Senju Tamuraya

The place is clean and near a train station, so getting around is easy. But the way the staff treated people was unpleasant. Instead of putting up an English sign asking guests to remove their shoes and clean their luggage wheels, the woman at the entrance turned around and started shouting like crazy. It’s sold as a hotel, not a hostel, but shared bathrooms and showers mean people often arrive after 10 pm, and noise carries through the thin walls. I could hear the person in the next room breathing. The owners seem not to care about the noise, while any noise is forbidden and can lead to an aggressive response. It’s an expensive place for that kind of treatment and those walls. Several foreigners arrived at 10:30 pm, were respectful, and were willing to follow the rules about what time to be quiet. Those rules still didn’t make sense to me. Definitely not recommended.

The owner was really nice and friendly to me. His English isn’t great, but it’s better than most people’s in Tokyo. I had a pleasant stay most of the time, though you should keep in mind that this isn’t really a hotel. The room was pretty large, with the expected futon on the floor. If you have a sensitive back, note that it’s literally just a mattress on the floor. There’s a TV, though I didn’t use it because I don’t understand Japanese very well. The biggest issue for me was the Wi-Fi. I can’t tell if my phone, which is on its last legs, was the problem, or if the Wi-Fi is that bad. It kept saying “Obtaining IP-Address” and looping. Downstairs there’s a kitchen with a fridge, freezer, stove, microwave, and a kettle that stays hot for morning coffee. The showers were acceptable and not unclean, but it was a bit hard to get the temperature right between hot and cold. There’s also a music room with a piano and guitar, which is a nice bonus. I didn’t try the hot tub and didn’t even know there was one. I’ve seen some bad reviews, but for what you get and the length of my stay, I thought it was cheap while keeping some level of quality. One thing to remember when you arrive: don’t go upstairs wearing your shoes or carrying your luggage, because the owner is very particular about keeping the floor clean.

The place was very clean and conveniently located, and I’d stay again. The owner is kind and a huge music fan, especially of Kaguyahime. He takes a lot of pride in the soundproof music room guests can use.

I spent five days here and was completely satisfied. My room was only 5 m square, but that didn’t bother me since I came back late from the city, went to sleep, and that was all I needed it for. It wasn’t meant for throwing a party, after all. The owner answered all my tourist questions and acted like a tour guide or information desk. Thanks again, I really appreciate it.