Ryokan Asakusa Shigetsu

Rooms and decor

A ryokan is a traditional Japanese inn, and Shigetsu is the real thing. You stay in a room floored with woven tatami mats and sleep on a futon laid out on the floor — there is a quiet, wood-scented simplicity here that a modern hotel just cannot give you. Rooms are compact and the fittings are simple by Western standards; this is convention, not a flaw, but it is worth knowing before you book. If you have never slept on a futon, give yourself a night to settle into it.

Food and amenities

The amenity everyone remembers is the Japanese-style soaking bath. After a full day of temple-walking, a hot soak before bed does genuine work on tired legs and is a good way to close out the day. Wi-Fi is free, there is luggage storage, and the whole place is non-smoking. Don't come expecting a gym or a rooftop bar — the appeal here is the traditional experience, and the bath is the centerpiece of it.

Location and getting there

This is what makes Shigetsu special. It sits right inside the Sensoji Temple district — the temple is 200 metres away, Nakamise Street just 150 metres, and the red Kaminarimon Gate 350 metres on. The detail most people miss: you can be out the door and walking Sensoji at dawn, before the tour buses arrive, when the temple grounds are quiet and the light is best. Asakusa Station is a 6-minute walk for trains across the rest of Tokyo, and Tokyo Skytree is 1.4 kilometres away.

Things to know before booking

Three honest points. First, this is a traditional inn, so rooms are small and amenities are pared-back — fine if that is what you came for, frustrating if you expected a business hotel. Second, the futon-on-the-floor sleeping setup is authentic but not for everyone. Third, a ryokan has only a handful of rooms and this one is very popular, so it books out fast — reserve well ahead, especially during cherry-blossom season and autumn.

Our take

Ryokan Asakusa Shigetsu is best for couples and solo travelers who want the room itself to be part of the trip, not just a bed. It earns the 9.4 guest score — the highest in this article — on the strength of its location, its bath, and the warm, personal hospitality of its owners. You are in Asakusa anyway, the oldest part of Tokyo; one night in a genuine ryokan is the kind of memory you will still be telling people about long after the trip.