Where to stay in Tokyo for the Olympics (+ nearby alternatives)

If you’re wondering where to stay in Tokyo to see the events and games, the best places to stay should be strategically located near the Olympic venues and the Olympic Stadium.

Key Takeaways:

• The best places to stay for the Tokyo 2021 Summer Game Olympics are: Tokyo Station & Marunouchi areas, Ginza, Shimbashi & Shiodome areas, Shinjuku, and Shibuya.
• The Tokyo Bay Zone is located on the far southeast side of Tokyo in Odaiba. Most events are concentrated in this area but it makes sightseeing to and from your hotel a hassle.
• The further away from the Olympic venues, the cheaper hotels will be.
• If hotels in Tokyo become all too expensive or fully booked, try the neighboring Prefectures of Kanagawa, Chiba, and Saitama.

First time to Japan? Here are some of our helpful resources:

• Best type of luggage for Japan travel
• The complete Japan travel checklist
• Important apps to download for your trip to Japan
• Average cost of Japan vacation: A detailed expense breakdown
• Japanese etiquette: Do’s and don’ts for first-time tourists
• Things to know before traveling to Japan

Where is the Olympic Stadium in Tokyo?

The Olympic Stadium, now known as New National Stadium, is located in Meiji Jingu Gaien Park in Shinjuku. The nearest train station to reach it is the Kokuritsu-Kyogijo Station which is an 8-min walk.

Use the map below to search for hotels around the Tokyo Olympic Stadium:

Booking.com

What are the hotels near the Tokyo Olympic Stadium?

• Nippon Seinenkan Hotel. This hotel is only a 2-minute walk to the Olympic Stadium. Due to the hotel’s strategic location and popularity, you must book quickly as rooms are starting to sell out fast.
• Tokyu Stay Aoyama Premier Hotel. This hotel is only a 7-minute walk to the Olympic Stadium and only a 3-minute walk to a train station.

Looking for Tokyo 2021 Summer Olympics Travel Packages Instead?

If you’re specifically looking for Tokyo 2021 Summer Games Travel Package, we have partnered with Roadtrips to provide you the best service. The Tokyo 2021 Summer Travel Package starts at US$10,545 per person for 6 nights.

What to expect from Roadtrip‘s 2021 Summer Games Package:

• Hand-crafted 2021 Summer Games itinerary designed for you.
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• Welcome Kit and Summer Games Commemorative Gift.

To get started planning your 2021 Summer Games experience, please fill-out our special form here.

The Main Olympic Venues in Tokyo

The Tokyo 2021 Summer Olympics and Paralympics is just around the corner. The officials overseeing Tokyo 2021 divided the Olympics into two zones:

1. Heritage Zone. This area was where most of the events from the 1964 Tokyo Summer Olympics were used (thus Heritage). Staying within the Heritage Area is great because of its proximity to the Olympic Stadium and proximity to the sightseeing, shopping, and eating in Tokyo. This area offers a ton of options for accommodations, and a lot of interesting events, including the Opening and Closing Ceremonies.

2. Tokyo Bay Zone. The Tokyo Bay Zone is a waterfront area and an artificial island (commonly known as Odaiba) on the far southeast side of Tokyo. This is where most of the games and aquatic events are concentrated.

So if you’re spending your time in Tokyo just for these events, then it makes sense to stay in Odaiba because you can practically walk from your hotel to the event venues. Or just as easily hop on the Yurikamome Line to take you the other events on the island.

Booking.com

Where are the Best Places to Stay for Tokyo 2021?

Your accommodation needs may vary significantly depending on your sport of interest. So in this guide, you’ll see a table for the reference to location and sporting events.

Hopefully, this eliminates the need for you to spend hours on trains and buses to reach each venue. But with the Olympics comes inflated prices due to demand, so be sure to book early.

Let’s get started!

1. Tokyo Station, Ginza, and Shimbashi Station

Location: Excellent
Price: $$$$$

These stations are just between the Heritage Zone and Tokyo Bay Zone which makes it a convenient area for Tokyo 2021. Not only that but there are plenty of sightseeing spots located around Tokyo Station alone, and thousands of dining options around Ginza and Shimbashi Stations.

If you have JR Pass, you’ll benefit more in staying in Tokyo Station or Shimbashi as they’re covered by JR Pass. Shimbashi Station is actually the main transport hub that takes you to the Tokyo Bay Zone (Odaiba).

2. Shinjuku

Location: Great
Price: $$$$

If you’re only after the New National Stadium for the Opening and Closing Ceremony, you can’t go wrong with choosing a hotel anywhere in the area of Shinjuku that is near a train station. Due to it being the main transport hub for trains and buses and its proximity to the Heritage Zone, there are plenty of hotel accommodations here.

Shinjuku is also a great area if you’re into nightlife and drinking, as Shinjuku is a hub of bars, clubs, and entertainment.

