Originally Posted by
roberto99
Consider getting a meal or two from a nearby kombini (Lawson, Family Mart, or 7-11. Sadly, Sunkus/Circle K stores are converting to Family Mart.)
Inexpensive and surprising selection and quality! Clerks offer to warm the food. Even the chicken sandwiches are pretty good.
My first test of this was during a massive rainstorm and I had no interest in walking any extra steps to acquire a meal. Success!
Another tip: Avoid US hotel chains in Japan. I stay at an independent business hotel and love it! The price is a fraction of the US chain hotels, too.
When I've stayed at US chain hotels in various countries, I felt like I was still in the US.
I actually think konbini bentos and sandwiches are crap. You'll find much better bread/pastries/sandwiches at chain bakeries (eg, Vie de France), and much better salad and bentos at depachika. The only ready-made eats at konbini that I find delicious are omusubi and maki-sushi. However, convenience store food is still infitinely better in Jpn than it is in US.
As for US chain hotels, I disagree. Especially if you have status. Diamond status takes you much farther at Hiltons in Jpn (and rest of Asia for that matter) than in the US. Lounges are much better, upgrades are generally better, you often get 4-5pm checkout even without asking, you get free breakfast buffet for the entire family (vs continental or sometimes full for just you +1). Even if you don't have status, upscale US chain hotels tend to be a bit more flexible and generous with things like late checkout.
Some of the independent Jpn chains are quite honestly crappy. Prince hotels have low standards. Some of the Nikko Hotels are not kept up well. Keio Plaza in Shinjuku is okay, but I'll take Hyatt and Hilton in Shinjuku any day over Keio Plaza even if I had to pay a bit more. If you go to Fujiya hotel in Hakone (part of the upscale Fujiya Hotel chain), you'd be surprised how filthy some of the rooms are. On the other hand, Hilton and Hyatt in Jpn are consistently clean and comfortable.