Ryokan Sawanoya
旅館 澤の屋- Say it
- sa·
wa· no· ya - Also written
- Sawanoya Ryokan, Sawanoya Tokyo, Sawanoya Yanaka
About Ryokan Sawanoya
The Sawa family's ryokan in Yanaka, founded in June 1949, has 12 tatami rooms and has hosted over 190,000 guests from 92 countries. Two of the rooms have their own bath and toilet; the rest share two lockable baths, one of cypress and one ceramic, that face the garden.
- OnsenNoThe ryokan has no hot spring
- Bath in your roomBath and toilet in 2 of 12 roomsThe other ten share two baths
- Private bathTwo lockable baths, freeOne party at a time
- TattoosNot stated
- MealsBreakfast only, ¥880 extra7:30 to 9:00; no dinner
- Dietary needsNot stated
- ChildrenNot stated
- Check-in and dinnerCheck-in 15:00–23:00; out by 10:00
- Getting there7 minutes' walk from Nezu Station
Good to know before you book
- Ten of the 12 rooms share baths and toiletsTwo rooms have their own bath and toilet; the other ten use the two lockable baths and the shared toilets.
- Breakfast is simple, and there is no dinnerBreakfast is toast and eggs, or two rice balls and miso soup, for ¥880 extra; the ryokan serves no dinner.
- Rooms
- 12, all tatami
- Founded
- June 1949, by the Sawa family
- Guests so far
- Over 190,000, from 92 countries
- Smoking
- The whole ryokan is non-smoking
Rooms and their baths
- No room photos yetIndoor bath
Room for two with bath and toilet
Its own bath and toilet
- No room photos yetIndoor bath
Room for three with bath and toilet
Its own bath and toilet
- No room photos yetShared baths
Single room
No bath in the room; use the two lockable baths
- No room photos yetShared baths
Room for two
No bath in the room; use the two lockable baths
- No room photos yetShared baths
Room for three
No bath in the room; use the two lockable baths
The fine print
Last checked November 12, 2026.
- Onsen
No. No hot spring
- Bath in your room
Some rooms. Bath and toilet in 2 of 12 rooms
The other ten share the two lockable baths and the toilets.
- Private bath
Yes. Two lockable baths, free, one party at a time
One cypress, one ceramic, both facing the garden.
- Tattoos
Not stated. Not stated by the ryokan
Both baths lock for one party at a time.
- Meals
Included with some stays. Breakfast only, ¥880 extra; no dinner
7:30 to 9:00: toast and eggs, or two rice balls and miso soup.
- Dietary needs
Not stated. Not stated by the ryokan
- Children
Not stated. Not stated by the ryokan
- Check-in and dinner
Check-in 15:00 to 23:00, check-out 7:00 to 10:00
- Getting there
7 minutes' walk from Nezu Station
Or about 10 minutes by taxi from Ueno.
Meals
- Breakfast
- ¥880 extra, 7:30 to 9:00. Western (toast and eggs) or Japanese (two rice balls and miso soup)
- Dinner
- Not served. Yanaka Ginza and Nezu are within walking distance, and the ryokan keeps area maps and English guidebooks
- Tea and coffee
- Free in the dining room; barley tea in summer
Baths
- Cypress bath
- Japanese-style, facing the garden. Locks for one party at a time; free
- Ceramic bath
- Japanese-style, facing the garden. Locks for one party at a time; free
- Water
- Ordinary water. The ryokan has no hot spring
- Bath in the room
- In 2 of the 12 rooms, with a toilet
- Bath hours
- Not stated by the ryokan
Getting there
- Train
- Chiyoda line to Nezu Station, exit 1 (Nezu crossing), then 7 minutes on foot
- Taxi
- About 10 minutes from Ueno Station
- Keisei and JR lines
- Via Ueno or Nippori
- Check-in
- 15:00 to 23:00
Who it suits
- Suits
- Budget travelers who want a family-run tatami ryokan in a quiet old neighborhood, and those who like meeting other guests in the lobby
- Less suited to
- Anyone who wants hot-spring water, dinner at the ryokan, or their own bathroom: only 2 rooms have one
- The ryokan's welcome
- It describes itself as Muslim-friendly, LGBTQ-friendly and "stuffed animal and doll friendly"
- Free to use
- Wi-Fi, maps, an iron, a trouser press, laundry powder and a shared fridge
Place and season
- Yanaka
- Temples, Yanaka Ginza, and Yanaka cemetery, with cherry blossom in spring
- Nezu Shrine
- Azaleas in April and May
- Ueno Park
- Tokyo National Museum, the National Museum of Western Art and the zoo
History
- 1949
The Sawa family founds the ryokan in Yanaka in June.
- 2003
The owner, Sawa Isao, is named one of the government's 100 "Tourism Charisma" figures for welcoming visitors from overseas. He revived a failing small ryokan by taking overseas guests and taught other ryokan to do the same.
- 2006
An English book, "Welcome to Sawanoya, Welcome to Japan", is published.
- 2007
A Japanese book, "Yokoso Ryokan Funtoki", follows.
- 2019
The ryokan's 70th anniversary.
- Today
The ryokan counts over 190,000 guests from 92 countries.
Ryokan elsewhere to compare
Questions
Do the rooms at Ryokan Sawanoya have their own bath?
Two of the 12 rooms have a bath and toilet. Guests in the other ten use the two lockable baths and the shared toilets.
Does Ryokan Sawanoya have a hot spring?
No. The two baths, one of hinoki cypress and one ceramic, use ordinary water. Both face the garden, and each locks so one party bathes at a time.
Are meals served?
Breakfast only, for ¥880 extra, from 7:30 to 9:00: toast and eggs, or two rice balls and miso soup. There is no dinner; Yanaka Ginza and Nezu are within walking distance.
What is the nearest station?
Nezu Station on the Chiyoda line. From exit 1 the ryokan is 7 minutes on foot; a taxi from Ueno Station takes about 10 minutes.
How late can I check in?
Check-in runs from 15:00 to 23:00. Check-out is between 7:00 and 10:00.
How big are the rooms?
All 12 are tatami rooms: 4.5 mats for one guest, 6 mats for two and 8 mats for three. Each has air conditioning, a TV, a hair dryer, yukata and towels.
Photo credits
Starbacks, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons