The Best Area to Stay Near Tokyo Olympics 2020

・Tokyo National Olympic Stadium: Opening and Closing Ceremonies, Athletics, Football

The official Olympic Stadium is located in the popular Shinjuku ward of Tokyo, in between Gaiemmae and Sendagaya station. While this is a wonderful location in central Tokyo, most events are held in other venues; the stadium is primarily for the opening and closing ceremonies, athletics, or football games. This means that if you’re planning to attend many events besides the ceremonies, athletics or football, it isn’t the best location for it.

However, there are lots to see and explore around the Olympic Stadium area, Shinjuku and Shibuya, like the famous scramble crossing, Shinjuku Gyoen, Imperial Palace, and countless bars and restaurants.

Here you can see on our Map, the Olympic venues (blue) and popular places to visit (red):

Where are other venues for the 2020 Olympics?

・Yoyogi National Stadium: Handball

Close by is Yoyogi National Stadium, right next to the famous fashion district of Harajuku. While only serving as the handball venue in the Olympics, this famous former Olympic stadium will host two of the most anticipated events in the paralympic games, wheelchair rugby and para-badminton.

・Nippon Budokan: Judo, Karate

This triangulates with the Nippon Budokan to form a small but mighty pocket of summer Olympics competition, with events like judo, and karate. The Budokan is an incredible traditional venue that has also served as a concert venue for legends like The Beatles, Tina Turner, and ABBA, and is worth seeing in its own right. Several of the national museums are located right next to the Budokan, as well as the Imperial Palace. The famous yet controversial Yasukuni Jinja is also located a stone’s throw from the Budokan. Little ones and thrill-seekers alike will also revel in the roller coasters and game centres of Tokyo Dome City, which is within walking distance or a short train ride away.

Photo by Julie Anne Garrido on Unsplash

・Ariake Arena: Volleyball
・Ariake Gymnastics Centre: Gymnastics
・Ariake Tennis Park: Tennis
・Tokyo Aquatics Centre: Aquatics (Swimming, Diving, Artistic Swimming)
・Tatsumi Water Polo Centre: Aquatics (Water Polo)
・Aomi Urban Sports Park: Aomi Urban Sports Park

Many other venues are located in Koto-ku, one of the oldest districts in downtown Tokyo. With a mashup of old port Tokyo and newly created land, this area sits directly on Tokyo Bay. This means events like Slalom Canoe can be just minutes away from Archery, Basketball, and Tennis events. The Ariake complex will also be hosting Gymnastics and Aquatics, making this a hotbed of Olympic activity. This area also contains lots of iconic Tokyo landmarks: Tokyo Skytree, the tallest building in Japan, sits close by, while one of the oldest temples in Tokyo lays across the river.

Recommended area to stay for the 2020 Summer Olympics

Find a place to stay during the Tokyo 2020!

The last few years have been a flurry of construction, creating hotels near to the Tokyo Olympics 2020 venues and updating already existing ones. Some excellent locations are Shinjuku Go-chome, Shinjuku Gyoen-mae, and Shintomicho (close to Tokyo station), which are all within walking distance of various Olympic venues.

Learn more> Best Serviced Apartments in Shinjuku

Photo by Thor Alvis on Unsplash

The best area to stay for the Tokyo Olympics will always depend on your event. Should you be more interested in the events around Koto-ku, any of the Tokyo Bay hotels will be your best bet. Several larger chains have options in these areas, including Westin, Hilton, and Washington hotels. These are much pricier than others, but are in a can’t beat the location, with stadiums located just a few steps outside your door. Ariake and Odaiba, connected by the Yurikamome monorail, are both lively entertainment hubs with stunning night views of Rainbow Bridge that are not to be missed.

Photo by Jean Vella on Unsplash

Should hotel rooms not be your thing, the other option is the ever-popular apartment or room rental. Tokyo Olympic rentals have been popping up more and more as the games creep closer, though the Japanese government has been cracking down on sites like VRBO and Airbnb in Tokyo.

New laws surprised many homeowners and websites, cutting over 80% of room and apartment rentals in one fell swoop. Permits are now required for any short term rentals, even if you are currently living in the apartment or house. This means that you must be careful– some rooms or apartments may expressly tell you that their rental is not legal, leaving you vulnerable to eviction at any time should the government find out.

Rental owners found in violation of permitting rules can be subject to big fines, leaving possible renters in precarious situations– not what you want when planning the trip of a lifetime. Hostels are of course, a low budget option as well, but difficult and sometimes outright hostile towards any older guests or guests with families.

If you’re staying for a longer time, consider a serviced apartment. These are excellent for staying like a local. It can be a great way to see the city both during the wonderful insanity of the Olympics once the craziness has died down. Should this sound like a good option, we have a list here; some of our properties we think would suit visitors that want to be close to the action without sacrificing the quality of life.

Learn more> Best Accommodation for Tokyo 2020

Wherever you stay, we hope your enjoyment of the games will be full of pride and joy, and welcome you to our city with open arms!

For more information about serviced apartments in Tokyo check out our other articles at Expat Japan Life. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram for blog updates and information about Serviced Apartments in Tokyo!