A Wa-Modern Stay: Tokyo Ueno New Izu Hotel

Welcome back to Tokyo Ryokan Stories! I’m Roza Akino, and I live and work in Japan. Thanks for joining me on my journey to explore the lesser-known lodgings in Tokyo!

Approximately a 5 minutes’ walk from the bustling Ueno Station is Tokyo Ueno New Izu Hotel, a simple, clean hotel that incorporates both western and Japanese tastes.

I enter the building to find a simple lobby, with a few sofas, tables, a massage chair, and a fish aquarium. A caricature portrait of two children sits in a frame in the corner of the room.

Akiko Kawano-san, the current proprietress of the hotel comes to greet me, and we take a seat on the sofa.

The lobby is peaceful, with the quiet humming of the aquarium in the background our only soundtrack.

The New Izu Hotel was founded in 1951 by Kawano-san’s grandparents, who were originally from the Izu peninsula. Her family used to work selling thread, but they wanted to switch to a business where they could operate 365 days a year—a ryokan was the natural choice. At the time, the Ueno area had many ryokan, and because it was one of the busiest parts of Tokyo, it was a prime location for overnight stays. Most of the guests were students that had come to Tokyo on school trips.

While it started out as a ryokan, Kawano-san’s father renovated it into a hotel when he took over 25 years ago, and more and more business people came to stay.

The front desk

However, by the time Kawano-san came to be in charge of the hotel, the type of guests changed again, this time to travelers from abroad. The internet was just starting to get popular, and more reservations were being done online.

In order to prepare for the influx of international guests, Kawano-san decided to get the advice of someone with experience. She of course went to none other than Sawa-san, owner of Sawanoya Ryokan, who took her under his wing and taught her how to adapt the hotel to accommodate an international audience. Kawano-san fondly recalls, “I was also one of the original members of the group that went and learned Shishi-mai (the lion dance) from a geisha every week together with Sawa-san and a few others. We had a great time.”

Various magnets that Kawano-san has received from guests over the years

Sawa-san’s advice truly paid off, as approximately 80% of the guests were visitors from abroad before the pandemic hit. It’s no surprise considering the location, affordable price, and more than anything, a family-run feel. “We have many repeat guests, and it feels like our guests are our relatives. For example, when the Tohoku earthquake disaster hit, I even received messages asking how we were doing. We aim for a very at-home feel,” she comments. “You can even see I have a picture of my kids over there,” she points to the corner of the room.

“What makes this hotel special?” I ask her.

“We take cleanliness very seriously. We outsource our cleaning to specialists to make sure it is very thorough. We are also constantly renovating because we want to stay as up-to-date as we can, and of course, high-speed WiFi,” she responds with a smile. Because the hotel is family-run, the staff never changes and it feels safe and comfortable. There is a warmth that most chain-run hotels seem to lack.

Inside the elevator

I enter the elevator to start my tour of the rooms, and am pleased to find that there is an automatic alcohol pump inside the elevator as well. There is also a sign that shows the weather for tomorrow, as well as the temperature. If you’re like me and you forget to check the weather before you go out in the morning, this is a very convenient feature.

I can tell that an emphasis has been put on simplicity and cleanliness of the rooms, even in their design. The western rooms are simple, with comfortable-looking mattresses, and a taste of Japanese style, wa, in their subdued ichimatsu (checkered) patterned walls and ceilings.

What strikes me the most, however, are the tatami in the Japanese-style rooms.

While usually tatami come woven in rows, the tatami here are consistent with the theme in the western-style rooms, woven in a checkered pattern. Somehow this tiny detail is an absolute delight to my senses.

The Japanese-style rooms here all have the toilet separate from the bath, so they are convenient for multiple people and families staying in one room. The rooms of course come with a yukata for each guest, to use as a sleeping robe.

The shampoo and body soap provided here are all made by DHC, a brand known for its gentle products. “We wanted to provide our guests with quality products to use in the bath, so each room is stocked with DHC shampoo, conditioner, and body wash,” Kawano-san remarks.

Another example of a Japanese-style room

The area where the hotel is located has a good number of chain restaurants, many that have English menus and vending-machine ordering which makes it easy to order your food smoothly even if you don’t speak a word of Japanese.

It’s also close to the popular Ameyoko market, which sells various fashion, cosmetics, and various goods at very cheap prices. And of course, one can’t forget to mention the discount shop, Takeya, which is a popular shopping destination for many foreign visitors.

A comfortable, secure hotel at an affordable price, with the added benefit of staff that you can converse frankly with, is a treasure to have in this area. With its centralized location close to Ueno station, it has great access to Narita International Airport, as well as the bullet train and numerous local lines to make any destination on your trip a quick and easy train-ride away. The hotel is especially in high demand during the sakura season, with its ideal access to the cherry blossoms of Ueno Park, one of the must-see spots in Tokyo.

If your trip involves lots of shopping and easy access to transportation, this hotel is definitely the spot for you. You might just get hooked on the squeaky-clean rooms and the pleasant atmosphere. Of course, the massage chair in the lobby doesn’t hurt either.

Until next time...