3. Shibuya

Location: Great
Price: $$$$

Shibuya Station is an attraction in and of itself due to the Hachiko Statue and Scramble Crossing, along with it being a major shopping, dining, and entertainment center. And if you’re watching the Equestrian event in Setagaya, then Shibuya is less than an hour away.

4. Akihabara, Asakusa, and Ueno areas

Location: Great
Price: $$$

Hotel prices are a bit more reasonable here than in other areas due to the number of hostels around the area. As a result, most backpackers and budget travelers stay around here.

Akihabara, Asakusa, and Ueno Stations are also minutes away from Tokyo Station and are both covered by JR Pass. This makes it convenient to travel to the shopping, dining, and entertainment districts. As for the games, Weightlifting is the nearest sporting event in this area.

5. Ikebukuro or Toshima area

Location: Very Good
Price: $$$

Ikebukuro gives you access to a ton of hotels in the nearby city of Toshima and Nerima where the shooting range events take place. Hotels around here are not really high-end and typically cater to salarymen working in the area. But when the sun goes down, expect a vibrant nightlife much like Shinjuku because of tons of entertainment options.

6. Odaiba

Location: Very Good
Price: $$$$

There aren’t really that many hotels in Odaiba, but it’s since the aquatic events and the majority of the sporting events are here, expect these hotels to be fully booked fast. The Olympic Village, where athletes and officials will be residing during the entire Olympics, is also on this island.

Since Odaiba is on a separate island on the far southeast side of Tokyo, it’s a bit out of the way to reach the main sightseeing spots of Tokyo. Fortunately, Odaiba itself is a sight to see and experience.

It has a ton of incredible engineering achievements to admire such as the alien-looking Fuji TV Building, Palette Town, and the mesmerizing teamLab Borderless Digital Art Museum.

7. Shinagawa Station

Location: Very Good
Price: $$$

Shinagawa is a great location especially if you’re watching the Hockey and Volleyball events which will take place for nearly 2 weeks. The Tokyo Bay Zone is also very accessible from Shinagawa which makes it great if you’re interested mostly in the aquatic events in the Tokyo Bay Area.

Although it too is a bit away from major sightseeing attractions in Tokyo, it’s close to Kawasaki and Yokohama in Kanagawa Prefecture, where there are many sightseeing spots and dining choices as well.

8. Setagaya area

Location: Ok
Price: $$$

Although this area is near the Equestrian event, it’s a little further out from the major Tokyo area, so the hotels become a bit more scarce, but a bit cheaper as well. Unfortunately, Setagaya is in sort of a no-man’s-land of accommodations, being just outside downtown Tokyo.

9. Tama Station or Mitaka Station

Location: Ok
Price: $$

If you’re solely watching the Badminton, Soccer/Football, and Rugby events, then staying around these stations will be much more convenient for you. It may be a ways away from Tokyo’s main sightseeing spots, but it doesn’t mean there’s nothing to do in this area. In fact, the Studio Ghibli Museum is located in Mitaka which is something you definitely want to add to your itinerary.

10. Chofu Station

Location: Ok
Price: $$

After looking through the hotel lists for Chofu, the surrounding areas are severely lacking in accommodations. As such, I will suggest looking into Ota and Kawasaki wards. Hotels are selling out fast, however, so be prepared to stay much further away.

What if Hotels Above are all Fully Booked? What are the nearby alternatives?

Now, when all those above-mentioned areas in Tokyo are fully-booked, here are my recommendations:

1. Kawasaki and Yokohama area (Kanagawa Prefecture)

Location: Very Good
Price: $$$$

Both in Kanagawa Prefecture, these cities are close enough to get you to Tokyo without much hassle. Just remember to book a hotel near a train station to be sure that you are minimizing your travel time.

Yokohama is our personal favorite as it’s like Tokyo’s little brother, only cleaner and more decent. Plenty of sightseeing attractions and dining choices are here as well. And just like Tokyo, Yokohama and Kawasaki both offer great nightlife and bar tours.

Be warned though that these might get fully-booked fast as the Yokohama Baseball Stadium and International Stadium are in these areas, so there will be a ton of locals (Japan REALLY loves baseball) and tourists flocking to these places.

2. Narita area and Chiba City (Chiba Prefecture)

Location: Good
Price: $$$

Okay, moving to the east of Tokyo, Chiba City is still offering a number of hotels (at the time of writing). While cheaper than downtown Tokyo, these places are still pricey but offer close access to both Makuhari Messe and plenty of non-Olympics things to see and do.

My advice for those willing to travel a bit, look for hotels in Narita (the city, not the airport). The hotels are looking substantially cheaper due to the distance.

For surfing enthusiasts out there, I have bad news for you. During the dates of the surfing event, I couldn’t find anything available outside of a $74,000+ vacation home. A bit ridiculous, I know.

