Fancy a Hotel with a Japanese Onsen in Tokyo?
At Narita Airport, we hop on one of the frequent, super-precise express trains that will take us into Tokyo. We are on our way to Hotel Edoya, a local hotel near Ueno, Tokyo, offering a rooftop Japanese hot bath, or onsen, with both indoor and outdoor sections.
From Narita, it is quick and easy to get to both Ueno Station and Keisei Ueno, depending on whether you take the Narita Express or Keisei Skyliner. Hotel Edoya is within a 15-minute walk from both stations.
Ryokan in Tokyo | Photo: Travel In Culture
Most streets in Japan have no names. The addresses are based on geographical areas: prefectures, municipalities, town districts, blocks, and apartment numbers.
A group of Japanese young people come to our rescue. Despite the language barrier, one of them offers to help us. His communication skills in English are not overwhelming, but with straightforward gestures, he lets us understand that he will take us to our hotel!
Our hotel is a cosy and budget-friendly Tokyo onsen ryokan close to Ueno Station in northern Tokyo | Photo: Travel In Culture
He will catch up with his friends later. After zigzagging through the neighbourhood, we suddenly find ourselves in front of our hotel, the ryokan Edoya, named after old Tokyo: Edo.
A traditional ryokan in Tokyo | Photo: Travel In Culture
Edoya is even very budget-friendly compared with many other Tokyo hotels, particularly compared with other Japanese onsen hotels. It may be a bit old-fashioned – but this goes hand in hand with the traditional style. Besides the ofuro bath, the hotel offers a Japanese-style buffet breakfast with a variety of customary Japanese food. There are also some Western breakfast options. Most rooms are Japanese-style – from single rooms to the large tatami family room, which sleeps five.
The host welcomes us at the small reception. With an accommodating attitude, he immediately makes us feel at home.
Activities in the quarter behind our ryokan | Photo: Travel In Culture
During the short check-in process, we get a chance to see both rigorous Japanese etiquette, as well as distinct politeness. Bowing slightly, he returns my credit card with both hands. As he takes us to our room, he explains about the place and the facilities. We listen carefully as the facilities reflect the Japanese culture.
There is a guest lounge with small tables and western chairs, as well as a Japanese-style tatami mat living room with a low table. Moreover, the ryokan has a pleasant roof garden for beautiful days!
Ryokan onsen, Tokyo | Photo: Travel In Culture
Our Hotel Edoya is one among a handful of still existing, traditional accommodation options in Tokyo that offer an onsen style / ofuro bath. At Edoya, it is even on the roof, which makes it a unique experience!
We are curious about the bathing procedure, so we take the elevator to the top floor to see it before trying it ourselves. In the evening, we return for our personal ofuro / onsen experience.
Bunkyo gardens | Photo: Travel In Culture
However, since we are so focussed on behaving according to Japanese etiquette, we mistakenly understand that we need to change our slippers for some other ‘bathing’ slippers before entering the bathing section – just like the red ‘bathroom slippers’ found in our room. We slip into the neatly placed slippers by the stairs outside the bath, leaving our ’own’ slippers behind. Not until entering the room, which is already being used by a few Japanese guests, do we realise our mistake. They cannot help smiling and pointing at our slippers! We have taken THEIR slippers that they left outside!
Rinsing in the traditional washroom with stools, washbowls, and showers is our first step before slipping into the hot tubs.
We then enjoy the crisp and frosty February night in the steaming open-air onsen bath far above the streets of Tokyo while looking at the twinkling stars in the night sky. There is one section for women and another for men, both of which have an indoor and an outdoor bath available.
Photo: Travel In Culture
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It is an exceptional experience, also considering that we are in the world’s largest metropolis with over 38 million people. And it is still possible to bring elements from nature, such as underground hot water, directly into a building. On the roof, among green plants and breathtaking silence, we experience a synthesis of traditional Japanese culture, geothermal water, and a crystal clear winter sky dotted with stars. The onsen bath at our hotel is one of our best experiences in Tokyo so far. An ‘onsen hotel’ in Tokyo, and even in central Tokyo … that is spectacular!
Breakfast in a ryokan, Tokyo | Photo: Travel In Culture
Like the other guests, we can’t help putting on the yukatas! The yukata is a casual-style kimono to be worn at home. Several hotel guests appear in yukata for breakfast in the restaurant, accessible from the street via an automatic sliding door.
Located slightly away from the busy streets around Ueno Station, the neighbourhood has a relaxed atmosphere. Outside Edoya, there are traditional benches with red blankets and cushions to sit on. It is just perfect to sit here and enjoy the quiet!
A ryokan in Tokyo | Photo: Travel In Culture
The term ryokan can be translated as ‘Japanese inn’. The ryokan typically has rooms with tatami floors, sliding doors, futons to sleep on, low tables with cushions to sit on, and an entrance area where you can leave your shoes. The ryokans also provide guests with yukatas (a kind of relaxed Japanese kimono) as well as the possibility of having an ofuro / onsen bath.
Our room has tatami mats all over the floor. The futons are arranged side by side directly on the tatami floor. We have a low table with legless chairs around it. They are surprisingly comfortable to sit on – despite what we first imagine.
We sleep on rectangular pillows filled with ‘rice beads’ to such an extent that they are incredibly hard. Our immediate impression is, therefore, that they must be inconvenient and uncomfortable to sleep on. Nevertheless, we wake up the following morning, deeply amazed that we have slept so well. The pillows have been unexpectedly comfortable and adapted to the face, which has resulted in a fantastic sleep!
The entrance area behind the sliding door is occupied by a row of neatly placed slippers. Guests wear slippers everywhere inside, including red plastic slippers for the bathroom! Very quickly, the space is filled up with all our shoes added to the slippers provided by Edoya!
Traditional room in a ryokan, Tokyo | Photo: Travel In Culture
An onsen is a Japanese hot spring or bathing facility with geothermal hot water due to subterranean volcanic activity. Traditionally, onsen facilities are outside, but some ryokans, hotels, and other public establishments today often have indoor facilities. The water typically has a temperature of 40-50 degrees centigrade.
The water in the ofuro bath is commonly shared among many people, whether it is in private homes or public places. The bath is supposed to be a pleasure, and you should take your time there! The water temperature can easily reach over 45 degrees, so it is wise to sink into the water slowly to avoid a sudden heat shock!
Photo: Travel In Culture
Edoya is not far from the busy Ueno Station and the Ameyoko market street, which is literally under the train line between Ueno Station and Okachimachi Station. After World War II, it started as the black market in Tokyo, offering American products. Ameyoko is an abbreviation for Ameya Yokocho with the original meaning: ‘candy street’ and the prefix: ‘Ame’ for American.
The Ameyoko market has existed ever since as a shopping street, and today, it offers a wide range of shops where you can buy everything from fresh fish to bulky travel bags and stacks of colourful clothes. It is a bazaar-style market that also includes popular small restaurants offering ramen, soba and udon. Prices are very reasonable here compared to other parts of Tokyo.
Read more about Tokyo (see & do, accommodation, price level, transport, safety, climate, history) in our Tokyo Travel Guide:
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