Accommodation in Auckland
Kiwi International Hotel - so so / cheap, but dirty, management attitude not friendly. Do not stay here!!
Airport Gateway Hotel in Auckland - I do not recommend staying here. Room had stale smell. Unable to transport small group (7 people) at one time. Had to wait a long time for transport.

Accomodation in Japan

Hokkaido
Hakodate Youth Guest House, Hokkaido (subarashii)
Sapporo Youth Hostel, Sapporo - Marginal, a last resort for the desperately homeless

Tohoku Region
Aishinkan Hotel, Morioka, Iwate - traditional ambience, luxurious

Kanto Region
New! Narita Airport Rest House– the only hotel in the secure area around Narita. Reasonable cost which included a lavish breakfast buffet and transfer to our flight – only 5 minutes. The soundproofing is great – no noise of planes at all! I will use this hotel again.
Holiday Inn, Tobu Narita - Nice and handy to airport with a big free shuttle bus. Good service. Good rooms and breakfasts. Will use again.
Palm & Fountain Terrace Hotel, Urayasu, Chiba - thumbs up

Turtle Inn Nikko - So-so.
Dokkyo Saitama Seminar House near Nikko - excellent
Nikko Shi Koryu Sokushin Centre
Nikko Daiyagawa Youth Hostel

New! Furusato Kan (Inn), Kanra-machi, Gunma - Brilliant! Our bit of luxury whilst away. Students loved tatami rooms, baths and food. Lovely setting, in park/gardenlike setting in old samurai area.(Sorry, couldn't find a website for this one.)

Tokyo
Hotel Lumiere Kasai– also good value, free, good breakfast and very close to Disneyland; close to shuttle to Narita airport; not far from centre of Tokyo by train; lots to do around the hotel; 2nd time to stay here
Tokyo Yoyogi Youth Hostel - Olympic Memorial Youth Centre, Shibuya, Sangubashi Station Odakyu Line - Improved / the paperwork is a pain, but very inexpensive.
Tokyo International Youth Hostel - (Lots of groups must stay here, but they're giving it very mixed reviews) Iidabashi Station - JR Sobu Line and Iidabashi Station - Yurakucho Line, Tozai Line or Namboku Line, or the Toei Oedo Subway Lines - Very convenient for JR and subway lines. Clean and they have improved their breakfasts. / very central, easy access to sightseeing spots, wonderful view, no single rooms for teachers. / Showers and Japanese style bath (which only seems to be used by teachers and the few Japanese guests so very clean) / No tatami room for female teachers, just the boy/males get the “family room” . Hostel meal quality not consistent, sometimes good sometimes poor. / Dreadful breakfasts! Noisy / bathroom getting tired and male toilets/washroom need serious upgrading / New Comments! Cheapish, convenient, good to be on a JR line. Spartan. Don’t advise eating there / But very busy with large groups and sharing with others outside own group / Food not up to standard of other places / will stay there again / this time they messed up our booking and cancelled us, and wouldn’t apologise, so wasn’t impressed / great service but hard beds and noisy / excellent.
Tokyo Backpackers - Minami Senju Station - JR Joban line and Subway Hibiya line - Clean rooms and living areas, free internet access, fairly chean / Dormitory beds creaked so some students had very little sleep, a little inconvenient. May use it again.
Tokyo Sumidagawa Youth Hostel - bathrooms and internet were closed after 11pm / very good, New Comments! Thumbs up; but another said, "wouldn’t stay there again"
Shiba Park Hotel, Tokyo – terriffic, very convenient location, lots of cheap but reasonable food options, handy for subway and Yamanote Line, handy for airport bus
Asakusa Vista Hotel, Tokyo - thumbs up, central and handy to different activities.
Sakura Hotel - Central Tokyo, Chiyoda-ku - Jimbocho Station - Toei Mita, Toei Shinjuku and Hanzomon Subway Lines - Tokyo great, nice, friendly staff, well situated -convenient New Comments! Excellent! Clean, very helpful night staff who helped us plan our next day's excursion / and they have single rooms now!
Sakura Hostel - Asakusa - Asakusa Station - Subway Asakusa Line, Subway Ginza Line, Tobu Line, and Tsukuba Express - Great place, very helpful. / New Comments! Excellent! Clean, Comfortable, Wifi access, Good location for access to things in Tokyo. I would stay there again, easier to get there by Tsukuba express than Tokyo metro but good location: right next to Sensouji temple.
K's House Tokyo - Asakusa - Kuramae Station - Subway Oedo Line and Asakusa Line - Excellent place to stay, New Comments! thumbs up, friendly staff.
Khaosan Tokyo - Original, Annex and Smile - 3 locations in Asakusa and across the river. Asakusa Station - Tobu Line, Subway Asakusa and Ginza Lines - reasonable price but quality of accommodation is So-so / Good, it is old though. New Comment! Basic, but clean and really friendly staff who took time to interact with the students.
Sky Court Asakusa Tokyo - So, so - reasonably good location, but cramped with bad food and slow food service - would go again as a last resort.
Sunroute Plaza Tokyo (near Disneyland) - Thumbs up, awesome service
Fukudaya Ryokan in Shibuya - Great location and nice innkeeper
Backpackers Hotel New Koyo - Minami Senju Station - JR Joban line and Subway Hibiya line or Minowa Station, Subway Hibiya Line
Asakusa Ryokan Toukaisou - Tawaramachi Station - Ginza Line
Taito Ryokan - Asakusa - Tawaramachi Station on Ginza line, Asakusa Station on Tobu and Ginza Lines, Kuramae Station on Oedo and Asakusa lines
Grand Prince Hotel Takanawa - excellent and reasonably priced

