Azu Garden Nipponbashi

For a short stay of 2-3 days, the old, unfancy room was decent enough, and the price makes this a good choice on a tight budget. The male receptionist was the highlight, incredibly friendly and helpful at both check-in and check-out. If you need an affordable place with good service, I’d recommend giving it a chance.

The location is excellent, and the price is really affordable, so the bare-bones service works for me. They don’t clean the room during your stay, and guests have to take their own garbage to a designated spot. That’s fine by me since I like to sleep in without anyone disturbing me. The room’s small and the furniture is old, but there’s a little kitchen area with a sink and refrigerator. Great value for budget travellers.

Rainy nights make this spot especially good for photos. There’s so much to capture, from the neon and crowds to the busy nighttime energy and, of course, the Glico man. If you’re into photographing Japan’s nightlife, this is the place.

The location is the big draw for me. I think it’s a perfect place to stay in Osaka, and you can walk to Dottonbori. The rooms look a little dated, and there’s no daily cleanup, but they have everything you need. There are also vending machines in the building.