Ryokan Sawanoya
Tokyo, Kanto, Japan
|Official star rating:

Family-run ryokan (traditional inn), providing tradition on a budget in Tokyo’s old Yanaka neighbourhood.
Average £140
Extra beds
Pool
2+ bedrooms
Beach
Kids menu
Fitness center
Kids club
Travel bucket list idea:
Tokyo, Kanto, Japan
|To stay a night at one of Japan’s ryokan (traditional inns) is to immerse yourself in living history – the oldest hotel in the world is a ryokan, established in 705 and still going strong 51 generations later.
Ryokan can be modest or uber-luxurious, but there are defining traits.
Almost all have tatami mat rooms and futon beds, staff wearing traditional attire like kimono, and an air of calm and quiet. Many have in-house onsen baths, and serve traditional kaiseki-ryori dinners (if not the full 12-course extravaganza, then at least simpler multi-course dinner that focuses on local produce and specialities).
But it won’t be for everyone. Kids can find ryokan a bit dull – and the food challenging. The service, though often superb, can also be inflexible, with mealtimes locked into narrow windows and many mid-range and above ryokan not offering room-only stays. The best approach is to stay for just one night.
Tokyo, Kanto, Japan
|Official star rating:
Family-run ryokan (traditional inn), providing tradition on a budget in Tokyo’s old Yanaka neighbourhood.
Average £140
Extra beds
Pool
2+ bedrooms
Beach
Kids menu
Fitness center
Kids club
Tokyo, Kanto, Japan
|Official star rating:
A high-rise, high-end contemporary take on the traditional ryokan with a great central location.
Average £600
Extra beds
Pool
2+ bedrooms
Beach
Kids menu
Fitness center
Kids club
Destination guides including or relevant to this experience
Kanto, Japan
A dizzying mixture of old ways and modern style, crowds and calm, and arguably the best food scene on the planet.