BUSINESS｜TRAVEL
3 Reasons Why Airbnb Is Unpopular in Japan
Capsule hotels are booming while Airbnb hosts face difficulties
In May 2022, Japan topped the 2021 Travel & Tourism Development Index despite the tight borders that kept out most visitors.
Now that Japan’s borders are fully open again to tourists and the yen at historic lows, it’s time to tick a visit to Japan off your bucket list.
However, if you try to book an Airbnb room as you would in most of your other travels around the world, you’ll notice Airbnb usually isn’t the best option in Japan. Airbnb Japan’s lodgings tend to be away from tourist spots and many of them are room-sharing instead of renting an entire apartment.
According to global statistics, you won’t find Japan in the top 10 of the most Airbnb listings. US, France, and China dominate the top three.
So here are both positive and negative reasons why Airbnb isn’t—at least, not yet—popular in Japan.
Reason 1: Capsule Hotels and Business Hotels Outperform Airbnb
In Japan, you don’t need to worry about sleeping on the street. From ‘Internet Cafe’ to ‘Super Sentō’ bath facilities, there’s always somewhere with a light on to…
