Japan In January
 

How is Japan in January? Particularly Tokyo. How is the weather there? Is it wise to take a trip down there for about a month in January? Are airline tickets a bit cheaper at that time? Is it best to stay at a youth hostel there? Also, which airline is the best? The choices are JAL and ANA. Please help me out.

I would highly recommend ANA, they are fantastic. January is cold. Dress warm and dress in Layers as all the trains, stores etc are heated to the extreme and you need to be able to strip things off as needed. Flights are cheaper after say the 4th of Jan. Youth hostels are always the cheapest route but can't tell you where they are in Tokyo. I usually stayed at business hotels, and only once in a hostel outside of Kyoto which was fantastic. Good luck. Let me know if you have any other questions.

Thanks for the reply. As for the hostels, do you pay for the room in advance, or do you pay when you're ready to leave? I'm asking in case I decide to stay less than a month at a hostel and don't want to pay the full 1 month rent since I'll probably stay a bit under a month. I'm hoping I can specify to them that I want to stay for less than a month and pay accordingly.

You usually pay at the time you check in for the hostels. If you want to extend you can as long as they aren't booked out, unless you give them notice.

If you want to go Japan cheap, I can't recommed to go in January.
I am not familiar with youth hostel but I think it is good to stay at place where transport is fulled.

When is the best time to go to Japan? The only times I can really go is during the summer or winter. Perhaps I'll just go to Japan once I'm done with school in two years.