[Sangetsu]

If you plan to stay in someone's home, you'll probably find that the most noticeable cultural difference between you and your hosts will be your language. You'll probably find the rest to be no so different from your own country.

Staying at a ryokan is nice (I stay in them frequently), but their quality varies widely. Some are very nice, with a private shower and toilet, others are not, and you'll have to share facilities with other guests. You may also find that non-smoking rooms are not available (they aren't in most ryokans), and the rooms often smell of very stale smoke. The main reason I stay at ryokans has less to do with the room than it does with the food (which is often incredible), and the use of their onsens (hot spring/bath). Cleaner (newer) ryokans with private showers and baths tend to be expensive (I've paid as much as $700 for one night), but I prefer them to the older ones which I have visited.

Ryokans are a perfect place for a one night stay, or perhaps a weekend, but you'll find a regular hotel much more convenient for longer stays.

I would recommend the Intercontinental hotel at Tokyo bay. The hotel is located next to the water on the bay, with a wonderful view of Odaiba and the rainbow bridge. It is located next to Takeshiba station, on the Yurikamome line, which you can use to get to Odaiba and Toyosu, or to Shinbashi station (where you can connect to the Yamanote line, which encircles the heart of Tokyo). The Intercontinental is also walking distance from Hamarikyu Gardens, the Tsukiji fish market, and Ginza (bring good walking shoes). The hotel has a very good Japanese restaurant, and you should try the traditional breakfast served there, it is very good.

My other favorite hotels are the Nikko hotel (in Odaiba, on the other side of Tokyo Bay), or the Conrad Hotel, which overlooks Hamarikyu on one side, and Shinbashi on the other. But these hotels are quite a bit more expensive than the Intercontinental.

I don't recommend the hotels in Roppongi, Shibuya, Shinjuku, or Shinagawa. Those parts of the city are must-sees, but they are crowded, noisy, and somewhat smelly. The hotels around the bay are far enough from the city center to be quiet, but close enough that you can reach it within minutes on the train, bus, or taxi.