Hakone Sengokuhara Youth Hostel - Wonderful reception, quiet, lovely traditional accommodation, fantastic breakfasts.

Kawaguchiko Station Inn - Great place! Close to Fuji-Q Highland Amusement Park
K's House Mt. Fuji - Students absolutely loved the new and clean rooms, and facilities. Free internet access. Close to lake and restaurants, and clear view of Mt Fuji. Fairly cheap. Tatami area for eating breakfast. A little far from station. Definitely use it again. Close to Fuji-Q Highland Amusement Park

Chubu Region
Hida Takayama Tenshoji Youth Hostel, Gifu - nice Japanese style rooms / beautiful surroundings, helpful hostel parents, only 1 shower each for male and female but communal bath is good. / good

Kinki Region

Kyoto
New! Palace Side Hotel - a little tired but nice quiet location and a good walk to centre of town, good value; 3rd time to stay here with a group
Higashiyama Youth Hostel - New Info! The Higashiyama youth hostel will close on March 26st in 2011 - Reasonably priced, good, cheap meals and clean. Helpful, friendly staff. Hard to get to with luggage but can get your luggage sent and picked up (depending on train time) by luggage carry service, B1, Kyoto Station for about 700 yen each way.
Karasuma Kyoto Hotel, Kyoto - great
Utano Youth Hostel, Kyoto – absolutely great accommodation –just inconvenient to get to, good food; still quite new hostel / New Comments!excellent, beautiful place with great facilities and good breakfast; also tatami mat rooms available for groups at the same price as bunk rooms. A while out of town though but definitely intend to stay there again. Well worth it. Fantastic but also inconvenient for transport. Near bus stop.
Hiraiwa Ryokan, Kyoto - Very hospitable. It is a ryokan so limited showers etc but very authentic. One problem we had was a man smoking on the stairs outside our bedroom but we coped. Breakfast is always good: Scramble eggs, ham and toast. Percolated coffee for teachers!!
Ryokan Kyoka, Kyoto – great. Simple, light breakfast. Thumbs up
Minshuku Tonami Tsumesho - highly recommended / Tonami tsumesho has a strong relationship with Higashi Honganji Temple across the road. Tonami Tsumesho was an accommodation for a volunteer working team coming from Tonami area (Toyama prefecture) for the purpose of rebuilding the temple. They used to use just for followers in Buddhism, so they have a quite big Buddhist alter in the house. After the reconstruction Tonami Tsumesho was used as a guest house for believers in Buddhism who visited Higashi Honganji Temple. Now Tonami Tsumesho is open for anyone who visit Kyoto and enjoy meeting, talking and socializing there, and you have the chance to meet and talk with the Buddhist priest there. New Comments! Clean, Comfortable, Traditional Japanese Style.
K's House Kyoto - Guesthouse - Northeast of Kyoto Station - cheap price, great quality of accommodation, thumbs up / highly recommended, 7 minutes walk from Kyoto station, very clean, reasonable price, nice kitchen and bathroom / We loved this hostel! / New Comments! Tatami mat rooms available; a great place 650 yen breakfast buffet available; convenience stores nearby, bus stops not far away, very clean and well appointed. Free tea and coffee. Keen to stay there again. Thumbs up, good facilities
Kyoto White Hotel - Best points - A few minutes walk from Kyoto station, amazing traditional breakfasts, own teeny tiny bathroom ensuites, excellent service. Not so great - something biting us, either mozzies or fleas. Stay there again? Yes
Kyoto Takikawa Ryokan - good experiencing ryokan, had place to ourselves, large room for breakfast together and meetings, nice hosts. Not terribly clean (smokers and smell of that in towels, bedding). Very handy to town / Our group had the whole building to ourselves. Areas for girls and boys to be separated (upstairs/downstairs). Close to station. Downstairs toilets smelled, a little expensive for what we got. May stay there again, but only after trying other places.
Hotel Station Kyoto West - fantastic breakfasts, lovely traditional accommodation. No concerns at all. Highly recommended.
Rihga Royal Hotel Kyoto - A small shuttle bus to and from station, close to Kyoto Tower, a short walk to the station and surrounding shops
Kyoto Kyooiku Bunka Centre - Good
Waraku-an - North of Heian-Jingu (group size limited to 7)
Kyoto Cheapest Inn (Kyotokko) - Just north of Nijo Castle / New Comments! Great location right by Nijo-jo. Communal area too small for our group
Gojo Guest House - Gion near Gojo Station on the Keihan Line
GuestHouse Tarocafe Inn - Northeast of Kyoto Station
Uronza Guest House - Northwest of Kyoto Station (group size limited to 7)
Budget Inn - Northwest of Kyoto Station (small groups only)
Tour Club - Northwest of Kyoto Station (small groups only)
J-Hoppers Kyoto - Southeast of Kyoto Station (small groups only)

