Ryokan Sawanoya Tokyo — Attraction in Tokyo

Second visit to Japan (& to this Ryokan) for me. Previous visit was November 2022. This remains one of my favourites. ||Sawanoya is situated in the charming area of Yanaka. A quiet and traditional area, the hosts provide a handy map and point out all the places of interest on arrival (along with pointers on where to eat locally which I made use of). I recommend exploring locally if you have the time, the Nezu shrine, Yanaka cemetery and ginza shopping street are all worthy visits. The nearest tube is Nezu (about a 5min walk) from where you can get all over the city. Walk for 20mins and you're into Ueno. From Narita nearest direct route in is to train it to Nippori station then walk down to the Ryokan. ||I always opt for the small 1 person room which is just perfect for me as a solo traveller, I'll opt for the same if I should I return on business. Plenty of handy nooks to put your belongings/suitcase plus a built in wardrobe for additional hanging space. The rooms I've stayed in have a lovely traditional Ryokan feel. There is a sink in the room, toilet located just along the corridor is shared but very clean. Shower facilities are located down with the baths on the bottom floor. ||The baths are a really pleasant way to relax after a busy day exploring the city, I really like that as you bathe you look out onto a well-kept small gardens with a water feature and a pond, just makes the experience that much more relaxing. ||Sawanoya remains really good value for money and for a little extra you can opt for western of traditional breakfast. Occasionally they will have entertainments (such as a Rakugo comedy this time which was really interesting and funny) which you will be invited to if you're a guest at the time. ||Amenities-wise my every need was catered for. My suitcase failed to materialise at the airport so I had to make-do for a night with the same set of clothes. Sawanoya has a washing machine, Dryer and Iron on the top floor which I made extensive use of! The rooms themselves come equipped with small TV, aircon, hairdryer (I think) toothbrush, toothpaste, comb and other handy bits - certainly more than I expected.||The place overall is spotlessly clean, the family hosts are really attentive and I can't recommend this Ryokan highly enough. Hope to return one day. ||TIP: The owner of the Ryokan has written an interesting book about the origins of the Ryokan, how it's changed over the years & also about the lives of the people that run it, pick one up whilst you're there - the English translation is...

i booked with the sawanoya family for 23-24 march 2024 (i was in room 35) and i had an absolutely lovely time. my japanese is poor, but the staff here speak english which is wonderful. even though i had to check out on my final morning before proper staffed hours started, the staff had no problem explaining to me how to check out ahead of time. at check in, i was given a map of the area and the tokyo metro system and had multiple useful locations pointed out, which was very helpful! i ended up using that information a lot throughout my stay.||the ground floor had a vast collection of brochures and maps, as well as free tea and coffee. the two bathing facilities are also on the ground floor, and guests have the whole process explained to them, plus there is signage explaining how everything works in traditional ryokan. it's very useful for foreigners. the two baths (i tried both) are lovely, and each one has a small window where you can look out into a lovely little garden.||the entire ryokan is sparkling clean and decorated beautifully. i am completely serious when i say the women's toilet on the third floor was the best smelling bathroom i have EVER been in in my entire life. i would love to know what fragrance they use so i can buy it for myself!||i was in a single futon room which had everything i needed and was warm and cozy--i sent pictures to all my friends because i was so excited about being there. plenty of storage space, and all the amenities you could need. the table has a tea set they refresh every day with a little card explaining how to make tea properly, which i also loved because i have little experience with loose leaf tea.||in the information binder in the rooms there's also a bit of the story of the ryokan's history (which is also on their website) which is worth checking out. it's such a cool story and i think the sawanoya's have done a wonderful job of making a place where foreigners can learn and experience traditional japanese hospitality without feeling overwhelmed or out of place.||one thing i would say keep in mind is the building isn't soundproof, so light sleepers should have earplugs. i had no trouble at all, but i did hear some noise in the evening. then again, it's tokyo. i think that's to be expected!||i would recommend ryokan sawanoya to absolutely everyone, and i've already told my partner that when we come to japan together, we are staying here for our tokyo explorations. i could not say enough positive things...

My wife and I decided to use Sawanoya Ryokan as a base for our visit to Tokyo. We couldn't have made a better choice.

The ryokan is located in a beautiful area, one of the few to have remained intact over the last century, remaining authentic. It is also closed to Nippori station, being easy to be reached from Narita Airport, and to Nezu metro station.

The rooms are clean and furnished in a traditional Japanese way, giving you a unique experience for a foreigner visiting the country. In addition, we found the rooms really comfortable: the futons used are very comfortable, allowing you to sleep well. Every two days the sawa family provides a yukata night robe for each guest. Putting it on after a hot bath was awsome.

We stayed a few nights in the room with bathroom and one night in the room with shared bathroom. In both cases they were very clean and comfortable. Moreover, the shared bathrooms have beautiful hot tubs in front of a garden with goldfish. Resting at the end of the day in a place like this was a unique experience.

Finally the aspect that we appreciated the most: the professionalism and infinite kindness of the Sawa family that runs the Ryokan. Each member of the family is always ready to advise you on what to do and to help you have a pleasant experience in their ryokan. After a long day in Tokyo we felt like we were coming “home”. If I were to return to Tokyo I would definitely book...