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In this guide13 sections
- The short answer
- Tokyo Marathon 2027: what is published
- Tokyo’s accommodation tax
- Getting in from Narita and Haneda
- Nishi-Shinjuku: the start
- Tokyo Station and Marunouchi: the finish
- Nihonbashi and Ginza: on the course
- Ariake: the Expo and your bib
- Asakusa and Kuramae: the east side
- How to book Tokyo Marathon weekend
- All 12 at a glance
- Before you go
- Frequently asked questions
The Tokyo Marathon runs on Sunday 7 March 2027, by the organiser’s own race information, and the hotel question is awkward because the weekend pulls you three ways. The race starts at the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building in Shinjuku and finishes at Tokyo Station, and runners must collect their bib in person at Tokyo Big Sight in Ariake on 4, 5 or 6 March, because there is no pick-up on race day. The bill itself is gentler than most cities’. Tokyo’s accommodation tax is ¥100 or ¥200 a person a night on a March stay, and the larger 3% that starts on 1 April 2027 does not touch race weekend.
This guide covers what the organiser has published for 2027, five areas matched to the start, the finish and the Expo, 12 hotels, the accommodation tax and the airport links. For the rest of the city, where to stay in Tokyo covers six neighbourhoods, and six of its hotels appear here. The hotels are researched picks, chosen for location, what each property publishes and consistent guest feedback, and each was checked as operating in November 2026. No hotel pays to appear here. We cannot see availability or rates, so nothing here promises a room.
The short answer
| If you want… | Stay in | Why |
|---|---|---|
| to walk to the start | Nishi-Shinjuku | The start is at the Government Building, and Keio Plaza says it is a five-minute walk from Shinjuku Station’s West Exit |
| to be steps from the finish | Tokyo Station and Marunouchi | The finish is at Tokyo Station, and one hotel sits inside the station building |
| a base on the course itself | Nihonbashi and Ginza | The course passes through both, and a splurge, a mid-range and a budget hotel are here |
| to collect your bib without a long trip | Ariake | The Expo and bib pick-up are at Tokyo Big Sight, and three hotels are near its stations |
| a cheaper base | Asakusa and Kuramae | A hostel and a 98-room Hoshino Resorts hotel, on the course’s eastern leg |
Tokyo Marathon 2027: what is published
We read the race information, course, Expo and FAQ pages on marathon.tokyo on 3 November 2026. Its road closures, schedule and finish-area pages had no 2027 content yet, so anything we give from those is last year’s and labelled so.
| Question | What we found |
|---|---|
| Date | Sunday 7 March 2027 |
| Start and finish | Start at the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building; finish at Tokyo Station, Gyoko-dori Avenue. The course runs via Suidobashi, Ueno-hirokoji, Kanda, Nihombashi, Asakusa Kaminarimon Gate, Ryogoku, Monzen-nakacho, Ginza, Tamachi and Hibiya |
| Start times | Marathon 9:10am; wheelchair marathon 9:05am. The cut-off is seven hours, with the finish closing at 4:10pm. The field is 40,000 |
| Nearest stations to the start | Shinjuku and Nishi-Shinjuku, by the FAQ |
| Expo | Thursday 4 and Friday 5 March, 10am to 9pm (enter before 8:30pm); Saturday 6 March, 10am to 6pm (enter before 5:30pm). Admission is free. Venue: Tokyo Big Sight South Halls, 3-11-1 Ariake, Koto |
| Bib pick-up | Same venue, in person only, with a photo-ID check (the FAQ names a passport as valid ID): Thursday and Friday 10am to 8:30pm, Saturday 10am to 5:30pm. There is no registration or pick-up on race day |
| Corral entry times | Not published. The organiser says the Runner Guidebook is due in mid-February 2027, provisionally |
| A 10 km race | None for 2027: the race information lists marathon categories only, and the FAQ says the 10.7km race is not open to general participants. Last year’s Government notice listed a 10.7 km race alongside the marathon |
| Race-day trains | No 2027 notice found from the organiser, Tokyo Metro, Toei or JR East |
| Organiser’s hotel desk | Kintetsu International (KNT), the official partner, has listed accommodation packages since 18 September 2026; they do not include race entry. The FAQ says its hotel reservation desk is scheduled to open in November 2026 |
Last year’s road closures
The Tokyo Metropolitan Government’s February 2026 notice for last year’s race, held on 1 March 2026, listed vehicle bans by section and called the times estimates that could change on the day. We could not find the 2027 version. Last year’s times, for the same course:
- Start area. Tocho-dori around the Government Building, 6am to 10:15am.
