Picolo recommends · Hotel in Tokyo, Japan
Hoshinoya Tokyo
Shoes come off at the door, tatami runs underfoot, and a hot-spring bath waits on the roof of an office-district tower.
Outside, Otemachi is glass, suits and train stations. Step through the entrance and the city drops away: you leave your shoes behind and walk on tatami, the woven straw mats found in every traditional Japanese home.
Hoshinoya works as a ryokan, the classic Japanese inn, stacked vertically. The water in the rooftop onsen, a hot-spring bath, is pumped up from far below the streets, so you can soak above the skyline after a day in the city.
Picolo’s verdict
Why we chose Hoshinoya Tokyo
We chose it because nowhere else in central Tokyo gives you the full ryokan ritual without a train ride to the countryside. The rooms are calm and beautifully made, and the bath on the roof is a rare thing in a business district.
This is Japanese living, not a Western hotel in disguise. Beds are low, chairs are few, and the onsen is split by gender with no swimwear allowed. If you want an armchair and a minibar culture, look elsewhere.
What you get
- Rooftop onsen with hot-spring water
- Low beds on tatami floors
- Shoes off at the entrance, ryokan style
- Traditional Japanese hospitality
- Restaurant on site
A day at Hoshinoya Tokyo
- Morning
- A slow soak in the rooftop bath while the offices fill up below.
- Midday
- A walk to the Imperial Palace East Gardens, just beyond the towers.
- Afternoon
- Tea in your room and an hour on the tatami with a book.
- Evening
- Back to the onsen after dinner, with the city lit up around you.
Location
Otemachi, Tokyo, Japan
Open in MapsQuestions about Hoshinoya Tokyo
What kind of hotel is Hoshinoya Tokyo?
It is a ryokan, a traditional Japanese inn, set inside a modern tower in Otemachi. Expect tatami floors, shoes off at the door and Japanese-style furnishing.
Does Hoshinoya Tokyo have an onsen?
Yes. There is a hot-spring bath on the roof, fed by water from deep underground. It is separated by gender, and bathing is nude, as is the custom in Japan.
Is Hoshinoya Tokyo a good choice for a first trip to Japan?
Yes, if you are curious about Japanese customs and happy with low beds and few chairs. Travellers who prefer a familiar Western room may feel more at home elsewhere.
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Updated 6 Nov 2026All articles
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