Coming to Osaka, Question about housing
 

I am coming to Osaka in September and want to have a place to land. I just need a cheap room that is clean and somewhat central. Perhaps a hostel or guest house of some kind? One I am there then I will look for an apartment, but I need a room for when I arrive.

Can anyone recommend how I might find a room like this, or do you know of any places I could look into?

Don't know about hostel, never been, never will.

Business hotel are cheap alternatives, decent room size for the most part, and its not crazily expensive

What is your budget? And how many will be traveling with you?

I stayed in Hotel Kinki a couple of weeks ago, it cost me about £150 for a week which I think is pretty cheap. It's in Umeda. It was very clean, the staff are lovely. The rooms are fairly small but for a short stay I'd recommend it 100%.

EDIT: Website (English) Hotel Kinki - Osaka business hotel with superb location, cheap rates and friendly staff

Nice place, I tried booking them a couple of time myself before, full almost EVERY friggin time... once I end up staying at Granvia in Kyoto, once at the FAMILY INN FIFTY'S EDOBORI. But I usually stay at the Namba Dotonobori Hotel

Yeahhh it seems like a really popular place, we had to book months and months in advance.That is a downside I forgot about, worth checking out though still :)

i tried booking a year ahead, but because i needed it for like an entire week, they just didn't have any rooms...

Sometimes hotels don't have availability past 8-9 months. I've tried for March and my hotel still doesn't have those dates available for reservations.

Wow really? I think the reason we got a room was probably because we booked in June, typically Japan rainy season and not many tourists maybe... can't have been because of the earthquake as we booked way before then, otherwise I don't know.

And yeah maybe as above - they don't book that far in advance? Who knows. We emailed them directly, didn't do it through the website.

No idea, but i find it typical, it seems to be very dificult to find any hotel when i book for more than 4 nights stay. I tried booking hotel Nikko in Odaiba, nothing.. end up having to call them...

What do you mean by "central"?

Just to make sure, in what capacity are you coming? A student? A new employee?

Isn't your school or employer offering help?