Booking online is recommended. If you search for ‘Shinagawa Hotels’ you will find a number of competitive sites (in English) offering discount deals that are always cheaper than ‘walk in’ rates or the price you’ll get by booking directly with the hotel. A hotel near to Shinagawa JR station (there are lots of them, from one-star to five-star) would be ideal for your purposes, leaving you with a 5-minute taxi ride or 15-minute stroll to the conference site, Meiji Gakuin University’s Shirokane Campus. But book as far in advance as you can; Shinagawa station is a major station. The main Hakata-Tokyo bullet train stops there, its last stop before Tokyo station, making the area a busy hub, so hotels around there fill up quickly.
Some examples (but there are many more):
Le Meridien Pacific Tokyo (formerly known, and often still referred to as, Hotel Pacific Tokyo) (Shinagawa station, Takanawa exit) 4 star, 954 rooms, Address: 3-13-3 Takanawa Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-8567 Japan. Tel: (81)(3) 3445 6711. The rooms have high speed internet and smoking rooms are available. Single room, ¥18,680 walk-in, or can be found for ¥16,000 if booked online.
(Shinagawa station, Takanawa exit) 4 star. Address: 10-30-4 Takanawa, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-8611 Japan. Tel: (81)(3) 3440 1111. Huge hotel with all modern facilities. Single can be as low as ¥8000; prices vary greatly depending on date.
(Shinagawa station, Takanawa exit) 3 star. Address: 4-10-20 Takanawa, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-0074 Japan. Tel: (81)(3) 3449 5711; e-mail: < This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it >. Basic hotel; has internet access. Right in front of Shinagawa station. Single room, from Y9240.
(Shinagawa station, Takanawa exit) 2 star. Address: 4-23-2 Takanawa Minato-ku,
Tokyo 108-0074 Japan. Tel: (81)(3) 3280 1045. Business hotel chain, free wireless internet in lobby. Single room, ¥6800.