I am wrapping up my last day in what has become one of my favorite cities in the world, and I wanted to give my thoughts on where we chose to stay and how I feel like we made a great decision.
Without burying the lede, it is Ueno, and specifically Higashi-Ueno (near-ish the Inaricho station).
Full disclosure upfront: Tokyo is HUGE, and I am sure that there are a bunch of other options for your home base that can match the vibe we have experienced in Ueno; I just don’t know where they are. Also, what you want out of the trip might be different than me, and if you want to be in a busy and “electric” area, this might not be the place for you to call home during your stay.
We were really racking our brains trying to decide between something more focused on a night life (Shinjuku, Shibuya), or something a little more laid back like Asakusa or Ueno. We ultimately decided that if we were close enough to a big station like the Ueno station, we could have the best of both worlds.
The area we staid in has such a laid back and local vibe that allows for some beautiful morning walks where you can just experience a small slice of life in an older part of the city. Locals have been very polite and courteous (and I have also tried my very best to act in kind), and I admit that although I love my city back in the states, I am quite envious of the walkability and tranquil nature of the local neighborhoods.
Being about a 10 minute walk from Ueno station has meant that we aren’t more than a 30-40 minute train commute to any of the big tourist spots in the West side of Tokyo, and despite what I had read about Akihabara (mainly that it is too touristy), we have been there twice this trip since it has a really unique vibe and is only a couple of stops away. I also think that Ueno station is pretty newbie-friendly as far as a “big” station goes, and has many useful lines that run through it (for us, namely Ginza and Yamanote). Inaricho station is also very convenient, although the walk to Ueno station is short enough that we have just opted to stroll down there as needed.
Since I noted that we also considered Asakusa, having been there at night, it seemed to be much more packed with tourists, and while you might be thinking that it would be comforting to not “stand out” as a tourist when walking around, I have found it to be the complete opposite for me. The less tourists I see, the better the vibe has been for me, personally. I know there is a bit of irony there, since I am visiting and don’t live here, but I MUCH prefer a local vibe.
For some late night bar action, Ameyoko has been really fun. We have just popped into places that looked full of locals and have had some really memorable experiences. I have become super jealous of the bar food scene, and that is coming from someone who lives in what many consider to be one of the better food and bar areas in the states (Portland, OR). It can be a little on the dingy side in areas in Ameyoko (we saw a huge rat on our first night scurry across the alleyway between the bars), but that just comes with the tightly packed streets and old infrastructure. Not a big deal to us at all (Portland also has some furry rascals scurrying around at night). The walk back to our hotel at night has been peaceful and a nice end-cap to the evening.
In contrast to this, when we have visited the more densely packed areas like Shinjuku, we have had fun checking out the huge arcades, multi-level department stores, etc., but I can’t help but breathe a sigh of relief that we will escape the busy streets and be back to the tranquility of Ueno at the end of the night.
Also, I just want to say that I saw people note the homeless folks near Ueno park, and it is just night and day from the situation in the states and just an absolute non-issue for visitors. Really quite ridiculous that I even saw people make note of it as far as “this might impact your stay” kinds of comments. Yes, there are homeless people in the Ueno park area. No, they won’t in any way impact your walks through beautiful Ueno park in a negative way unless you are a pearl-clutching bozo.
I really hope this helps anyone who might stumble on my post looking for tips on places to stay when visiting Tokyo. If you are looking for a peaceful place that has (imo) great access to the rest of the city, I would strongly advise checking out Ueno. Happy to answer any questions that folks might have. Happy travels, everyone!
by Unclematttt