Ryokan Kamogawa: A Traditional Inn in the Heart of Asakusa

Welcome to the second series of Tokyo Ryokan Stories. I’m Roza Akino, and I live and work in Japan. In these posts I will be exploring even more ryokan and hotels throughout Tokyo, so if you are planning a trip to the city, stay tuned—you just might find the perfect place for your upcoming stay.

It’s autumn now and the smell of rain still lingers in the crisp air. I make my way from the station to the ryokan. With the opening of Japan’s borders, Asakusa is well on its way to returning to the hustle and bustle of pre-covid times. People walk through nakamise-dori, the main street leading up to the temple, enjoying the various foods and shops along the way.

The lobby has a simple, pleasing design

I arrive to a very traditional-looking entranceway, lined with plants in square pots, their shape carefully curated with precision. The wooden sign above the entrance is carved in calligraphic characters. Below it, a small stone lantern stands to the side of the automatic sliding door, ready to greet the guests.

I enter the building to find a lobby of wooden tones, calming to the senses and pleasing to the eye. Yajima-san greets me at the door and shows me to a small room with wooden tables and chair. Each tabletop is thick, the edge kept in the natural shape of the tree as is often found with furniture produced in the traditional taste.
Yajima-san brings me a cup of coffee, freshly brewed from beans. This coffee maker, as well as various teas, is available for guests to enjoy at their leisure during their stay.

The coffee machine in the rest area next to the lobby

The pendulum clock in the lobby begins to chime as Yajima-san begins her story. Her grandparents started the ryokan some 70 years ago, after the end of the Second World War. As her grandfather was a chef, starting an inn was a natural choice for the pair. While originally it was host to mostly Japanese guests, the ryokan quickly switched to a foreign visitor clientele 15 years ago, when Yajima-san’s father took over.

The pagoda nearby, part of Sensoji Temple

The location of the ryokan is ideal, just slightly to the side of the nakamise street of Sensoji temple. Not too big and not to small, the ryokan currently has a total of 10 traditional Japanese tatami rooms, able to accommodate various group sizes.

The texture of the floor leading up to the bath, as well as inside the elevator, is very pleasant

With the switch towards accommodating tourists and visitors from abroad, the building also went through some renovations to include a private bath and restroom in each room, something that is still somewhat uncommon in traditional-style inns such as this. While certain updates have been made, the atmosphere is still very much traditional overall. Since some rooms only have a shower, there is also a large bath that can be reserved for private use.

The entrance to the bath on the first floor

I ask Yajima-san to show me a few of the rooms, and we proceed to the elevator that leads to the upper floors, a big convenience since many traditional ryokan only have stairs.

A room prepared for two guests

As soon as I open the sliding door into the tatami room I am met with a pleasant and familiar fragrance—igusa, the distinct grassy aroma of the plant that’s used to make traditional tatami. I take a deep breath to enjoy its calming effect.

The wall decoration in the deluxe room

The rooms come in various sizes, and the number of people they can accommodate varies accordingly. As the ryokan was renovated to combine rooms for bigger room sizes, some of the rooms have quite unique entrances. One even has a miniature walkway leading up to the tatami room that is reminiscent of a labyrinth.

Each room has its own restroom, as well as a small refrigerator

Each room features a modern Japanese washlet toilet, and the futon beddings used in each room are from a well-known brand, ensuring complete comfort for the entirety of your stay.

Enjoy the use of yukata (traditional bath robes) during your stay

One of the features of staying in a tatami room is the convenience it provides for families with small children, as shoes are removed before entering the room, and there is plenty of play without having to worry about dirt brought in from outside. The ryokan also offers rental of various items for babies and small children.

Although tatami rooms usually have tables that require you to sit on the floor, these rooms have tables and chairs for sitting

Since Asakusa is a popular destination for visitors from abroad, the front lobby staff all speak English. A unique perk if you are a fan of traditional sake, one staff member even has certification as a Japanese sake sommelier and can give recommendations according to your preferences.

Tea bags are available in each room for the guests

A table in the lobby, with one of the pictures from Yajima-san’s father’s collection

While the ryokan is quite simple in terms of services offered, talking to Yajima-san helps me see that it has no shortage of heart and enthusiasm to please its guests.

Taking over the ryokan came after the sudden passing of her father, and his presence is still felt through the framed pictures of traditional scenes displayed on the walls, pieces he had collected over the years.

Yajima-san continues to say that since most of the staff have been with the ryokan for years, they often give her hints and advice, sharing stories of her how her father used to do things, things that she didn’t have a chance to ask him herself. With the pandemic and restriction of inbound tourism, running a ryokan has been difficult for the past few years, but everyone seems to be excited for the recent increase of visitors. The staff does their best to accommodate any requests that guests might have, from taking photos of them right outside the ryokan with Tokyo Skytree in the background, to giving advice on where to go and what to eat. Yajima-san mentions that this aspect of running a ryokan is the part she enjoys the most.

A traditional kumiko lantern in one of the rooms

a small refrigerator with a sign showing prices

One of the best aspects of staying at a ryokan is the closeness felt between host and guest. Passing through the hallway I notice a small refrigerator with a sign showing prices for the drinks inside, and a coin bank on top of it.

The sight makes me chuckle, as this is a characteristic representative of trust between people in Japan—no one is watching to make sure the drinks are paid for, and yet somehow the allocation of unconditional trust leads to doing the right thing on the part of the receiver as well. What makes this ryokan special? The display of the small refrigerator said it better than I ever could: it’s the connections.