Solo Stay at Juyoh Hotel: A Private Japanese-Style Room Near Minami-Senju, with Easy Bus and Subway Access Around Tokyo

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Holly

主筆兼站長 at 有貓的旅日子

I enjoy traveling alone, writing, and taking photos. In Japan, I often look for signs of cats in quiet streets, temple paths, and wagashi shops. I first write down the views, tastes, and small moments from my trips in my travel notebook, then slowly turn them into a life journal on this website.

Latest posts by Holly (see all)

• Solo Stay at Juyoh Hotel: A Private Japanese-Style Room Near Minami-Senju, with Easy Bus and Subway Access Around Tokyo - 2026-09-28
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• More Than One Atami One-Day Pass: Atami 1-Day Pass vs. Atami Mankitsu Pass, with Route Tips, Luggage Storage Service, and My Travel Experience - 2026-08-31

For this trip to Tokyo, I was traveling alone and had a limited budget. Still, I wanted a private space. Capsule hotels were not really suitable for me because I would be staying for more than five or six nights. I have to say, after coming from Okayama, where accommodation prices were relatively low, Tokyo hotel prices really surprised me. After searching again and again, I finally booked Juyoh Hotel. It is located in Taito Ward, with Minami-Senju Station as the nearest station, and it is also close to Asakusa.

Since I was taking classes at Tokyo Confectionery School in Takadanobaba, my first choice was Ikebukuro House, a place run by Taiwanese owners. However, I booked too late, and one or two of the nights I wanted were already taken. I really did not want to change rooms during the stay. Later, I found another hotel near Iogi Station on the Seibu Shinjuku Line. But there was a payment problem, and the booking website could not confirm who had charged my card. I was worried that I might have already paid online but still need to pay again on-site, so I decided to cancel the booking. After I canceled the room, the booking website finally figured out that the Japanese side of the hotel had charged me first. Great, the problem was solved, but by then I no longer wanted to stay there.

Usually, I book rooms directly through booking websites. Although booking through the official website is said to be safer, I often find that official website prices are higher than booking website prices. Juyoh Hotel was different. It was very clear that they added the booking platform fee directly to the platform price. Because of this, booking through the official website was not only cheaper, but also gave clearer room options. I liked this a lot. After all, my stay in Tokyo was the longest part of this trip. If there had been problems with the room, it would have been very troublesome.

Single Rooms: Choose Between Tatami and Loft Bed Styles

On the official website, the hotel divides its rooms into two types: Japanese-style rooms and Western-style rooms. The Japanese-style room uses a traditional futon, while the Western-style room has a loft bed. The price is the same for both types. The real price difference depends on whether the room has a TV or not. Rooms without a TV are a little cheaper. There is also a discount if you stay for more than five nights. I stayed for seven nights and paid 22,800 yen in total. That was about 3,258 yen per night on average.

If I could choose again, I would probably choose the Western-style room with a loft bed. The room is small, so a loft bed would make the space much easier and more comfortable to use. It is not as if I had never slept on a traditional Japanese futon before. I do not know why I wanted to sleep on a futon so much at that time. Maybe because I had slept in a loft bed for more than four years in university, I subconsciously wanted to avoid that style. Still, one good thing about a futon is that after taking a shower, you can roll around on the bed without worrying about safety.

Later, I found that hotels around Minami-Senju Station rarely offer loft bed rooms. That made me regret not choosing the loft bed room even more.

In the end, I chose a Japanese-style room without a TV. The room was a little larger than I expected. The outward-opening window probably helped create a better sense of space. It was also convenient to place some items near the window. The fact that every room has an outward-facing window was one of the main reasons I chose Juyoh Hotel.

The area near the head of the bed had wooden flooring. I think it was meant for placing luggage there. After all, suitcase wheels should not be placed directly on tatami. However, I later found an even better place to put my suitcase.

When I entered the room, there was sleepwear placed on the futon. I was a little surprised that Juyoh Hotel also provided sleepwear. However, because I am on the larger side and could not fit into it, I could only leave it aside.

On the wall beside the futon, there was a place to hang clothes. There was also a horizontal bar that was probably meant for hanging towels. One reason I chose the Japanese-style room was because of this bar. I thought I could use it to place kimono accessories such as koshihimo and datejime when changing in and out of kimono. However, my schedule in Tokyo was too packed, and I did not wear kimono even once. That was a miscalculation.

There was a small table beside the futon. In theory, you could use it for writing, putting on makeup, or eating. However, the table was too low. It was fine for eating, but using it for makeup or writing was quite uncomfortable.

Later, I simply stood in front of the wall-mounted mirror to do my makeup. For writing, it was actually more comfortable to lie on the futon and use the wooden space near the head of the bed. This is another reason why I think the Western-style room would have been better. At least it comes with a proper desk and chair. It may not perfectly fit your height, but at least you do not need to bend down so much all the time.

