This hotel is a little oasis of calm. The room was small, but if you're in Tokyo, you'll probably not be spending much time in it anyway. The hosts are charming and helpful. And to find somewhere this inexpensive in the second most expensive city in the world is quite remarkable. It's conveniently located for Ueno, with its fantastic park and zoo, and there are plenty of places to eat nearby (Vin Chou, two side streets away, is particularly good - try the grilled chicken kneecaps). I wouldn't stay anywhere else if I were in Tokyo again.

The Ryokan was a bit hard to find though I blame that on sleep deprovation as well as misreading the directions. Once we found it Kenichi was very helpful in helping us get around Tokyo and explaining how things work as well as helping us find things to do to fill our time. I will definitely be staying here again!

We (family of 2 Adults and 3 Children 11, 12 &15 yrs old) chose this traditional Japanese accommodation after reading the reviews on Trip advisor, but we also noticed that it had been recommended in lonely planet.

Tokyo Ryokan has three tatatmi mat guestrooms with traditional shoji (paper) screens on the second floor of the house, with a shared toilet and basin on that floor. Above you is the owners living quarters which appears to take up the whole top floor and then below you is the reception, common room and decent sized double shower, double vanity and separate toilet.

It is probably the best priced accommodation in a lovely area (Taito-ku near Asakusa markets) of Tokyo and only a pleasant 20-25 minute walk to Ueno train station which you can also get to by subway which are close by if you choose not to walk or need to take the subway due to time constraints. There are police everywhere, a mister donuts, lovely little tempura joint, and the equivalent of our late night supermarkets are nearby (ampm probably the closest)

Tokyo Ryokan is attractive from the outside and just as lovely inside, very warm and inviting. The bedding is traditional futon/pillow which we noticed was always folded up each day for us when we returned from our days activities. Those of you who are unaccustomed to the futon may find these one's a tad thin, but we were very busy all week and slept like a log most nights.

Ken and Fusako were absolute gems. We hardly noticed they were there, but the rubbish and recycling were always removed, and we always came home to find our room clean and tidy. (Taito area has a recycling program so, so Ken has organised an area in the main bathroom on the first floor where you can separate the rubbish and he will explain that to you.)

When we did need Ken he was only a moment away and made every effort to find out what our needs were (train times, directions to places and anything else we needed to know about food, souvenirs etc.) and then either came and told us what he had found out or left small notes on our door if we were out. The odd occasion we stumbled upon something new and amazing that he was unaware of, he was more than happy to add it to his list of recommendations for future guests.

I noticed that a French tourist whinged about the owners vacuuming at 9am! If you are in a place as wonderful as Japan and were still in bed at 9am you are wasting your time. Unless of course you are sick in which case Ken & Fusako would have been more than sympathetic to your needs. They complained of having to turn off lights. Ken has gone to great expense to install environmentally friendly light sensors which come on at night (toilet run etc) for your safety but also turn off on their own to save energy. These same guests whinged about just about everything and then had the audacity to say you got more for your money elsewhere in Tokyo for the same price. I challenge them to find a lovelier ryokan, with nicer hosts in such a good area convenient to everything for $40 per person per night! They obviously weren't looking to stay in a ryokan.

Although we did love this place, it is only fair to tell you a couple of small things that didn't bother us but may bother others: Futons a tad thin, timed water in the shower, no hand soap at vanity (we had a supply of hand gel anyway). Ken did ask us not to put suitcases on tatami matting, but not a problem as there is a space in the room for your luggage. You have to pay upfront, but who cares! Another expense you don't need to worry about before your trip and peace of mind for theowner. Initially we were surprised to pay for internet (100Y for 20mins I think), but remember this is not expensive accomodation. In the end it was the cheapest internet we payed for the whole time we were in Japan.

Overall I would definitely recommend Tokyo Ryokan, for those wishing to enjoy beautiful, warm, inviting traditional Japanese accommodation at an extremely reasonable price in a great area with wonderful, helpful friendly hosts. If anything we would hire out all three rooms for sole occupancy next time - we loved it.

My husband and i stayed at Tokyo Ryokan for 5 nights on the first leg of our Japan trip.
It was such a sweet and charming place, very peaceful and quiet. The owners are very nice too and very helpful with shopping tips and access to cheaper train tickets if needed which was a nice touch. The place was immaculate!
The only downside was the sleep quality on the futons, it took a bit of getting used to. After day three i managed to sleep the whole night through without getting a numb bum and legs. Also we could hear people in the other rooms which was a bit annoying but not the fault of the owners because the design of the Ryokan is traditional with paper walls etc. It truly was a really great experience and i would recommend this place to anybody who wants to stay somewhere other than a souless hotel.
Kappabashi Coffee is a must for breakfast. Less than 5 mins walk from Tokyo Ryokan.