PSA: Japanese Airbnb laws are changing after June 15, 2018

Kyoto has a lot more family friendly places than they use to. I'm going to Japan in a few weeks and I've seen a ton of reasonably priced apartment hotels, most of them 2 or fewer years old. So if you're going to Kyoto, there are so many options now outside of AirBnBs.

In regards to Osaka, I would be very leery to switch to there unless you know how to use takyuubin services. My friend who just moved from Osaka back to the States said Osaka has finally passed some laws about taking suitcases on local transport. There are now signs up on the subway saying bringing anything larger than a small bag on the subways could lead to fines. I'm pretty sure Osaka is also going to be regulating AirBnBs more strictly.
@Haley R - To elaborate, takkyubin is a shipping service that will collect your luggage in Tokyo & deliver it to your accommodations in Osaka the next day. You will be able to travel more easily because you won't need to be lugging it around with you. If you need help understanding how to use this service, send me a message.
 
We thought about that, but I'm a really picky eater so I don't know if that would be our best option.

True ryokan experiences are also suuuper expensive! I'm sure you'll be able to find kid-friendly accommodations though. Worst case scenario, there are a lot of American chains (Hilton, Sheraton, etc.) in Japan's major cities.
 
Kyoto has a lot more family friendly places than they use to. I'm going to Japan in a few weeks and I've seen a ton of reasonably priced apartment hotels, most of them 2 or fewer years old. So if you're going to Kyoto, there are so many options now outside of AirBnBs.

In regards to Osaka, I would be very leery to switch to there unless you know how to use takyuubin services. My friend who just moved from Osaka back to the States said Osaka has finally passed some laws about taking suitcases on local transport. There are now signs up on the subway saying bringing anything larger than a small bag on the subways could lead to fines. I'm pretty sure Osaka is also going to be regulating AirBnBs more strictly.
What are some of the places you found in Kyoto? I have been looking at Sakara in Kyoto as an option.

I doubt we will switch to Osaka. We were both pretty excited to switch to Kyoto and actually were planning on cutting Osaka out of our trip. We just didn't see much that interested us there.
 
@Haley R - To elaborate, takkyubin is a shipping service that will collect your luggage in Tokyo & deliver it to your accommodations in Osaka the next day. You will be able to travel more easily because you won't need to be lugging it around with you. If you need help understanding how to use this service, send me a message.
We actually were planning on using this service when we change location! We will start in Tokyo (either Disney or the city), take the train to Kyoto, and end our trip back in Tokyo (either Disney or the city).
 


True ryokan experiences are also suuuper expensive! I'm sure you'll be able to find kid-friendly accommodations though. Worst case scenario, there are a lot of American chains (Hilton, Sheraton, etc.) in Japan's major cities.
I actually really like the Hilton as an option for when we are at Disney. I love that they have King beds and the price is affordable. The Disney hotels look crazy expensive.
 
I actually really like the Hilton as an option for when we are at Disney. I love that they have King beds and the price is affordable. The Disney hotels look crazy expensive.

The actual Disney park hotels are RIDICULOUS. The MiraCosta is actually inside Tokyo DisneySea and starts around $600 a night. It looks amazing, but I'd rather spend that extra $500 on merch or something. Maybe someday in the future I'll splurge... XD

Yeah, the Hilton should do you just fine. :) I stayed at the Sheraton Grande Tokyo Bay when I was there-- it was just me and just one night, so it was relatively cheap (I think like $120?). It and the Hilton and a few others are right off the monorail too, so it's basically as easy to get to the parks as if you were staying at the official Disney hotels (other than MiraCosta).
 
True ryokan experiences are also suuuper expensive! I'm sure you'll be able to find kid-friendly accommodations though. Worst case scenario, there are a lot of American chains (Hilton, Sheraton, etc.) in Japan's major cities.

It depends on where you are going, what you define as super expensive, and what you define as a true ryokan experience. We just booked a place just outside Kamikochi for ~23,000 yen a night for 2. It includes dinner and breakfast, as well as transport from Matsumoto to the ryokan. There are a lot more ryokan, even nicer ones, that now offer stays without meals. I've seen a bunch in Nagano prefecture in particular as well as Hakone. Though I also saw a cute looking apartment hotel right on the Lake Ashi there.

