Annex Katsutaro Ryokan

Amazing location, and there are washing machines at the front. I’ve been coming here since the early 2000s, and Arakawa-san and his wife have always been great hosts. It’s a fairly priced, old-school basic ryokan, just as you’d expect for the neighborhood: tatami mats, low tables, and small wet bathrooms.

We came back after five years because our family enjoyed staying here so much the first time. The traditional Japanese rooms were just as nice as we remembered, and the same friendly, nice elderly couple were working there, I assume. It’s a lovely neighborhood to explore on foot. There’s a 7/11 and a Lawsons less than a minute away for snacks and other convenience store needs. Home-cooked breakfast is available. A great place to begin a Tokyo vacation and get out exploring.

The Wi-Fi was the one letdown. Otherwise, I liked this comfortable Japanese-style room, especially as it was my first time staying in one. It was nice for the area, on a fairly quiet street by Tokyo standards, near the subway and some awesome restaurants. The hosts were very friendly and willing to help and give advice, even if their English wasn’t perfect. They provide yukata, which were comfy, and the Japanese-style toilet was great.

The room worked well enough, with a table, desk and shelf area, and the necessary amenities. It’s small but not tiny. Staff were friendly and clear, although they weren’t fluent in English. For the price, I expected the shortcomings to be manageable, but they weren’t. The Wi-Fi was very slow. I’d want enough speed for two simultaneous 1080p video streams, around 16 Mb or 2 MB, such as for video calls with family or friends. It barely handled 1080p30 or 720p60, and using the Ethernet port didn’t help. The shampoo wasn’t enough for my somewhat thick hair, so I had to buy more at a store. The hairdryer was also too weak.