Osaka
Shin Osaka International Youth Hostel - brilliant / tatami mat and JP style / superb accommodation. Almost hotel quality. / Great location Rated as one of the top youth hostel in the world. Ofuro! / New Comments! We were very impressed with their clean, modern accommodation. Excellent variety of healthy and tasty meals. Staff were extremely helpful, spoke some English. Good services too eg. Safe baths, cheap internet access. We will definitely stay there again if we head back in the future. Very reasonably priced too, this would be excellent for any school! Centrally located also at only 5 minutes walk to Shin Osaka Station!
Osaka International Youth Hostel - good / Best points - spacious facilities, i.e has a large indoor onsen, set in a park, roomy dining area etc. Lovely food, very friendly and helpful staff. Tatami rooms for teachers / Not so great - have to travel a fair distance from main centres. Stay there again? YES / Not as handy as Shin Osaka Youth Hostel New Comments same as above
Hotel Sunroute Umeda, Osaka - GOOD hotel, BUT very difficult to find initially coming from Shin-Osaka. Staff don’t speak much English, but good breakfast, close to Giant Ferris wheel and aquarium. Food options handy, also transport and Karaoke once you work out how to find them.
Chisan Hotel Shinsaibashi - easy to find, reasonable price and central for Shinsaibashi markets etc. Staff didn’t have much English but very helpful, clean tidy etc.
Toyoko Inn Shin Osaka Chuoguchi– great business hotel. Good night's sleep.
Osaka Nagai Youth Hostel– excellent
Hotel Nikko Osaka - Great location for the first night
Lodge Tyojirou Home Page - Stay clear of this place! It was old and dirty. The bath was dirty and luke-warm. There were 8 students in a small room. You need to pay extra for the air conditioning and TV. There is no internet access. We chose this hostel as it was close to Kansai Airport but it is on the Nankai Line at a small station that only regular trains stop at and you can’t use a JR Pass. It is over an hour to get there from Osaka. Really inconvenient! However, the owner is nice and dresses up visitors in kimono for free!

