SAKE Kura Hotel Kawasaki Shuku

The staff were excellent and very helpful, and it’s just a short walk from Kawasaki station. My room was really nice, with a massive jetted tub, and the complimentary beer and sake tasted great. This was a wonderful find, and I’ll make a point of staying here next time I’m in Japan. Couldn’t recommend it enough!

The room was a great size for a couple, and the whole place had a really well put-together atmosphere. On a cold, rainy day, what could be better than unlimited hot oden with local sake selections? The price felt right for the experience. I’m excited to come back.

Kawasaki may be off the beaten path for many tourists, but it suited us perfectly after a long stay and gave us a break from the chaotic rush of central Tokyo. SAKE Kura Hotel Kawasaki Shuku felt like a quiet, semi-secluded oasis in the world’s largest metropolis. It was one of the best hotel stays my wife and I have had anywhere, and we absolutely plan to return. Kampai! The hotel has so much going for it: it’s modern, clean and quiet, with affordable rates, spacious rooms by Japan standards, a large ofuro (bathtub), and awesome staff who speak fluent English. There are multiple types of unlimited sake available 24/7 at the ground floor bar. We could enjoy it in the lounge or take a bottle back to our room. And no, it wasn’t just the free-flowing sake talking when I say this was probably my favorite of all the hotels we stayed in during our last two week vacation in Japan. The little touches helped seal it for me too. I put up the "do not disturb" sign, and when we came back from daytime trekking, a bag of bottled waters, toilet paper, towels and other necessities was hanging on the doorknob. No other hotel had thought of doing that.

Just off the busy Old Tokaido, the hotel has a tastefully arranged contemporary wabisabi interior that makes smart use of limited space. The self-serve bar offers premium sake samples, and nearby there’s warm three-dish Oden ready alongside the beer and sake. The accommodation feels surprisingly generous for the size. Traditional touches include Tabi socks with geta and zabuton on za-isu seating, plus top & bottom samue-style pajamas. The jetted tub is a refreshing feature among the modern fixtures, including a washlet. Right outside are yakiniku places serving delicious bovine, porcine, equine, and marine mammal meats, which Kawasaki is justly famous for.