Tokyo: Sawanoya Ryokan (Hotel)

0.3 business

Address: 2-3-11 yanaka, Taito-ku , Tokyo 110-0001, North-east asia
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Lonely Planet Review

This comfortable ryokan (inn) east of Ueno Park gives you a taste of Shitamachi (Old Town) flavour without putting you in the centre of bustling Asakusa. Very homestyle, it's also efficiently run and well maintained. Friendly staff work their matter-of-fact magic to make you feel right at home.

Like ryokan should be, the Sawanoya is run by a warm family who provide a homey, tatami-lined place to rest your head. This ryokan is set on a narrow, fairly quiet street in suburban-feeling Yanaka, a pleasant walk to Ueno Park's museums and the temple on Shinobazu Pond. Of the 12 rooms, two have ensuite bathrooms containing both tub and shower. The remaining rooms share the use of the house's Japanese-style baths, which can be locked from the inside if you feel like having a solitary, meditative soak. Breakfast is served in the cosy, cheery lounge area downstairs, bright with natural light. Among the freebies here are coffee, tea and Internet access. The hallway corners have little sitting areas brightened with flower vases, so you can chat up your neighbours in a quieter spot than the lounge.