Looking back toward the entrance, there was a three-level shelf beside the door. The lower level had a refrigerator. The middle level was probably where the TV would normally be placed. Since my room did not have a TV, I used that space for storage instead. This was one of the reasons I chose a room without a TV. I did not plan to watch TV, and I also wanted to have a little more space.

The top level had an extra blanket and a desk lamp.

This was also the main area where I charged my devices. There were two power outlets here, but one of them was right next to the edge of the shelf column, which made it quite hard to use. Luckily, I had bought an extension cord with multiple sockets in advance, so I could simply use the upper outlet without any problem.

The hotel also provided a multi-plug adapter to help guests, but in terms of convenience, the one I bought myself was still easier to use. Even so, I could still see that the hotel was trying its best to improve the room’s small inconveniences within the limits of the space.

There was also a small entrance area inside the room. At first, I thought it would already feel full with just one pair of shoes. Surprisingly, there was a small extra space on the side. With my two pairs of shoes and the slippers provided by the hotel, it could still fit around three to four more pairs. It was more spacious than I expected.

The most important point was above the door. There was a wooden shelf installed at the very top, so I put many things up there, including my kimono bag, the backpack I did not use every day, my emptied suitcase, and some larger bags that I did not use often.

At 165 cm tall, I did not find it too difficult to place things on the shelf. At that moment, I was honestly a little thankful that the average height in Japan is not very tall. After putting all my luggage and extra items up there, the room felt much more spacious, and staying there became a lot more comfortable.

Overall, although the room at Juyoh Hotel looked about the same size as other similar hotels nearby, it had some extra usable space. The area near the outward-opening window and the wooden shelf above the door both made the room feel much larger than I expected.

Safety Box, Washing Machine, and Well-Equipped Shared Facilities

As for the shared spaces outside the rooms, each floor basically had a telephone, microwave, water boiler, sink, and trash bins. I especially liked that there was dish soap and a sponge at the sink, so guests could wash their bowls and dishes directly. It was a very thoughtful detail.

The water boiler was also a great feature for people like me who are used to drinking water often. I also really appreciated the trash bins. For someone like me who does not like having housekeeping enter the room during a stay, it was very helpful to have a fixed place to throw away bottles, cans, soup containers, and other trash. I did not need to keep everything inside the room. I honestly thought this was great.

The same setup was also available on the first floor. The first floor was even more convenient because there was an electric hot water dispenser, so you did not need to boil water yourself. The only small inconvenience was that you had to go all the way down to the first floor to use it.

There were also tea bags and paper cups available there, so guests could make tea for themselves.

There is a lounge on the first floor, and many foreign guests really do use it. I still remember the moment after I finished checking in and walked into this space. I saw a Western man relaxing there while knitting a sweater. My first thought was: do the guests here all stay for a long time?

After that, I saw similar scenes too. Some people were working, while others were playing video games. Overall, this lounge seemed to be used quite often. However, in winter, the heating here is turned off at night, so I would not recommend staying too late. Without heating, it can feel quite cold.

Later, because I had quite a lot of wagashi from my school practice, I often brought them back to the hotel and shared them with other guests. I have to say, I felt that the guests here were quite considerate. They were completely different from some of the people I had met at youth hostels in Taiwan before. Everyone spoke softly and controlled their volume well. I even saw someone cook food and leave it in the kitchen for others to share. It was quite an interesting experience.

When I looked at the hotel website before my stay, I saw that there was a Japanese-style space available for guests to use. However, I was never sure where it actually was. After walking around the hotel, I finally realized that it was inside the kitchen area. At first, I thought that since the small table in my room was not very comfortable to use, I could come here to read materials or work. In the end, I usually returned too late and felt too tired. Except for the day when my class ended and I went straight back to the hotel, I barely used this space because I was too lazy to move.

On the other side, there was also a small door. This door is used as the entrance and exit between 11:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m. The main entrance is closed after the staff leave, so guests need to use this door during those hours.

There is a password for the door, so make sure you remember it. Do not assume that a staff member will come to help you.

One more thing to be careful about is the step at this door. The height difference is quite serious. The first time I went out in the morning, I did not notice it and almost fell badly. Luckily, I did not actually fall. Otherwise, it could have been quite serious. This was probably the most extreme step height difference I have ever encountered.

Since the room door uses a regular lock, there are safety boxes in the lounge if you have any concerns about security. You can use them to store some valuables. However, the boxes are not large. I think they are only suitable for items such as a passport, wallet, or valuable electronic devices. A laptop would not fit inside.

