Are Rooms Really -That- Small

If you go to Japan on a budget? Yes. And even in some 4-star hotels, yes.

Our first hotel, in Asakusa, is very conveniently located. With tax it comes to under $80 a night, which is under what we had budgeted. We will be staying in a semi-double, which looks like this:

Hotel Yanagibashi

This hotel will probably have that t.v., the bed (likely a twin or full), a small bureau (only maybe), and a bathroom that will only accommodate a single person at a time. Hotels are the only place in Japan that I encountered a toilet and a shower in the same room. There will not be a closet or much room for a lot of luggage.

I remember tripping into the sink, exiting the shower.

When I last stayed in Kyoto, we were lodged in Kyoto Dai-Ni Tower Hotel. Here's a picture of what the bathroom looked like, courtesy of a TripAdvisor review. You can find more images here.

Our two other hotel rooms will probably be just as small. You can't expect cheap, large rooms in a country where land can cost many thousands of dollars per square foot. But you know what? This isn't a problem! I do not plan to spend my time in a hotel, I plan to spend it exploring. The tiny Dai-Ni room didn't bother me, even after staying in a large room in a private home. You know why? Because I was never there, except for mornings and evenings. You can also spend time in the lobby, getting to know fellow travelers if the room gets too claustrophobic.

Room size is the most common complaint I see on forums. Another is that the rooms are "dated". I think this may be cultural. In the U.S. most hotels with the same star rating seem to be updated every 5-6 years. Why is this such a big deal? I'm not sure. I personally find the "updates" in places like Springhill, Hyatt and other places to be a bit garish anyway. Springhill in particular always reminds me of the hotel rooms in Supernatural for some reason.