Regular readers of Mapplr know that when it comes to hotels, I prefer to stay in places that do not belong to a chain. I like small, intimate hotels or B&Bs whose owners pay a lot of attention to design, atmosphere and personal service. Last winter, I had a chance to go to Japan for the first time. I was invited to speak at a wireless conference in Fukuoka and decided to stay an extra week to visit Tokyo and Kyoto.

Finding a non-chain hotel in Tokyo is challenging. Thank heavens for the ryokan, a Japanese-style B&B. There are many ryokans in Tokyo and Kyoto, but some accept only Japanese guests because they do not have English-speaking staff. Fortunately, ryokans are becoming more popular among foreign visitors so finding one that accepts foreigners isn’t a problem anymore. What to expect from a ryokan: tatami mats, sitting on the floor at a low table to drink and eat, sleeping on a futon which the ryokan staff roll out at night (and roll back into a closet during the day), Japanese breakfasts, a Japanese bath on the premises, and in more luxurious ryokans, kaiseki breakfasts and dinners served in your room.

Here are my favorite hotels and ryokans in Tokyo.

Claska
1-3-18 Chuo-cho
Meguro-ku
Tokyo, Japan
+81 3 3719 8121
www.claska.com/en/
Small hip hotel in Meguro

Yoshimizu
3-11-3 Ginza
Chuo-ku
Tokyo, Japan
+81 3 3248 4432
www.yoshimizu.com/en/ginza/index.html
Eleven room ryokan in the heart of Ginza

Sukeroku No Yado Sadachiyo
2-20-1 Asakusa
Taito-ku
Tokyo, Japan
+81 3 3842 6431
www.sadachiyo.co.jp
Modern ryokan in Asakusa

Ryokan Asakusa Shigetsu
1-31-11 Asakusa
Tokyo, Japan
+81 3 3843 2345
www.shigetsu.com
Ryokan by Sensoji temple in Asakusa

Shibuya Granbell Hotel
15-17 Sakuragaoka-cho
Shibuya-ku
Tokyo, Japan
+81 3 5457 2681
www.granbellhotel.jp
Boutique hotel by Shibuya station

Andon Ryokan
2-34-10 Nihonzutsumi Taito
Tokyo, Japan 111-0021
+81 3 3873 8611
www.andon.co.jp
Industrial chic meets traditional Japanese design

The b Akasaka
7-6-13, Akasaka
Minato-ku
Tokyo, Japan
+81 3 3586 0811
www.ishinhotels.com/theb-akasaka/en/

Mapplr’s favorite ryokans in Japan

If you are going to other cities in Japan or out into the countryside, make sure you check out my favorite ryokans.

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Here is a Google map of Tokyo with my favorite hotels and ryokans.

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I posted a few notes on my trip to Japan, including photos, on Rosecantine.com:

With luggage like this, you’ll never be at a loss at the airport baggage carousel

Cheap fast food in Tokyo: noodles

Funky outfits near Harajuku station in Tokyo

In Japan this week