Chugoku Region

Hiroshima
Aster Plaza Hotel - Excellent facilities and very cheap if you use the seminar rooms to stay in rather than the hotel style rooms. Breakfast is expensive but worth having at least once. / Amazing place. Definitely stay there again / It is more like a hotel than a hostel. Rooms all have ensuites with towels, hair dryers etc / Very flash, ensuites, only a few minutes walk to Peace Park, reasonable priced restaurant. Definitely stay there again. / New Comment! still good
New! K’s House Hiroshima - tatami mat rooms available for the same price as bunk rooms; very clean and well appointed; 8 minutes walk or so to the station and convenience stores nearby, tram stop just around the corner. Free tea and coffee . Keen to stay there again too.
New! Hiroshima Seven Seas Hotel was great. Reasonably priced and close to Hiroshima station. Included a reasonably good breakfast.
New! Hiroshima-Ikawa Ryokan - fantastic x 2 thumbs up! Friendly, excellent service, very clean, organised
Hiroshima Intelligent Hotel
Ikedaya, Hiroshima - Very helpful. Were able to make our own breakfast in dining room. No showers for students just communal bath. Teachers had ensuites
Ark Hotel, Hiroshima- particularly good with a great top floor ofuro / older hotel, clean, tidy helpful staff. Very handy to Railway station so easy to find and return to. Good Laundromat on same block, food courts at railway station and in Dept store opposite station. RECOMMEND this hotel.
New Hiroden Hotel, Hiroshima - fantastic / Close to okonomiyaki restaurants and karaoke, Nice rooms and breakfasts
Hiroshima Youth Hostel - (Lots of groups must stay here, but they're giving it very mixed reviews) 4 km of north of Hiroshima station / friendly staff, good food, but hostel is a little shabby / good as always / terrible, bugs with long legs in bunks, / disappointing to see NZ students from another school using the ofuro/public bathtub with swimsuits on. / New Comments! Big thumbs up!!!! / very good. Friendly and helpful staff. Great Breakfasts. Wifi access. / Getting old & least enjoyed by students. Baths not as well kept and also inconvenient location.
Court Hotel Hiroshima, Hiroshima - So-so
New! Kyobashi Ryokan - Wouldn’t stay there again
Hiroshima Miyajimaguchi YH - This one was recommended and a great location, but I don't think I would stay here again; too much mould in the shower! / Not so good, but still convenient / substandard, but bathrooms clean. Convenient to Miyajima for day trip when Hiroshima full. Owner very accommodating with left luggage. (Is it still open?)

Kyushu
New! Nagasaki International Hostel Akari - very helpful staff, free internet, free tea and coffee. Bunk rooms and bedrooms available. Bunk rooms small. Clean and well appointed, good location; short tram ride from the station then short walk and very handy to shops and arcade and temples about one street away. Would definitely stay there again.
Nagasaki - Catholic Centre Hostel - good
Nagasaki: IK Hotel - Very tidy, pleasant staff, very close to station. Central for sightseeing, and on tram line. More expensive than previous two places. Have stayed there twice and would stay again.

Okinawa
Dormitory Okinawa

Transport - Air, rail, JR Passes, bus, taxi, bicycle, tramping
Yahoo!路線情報 - Trains
JR Odekake Net - Trains
Hyperdia Train Timetables - Trains
Hisakyu's Railway Guide - Trains
Highway Bus
Google Maps
Mapion
Narita Airport
Kansai International Airport

Sightseeing / Travel Guides
Sightseeing Recommendations from the 2009 post-trip survey are at the bottom of this page
Tohoku Region Advice from 2 teachers on the the NZJNET Mailing List
Kyoto Temple Fees - Fees, open times and telephone numbers (It keeps moving, so it's a bit annoying)
Tokyo Disneyland Group Booking Advice - An interesting string from the NZJNET mailing list which could possibly apply to other advanced group bookings.
Sumo Tournaments– tickets for the back seats in these aren’t that much and they can be quite interesting – particularly at the end of the day when the big boys come out.
Lonely Planet - Japan
Japan National Tourist Organization
Tokyo Information Net
Japan Reference
CIA The World Factbook: Japan
Yamasa.org - Japan
Japan - go.japan.about.com
Tokyo Disneyland
Tokyo Disney Sea
Universal Studios
Fuji-Q High Land
Ghibili Museum
Stanford University - JGuide Directory Home
Outdoor Japan - Your guide to travel and the outdoors in Japan
Japan-guide.com - Japan Travel and Living Guide
Any Suggestions?

Accommodation, Transportation & Sightseeing

Voices of Experience

Orientation Meetings

Activities while in Japan

After the Trip

Trip Reports

Links

Acknowledgments