Cyashitsu Ryokan Asakusa

Location - Far from the subway station, so I had to walk with my suitcase, passing through tourist attractions. - Still close to Sensoji Temple and the market. Cleanliness - Average Service - They provided breakfast in my room when I asked for it. - The staff tried their best to be friendly. Facilities - I knew the room was small, but I didn't expect it to be like a goshiwon (a boarding house) with walls all around! The window couldn't be opened (one side was the wall, the other side faced the other unit). It was truly suffocating. - There weren't three tatami mats in the bedroom (was this the reason?) - There was a young guest staying, but they only provided three adult yukatas, so I asked and they only provided them after I asked. - The open-air bath was very small, making it difficult for three people to use. - The shower was too small to fit in (only the open-air bath was available). - We had to go to the market for dinner (it was so small that they probably found a separate dinner spot in the market, but that's not why you go to a ryokan.) - It wasn't the kind of fine dining you'd expect from a traditional ryokan, and there weren't any alcoholic beverages. - They served a lot of meat. - Even though it was a tea room, it was too dark, and despite being a tea room, there wasn't an electric kettle. - There was no refrigerator or TV. Conclusion: The staff tried to be friendly, but that alone wouldn't make me want to return.

I took my parents to experience a traditional Japanese-style room. Initially, the location was a bit unassuming, with a teacup logo. From the outside, it looked like a teahouse. We were greeted by a young Japanese man who provided excellent service. We chatted with him and learned that he lives mostly in New York, spending three months in Tokyo, studying and working in hotel management. The room was very private, and the decor had a traditional Japanese atmosphere. There were welcome snacks, and the breakfast was quite good. Reservations for the open-air bath are required in advance. The man even took Polaroid photos for us before leaving, which was a wonderful experience. We had to ask for hot water; there were no bottled mineral water in the room.