Homeikan Morikawa Annex

The staff are numerous, very friendly, and most speak some English. You can order meals for the next day. This is a large, attractive older ryokan in a quiet residential area, within walking distance of restaurants, shops, Tokyo University, and subway stations. There are three buildings, two next to each other and one several blocks away. Check the map on their website to find yours, since Google Maps can get confused by the three locations. Rooms don't have toilets; shared Western-style toilets and Japanese-style baths are down the hall.

The spacious tatami room, tasty breakfast, and thoughtful care from the staff were all highlights. I especially liked the small touches, like wooden flowers in the shoji screens, the unusual decorations over the sinks, and the Roman collage in the ofuro. Homeikan Morikawa Annex was also very well located, within walking distance of Tokyo Dome and its activities, Todai (University of Tokyo), Ueno Park, and Ueno Okamachi, where I found reasonably priced shops and delicious izakaya and ramen. I'd happily stay here again.

The old wooden building and the kind, simple people working there gave the place a warm feeling 😊 It felt like stepping back into Japan 100 years ago, with lots of charming interior details. We even used it for an IG or drama shoot, and it was a cool setting for that.

Homeikan Morikawa Annex's architecture gave the evening a real period feel. I went for a Traditional Japanese Cultural Family Show with goblins, games, arts and crafts, plus an entertainer doing juggling and umbrella tricks. The staff were warm and friendly, which made an already wonderful program even better.