- Nihonbashi and Ginza. Chuo-dori from Nihonbashi 3-chome to Ginza 4-chome, 9:35am to 3pm, and Harumi-dori from Sukiyabashi to Nishi-Shimbashi, 9:40am to 4:20pm.
- Kuramae. Edo-dori, 9am to 2:15pm.
- Finish. Gyoko-dori to the finish, 7am to 9pm, and Hibiya-dori from Hibiya to Otemachi, 7am to 6pm.
Count on walking or taking the train rather than a taxi until mid-afternoon.
Tokyo’s accommodation tax
Tokyo charges the tax per person, per night, on the room rate, and its own page says the rate excludes meals. Until 31 March 2027 the bands are:
| Room rate, per person per night | Tax |
|---|---|
| Under ¥10,000 | None |
| ¥10,000 to ¥14,999 | ¥100 |
| ¥15,000 and over | ¥200 |
From 1 April 2027 it becomes 3% of the rate on stays of ¥13,000 or more per person per night, with cheaper stays exempt and licensed private lodging (minpaku) included. Race weekend falls under the current bands. Tokyo says the tax may be collected at the front desk, apart from the room rate.
A worked example, our arithmetic. Two runners share a ¥30,000 room, so we treat the rate as ¥15,000 each. The tax is ¥200 each, ¥400 a night, and ¥1,600 over four nights from Thursday 4 March to Monday 8 March. A ¥24,000 room for two is ¥12,000 each, so ¥100 each and ¥800 over the same four nights. For comparison only, the ¥30,000 room on a night from 1 April would owe 3% of ¥15,000, which is ¥450 each. Our Japan tourist taxes guide sets this beside the other local taxes.
Getting in from Narita and Haneda
- Narita Express (JR East). ¥3,140 in an ordinary car from Narita Airport Terminal 1 or Terminals 2 and 3 to Tokyo, ¥3,330 to Shinjuku, Shibuya or Shinagawa. JR East says the fastest train takes 53 minutes to Tokyo Station, and sells an N’EX TOKYO Round Trip Ticket for ¥5,200, valid 14 days.
- Keisei Skyliner. To Keisei-Ueno it is a ¥1,280 base fare (¥1,267 with an IC card) plus a ¥1,300 Skyliner fee, ¥2,580 in all, and Keisei puts the ride at about 40 minutes. The cheaper Access Express to Ueno is ¥1,240. Ueno is not at the start or finish, so budget for a train change.
- Limousine Bus. From Narita, an adult fare is ¥3,100 to Tokyo Station (Yaesu North Exit, Tekko Building) and ¥3,600 to the Shinjuku area. From Haneda it is ¥1,200 to Tokyo Station and ¥1,400 to Shinjuku and Nakano. Keio Plaza says it operates its own limousine buses to both airports.
- Tokyo Monorail. From Haneda Airport to Hamamatsucho is ¥520 on a paper ticket and ¥519 with an IC card, and trains run about every five minutes.
- To the Expo. Tokyo Big Sight says airport buses take about 60 minutes from Narita and about 25 from Haneda. Its Yurikamome station is about three minutes’ walk and the Rinkai Line’s Kokusai-Tenjijo about seven.
Our Narita and Haneda to central Tokyo guide compares the routes in more detail.
Nishi-Shinjuku: the start
The start is at the Metropolitan Government Building, and the organiser’s FAQ names Shinjuku and Nishi-Shinjuku as the nearest stations. Last year Tocho-dori was closed from 6am, so a hotel you can walk from saves you a transport decision on the morning. The trade-off is the finish: you travel back across the city afterwards.
Where to stay in Nishi-Shinjuku
How the hotel links work: a hotel’s name goes to its own website. “Check rates” opens it on Booking.com through our partner Stay22, which pays us a commission if you book, at no extra cost to you.
