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bluetortilla · Joined: 18 Apr 2006 Posts: 815 Location: Henan

Coming in to Tokyo in mid-January and wondering what the cheapest accommodations are. Guest houses are fine with me, but not a dorm. Was quoted by Sakura 55000 a month, 85000 to move in.
Is that as cheap as it gets in Tokyo? Thanks.

ShioriEigoKyoushi · Joined: 21 Aug 2009 Posts: 364 Location: Japan

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bluetortilla · Joined: 18 Apr 2006 Posts: 815 Location: Henan

Their FAQ says they have an age limit from 18-35. I'm 45!

Bread · Joined: 24 May 2009 Posts: 318

I stayed at Oak House and was pretty satisfied with it, my room was tiny but it was like 60000 a month with a 10000 move-in fee (that 85000 figure is absurd for a guesthouse). No real problems. They've got all of their apartments with photos and rates and openings and such on their webpage.

Apsara · Joined: 20 Sep 2005 Posts: 2142 Location: Tokyo, Japan

bluetortilla · Joined: 18 Apr 2006 Posts: 815 Location: Henan

That's what I figured, thanks.
But just out of curiosity, what of these flophouses? How much do they cost? Obviously you don't make reservations over the internet.
Just thinking of bottom line worst case scenarios... Twisted Evil

Apsara · Joined: 20 Sep 2005 Posts: 2142 Location: Tokyo, Japan

I haven't been near Sanya (it's one of the very few somewhat dodgy areas of Tokyo), but a search brought this up:

"You can find a private room -or rather a cubicle- from as little as 1500 yen per night."

Apparently they used to cram in penniless day labourers one to each tatami mat in each room, and they were notorious breeding grounds for TB. Some of them have gone a bit more upmarket and moved into the bottom-end backpacker market, but the seedy atmosphere remains from what I've heard.

seklarwia · Posted: Fri Nov 13, 2009 12:03 pm Post subject:

Unless that flophouse cubicle comes with heating/air con, internet, bathing and cooking facilities, you might as well just pay the 10,000-15,000 per month and stay in a guest house in a proper part of the city. I mean, the first link I clicked on about Sanya had this as it's openning paragraph:

�Drivers be careful of pedestrians walking or sleeping in the street.� When you read this notice, you know you have hit the infamous east Tokyo ghetto. Welcome to Sanya, where �pedestrians� sleep drunk in the street.

The rest of the article doesn't paint a much better picture despite being titled 'Sanya: A travel guide to Tokyo�s coolest ghetto'. Take a look...

http://www.japantoday.com/category/travel/view/sanya-a-travel-guide-to-tokyo%E2%80%99s-coolest-ghetto

bluetortilla · Joined: 18 Apr 2006 Posts: 815 Location: Henan

I'm convinced- don't want to end up there...
But I think you mean 55000-65000 for the guest houses.

seklarwia · Posted: Fri Nov 13, 2009 9:20 pm Post subject:

Sorry!

Thats meant to be "...pay the extra 10,000-15,000 per month...", since even at the cheaper end of the flophouse scale, you'd still be forking out about 45,000 per month.

bluetortilla · Joined: 18 Apr 2006 Posts: 815 Location: Henan

Yes, I noticed that daily rate right away. Quite expensive to live in squalor! Spend twice as much for a 'nice' capsule.
In Fukuoka there are great hostels for 2500 yen a day.

Hoser · Joined: 19 Mar 2005 Posts: 694 Location: Toronto, Canada

The OP hasn't stated how long they're staying. If you're going to be here for a while why don't you just get an actual apartment?

seklarwia · Posted: Sun Nov 15, 2009 2:40 am Post subject:

bluetortilla · Joined: 18 Apr 2006 Posts: 815 Location: Henan

Yes, that's all true, thank you. And I'm not arriving with a fortune either.
I am though a 20 year veteran and permanent resident of Japan and plan on staying...forever I guess. I just got sidetracked for a bit. I appreciate all the info- I've spent nearly all my years in Fukuoka, so Tokyo will be new to me.
The OP