The washing machines and dryers are on the top floor, which is the 10th floor. I have to praise their dryers. They are large and very efficient. With the same amount of clothes, I had to run the dryer one more time at Hotel AreaOne in Okayama to get everything properly dry. Here, everything dried completely in just one cycle. The clothes were still hot when I took them out. The machine was really powerful.

If you do not want to go back to your room while waiting for your laundry, there are chairs outside where you can sit and rest. There is also a drink vending machine nearby, so you can buy something to drink while waiting.

Even better, if you open the door behind the chairs, you can enjoy the night light display of Tokyo Skytree. The whole setup felt very well arranged.

Showers Available All Day and a Bath Room with Limited Hours

The shower rooms are open all day. This may sound normal in other areas, but it is not always the case for hotels around Minami-Senju. In this area, many budget hotels still mainly use shared bath facilities. If you look carefully, some places do not offer showers all day.

For example, I later stayed at Hotel Accela (ホテル アクセラ) nearby. It offered a shared bath for guests during limited hours, while the shower rooms were available all day but required an extra fee. Because of this, when looking for accommodation in this area, make sure to check the bathing hours and related rules.

At Juyoh Hotel, shower rooms are available on the 2nd, 6th, and 10th floors. I usually went to the 10th floor. The space there was larger, and maybe because it was on a higher floor, there seemed to be fewer people. During my seven-night stay, I only saw two or three other guests there in total. I never had to wait or shower at the same time as others.

Japanese shower rooms usually have a small space for changing clothes. When you enter, you do not step directly into the shower area. There is first a changing space where you can put your clothes and belongings. After that, you step into the actual shower area.

I really like this design. When you are holding clean clothes, it is easy to worry that they may get wet if you have to enter the shower area directly. Some hostels in Taiwan also have this kind of layout, but it is not very common.

Outside the shower rooms, there is an area with sinks, hair dryers, and other basic facilities.

As for the toilets, I usually went to the ones on the 10th floor, the same floor as the shower rooms. Since I stayed on the 7th floor, it was quite convenient to go there. I also really liked the toilets on the 10th floor. The space was bright and spacious, without any sense of pressure. The only downside was that it felt a little cold.

The hotel also has a bathroom where guests can take a bath. However, you need to make a reservation with the front desk in advance. The latest available time is 10:00 p.m., and the fee is 400 yen per hour.

Personally, I do not think it is expensive. I was just too lazy to make a reservation because I never knew what time I would return to the hotel. Otherwise, taking a bath would have helped relieve a lot of travel fatigue.

Wide Bus Route Coverage with Direct Access to Tokyo Station

When I read reviews about Juyoh Hotel before my stay, the thing that left the strongest impression on me was that many people complained about the pedestrian bridge near Minami-Senju Station. Actually, this complaint is not limited to Juyoh Hotel. In reviews of many hotels around this area, you can often see guests mentioning that bridge. So I do not think this is really a problem of Juyoh Hotel itself. It is more like a built-in issue of the area.

After walking there myself, I felt that the bridge was not that terrible. At least there is an elevator. The first time I went there, I did not know this, so I obediently pulled my suitcase up the stairs. After all, pedestrian bridges in Taiwan usually do not have elevators unless they are inside a station. Another reason was that a woman in front of me was also pulling a carry-on suitcase up the bridge, so I foolishly followed her with my overweight suitcase.

Then, as soon as I got onto the bridge, I saw the elevator. I instantly felt very stupid. I immediately decided to take the elevator down. Luckily, I did, because right outside the elevator was a bus stop. I simply paid for the bus and took the Toei Bus Ue 46 route to the hotel.

In theory, since my main purpose was to go to Tokyo Confectionery School, taking JR should have been the fastest option. My original plan was to take the train from Minami-Senju Station to Nippori Station, then transfer to Takadanobaba Station. However, after studying the routes more carefully, I found that I could also reach Takadanobaba by subway. I did not necessarily have to take JR.

Also, if most of your activities are around the Tokyo Station side of the city, such as Omotesando, Ginza, Ueno, and Sumida, using buses together with the subway can be faster and easier. This was also one of the key reasons why I later decided to stay here. Many of the places on my itinerary happened to be within this general area.

The first thing to remember is that the bus stop near this area is called Kiyokawa Nichome. There are three bus routes near Juyoh Hotel: Ue 46, Higashi 42-1, and Higashi 42-2.

The bus stop right in front of the hotel is for the Ue 46 route. This bus can take you directly to the Sensoji Temple area. The closest stop to Sensoji Temple and Don Quijote is Oku-Asakusa.

One thing to note is that the starting point of this bus route is Minami-Senju Station East Exit. That stop is located after crossing the pedestrian bridge. So if you are going to Minami-Senju Station, do not take this bus. Even if you take it, you will still need to climb the pedestrian bridge to reach the station entrance.

Next is the most important bus route among these three: the Higashi 42-1 route. You need to cross one road to reach this bus stop, but it only takes about one minute.