- Keio Plaza Hotel Tokyo, comfortable. At 2-2-1 Nishi-Shinjuku, which its access page describes as a five-minute walk from Shinjuku Station’s West Exit by the underground passage towards the Government Building, and a minute from Tocho-mae Station. Its Standard rooms are 23.5 sq m and its Superior rooms 33.7. Choose it for the shortest walk to the start. Watch out: it is closed entirely for an electrical inspection from 2pm on 16 February to noon on 17 February 2027, which is before race week, but check your dates. Check rates on Booking.com →
- JR Kyushu Hotel Blossom Shinjuku, good value. At 2-6-2 Yoyogi, three minutes’ walk from JR Shinjuku Station’s South Exit and two from the Toei Oedo and Shinjuku lines’ station, the hotel says. The Standard Double is 18 sq m with a 140cm bed, and the Superior Twin is 25. Choose it for a plain room beside the trains and a breakfast buffet with Kyushu ingredients. Watch out: it is on the south side, so allow time to cross the station to the Government Building; we have not timed the walk. Check rates on Booking.com →
Tokyo Station and Marunouchi: the finish
The finish is on Gyoko-dori at Tokyo Station. After 42.195 km, a bed inside or beside the station is the shortest walk you will make all day, and the Narita Express stops here. Last year Gyoko-dori was closed to vehicles from 7am to 9pm, so approach on foot.
Where to stay at Tokyo Station
- The Tokyo Station Hotel, splurge. Inside the station building, with 150 rooms that the hotel says were refurbished when it reopened in 2012. Its Classic rooms run from 23 to 47 sq m and its South Wing rooms, on the Marunouchi side, from 40 to 50. Choose it to finish a marathon a short walk from your bed. Watch out: price, and the tax in the table above. Check rates on Booking.com →
- Hotel Ryumeikan Tokyo, comfortable. At 1-3-22 Yaesu, three minutes from the station’s Yaesu North Exit, with a Standard Twin of 32.5 sq m. Choose it for a roomy twin close to the trains. Watch out: it is on the Yaesu side of the station, so after the finish you cross the station building to reach it. Check rates on Booking.com →
Nihonbashi and Ginza: on the course
The 2027 course map lists a checkpoint at 33 km in Ginza and one at 34 km in Hibiya, and the course also passes through Nihombashi. That makes this a good area for a supporter, and a base between the start and the finish. The catch is the closures: last year the vehicle bans along Chuo-dori and Harumi-dori ran to mid-afternoon.
Where to stay in Nihonbashi and Ginza
- Mandarin Oriental, Tokyo, splurge. At 2-1-1 Nihonbashi Muromachi, on the upper floors of the Nihonbashi Mitsui Tower, which the hotel says is a short distance from Tokyo Station. Choose it for a luxury base near the finish. Watch out: price, and we found no room sizes on its pages. Check rates on Booking.com →
- Mitsui Garden Hotel Ginza Premier, comfortable. At 8-13-1 Ginza, with a lobby on the 16th floor and rooms from 26.3 sq m (Superior) to 40 (Executive). The hotel gives five minutes’ walk from Higashi-Ginza Station’s Exit A1 and ten from Ginza Station’s Exit A3. Choose it for a view and a mid-range price. Watch out: it is at the southern end of Ginza, so allow time to walk to the course. Check rates on Booking.com →
- APA Hotel Hatchobori Ekimae, budget. One minute’s walk from Hatchobori Station on the Hibiya Line. Standard rooms are 11 sq m with a 140cm bed, and the Deluxe Twin is 23. Choose it for the lowest rate near the centre. Watch out: the Standard rooms are small, so pack light. Check rates on Booking.com →
Ariake: the Expo and your bib
You will visit Tokyo Big Sight once, between Thursday and Saturday, and a hotel here makes that visit short. The cost is distance from the start, and we found no published early-morning train times to Shinjuku, so check them before you commit. Tokyo Big Sight’s own hotel list names these three among its listed hotels.