In regards to takyuubin, at hotels, it's pretty straightforward. You just go to the front desk and they staff will usually fill out the forms for you, just tell them where you want to send things. JNTO (Japan National Tourist Organization) just started a big English push regarding takyuubin to try to get foreigners to not take bags with them on local transport. It does get more complicated if you are staying in an AirBnB or actually live in Japan, if you don't speak a lot of Japanese, as someone needs to be there for both pick up and drop off of the bags. You can still make it work, but again you need to make sure someone is actually there when they try to deliver. (For pick up you can use some convenience stores as well as walking to an actual Kuroneko Yamato storefronts.) The cost is quite reasonable, and is how most Japanese transport bags which is why you don't see Japanese people on subways or trains with huge bags, just foreigners. (Outside trains that specifically go to the airport like the NEX/Haruka/Skyliner/etc. ) I have only ever seen one hotel/ryokan that doesn't accept takyuubin and it's one literally next to the Jigokudani Monkey Park which is not fully accessible by vehicular traffic. Supposedly, people in the Kansai area are fed up with foreigners bringing big bags on subways and buses or walking on crowded shopping streets. I don't know if Kyoto has cracked down on it, but my friend said Osaka has and you could be fined if your bag is considered too large. I am sure AirbnBs will also be cracked down on because they are considered a nuisance to locals.

In Kyoto, I would definitely look at the apartment hotels. I nearly booked the two I found in Kyoto because they seemed quite reasonable aka under $150 a night and had a washer/dryer. They are actual hotels with a front desk and multiple units available (though usually under 20) so are not running afoul of the new laws. Tokyo can be more problematic and I am not 100% sure what I would do there, but I wouldn't be surprised if there are more options than just AirBnBs.

I am very leery of AirBnB. Orange County, CA also cracked down on them and I had my host cancel 3 days before I was supposed to arrive. AirBnB was only so responsive and it was a lot of work 3 days out trying to find somewhere new to stay. I can't even imagine that on an International level.
 


What are some of the places you found in Kyoto? I have been looking at Sakara in Kyoto as an option.

I doubt we will switch to Osaka. We were both pretty excited to switch to Kyoto and actually were planning on cutting Osaka out of our trip. We just didn't see much that interested us there.

I want to stress, I have not stayed in them yet but.....

I was looking at the Gentle Fox near Fushimi Inari: http://gentlefox.jp/English/

Yutaka Hotel near Nijo: so new it has no official website, but you can see it on Booking or via Google, just make sure you don't look at the steakhouse with the same name.

If your group is not so big, I heard from a family of 3 on Japan-Guide that the Hotel Anteroom is amazing. If you book far enough out they have some amazingly low rates.

All of these options are below $150 a night some with the right exchange rate are closer to $120, or at least they were for my June 2018 dates. I am personally trying the new Integrate in Kyoto probably (I am debating there are the Anteroom.) They offer free french roast coffee, free smoothies between 6-7 am, and free wine XD; The rooms don't look as nice as the Anteroom, but I like the location in the central shopping district. If I was a larger group I might pick one of the other places, but we're just two. I stayed in the Hana Touro last year (about $175) and loved it, but I am trying to be more careful with costs because I am splurging for 2 nights in Tokyo at my favorite hotel.

I want to stress, I think the Yutaka, Integrate, and Anteroom have all opened up since my trip to Kyoto June 2017. I don't think the Gentle Fox was open in June 2017 either, I know the Hana Touro was newly opened when we stayed there in June 2017. If you're looking to go to Japan 6 months from now, I would keep looking, there is a huge hotel boom going on right now and who knows what new and interesting places will open.

Someone on Japan-Guide found it, but the Hatchobori Sardonyx Hotel, seems decently priced and has relatively large rooms for Japan. I'm thinking of trying the new Mitsui (opening in June!) for a few nights as it is brand new and was surprisingly cheap before switching to my splurge hotel.

I've stayed at the Tokyo Disneyland Hotel. I found it disappointing for a luxury hotel. I didn't think the service/English was as good as other luxury hotels in Tokyo. The only pluses to me were early entry and the 1 day park hopper ticket.

I am not that into Osaka. I go there to see friends and shop, though I am staying there 1 night so I can go to USJ in June 2018. I think Kyoto is a lot more interesting though it does get crowded.

Good luck!
 
