Where to stay in Tokyo: the neighbourhoods compared

Quick pick by traveller

Based on JNTO’s district pages and the operators’ own timetables. No area is “best” for every trip: the main question is which station you will use most.

Airport links by area

Adult fares, one way, approximate journey times. N’EX fare is the reserved seat to Tokyo Station; visitors can buy the N’EX TOKYO Round Trip Ticket for ¥5,200. Haneda taxis are the daytime flat rate from 20 April 2026 plus tolls, higher from 22:00 to 5:00; Chuo (Ginza), Minato (Roppongi) and Shinagawa wards have no flat rate and you pay the meter. Narita fixed-fare taxis cost ¥29,000–31,000 to Chuo, Chiyoda and Taito wards and ¥31,500–32,500 to Shinjuku, Shibuya and most of Minato, plus tolls. Every option is compared in our airport to city guide.

The areas, one by one

Shinjuku

JNTO calls Shinjuku Station the busiest transport hub in the world: 3.64 million people a day when Guinness World Records registered it in 2007, with JR, Keio, Odakyu, Toei and Tokyo Metro stations in one complex. It sits at “nine o’clock” on the JR Yamanote loop and is a major stop for highway buses from the rest of Japan.

• Good for: first-timers, late dinners and bars, day trips to Hakone (the Odakyu Romancecar leaves from Shinjuku) and Mt Fuji (see our Fuji and Hakone guide), and direct N’EX trains and Limousine buses to Narita.
• Trade-offs: the station is a labyrinth (JNTO warns against arranging to meet “outside Shinjuku Station”), and Kabukicho, the nightlife district, has what JNTO calls a “sometimes sleazy reputation”. For quieter nights, stay west or south of the station.

Shibuya

Shibuya is on the JR Yamanote Line and most of Tokyo’s major train and subway lines, JNTO says, and its crossing sees up to 2,500 people at each signal change. Express trains on the Keio Inokashira Line reach Shimokitazawa, with its vintage shops and small music venues, in under five minutes.

• Good for: shopping, nightlife, younger travellers and anyone who wants Harajuku and Omotesando nearby. Direct N’EX from Narita; Haneda flat-rate taxi ¥8,500.
• Trade-offs: crowded at most hours, and Shinkansen trips mean going to Shinagawa or Tokyo first.

Tokyo Station, Marunouchi and Ginza

Tokyo Station is the hub for bullet trains as well as the JR Yamanote, Chuo, Sobu and Keihin-Tohoku lines and the Marunouchi subway; underground passages lead to Otemachi (Tozai, Chiyoda, Hanzomon and Mita lines). Ginza, one of the world’s priciest shopping streets by land value, is on the Hibiya, Marunouchi and Ginza subway lines, and Chuo Dori is closed to cars on weekend afternoons.

• Good for: Shinkansen day trips (see Kanazawa from Tokyo and Kyoto from Tokyo), early starts, the Imperial Palace gardens, and the cheapest bus from Narita (TYO-NRT, ¥1,500).
• Trade-offs: Marunouchi is a district of office towers, with fewer late-night bar streets than Shinjuku or Shibuya, and Ginza’s land prices, among the highest in the world according to JNTO, show in what things cost.

Ueno, Asakusa and Akihabara

Ueno and Akihabara are both major stops on the JR Yamanote Line. Ueno has Japan’s oldest zoo, several national museums, a large park and the Ameyoko market street; Akihabara, two Yamanote stops from Tokyo Station, is JNTO’s “geek heaven” for electronics, manga and anime. Asakusa’s Sensoji is a five-minute walk from Asakusa Station, served by the Ginza and Asakusa subway lines and Tobu trains, which also run to Nikko.

• Good for: Narita arrivals on the Skyliner (Ueno in about 41 minutes, ¥2,580), families, museums, temples and old-Tokyo streets, and day trips to Nikko (see our Nikko and Kamakura guide).
• Trade-offs: further from Shinjuku and Shibuya, and Asakusa is not on the Yamanote Line, so most trips west need a change.

Ikebukuro

Among Tokyo’s busiest districts, Ikebukuro is served by the JR Yamanote, Shonan-Shinjuku and Saikyo lines, the Marunouchi, Yurakucho and Fukutoshin subway lines, and the Tobu-Tojo and Seibu-Ikebukuro lines. Sunshine City has an observation deck and an aquarium, and the area is known for anime and game shops and cafés.

• Good for: anime and games, a big-station base on the Yamanote Line, and Tobu and Seibu trains out of the city.
• Trade-offs: at the top of the Yamanote loop, so Shibuya, Shinagawa and Haneda are further away.

Shinagawa and Roppongi

Shinagawa is a Tokaido Shinkansen stop (JR Central) and a Narita Express stop, and Keikyu trains reach it from Haneda in about 11 minutes. It is the practical choice for an early Haneda flight or a trip on to Kyoto and Osaka, though it has less to see on the doorstep. Roppongi and Akasaka, about 10 minutes by train from Shibuya on the Hibiya and Oedo lines, are JNTO’s pick for nightlife and upscale museums, with Roppongi Hills and Tokyo Midtown; they are not on the Yamanote Line.