Where to stay in Ariake
- Tokyo Bay Ariake Washington Hotel, good value. At 3-7-11 Ariake, with 830 rooms and a three-minute walk to Kokusai-Tenjijo, Tokyo Big Sight and Ariake stations, by the hotel’s count. Choose it for the Expo on your doorstep. Watch out: it is a train ride from the start and the finish. Check rates on Booking.com →
- Villa Fontaine Grand Tokyo Ariake, comfortable. At 2-1-5 Ariake, with a free shuttle for hotel guests to Tokyo Station, which its notice of 8 September 2026 describes. Choose it for a free ride between Ariake and Tokyo Station. Watch out: the bus sheet we read, undated for 2027, shows 21 seats on a first-come basis and the first hotel departure at 10:00, so it will not take you to the start. Check rates on Booking.com →
- Far East Village Hotel Tokyo, Ariake, budget. At 1-2-43 Ariake, four minutes’ walk from Ariake-Tennis-no-mori Station, with rooms from 16 to 26 sq m. It runs a complimentary shuttle to Tokyo Big Sight and Kokusai-Tenjijo Station in the mornings and evenings. Choose it for a low rate and a shuttle to the Expo. Watch out: the shuttle times are not on the page, so ask the hotel. Check rates on Booking.com →
Asakusa and Kuramae: the east side
The course passes Asakusa’s Kaminarimon Gate, and its checkpoints include Kuramae 1-chome at 17 km and Kuramae Bridge at 20 km. Hotels here are cheaper, but the course is on your doorstep, and last year Edo-dori was closed to vehicles until early afternoon.
Where to stay in Asakusa and Kuramae
- OMO3 Asakusa by Hoshino Resorts, good value. At 1-15-5 Hanakawado, with 98 rooms, a minute’s walk to Senso-ji by the hotel’s count and about four minutes from Asakusa Station Exit 7 on the Ginza Line. Choose it for a friendly base by the temple. Watch out: it is a train ride from the start, so check the first trains. Check rates on Booking.com →
- Nui. HOSTEL & BAR LOUNGE, budget. At 2-14-13 Kuramae, in a converted toy-company warehouse that the hostel says opened in September 2012, with dormitories and private rooms. Choose it to spend the money elsewhere. Watch out: bathrooms and showers are shared, and check-in runs from 4pm to 11pm. Check rates on Booking.com →
How to book Tokyo Marathon weekend
- Decide your anchor first. Stay at the start for the easiest morning, at the finish for the easiest afternoon, and in Ariake only if collecting your bib matters more than the transfer.
- Book early, and mind the packages. KNT’s packages are listed on the organiser’s news page, and they do not include race entry. Compare them with the hotel’s own rate.
- Plan the bib collection. Bring your passport; there is no pick-up on race day, and an Expo visit takes time, so go on Thursday if you can.
- Count the tax. ¥100 or ¥200 a person a night in March; 3% only from 1 April.
- Check room size. The budget hotels here start at 11 sq m.
- Compare totals. Our hotel booking sites compared and direct booking versus agents cover where to book, and hotel taxes around the world sets Tokyo’s rate beside other cities.
All 12 at a glance
| Hotel | Area | Tier | Best for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Keio Plaza Hotel Tokyo | Nishi-Shinjuku | Comfortable | The shortest walk to the start | Closed 16-17 February 2027 |
| JR Kyushu Hotel Blossom Shinjuku | Nishi-Shinjuku | Good value | A plain room by the trains | South side of the station |
| The Tokyo Station Hotel | Tokyo Station | Splurge | Walking back from the finish | Price |
| Hotel Ryumeikan Tokyo | Tokyo Station | Comfortable | A roomy twin | Yaesu side of the station |
| Mandarin Oriental, Tokyo | Nihonbashi | Splurge | A luxury bed near the finish | Price |
| Mitsui Garden Hotel Ginza Premier | Ginza | Comfortable | A view at a mid-range price | Southern end of Ginza |
| APA Hotel Hatchobori Ekimae | Hatchobori | Budget | The lowest rate near the centre | 11 sq m rooms |
| Tokyo Bay Ariake Washington Hotel | Ariake | Good value | The Expo on your doorstep | Far from the start |
| Villa Fontaine Grand Tokyo Ariake | Ariake | Comfortable | A free shuttle to Tokyo Station | First departure at 10:00 |
| Far East Village Hotel Tokyo, Ariake | Ariake | Budget | A low rate and an Expo shuttle | Shuttle times not published |
| OMO3 Asakusa by Hoshino Resorts | Asakusa | Good value | A base by the temple | A train ride from the start |
| Nui. HOSTEL & BAR LOUNGE | Kuramae | Budget | Spending the money elsewhere | Shared bathrooms |
Before you go
- Before you fly, sort out mobile data (the best eSIM for Japan) and cover (the best travel insurance, and travel insurance for Japan). For the rest of the city, see where to stay in Tokyo and where to leave your bags in Tokyo, and for another spring trip, where to stay in Tokyo for cherry blossom.