The actual Disney park hotels are RIDICULOUS. The MiraCosta is actually inside Tokyo DisneySea and starts around $600 a night. It looks amazing, but I'd rather spend that extra $500 on merch or something. Maybe someday in the future I'll splurge... XD

Yeah, the Hilton should do you just fine. :) I stayed at the Sheraton Grande Tokyo Bay when I was there-- it was just me and just one night, so it was relatively cheap (I think like $120?). It and the Hilton and a few others are right off the monorail too, so it's basically as easy to get to the parks as if you were staying at the official Disney hotels (other than MiraCosta).
I would absolutely love to stay at MiraCosta, but it's most likely not going to happen. I think the Hilton actually looks really nice!
 
I want to stress, I have not stayed in them yet but.....

I was looking at the Gentle Fox near Fushimi Inari: http://gentlefox.jp/English/

Yutaka Hotel near Nijo: so new it has no official website, but you can see it on Booking or via Google, just make sure you don't look at the steakhouse with the same name.

If your group is not so big, I heard from a family of 3 on Japan-Guide that the Hotel Anteroom is amazing. If you book far enough out they have some amazingly low rates.

All of these options are below $150 a night some with the right exchange rate are closer to $120, or at least they were for my June 2018 dates. I am personally trying the new Integrate in Kyoto probably (I am debating there are the Anteroom.) They offer free french roast coffee, free smoothies between 6-7 am, and free wine XD; The rooms don't look as nice as the Anteroom, but I like the location in the central shopping district. If I was a larger group I might pick one of the other places, but we're just two. I stayed in the Hana Touro last year (about $175) and loved it, but I am trying to be more careful with costs because I am splurging for 2 nights in Tokyo at my favorite hotel.

I want to stress, I think the Yutaka, Integrate, and Anteroom have all opened up since my trip to Kyoto June 2017. I don't think the Gentle Fox was open in June 2017 either, I know the Hana Touro was newly opened when we stayed there in June 2017. If you're looking to go to Japan 6 months from now, I would keep looking, there is a huge hotel boom going on right now and who knows what new and interesting places will open.

Someone on Japan-Guide found it, but the Hatchobori Sardonyx Hotel, seems decently priced and has relatively large rooms for Japan. I'm thinking of trying the new Mitsui (opening in June!) for a few nights as it is brand new and was surprisingly cheap before switching to my splurge hotel.

I've stayed at the Tokyo Disneyland Hotel. I found it disappointing for a luxury hotel. I didn't think the service/English was as good as other luxury hotels in Tokyo. The only pluses to me were early entry and the 1 day park hopper ticket.

I am not that into Osaka. I go there to see friends and shop, though I am staying there 1 night so I can go to USJ in June 2018. I think Kyoto is a lot more interesting though it does get crowded.

Good luck!
The Gentle Fox looks really nice! I'm seeing as low as $89/night on Tripadvisor in March. We will be going in May and they haven't released prices for May yet.

When I look at Yutaka Hotel on Booking.com I can't find any dates that aren't sold out.

It'll just be DH and I on our trip. I looked at the Anteroom on Tripadvisor and it's definitely not my favorite as far as how the rooms look, but it has really good prices!

We already have an AirBnB for Tokyo while in the city so really we only need a place for Kyoto. I'm 99% sure we will stay at the Hilton during our Disney part of the stay. I would rather save the money and stay there. I'm interested in the Gentle Fox so I'll probably keep watching their prices. Thanks!
 
The Gentle Fox looks really nice! I'm seeing as low as $89/night on Tripadvisor in March. We will be going in May and they haven't released prices for May yet.

When I look at Yutaka Hotel on Booking.com I can't find any dates that aren't sold out.

It'll just be DH and I on our trip. I looked at the Anteroom on Tripadvisor and it's definitely not my favorite as far as how the rooms look, but it has really good prices!

We already have an AirBnB for Tokyo while in the city so really we only need a place for Kyoto. I'm 99% sure we will stay at the Hilton during our Disney part of the stay. I would rather save the money and stay there. I'm interested in the Gentle Fox so I'll probably keep watching their prices. Thanks!

My dates were available for the Yutaka a few days ago.... I want to say it was like $530 for 4 nights? My daughter is 7, so depending on the hotel she counts as an adult. Many hotels in Japan don't allow bookings until 5-6 months from when you plan to visit. It's unusual for places to allow booking at 7 or 8 months. It's sort of fascinating because you can watch as more and more places become available in a particular location when you get to 4-5 months out. Yutaka and Gentle Fox are both super close to a JR Station (JR Inari and JR Nijo.) I'm not sure which rooms they show on TripAdvisor, I used the Anteroom Hotel's actual website and booked one of the rooms with the wooden bath and garden view though I regret not booking a balcony. The person I talked to who stayed there said it's really nice and very funky, but clean. The Intergate has a free sento/onsen for staying guests, which is always a plus for me. If you're going after May 7th, you should be after Golden Week, and everything should be easier to book and prices should be good. I think the only really in demand things then involve the Shibazakura Festival in Kawaguchiko.
 
