Budo no Nagaya

Rotenburo in a local Tokyo and Skytree view

Mar 05, 2023

Introduction

I love taking a bath outside. I also love the view of Skytree at night. This place offers both! It was such a nice experience to be able to take a warm bath outside while enjoying the night view of Skytree and the night sky.

There are three rooms in this Airbnb, with a Rotenburo on the rooftop.

Comfort: 7.5/10

The room is quite large. There was no bed but a futon on the raised tatami floor. I found the futon to be too hard on my back. The tatami was nice but we didn’t use it as much as a sitting space.

The chair in the room is nice but it felt out of place. I put it next to the sofa because it kinda gets in the way when we want to get onto the tatami.

The room is quite bright during day time. There is a lot of sunlight coming in from the big window. At night, the light from the street gets into the room quite a bit.

There is a washing machine on the rooftop which is shared among all guests.

Note that there is no elevator at this Airbnb. If you are coming here with heavy luggage then check if your room is on the first floor or on the third floor before making a booking. We didn’t have any luggage so there was no problem for us.

The view from the Rotenburo is really good. However, if it is cold and windy, it might ruin your experience.

Location 8/10

The place is less than 10 minute walk from Hikifune station. There are a lot of small restaurants around the place. Hikifune itself is one station away from Oshiage - Skytree station. If you are going to spend a lot of time in Oshiage / Skytree area then this place might be suitable.

Hikifune station itself is rather quiet and not much really happening around the area. Recommend having dinner at other places, such as at the Solamachi at the Skytree before ending your day at the accommodation. That or order something from Uber Eats.

Uniqueness 8.5/10

I found the design is trying too hard to be a Ryokan but it just did not feel quite right. There is a gaming chair in the room which actually ruins the experience. The sofa and the dining table aren’t following the same design language either so it felt a bit out of place.

The built quality of the Rotenburo is less than what I was expecting. It felt like it was scrapped together just to make it there. It was clean, and the hot water works properly to serve its purpose. I can’t help but compare it to PDO Inn. The one in this place felt so much inferior.

Rotenburo when the curtain is closed and from the inside

However, the view from the Rotenburo is made up for it. It was so good that we spent a lot of time there when it wasn’t windy.

The Rotenburo is shared among all the guests. There is no reservation. It is a first come first serve. It is opens 24 hours. We did not have any trouble using it whenever we want to use it during our stay.

Cost 7/10

The price is in the middle to the high range given the location with the view. It would get more score if the design of the room and the furniture goes together better than its current state. I also found some part of the room, especially the closet next to the bathroom needs some more love.

Final Thoughts - Recommend, will repeat

Ken’s score: Silver🥈 7.75/10

What I like 👍

Nice view from the rooftop rotenburo
Large window
Relatively large room

What I do not like 👎

A bit far from the station. I wouldn’t recommend walking with heavy luggage.
The curtain and the roof of the rotenburo look tired
The design of the room and the furniture doesn’t go well together
There is no elevator. If you have big luggage and staying on the third floor then, good luck.
Not very comfortable taking the rooftop bath when it is windy.