in Japan, most positive experiences seem to be outside of the major cities. Within the bigger cities, it is worth using google maps to see just how far from the centre of town you will be located. How many train changes required? How many minutes walk once you’re at the closest station?
Guest blogger Carla Middleton stayed mostly at Airbnb in Japan ( Osaka, Hiroshima, Kyoto and Tokyo) and wrote in great detail about their fabulous trip here.
If you really like the idea of more space without having to risk it at an airbnb I highly recommend booking the apartment style hotels Mimaru.
Here are the biggest mistakes I see people making when booking accommodation in Tokyo.
