Hostel Kura

An immigration queue held me up, so I told the hostel I wouldn’t arrive before the 10 pm check-in cutoff. They still refused to make an exception and said I’d be marked as a no-show and lose the whole booking. I’d let them know what was happening in advance, so the policy felt too rigid. I lost all 3 paid nights of my reservation. This inflexibility just isn’t worth it to me. Book at your own risk.

Hostel Kura was easily my favorite place in Japan. I spent a month there and stayed in more than 20 hotels and hostels, nearly somewhere new every night, so I had a lot to compare it with. The owner is a wonderful man, and everyone staying there was friendly. I even went out to explore the city with a couple of other travelers. It’s centrally located in an accessible part of Tokyo, and the price is extremely competitive. I’ll stay here again on my next trip to Japan.

It’s budget-friendly and very clean, while still feeling cozy. The room is cramped, but there’s enough space in the bed itself, and the mattress, pillow, and duvet were clean and comfortable. The receptionist was kind and helpful. There’s a passcode security lock, which made me feel safe, and the subway is close by. I had a great stay and would recommend it.

The hostel opens at 3 pm, and there’s nowhere to leave luggage before check-in or after check-out. I wheeled my bags there only to find the door wouldn’t open until 3, then had to look for storage in busy Asakusa, where most places were already full. The hostel should send guests this useful information when they book. It’s a 10-15 minute walk from the metro. The room is quite small, and there’s just one toilet room and two shower rooms for men.