My dates were available for the Yutaka a few days ago.... I want to say it was like $530 for 4 nights? My daughter is 7, so depending on the hotel she counts as an adult. Many hotels in Japan don't allow bookings until 5-6 months from when you plan to visit. It's unusual for places to allow booking at 7 or 8 months. It's sort of fascinating because you can watch as more and more places become available in a particular location when you get to 4-5 months out. Yutaka and Gentle Fox are both super close to a JR Station (JR Inari and JR Nijo.) I'm not sure which rooms they show on TripAdvisor, I used the Anteroom Hotel's actual website and booked one of the rooms with the wooden bath and garden view though I regret not booking a balcony. The person I talked to who stayed there said it's really nice and very funky, but clean. The Intergate has a free sento/onsen for staying guests, which is always a plus for me. If you're going after May 7th, you should be after Golden Week, and everything should be easier to book and prices should be good. I think the only really in demand things then involve the Shibazakura Festival in Kawaguchiko.
So it looks like the Yutaka books about 3 months in advance and the cheapest prices are 1-2 months in advance. It looks really nice, but we probably wouldn't want to wait until last minute to book our hotel. I might think about booking somewhere that has free cancellation and then I could switch to the Yutaka if I see rooms come available. Wow she counts as an adult at 7 years old?! That's crazy.

I'm looking on the Anteroom's actual website now. The rooms do look different than what I saw on Tripadvisor. I'll have to add it to our list of places we might stay and see what DH thinks. They seem to have a lot of twin beds and we would like to at least have a double. I know twins are pretty normal in Japan, though.
 
So it looks like the Yutaka books about 3 months in advance and the cheapest prices are 1-2 months in advance. It looks really nice, but we probably wouldn't want to wait until last minute to book our hotel. I might think about booking somewhere that has free cancellation and then I could switch to the Yutaka if I see rooms come available. Wow she counts as an adult at 7 years old?! That's crazy.

I'm looking on the Anteroom's actual website now. The rooms do look different than what I saw on Tripadvisor. I'll have to add it to our list of places we might stay and see what DH thinks. They seem to have a lot of twin beds and we would like to at least have a double. I know twins are pretty normal in Japan, though.

It depends on the hotel. For luxury hotels, 12 and under is usually a child. Outside of those, it can vary from under 7, under 6 or 5 and under. Her first trip, she was 5 turning 6, so she was free on trains, subways, and buses. I bought her a rail pass anyway, because otherwise she is not officially entitled to a seat and I didn't want to risk her sitting on my lap for long trips. But on the other hand, my daughter's potential ticket to USJ and TDR is much cheaper than the equivalent child ticket would be at either park in the US and she is free for most museums.

The hotel's website will have more accurate pictures than TripAdvisor. I think they have a few modern art style rooms that look a little more unusual, but those must be specifically booked and are premium. The Park Hotel near Shiodome also has some art doubles like that.
 
You will find that , over the next few years , AirBNB will be outlawed in more countries

Why ........ because they are unregulated & mostly pay no tax ( You are charged tax but this might Not be passed on )
 
It depends on the hotel. For luxury hotels, 12 and under is usually a child. Outside of those, it can vary from under 7, under 6 or 5 and under. Her first trip, she was 5 turning 6, so she was free on trains, subways, and buses. I bought her a rail pass anyway, because otherwise she is not officially entitled to a seat and I didn't want to risk her sitting on my lap for long trips. But on the other hand, my daughter's potential ticket to USJ and TDR is much cheaper than the equivalent child ticket would be at either park in the US and she is free for most museums.

The hotel's website will have more accurate pictures than TripAdvisor. I think they have a few modern art style rooms that look a little more unusual, but those must be specifically booked and are premium. The Park Hotel near Shiodome also has some art doubles like that.
I really like the looks of the Gentle Fox.
 
You will find that , over the next few years , AirBNB will be outlawed in more countries

Why ........ because they are unregulated & mostly pay no tax ( You are charged tax but this might Not be passed on )
You are right about the lack of regulation creating problems both for tourists & locals. This new legislation actually legalizes Airbnb-type rentals throughout Japan & regulates that industry. However, it also imposes restrictions that make it more difficult for tourists to actually use the service. It's a bit of a double-edged sword.
 
