After my classmate who lives in Tokyo dropped the ball on me for accommodations, the cost of my holiday has shot up a few hundred dollars more, and now I have to figure out where to stay. It’s really hard to get reservations this late in the game, but I’ve narrowed it down to a few options in descending cost order. This is a classic case of optimizing various utility functions under imperfect information: I have competing interests but know absolutely nothing about how they work in Tokyo. Without narrowing it down my brain would explode.
1. Oak Hotel single at 5780Y per night, the only place where my stupid ISIC card provides a discount. For once in my life this card will come in handy as something other than ID. JR Ueno.
2. Tokyo International Youth Hostel dorm at 3860Y (?) per night. Really sweet location – the 18th floor of a high rise next to Iidabashi Station – but also pricier for what is essentially a shared dormitory. Also kinda regimented: doors are locked at 11 (which kind of defeats the point of staying in an awesome location) but it’s not as if I’m going to be wandering around the city late into the wee hours of the night.
3. Ks House dorm at 2800Y per night. Kurumae metro station, 15 minutes walk from JR Asakusabashi. Very backpacker look to it, no curfew.
The cost differential between the 1st and 3rd options adds up for the duration of my stay, and cost is a big factor. Security is also an issue – I will not be bringing my laptop to work on it since this is meant to be a holiday, but I will be bringing my camera. Location is also a factor, but it’s hard to tell how accessible/inaccessible it is since I know absolutely nothing about the Tokyo subway system – densha otoko and other dramas didn’t exactly explain it. In any case, I suspect availability will be the most important factor and have made inquiries.
[update] Availability was indeed the most important factor. Ks House was unable to provide me with a room for the full duration of my stay at such short notice, which I suppose testifies to their value proposition. Lesson learned: the promises of friends are often unreliable and I should always hedge my bets for all possible outcomes.
Security is overrated. You will have your camera on you most of the time unless you are back sleeping with it, which should be safe