Ryokan in Tokyo
 

Hello All!!

Me and my son will be in tokyo for 2 nights in late November, we're looking for a moderate price ryokan...

Any suggestions?

pd: my son is 9

Thank you!!!!

Dave

I don't know what you mean by moderate, as Tokyo is expensive. But we have stayed at this place (link below)twice and the location is perfect, near Senso-ji temple, Kaminarimon Gate, Asakusa station, and Nakamise Dori. You can catch the train from Narita all the way to Asakusa station. You might have to lug your suitcase up some stairs and then you will have to roll your suitcase a couple of blocks to the ryokan, but the walk is delightful and very safe. At this price, you cannot expect a ryokan to be so fancy; this place is simple, but clean, and you will find that a lot of Japanese stay here (at least they did when we were there). The neighborhood has great restaurants and shops. This is in the heart of old Edo and you can still find many traditional businesses here (as well as many souvenir shops). I love this area.
http://www.shigetsu.com/
Again, the above ryokan is NOT at all fancy. It is more like a small, family owned hotel than a traditional ryokan. In Kyoto, we stayed at a traditional ryokan and it was much fancier and much more expensive, with garden views from our room, our own private Japanese wooden bath (o furo), and where two older women in kimonos served us breakfast each morning and a multi course kaiseki meal every night; they also prepared our futon before bedtime. Shigetsu is nothing like this, but it is cheap and, as I said before, the location is great. Your hosts will also direct you to some good restaurants in the neighborhood (this is essential as there are few signs in English--sorry if I am assuming you don't read Hiragana, Katakana or Kanji.)

thanks for your suggestion!!

basically we're just looking to spend 80 - 100 USD per night.

I was in tokyo 2 years ago and I was staying at toyoko inn but I'm trying to give my son a more japanese experience by taking him to a ryokan...

Any other suggestions are greatly welcomed!

David

the only issue with this ryokan (shigetsu ) is that it costs $147 per night.. I was looking not to spend more than $100 per night....

You can try Annex Katsutaro - I stayed there in '04 after reading about it here - it is in Yanaka - a residential area but about ten minutes from the JR Yamanote Line and even closer to a subway line. I highly recommend it.

http://www.katsutaro.com/annex_index.html

Should be a little nearer your price range..

Sorry, Dave, that Shigetsu will not work out for you. Moderate is relative in Tokyo, isn't it? Luckily, it seems Mara has a good recommendation for you.
Have a good time.

Bonjour FamousDave,

Every bit as well located as the Asakusa Shigetsu, and in your price range, there's

Ryokan Asakusa Mikawaya Honten: http://www.itcj.jp/hdb/313129.html

No bath on the rooftop, but comfortable, clean, friendly. The room we stayed in in 2004 had been renovated, and it looked like they were doing them all over. Through the itcj.jp, we paid Yen 10000 for two for a room with bath.

I plan on staying there again next December.