How to choose

• Pick the station first, then the hotel. Being within a few minutes’ walk of a Yamanote Line station, or the line you will use most, matters more than the name of the district.
• Check the exit. Big stations such as Shinjuku, Tokyo and Shibuya have many exits; a hotel “near Shinjuku Station” can still be 15 minutes from your platform.
• Think about your last and first days. Match the area to your airport: Shinagawa or Hamamatsucho for Haneda, Ueno or a N’EX stop for Narita.
• Moving hotels? Send your suitcase ahead with a delivery service and travel light: see luggage storage and forwarding.
• Going on to Kansai? See where to stay in Kyoto and Osaka, and whether one base covers both.
• Getting around: one IC card works on JR, the subway and private lines in every area here; see our Suica and PASMO guide.

Quick answers

What is the best area to stay in Tokyo for a first visit?

Shinjuku or the Tokyo Station and Ginza area. Shinjuku has the most train lines, direct Narita Express trains and a huge choice of places to eat late. Tokyo Station is the Shinkansen hub, so it suits a trip with day trips to Kyoto, Kanazawa or Sendai. Both are on the JR Yamanote loop line.

Is Shinjuku or Shibuya better to stay in?

Shinjuku has more train lines (JR, Keio, Odakyu, Toei and Tokyo Metro), the Romancecar to Hakone and direct Limousine buses to Narita. Shibuya is a little smaller and focused on shopping and nightlife; both have direct Narita Express trains and Haneda flat-rate taxis (¥9,000 to Shinjuku ward, ¥8,500 to Shibuya ward, plus tolls).

Where should I stay in Tokyo if I fly into Haneda?

Shinagawa is the easiest: Keikyu trains reach it from about 11 minutes for ¥330, and it is also a Tokaido Shinkansen stop for Kyoto and Osaka. The Tokyo Monorail runs to Hamamatsucho (13–19 minutes, ¥520), one change from the Yamanote Line.

Where should I stay if I fly into Narita?

Ueno if you take the Keisei Skyliner (about 41 minutes, ¥2,580). Tokyo Station, Shinagawa, Shibuya or Shinjuku if you take the Narita Express (from 53 minutes to Tokyo). From 6 to 8 November 2026 the Narita Express runs only to Tokyo Station, so change there.

Is Asakusa a good place to stay in Tokyo?

Yes if you want old-Tokyo streets around Sensoji and easy Tobu trains to Nikko. The trade-off is that Asakusa is not on the JR Yamanote Line, so trips to Shinjuku or Shibuya take longer than from Ueno or Tokyo Station.

Is Kabukicho in Shinjuku safe to stay in?

JNTO calls Kabukicho Tokyo’s party district with a “sometimes sleazy reputation” that is becoming more family-friendly. If you want quieter nights, pick a hotel on the west or south side of Shinjuku Station rather than inside Kabukicho.

Show taxi drivers your hotel’s address with the taxi address card, and put your dates and bookings in the trip planner. Mobile data from the moment you land: see the best eSIM for Japan.

Sources

Checked against these pages on 24 October 2026. Official pages take precedence over this summary.

1. JNTO: Shinjuku: station, lines and Kabukicho
   National tourism organisation.
2. JNTO: Shibuya and Shimokitazawa
   National tourism organisation.
3. JNTO: Imperial Palace and Tokyo Station: lines and access
   National tourism organisation.
4. JNTO: Ginza and Nihonbashi
   National tourism organisation.
5. JNTO: Asakusa: Sensoji and access
   National tourism organisation.
6. JNTO: Ueno and Akihabara
   National tourism organisation.
7. JNTO: Ikebukuro: lines and sights
   National tourism organisation.
8. JNTO: Roppongi and Akasaka
   National tourism organisation.
9. JR Central: Tokaido Shinkansen station layout maps (Tokyo, Shinagawa and others)
   Railway operator.
10. JR East: N’EX (Narita Express)
    Railway operator.
11. JR East: Yokosuka Line/Sobu Rapid Line tunnel construction notice: Narita Express changes 4–6 Sep and 6–8 Nov 2026
    Railway operator.
12. Keisei Electric Railway: Skyliner FAQ: fares and tickets
    Railway operator.
13. AIRPORT BUS TYO-NRT: Airport bus between Tokyo Station and Narita (official site)
    Bus operator.
14. Airport Limousine: Tokyo Station ⇔ Narita Airport: fare and stops
    Bus operator.
15. Narita International Airport: Taxi: fixed-fare zones to Tokyo
    Airport operator.
16. Keikyu: Fare table from Haneda Airport Terminal 1·2 (Japanese, PDF)
    Railway operator.
17. Tokyo Monorail: Fare table
    Railway operator.
18. Tokyo Hire-Taxi Association: Haneda Airport fixed fares from 20 April 2026 (PDF)
    Taxi industry association.
19. Odakyu Electric Railway: Limited Express Romancecar: surcharge, journey time and timetable (from 14 Mar 2026)
    Railway operator.
20. Tobu Railway: NIKKO PASS world heritage area: price, validity and zone
    Railway operator.

General information. Lines, fares and timetables change; each operator’s own page is always right. We do not list hotel prices, which change by the day. JapanBenri is not affiliated with any railway, bus company or hotel.