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 inns and hotels in Tokyo!
Located only a few minutes from Ueno station is Hotel New Tohoku. The exterior of the building is chic in design, a taste of tradition blended in with a modern look.
The hotel lobby
The lobby is simple and clean, the warm brown, black, grey, and white color palette pleasing to the eye. I meet with Hayashi-san, the president and owner of the hotel, and his wife.
The hotel was originally started by Hayashi-san’s parents about 60 years ago under the name “Tohoku Ryokan,” when he was still in elementary school. Originally, his parents ran a toy shop in the nearby area of Ameyoko, while a short distance away, Hayashi-san’s aunt was running a ryokan. After helping out at his aunt’s inn, Hayashi-san’s parents realized that there was still a high demand for lodgings around Ueno even with the over-100 existing ryokan around the station, so they decided to open a place of their own.
The hotel front desk
During this period, the Ueno area was home for many businesses and companies that were from the Tohoku area of Japan. The ryokan was named to provide a sense of familiarity in the far-away city of Tokyo, and to stand out among the many other inns in the area.
Business-related stays composed the majority of the ryokan’s guests: fishermen who staffed the maguro (tuna) ships that went back and forth between the Tohoku area and Ueno, supplying tuna for the fish market in Tsukiji, would come and stay for a month at a time. Ski buses were also very popular, and tours leaving from Tokyo station nearby were very common. This meant that in their busiest season, especially from the end of the year to spring break, the bus drivers needed a place to stay. That place was Tohoku Ryokan.
40 years ago, the ryokan was completely rebuilt into a hotel to meet the growing preference among business-persons for western-style rooms and its name was changed to “Hotel New Tohoku.” The new brick hotel building had 30 rooms, all of which came with their own private bath/toilet.
A single room—plenty of space for one person
In 2009, Hayashi-san decided to be more proactive about welcoming international guests, and the effort was well received—after a few years, approximately 70% of the guests were those visiting from abroad. The prime location makes the hotel convenient for popular travel spots like Akihabara and Asakusa, and allows easy access to the airport. That combined with the hotel’s affordable price point makes it an enticing option for travelers, and with most people planning their vacation over a year in advance, the hotel’s rooms get booked pretty quicky during peak travel periods.
Hayashi-san continues to say that one of the characteristics of the hotel is its frank atmosphere—the staff don’t wear uniforms, and they are anything but aloof. In fact, Hayashi-san’s wife can speak English and can oftentimes be seen chatting with the guests to see how their day was and offering help or advice when it’s requested. As many of the guests here are regulars, Hayashi-san and his wife often receive letters and emails from them. Another comforting aspect of the hotel is that the staff hardly ever changes—most of the staff has been here for the past 20-30 years—so those visiting year after year are greeted with the same familiar faces. This relationship built between the hotel and its guests over time is probably one of the reasons why regulars continue to come here year after year.
As Hayashi-san takes me through a tour of the hotel, he mentions that there is no elevator—putting on in would require sacrificing a number of rooms to make the space needed. However, the wavy handrail in the stairwell makes it an easy trip up.
The newly-replaced flooring is a point to keep in mind
One thing that they prioritize here is the cleanliness of the rooms. The carpets are changed every 5-7 years to keep things fresh, and the hotel just recently went through a renovation in 2019, which included not only the rooms and carpets, but changes in the outside entrance, lobby, and tile flooring and wallpaper as well. Most of the rooms now have floors that are even easier to clean.
Hayashi-san constantly strives to keep the hotel as clean as possible without compromising the affordability of the rooms. He continues to say that he has no plans to increase the number of rooms or expand anywhere else—instead, he wants to focus on providing the guests here with a clean comfortable stay—stability without worry.
The rooms are clean and pleasant, available in single, semi-double, double, twin, and triple sizes. All rooms have a non-smoking policy which is strictly enforced. While only 5 minutes away from the station, the hotel is not on the main road so rooms are relatively quiet.
One of the rooms that has kept the pre-renovation look—the blue-green carpet is a nice accent
There also a few rooms that retain the pre-renovation look, with a different style of wallpaper and carpet.
While the hotel doesn’t offer breakfast currently due to the pandemic, there is a convenience store near by that offers plenty of variety for food.
If you want the peace of mind of not having to worry about the cleanliness of your room, the stability of familiar faces over time, and the comfort of personal interactions with the staff all on a friendly budget, Hotel New Tohoku is just the place for you. Next time you’re in search of a place to stay in Ueno, try booking a room—you may find yourself joining the Hotel New Tohoku extended family.
supported by Japan Ryokan and Hotel Association Tokyo Branch