Tokyo has plenty of hotel options, and some offer illuminating experiences and environments that will open your eyes to pop culture, tradition, and other national passions.
Among the many hotels in Tokyo, you’ll find a few that are blissful different from the norm, from rooms dedicated to popular cartoons, to inns dedicated to Japan’s timeless wellness and even sumo cultures. Here are five carefully of our favourite recent openings.
MIMARU Tokyo Pokémon Room
Popular for convenience, MIMARU offers apartment hotel accommodations, all with kitchens. There are 15 MIMARU locations in Tokyo’s popular tourist spots and one especially popular room type is the Pokémon Room, which is bursting with adorable little Pokémon. With a giant stuffed Snorlax on the bed and Poké Ball designed tableware, this special space is irresistible for Pokémon fans. You’ll find Pokémon rooms in Tokyo at three locations: MIMARU Tokyo Ueno East, MIMARU Tokyo Ginza East, and MIMARU Tokyo Hatchobori.
Stay SAKURA Tokyo Asakusa Yokozuna Hotel
A hotel inspired by the ancient Japanese martial art of sumo wrestling, Stay SAKURA Tokyo Asakusa Yokozuna Hotel boasts one sumo “stable” (training centre for wrestlers), the Kokonoe Stable, which has been renovated into a place where sumo wrestling culture can be felt everywhere, including room plates bearing the names of past grand champions, known as yokozuna. You’ll find a wide range of accommodation, from twin rooms to suites, and some rooms are stocked with official goods from the Japan Sumo Association. The hotel has A convenient location for sightseeing, just five minutes walk from Asakusa Station and al rooms have a kitchen, with laundry facilities also on premises, making it perfect for long-term stays.
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Onsen Ryokan Yuen Shinjuku
Sink into natural hot springs amid the atmosphere of this ryokan, a traditional Japanese inn in the heart of the city, just a 20-minute walk from JR Shinjuku Station or a seven minute walk from Shinjuku-gyoemmae Subway Station. The experience of staying in a traditional inn is made easy in this environment, which fuses traditional Japanese and modern sensibilities. The open-air bath on the top floor is only open to hotel guests. Here, you can take in the sweeping view of Shinjuku skyscrapers while soaking in hot spring waters brought from the source in Hakone. A wide variety of rooms includes doubles, twins, suites, and universal rooms that are wheelchair accessible.
Auberge TOKITO
Opened in April 2023, this Japanese auberge (dining-focused inn) inherits part of the historic estate and garden of a famous classic restaurant. Enjoy quality time relaxing in the outskirts of Tachikawa, about 30 km from Shinjuku. All four guest rooms have open-air baths flowing with water directly from a 100% natural hot spring. The soul of the hotel is the dining room, where Michelin-starred chefs are creating new styles of Japanese cuisine. A dining experience here conveys the depth and richness of Japan’s food culture.
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Shubou-Tamajiman
This unique guesthouse offers a hands-on experience on the grounds of the Ishikawa Brewery, which has been in operation since 1863. The idyllic scenery of lush greenery unique to western Tokyo’s Tama area offers a stunning setting. Amid the warm wood interior of the hotel are capsule bedrooms divided into men’s and women’s sections. The restaurant serves dishes made with ingredients from the Tama area and sake from Ishikawa Brewery. Special options include stays with a sake brewery tour and tasting seminar, as well as workshops on how to make fresh toner from salted rice malt
