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To find a love hotel on the street, just look for flamboyant facades and signs clearly stating the rates. Love hotels are designed for maximum privacy: entrances and exits are kept separate; keys are provided through a small opening without contact between desk clerk and guest; and photos of the rooms are displayed to make the choice easy for the customer.

During the day, you can stay for a two- or three-hour ‘rest’ (kyūkei in Japanese) for about ¥4000 (rates are for the whole room, not per person). Love hotels are of more interest to foreign visitors after 10pm, when it’s possible to stay the night for about ¥6500, but you should check out early enough in the morning to avoid a return to peak-hour rates. Look for the sign outside stating the rates. Even if you can’t read Japanese, you should be able to figure out which rate applies to a ‘rest’ and which applies to an overnight stay.

Most love hotels are comfortable with foreign guests, but some travellers have reported being turned away at the odd place. Same-sex couples may have more trouble than one man and one woman.

Kokumin-shukusha

Kokumin-shukusha (people’s lodges) are government-supported institutions offering affordable accommodation in scenic areas. Private Japanese-style rooms are the norm, though some places offer Western-style rooms. Prices average ¥5500 to ¥6500 per person per night, including two meals.

Minshuku

A minshuku is usually a family-run private guest house, rather like a Western-style B&B, except that you get both breakfast and dinner at a minshuku, making them extremely convenient for the traveller. The average price is around ¥6000 per person per night (with two meals). Minshuku are particularly common in rural areas and on the outer islands of Japan, where they may be the only accommodation option. For information on staying in a minshuku, see opposite.

Mountain Huts

Mountain huts (yama-goya) are common in many of Japan’s hiking and mountain-climbing areas. While you’ll occasionally find free emergency shelters, most huts are privately run and charge for accommodation. These places offer bed and board (two meals) at around ¥5000 to ¥8000 per person; if you prepare your own meal, that figure drops to ¥3000 to ¥5000 per person. It’s best to call ahead to reserve a spot (contact numbers are available in Japanese hiking guides and maps, and in Lonely Planet’s Hiking in Japan), but you won’t be turned away if you show up without a reservation.

Pensions

Pensions are usually run by young couples offering Western-style accommodation based on the European pension concept. They are common in resort areas and around ski fields. Prices average ¥6000 per person per night, or ¥8500 including two meals.

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STAYING IN A RYOKAN OR MINSHUKU

Let’s face it: a hotel is a hotel wherever you go. Just as you want to try local food when you’re on the road, you probably also want to try a night in traditional local accommodation. In Japan you’ll find two kinds of traditional accommodation: ryokan and minshuku.

Ryokan (written with the Japanese characters for ‘travel’ and ‘hall’) are often fine old wooden Japanese buildings, with tatami mats, futons, gardens, deep Japanese bathtubs, traditional Japanese service and kitchens that turn out classic Japanese cuisine. Of course, much simpler ryokan also exist, and some even resemble hotels in every respect but the Japanese-style rooms.

Minshuku (written with the Japanese characters for ‘people’ and ‘accommodation’) are simpler versions of ryokan, sometimes private Japanese homes that have a few rooms given over to guests, other times purpose-built accommodation.

Due to language difficulties and unfamiliarity, staying in a ryokan or minshuku is not as straightforward as staying in a Western-style hotel. However, with a little education, it can be a breeze, even if you don’t speak a word of Japanese.

Here’s the basic drill. When you arrive, leave your shoes in the genkan (foyer area) and step up into the reception area. Here, you