Japanese house is actually a cheap hotel where you can stay for US$24 a night

Forget capsule hotels, here you can get a room in a Japanese house instead.

Japan is filled with a wide variety of accommodation options, and some of them are hiding in plain sight. That’s the case with a hotel called New Yamato, because at first glance, it doesn’t look like a lodging facility, it looks like a regular Japanese house.

▼ New Yamato

While most people might walk right past this house, those in the know can get a great deal for a night’s accommodation here, with stays are priced at 3,700 yen (US$23.44). Located in the Nisshin-cho area of ​​Kawasaki City in Tokyo’s neighbouring Kanagawa Prefecture, the hotel is a 10-minute walk from JR Kawasaki Station.

Conveniently, the hotel has a sign on a telegraph pole en route to let you know you’re going in the right direction.

▼ “Business hotel New Yamato 200 metres (0.1 miles) ahead”

Once you arrive at the hotel and step inside, you’ll be wrapped up in a homely atmosphere that retains a retro vibe, with renovated features providing a modern touch.

▼ The number of shoes in the genkan entrance shows just how popular the hotel is.

After checking in at the front desk and swapping your shoes for slippers, you can take a load off in the relaxing lobby area…

▼ …or freshen up in the modern restrooms.

Both the lobby and shared restrooms are located on the ground level, where you’ll also find some of the guest rooms. While it’s supposed to be a men’s-only hotel, it also has a women’s toilet, which is likely for female staff members.

The toilets and showers are open 24 hours a day, and unlike some cheap hotels where you have to purchase toiletries or bring them with you, Yamato has familiar brands in the washrooms for you to use.

The bottles of body wash, shampoo and conditioner add to the homely feel of the place, and because it’s a small building, there are no elevators — only stairs.

▼ The stairs are steep, so you’ll want to keep that in mind if you’re lugging around a heavy suitcase.

While the ground floor has showers and toilets, the upstairs level has no showers — only shared washrooms and toilets.

▼ The washrooms are conveniently equipped with microwaves and kettles.

The windows in the common spaces and hallways of the building are always open for ventilation, although there are air conditioners inside as well.

While the common areas have a modern feel to them, the guest rooms are pretty bare bones, with a futon on tatami mat flooring, and a fridge, desk and TV at one end.

▼ Though the room is small, it makes good use of the space.

▼ Guests receive a body and face towel but no toothbrush, so you’ll want to come prepared.

At around 20 bucks a night, it’s definitely a better option than a capsule hotel, and cheap enough to have us overlook the old National air conditioner, which is a brand that doesn’t exist anymore, given that it switched over to Panasonic in 2008.

The residential view outside the window reminds you that you’re staying in a building that was originally built as a home.

The free Wi-Fi is a nice bonus to the stay, and the futon is a lot more comfortable than it looks, providing a comfortable night’s sleep.

It’s not a luxury hotel, but for 3,700 yen a night, a room with a lockable door and high ceilings like this is a great alternative to a capsule hotel, which can sometimes be even more expensive. The laid-back, home-like setup is a nice way to get a taste of what it’s like to live in a Japanese neighbourhood too.

So next time you’re looking for a cheap place to stay in Kawasaki, near the world’s shortest escalator, New Yamato is ready to welcome you. Those looking for a slightly more thrilling cheap stay can spend a night next to a cemetery at an old execution ground in Tokyo.

Hotel information
Business Hotel New Yamato / ビジネスホテル ニュー大和
Address: Kanagawa-ken, Kawasaki-shi, Kawasaki-ku, Nisshin-cho 911
神奈川県川崎市川崎区日進町9-11
Website

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