There may be some options on Airbnb, but for those looking for a real hotel, be prepared to travel. You can stay in Chiba City for city prices, but, again, Narita is your best bet for cheap hotels. I did find a pretty cheap option in Choshi, but the rooms are almost out.

3. Kawagoe or Saitama City (Saitama Prefecture)

Location: Good
Price: $$$

Saitama is a pretty sparse area of Japan, so there will be a lot of travel involved. You have a couple of choices here. Stay in downtown Tokyo and travel up to Saitama for its events, or stay in one of the remote cities in Saitama Prefecture.

If you choose the second option, there will certainly be a lot of travel, but the upside is you also get the lowest prices so far. Look into places like Bando, Honjo, and Ota. They don’t have many hotels, but what they do have is at a fraction of what the city hotels cost. I also suggest looking into the Garden Houses in Hanno. These are beautiful little cabins in the woods which are out of the way, but available.

Kawagoe is also located in the Saitama Prefecture, except Kawagoe is even more remotely located. So, just as before, look for accommodations within Tokyo, or in the remote surrounding cities if you’re looking for great deals.

4. Fujisawa City (Kanagawa Prefecture)

Location: Good
Value: $$$

Moving further south is Enoshima Island in Fujisawa, which actually has a reasonably priced capsule hotel right on the island. If that books up before you can snag a room, there are a few hotels on the mainland.

If you’re willing to travel a bit, look into rooms in nearby cities such as Yamato, Ebina, and Atsugi. This will also allow you to travel to Izu for the events held there.

5. Izu City (Shizuoka Prefecture)

Location: Ok
Value: $$$$

While this is probably the most remote location for an event, it’s actually one of the best in regards to accommodations. There are ample hotels available along the coastline of this peninsula.

Now, the downside to these deals is that, unlike every other city listed so far, the Izu peninsula has very few trains due to its mountainous terrain. That means you’ll be traveling by bus or car, and I highly suggest you rent a car in this situation.

6. Oyama Town (Shizuoka Prefecture)

Location: Ok
Value: $$

This one makes me happy as it’s located around my favorite place in the world, Mt. Fuji. This town is actually where the Subashiri Trail starts and goes to the top of Mt. Fuji.

Hotels here are much cheaper than in most other areas. And since the events are only being held over the course of a couple of days, it makes things much easier for you.

As with Izu, the downside to all these options is transportation. If you’ve read our past articles regarding this area then you’ll know your best option here is to rent a car.

Well, that’s doubly true here as there are no trains near Fuji Speedway, and nothing to take you between cities outside of buses. I suggest staying around Kawaguchiko or Yamanaka, as they have the added benefit of also being amazing vacation spots on their own.

7. Kashima City (Ibaraki Prefecture)

Location: Ok
Value: $$$

Located east of Tokyo, Kashima city offers some good choices for accommodations as it has only one main train line which stops in many major cities. As with other areas, Narita offers some good deals and reasonable travel time. I would also consider Katori and Kitachinaka if hotels dry up in Narita.

Beyond Tokyo

At this point, location and prices aren’t really issues, so I’ll be dropping the ratings.

1. Fukushima City (Fukushima Prefecture)

I can already see you recoiling in fear at the name “Fukushima,” but Fukushima City is actually 50+ miles (in Japan distances, that’s far) away from where the 2011 tsunami hit the nuclear plant and is perfectly safe.

In fact, I believe this is why Japan specifically chose Fukushima as a location for the 2021 Olympics; in order to remove some of the stigma surrounding it. Now, due to this unfortunate stigma, you get to benefit from, by far, the cheapest hotels near an Olympic event. This comes with a slight lack of available options, so you may need to stay up in Sendai or down in Koriyama, but it’s still worth the price you’ll pay.

2. Rifu Town (Miyagi Prefecture)

The second most northern city on this list, Rifu is above both Fukushima and Sendai, but not so far that hotels in either city are bad options. In fact, I suggest a hotel in Sendai as it would allow you to travel to both Fukushima and Rifu for the events held in both.

3. Sapporo City (Hokkaido Prefecture)

This last entry comes with a HUGE disclaimer, so pay attention. Sapporo is located on Hokkaido, Japan’s northernmost main island. To travel here from Tokyo you must go by plane, shinkansen (bullet train), or boat.

Hokkaido (outside of Sapporo) is not nearly as well-developed as the Tokyo area, so I suggest staying somewhere along the train lines if you choose to stay outside of Sapporo. For those looking to stay downtown, good news, Sapporo is chock-full of reasonably priced hotels and has an excellent subway system to get you too and from. To take full advantage of it.

Well, that about covers it. I hope I’ve been able to assist you in your decision of where to stay during the Tokyo 2021 Olympics. Remember, take some time out to enjoy Japan as well. You don’t always know when you’ll be able to return.