Finding Cheap places to stay in Japan.

Good news for budget travelers! Japan has some of the most innovative and economical lodging in the world. Even in Tokyo, one of the most expensive cities in the world, you can find plenty of low cost hotels/rooms that are safe and clean! Here's is a list of the top 5 places to stay:

1. Manga Cafes (about 2,000 yen/night)

While I personally would not recommend sleeping in a Manga Cafe for a vacation, it is probably the cheapest "hotel" you will ever find in Japan. It is perfectly OK to spend a night or two at a manga cafe, and in fact some people actually live in these cubicles. 

In a typical manga cafe, you can expect several floors of office cubicles which you will be able to choose from. There is normally a free and unlimited drink machine, sometimes free ice cream, massage chairs, and of course.....tons of manga(Japanese comic books). They will usually even have showers for you to use.

2. Capsule Hotels (2,000 yen - 6,000 yen/night)

Ahhhh.... Yes of course. The famous (or infamous) capsule hotels of Japan. Perhaps Japan is the only country in the world where sleeping in stacked tubes is an option for travelers as well as sleepy businessmen. For a pretty cheap price you can stay in one of these capsules which included pajamas, a capsule TV, and a shared bathroom/shower room. Usually capsule hotels are only for men but there are some women-only floors as well. 

3. Airbnb.com (1,000 yen - 20,000 yen/ night)

Probably my personal favorite place to find cheap accommodations is Airbnb! Airbnb is a site where home/apartment owners can rent out a room in their house for travelers. You can find almost any type of set-up with this site. From sleeping in someone's closet, to living in a treehouse, Airbnb has plenty of options. And you can easily filter the prices on their website to find the perfect place for you. It's also a great way of meeting new friends.

4. couchsurfing.com (Free!)

Yes! It is possible to a free place to stay in Japan. With couchsurfing.com friendly hosts are willing to let total strangers (Yes, I'm talking about you) sleep on their couch for a few nights for absolutely no cost! (Although you might want to buy them dinner or something one night). Sound too good to be true? Unfortunately it can be difficult to find a host, and even if you do, cancellations can happen easily. I was able to find one host for a few nights but unfortunately he had to cancel due to a business trip. But there are many people who would love to let a stranger stay at their home so that they can get a chance to speak English.

5. Hostels (1,000 yen - 5,000 yen/ night)

And of course, staying in a shared room with many bunk beds is also an option at hostels. Here you will probably have to sleep with anywhere between 3 and 20 other budget travelers. The plus side is, there is ample opportunity to meet new friends. The downside is that you will be in an open room with about 16 other people. (One of which probably snores at night.)

6. Urban Camping (Free!)

Fortunately, Japan is one of the safest, if not The safest country in the world. Therefor, while not recommended, it is actually possible to safely sleep on the streets of Tokyo or Osaka and wake up the next day with your wallet and passport still in your pocket. In fact, its a pretty common sight to see people camping out at trains stations after they missed their last train home after a night of partying during the Summer months(The last train usually stops running between midnight and 12:30am). If you can combine Urban camping with hitch-hiking and eating only free food samples at the local supermarket you could possibly be the first person in history to take a trip to Japan without spending a single 1-yen coin.