Update for those interested: crackdown has officially occurred. AirBnB is canceling reservations made after June 15th at locations without a license, but is providing support to people affected: https://press.atairbnb.com/supporting-travelers-in-japan/

This has already affected several of my friends who were traveling here this month. (I'm in academia, and this is a busy time to travel to Japan for research, so mainly students.)
 
Update for those interested: crackdown has officially occurred. AirBnB is canceling reservations made after June 15th at locations without a license, but is providing support to people affected: https://press.atairbnb.com/supporting-travelers-in-japan/

This has already affected several of my friends who were traveling here this month. (I'm in academia, and this is a busy time to travel to Japan for research, so mainly students.)
Thanks for posting. Have they taken off all listings that aren't licensed?
 
Thanks for posting. Have they taken off all listings that aren't licensed?

It is unclear if all listings that are against that specific law have been removed.

However, one important point I think that needs to be emphasized, is this particular law is *NATIONAL*, however cities and municipalities are ALSO passing their own laws on top of this national law. So someone might have the license to not be removed from AirBnB under the national law, but still might be running afoul of local laws. And people running afoul of local laws might not get in trouble, until they do. I really think the fact people are having their rentals canceled 2 weeks out from arrival is a wake up call on what can happen.

I think it's not just a matter of taxes, AirBnBs are infamous for helping housing shortages and raising rental rates. It's one thing for me to rent out my house in suburbia, where there is no shortage of housing for people who live here, and where the majority of people are homeowners. It's completely different in cities where renting is what the majority of residents do.

Think of it this way, if a tiny studio outside Shinjuku rents for 90,000 yen a month, but the owner of said studio can rent it for 9000 yen a night, they only have to rent it for 10 nights to get the same amount of money as they previously got for a month long rental. If they rent it for 20 nights a month, they are doubling their money. Speculators buy up condos and apartments for sale to use for AirBnBs and create higher prices than otherwise squeezing actual residents out of the market. This is happening in places in NY and CA, as well as Tokyo and Osaka. And it is why many cities with large populations of renters are cracking down on AirbnB.

I would personally not want to rent somewhere in Japan unless I was 100% sure it is not running afoul of local laws as well as the National laws.

I am someone who got burned once because Orange County, CA passed more restrictive laws regarding AirBnBs than the US as a whole and had my reservation cancelled 3 days out. It's not fun. AirBnB is only so helpful.
 
It is unclear if all listings that are against that specific law have been removed.

However, one important point I think that needs to be emphasized, is this particular law is *NATIONAL*, however cities and municipalities are ALSO passing their own laws on top of this national law. So someone might have the license to not be removed from AirBnB under the national law, but still might be running afoul of local laws. And people running afoul of local laws might not get in trouble, until they do. I really think the fact people are having their rentals canceled 2 weeks out from arrival is a wake up call on what can happen.

I think it's not just a matter of taxes, AirBnBs are infamous for helping housing shortages and raising rental rates. It's one thing for me to rent out my house in suburbia, where there is no shortage of housing for people who live here, and where the majority of people are homeowners. It's completely different in cities where renting is what the majority of residents do.

Think of it this way, if a tiny studio outside Shinjuku rents for 90,000 yen a month, but the owner of said studio can rent it for 9000 yen a night, they only have to rent it for 10 nights to get the same amount of money as they previously got for a month long rental. If they rent it for 20 nights a month, they are doubling their money. Speculators buy up condos and apartments for sale to use for AirBnBs and create higher prices than otherwise squeezing actual residents out of the market. This is happening in places in NY and CA, as well as Tokyo and Osaka. And it is why many cities with large populations of renters are cracking down on AirbnB.

I would personally not want to rent somewhere in Japan unless I was 100% sure it is not running afoul of local laws as well as the National laws.

I am someone who got burned once because Orange County, CA passed more restrictive laws regarding AirBnBs than the US as a whole and had my reservation cancelled 3 days out. It's not fun. AirBnB is only so helpful.
This is true in the US, but not true here. Tokyo actually has a housing surplus. The new law isn't about protecting renters in the sense that Airbnb is driving up the cost of housing, because it largely isn't. There are really two main reasons it went into effect.

1. Protect the hotel industry, especially in central Tokyo, Kyoto & other highly-trafficked tourist areas, and especially in advance of the Olympics

2. Protect locals from transients in/near their buildings

That's about it!
 

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