What is a hostel?

Hostels (or youth hostels) provide short term accommodation to travelers. In a hostel you rent a bed (usually a bunk-bed) in a dormitory and share common bathroom, kitchen, and lounge rooms. Private rooms are often available. The main benefit of a hostel is that you get to meet other travelers from all over the world. They are usually less formal and less expensive than hotels. They are most frequently used by young travelers. In the past many hostels had imposed age limits, but today it's more common for hostels to accept guests of all ages. In certain parts of the world, hostels are commonly called "backpackers", particularly Australia and New Zealand.

Many hostels belong to Hostelling International (HI), a nonprofit organization composed of more than 90 associations representing about 4000 hostels in over 80 countries. Hostelling International was formerly called the International Youth Hostel Federation (IYHF).

	Club Tocoo - Hotels, ryokan and minshuku from 1250 Yen per night.
	Jalan - Japanese website with information on places to stay.
	Japan Youth Hostels - Youth Hostel listings throughout Japan.
	K's House Kyoto - Nice hostel in Kyoto with cheap prices.
	Hostel World - Site with hostel listings all over the world.