Frequently asked questions
When is the Tokyo Marathon 2027, and where does it start and finish?
Sunday 7 March 2027, by the organiser's race information. It starts at the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building in Shinjuku, at 9:10am for the marathon and 9:05am for the wheelchair marathon, and finishes at Tokyo Station on Gyoko-dori Avenue. The cut-off is seven hours, with the finish closing at 4:10pm.
Where is the best place to stay for the Tokyo Marathon?
It depends on what you want to be close to. Nishi-Shinjuku puts you near the start: Keio Plaza says it is a five-minute walk from Shinjuku Station's West Exit. Tokyo Station and Marunouchi suit the finish, Ariake suits the Expo and bib pick-up at Tokyo Big Sight, and Nihonbashi, Ginza and Asakusa sit on the course.
When is the Tokyo Marathon Expo, and do I have to collect my bib in person?
The Expo runs at Tokyo Big Sight South Halls in Ariake on Thursday 4 and Friday 5 March from 10am to 9pm, and on Saturday 6 March from 10am to 6pm, with free admission. Runners must collect their bib in person with a photo-ID check, Thursday and Friday 10am to 8:30pm and Saturday 10am to 5:30pm. There is no pick-up on race day.
How much is Tokyo's accommodation tax in March 2027?
Per person, per night, nothing under 10,000 yen, 100 yen from 10,000 to 14,999 yen and 200 yen from 15,000 yen, until 31 March 2027. From 1 April 2027 it becomes 3% of the rate on stays of 13,000 yen or more per person per night, so it does not affect race weekend. On our arithmetic, two runners sharing a 30,000-yen room pay 400 yen a night.
How do you get from Narita and Haneda to central Tokyo?
The Narita Express costs 3,140 yen to Tokyo and 3,330 yen to Shinjuku, and JR East says the fastest train takes 53 minutes to Tokyo Station. The Keisei Skyliner is 2,580 yen to Ueno, about 40 minutes. From Haneda the Tokyo Monorail to Hamamatsucho is 520 yen. Limousine Bus adult fares run from 3,100 yen (Narita to Tokyo Station) and 1,200 yen (Haneda to Tokyo Station).
Which roads are closed on race day, and is there a 10 km race?
We found no 2027 road-closure notice. Last year the Tokyo Metropolitan Government listed vehicle bans from 6am around the Government Building, to mid-afternoon in Nihonbashi, Ginza and Kuramae, and on Gyoko-dori from 7am to 9pm, with times that could change. For 2027 the race information lists marathon categories only, and the organiser's FAQ says the 10.7km race is not open to general participants.
Sources & further reading
- Tokyo Marathon 2027: race information
- Tokyo Marathon 2027: course map
- Tokyo Marathon EXPO 2027
- Tokyo Marathon: FAQ
- Tokyo Marathon: Kintetsu International accommodation packages, news of 18 September 2026
- Tokyo Metropolitan Government: traffic restrictions for the Tokyo Marathon 2026 (Japanese)
- Tokyo Metropolitan Government Bureau of Taxation: accommodation tax
- Tokyo Metropolitan Government Bureau of Taxation: the accommodation tax from 1 April 2027
- JR East: Narita Express tickets
- JR East: Narita Express
- Keisei: Skyliner tickets and fares
- Keisei: Access Express fares
- Tokyo Monorail: fare table
- Airport Limousine Bus: Tokyo Station and Narita
- Airport Limousine Bus: Shinjuku and Narita
- Airport Limousine Bus: Tokyo Station and Haneda
- Airport Limousine Bus: Shinjuku and Haneda
- Tokyo Big Sight: access
- Tokyo Big Sight: hotels
- Official websites of each hotel named above, checked in November 2026
Dates, rules, rates and hotel terms change, and the organiser’s road-closure, schedule and finish-area pages for 2027 were not yet published; where we give last year’s figures we say so. Every hotel detail here was checked in November 2026; confirm rates, fees and cancellation terms with the hotel before booking. These are researched picks, not reviews. This article contains affiliate links: hotel rates on Booking.com and other booking sites through Stay22, and tours, transfers and eSIMs through our partners; if you book through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. No hotel pays to be included.
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