Overall I enjoyed my stay here. It it was hard to find the location, and when we finally found it we were told to we were staying in a different building several blocks away, so we had to walk even further. The bath facilities weren't as clean as I would prefer but nothing serious. The room, however, was very comfy and we slept well. The staff were friendly.

The Homeikan Ryokan was the first place we stayed in Japan. Even though we arrived late at night after a long day of traveling, someone was up waiting for us. My boyfriend had stayed at the Homeikan on his previous trip to Japan, and enjoyed it so much that he wanted to stay with them again while we were in Tokyo. What an excellent first Ryokan experience for me!

The Homeikan is in a quiet and peaceful neighborhood, close enough to the subway stations, restaurants, and shops to walk to, but far enough from any main street so that it feels like its hidden in a secret nook of the city, still undiscovered by (other) foreign travelers and far removed from auto horns and other traffic noises.

This historic ryokan itself is peaceful as well. The reception area is large with mellow lighting. Most of the others staying at the Homeikan while we were there were Japanese businessmen or small families. It is a traditional Japanese ryokan, not a new hostel-type ryokan designed to encourage social interaction among youthful, foreign guests. Walking the hushed halls in the provided slippers, we often felt as if we were the only ones in the building.

Our room was in a far corner on the second floor, and was spacious and comfortable. We could open the screen windows for a nice view of the narrow streets surrounding us, or keep them closed and use the air-conditioner. The room had a lot of character, with interesting decor and beautiful, huge round windows.

On the bottom level, below the lobby, are the baths. The women's bath is beautiful and large, with pretty blue tiles. In the outside hall, between the first entrance from the stairs and the actual entrance to the bath, there are baskets for clothing and personal items. There is also a sign in English and Japanese, and accompanied by illustrations, with rules of the bath and what to do and not do. I found this extremely helpful, as this was my first trip to Japan and although I had read a lot about the Japanese bath experience, I was nervous about possibly breaking a cultural norm or unwittingly doing something taboo. For women who desire privacy or who are nervous about public bathing, I will tell you this: there were no private facilities, but I never encountered anyone else in the bath here anyway.

Overall, we loved the Homeikan and wish we could've stayed longer. On our next trip to Tokyo, we will stay there again for sure.

A charming ryokan with lovely, kind staff who go out of the way to make you feel welcome. If you are after a glamorous and detached hotel experience, Homeikan is not for you - the rooms here are quirky and have a cosy, personal atmosphere. Each one is unique and makes you feel at home. The Japanese garden also adds a really nice touch - it's small but really beautiful and well kept.

The facilities are good. I used the family bath and it was lovely and relaxing. I never had to wait or share, maybe because it wasn't very busy during our stay. The rooms/bathroom have everything you would expect from a good hotel, so you don’t need to bring anything (well, except a hair-dryer perhaps, since theirs are not very strong. :D)

Homeikan is in a lovely and quiet residential area (close to Tokyo University), but there are plenty of stores and places to have dinner nearby, and Hongo-sanchome metro station is only about 10 minutes down the road, making it easy to get to all the famous sights of the city. (Be careful though, the metro closes at around midnight, and taxis are very expensive!)

This was my first trip to Japan and, honestly, I couldn't have hoped for a better accommodation! My only two regrets are that I didn’t get to try the lovely-looking breakfast and that I couldn't stay longer! I really wish I could live here. :)

Wonderful introduction to Tokyo and Japan. Very mellow place with incredibly friendly and kind staff. Loved the breakfast! Want to go back x