Episode seven: CAR RENTAL FAIL & MY FAVOURITE PLACES TO STAY

Hi friends! This episode was a stressful one. We planned to rest in Tokyo for a day, and then head off on our second road trip departing from Tokyo. Little did we know, car hire with snow tyres isn’t that straight forward. They need days of notice so they can prepare the car. Dan and I run around Tokyo trying all the car rental places to secure a car with snow tyres (so much stress!!). I also give you a tour of a Tokyo capsule hotel I’ve stayed at a few times as well as a tour of my favourite hostel at Mt Fuji.

Centurion Residential Cabins (Capsules)
akasaka, Tokyo

This is one of my favourite places to stay if you’re staying in a group. It is relatively cheap ($50 per person at time of year I went) and each private room has 4 cabins. The best part about this room is that it is yours - you don’t have to share it with strangers. That means you can leave your stuff out and lock the door - this is super crucial as other hostels there isn’t much room to store your personal belongings. The peace of mind is worth it -- I’ve had a friend have his stuff stolen while he went to shower in another hostel. It also comes with a private toilet & shower which you don’t have to share with strangers. Oh, and there’s a fridge.

Another plus for this capsule hotel is it’s location. It is very central to all the best places in Tokyo. It matters which train line you have access to. Places in Tokyo may look close on the map but sometimes can take up to 40+ minutes and multiple train line switches. Taxi’s are also prohibitively expensive.

Relatively cheap if in a group.
Private room - don’t have to share it with strangers.
Your own toilet & shower - again, strangers.
Central location & train line (Akasaka).

Saruya Hostel (mt fuji)
fujiyoshida

This is my favourite hostel to stay at when visting Mt Fuji. I have stayed here twice. The interior & design choices are mint (if you like Muji, you’ll like this place). It is a hostel so you’ll be sharing the building with others but each room has a lock so you don’t need to worry about your belongings. There is a main building and an Annex - both equally nice. I’ve only stayed in the Annex, but it is beautiful. There is a really nice shower & toilet setup and a small kitchenet if you want to cook. You should really watch my YouTube video (above) as the footage can show you better than I can tell you.

There is a common room at the front where you can chill. In the Annex there are 4 rooms. The rooms have a traditional tatami floor mat & floor beds which are super comfy. The location is great - it’s a short 10 minute walk to the base of Chureito Pagoda (see below) - arguably the most famous view point of Mt Fuji. It is also a short walk to restaurants and convenients stores. You can rent a Bicycle from Saruya if you want too. Oh, and it was super cheap. We paid $20 per person per night.