ryokan shigetsu and laundry
 

Hi there

Any suggestions for the best way to get to Ryokan Shigetsu in Tokyo from Narita? We will have about a few bags with us so we can walk but not great distances.

Also, any suggestions for getting laundry done around Kyoto as well as around Akasaka area?

Thanks

Bonjour Ms Barrett,

I always take the Keisei Skyliner (1 hour - Y 1920) from Narita to Ueno, then the subway Ginza line to Asakusa (5 min, Y 160), then it is 3 minutes on foot (more if you start looking at the stores ;-)). Keisei Ueno station is quite small and easy to navigate, an underground passage connects it directly to the subway line. There are some quite big coin lockers inside the station (the passage leading to the taxi stands). Taxi from there amounts to approx Y 1000. Tell the taxi driver "Kaminarimon" or show him the map to the Shigetsu.

There are coin laundry stores around Asakusa (Akasaka is another area of Tokyo) as well as in Kyoto. Just ask the TIC in Narita and in Kyoto for a list.

This is helpful since I'll be arriving at the Shigetsu this Sunday! Is there a convenient place in Ueno near the subway to exchange my JR Pass voucher, or should I do that at Narita?

Bonjour Jayreb5,

There is normally a map on your voucher of all the places you can can exchange it. It includes JR Ueno station (5 min on foot from Keisei, take the escalator on the left when you exit, then straight along the park, past the tracks and left into the main station hall).

In Asakusa, take exit "Kaminarimon", go straight towards the gate with the giant lantern, take the alley left of the gate, Shigetsu is on the 2nd street on the left after the covered arcade.

Thanks for all the advice! we are staying in asakusa for two days and then in a week's time, i am staying in asakasa for a week for meetings.

Leaving today and checking into shigetsu this Saturday before heading to Kyoto Sunday - we are very excited!!

Thanks for the great responses to my various postings.

Hope you have a great trip!

We stayed at the Shigetsu last year for about 5 days and there was a coin laudromat close by. It was probably a 10 minute walk from Shigetsu. It was next to a public bath and just a few stores down from the Roxy building. The people at Shigetsu can give you a map on how to find it. It is a small laundry with probably 4 or 5 coin washers and dryers.

We did laundry in Tokyo, Kyoto and Takayama and we were able to find a laudromat within easy walking distance from each hotel we were in. The one in Takayama was kind of cool, combined washer and dryer so it was start it, walk around the town and come back and it was dry.

Tsutomu