The key point of this route is that it can take you directly to Tokyo Station. This means that if you arrive at Tokyo Station by limousine bus from Narita Airport, you can take this bus from the same area and go all the way to the hotel. After shopping at Daimaru Tokyo near Tokyo Station, I also took the Higashi 42-1 bus directly back to the hotel.

On the day I returned to Taiwan, I also wanted to take this bus to Tokyo Station and then take the limousine bus to the airport. However, this bus route mainly serves local residents, so there are fewer early-morning and weekend buses. I was worried that I might not make it in time, so I gave up on that plan. Instead, I took JR to Nippori and then transferred to the Keisei Skyliner for the airport.

Another advantage of this route is that it connects to many subway stations. You can use seven different train lines along the way. The subway stations it reaches include:

• Asakusa Station on the Asakusa Line
• Kuramae Station on the Asakusa Line and Oedo Line
• Bakuro-yokoyama Station on the Shinjuku Line
• Kodemmacho Station on the Hibiya Line
• Mitsukoshimae Station on the Ginza Line and Hanzomon Line
• Nihombashi Station on the Ginza Line and Tozai Line

JR Bakurocho Station is also on this bus route. Also, if you come out of Minami-Senju Station and do not want to cross the pedestrian bridge, the Higashi 42-1 route has a stop outside Minami-Senju Station. Because of this, it became the bus route I used most often during my stay in Tokyo.

The last route is Higashi 42-2. This route mostly overlaps with Higashi 42-1. It is also useful if you want to avoid crossing the pedestrian bridge outside Minami-Senju Station. However, you need to be careful. The last overlapping stop for these two routes is Bakurocho Station. After that, they go in different directions. Higashi 42-2 turns toward Higashi-Kanda.

If you want to go to Kodemmacho Station, Mitsukoshimae Station, Nihombashi Station, or Tokyo Station Yaesu Exit, make sure to check whether the route number ends with 1 or 2. Do not just get on the bus after seeing “Higashi 42.” Otherwise, you may end up like me. I was asked by the driver to get off at Higashi-Kanda, and I was still confused, wondering why Nihombashi Station had not appeared. Luckily, Higashi-Kanda is not far from Bakuro-yokoyama Station, and I could still take the Shinjuku Line to school. Otherwise, I really would have been late for class.

If you want to go toward the Ueno area, there is another bus stop called Namidabashi. It is a little farther from Juyoh Hotel, about two to three minutes closer to Minami-Senju Station. The route there is Sato 22. This bus can take you to JR Nippori Station and Kameido Station. Nippori Station is quite close to Ueno, so you can transfer there.

I noticed this route mainly because I wanted to see if there was another bus route besides Higashi 42-1 that could help me get to the airport more easily. At first, I thought I could take this bus to Nippori Station. It was still slightly closer than walking to Minami-Senju Station, especially when carrying a lot of luggage. Unfortunately, the buses still did not run early enough, so I had to give up and walk to Minami-Senju Station to take the train.

More Supermarkets Than Convenience Stores, with Cheap Vending Machines Nearby

If I had to mention one thing I was not satisfied with at Juyoh Hotel, it would be that convenience stores are all quite far away. The nearest 7-Eleven still takes about seven to eight minutes to walk to. By that point, you are already almost at the main road near Minami-Senju Station. So around the hotel, I mainly relied on supermarkets instead.

There are two main stores nearby: AEON and Lawson Store 100. AEON has an excellent location. If you take the Higashi 42-1 or Higashi 42-2 bus back and get off at Kiyokawa Nichome, AEON is right there as soon as you get off the bus. You can go in directly, buy what you need, and bring it back to the hotel without making any detour.

Lawson Store 100 is right beside the hotel. You only need to cross a small alley to get there. If you have already returned to the hotel and want to go out again to buy something, this store is the faster option.

After visiting both stores, I would recommend AEON more. It is larger and easier to browse. It also has more product choices, including more familiar brands. As for Lawson Store 100, maybe I still had a very good impression of it from a long time ago, so my expectations were too high. The higher the expectation, the greater the disappointment. The product displays here felt more crowded, and the store also looked a little older. Many of the brands were unfamiliar to me. I also did not see the 100-yen carton drinks that I remembered from before. However, since it is right beside the hotel, I would still go there if I was too tired.

Another store I highly recommend, but did not have time to visit, is Gyomu Super. Compared with the two stores mentioned above, it is much farther away. However, in Tokyo, Gyomu Super is usually not located in busy tourist areas. When planning a trip, you often need to make a special detour to visit one. Around Juyoh Hotel, you can actually walk there, which is very convenient.

The only pity is that it closes at 7:00 p.m. I usually returned to the hotel later than that. On the only day when I came back before closing time, I was already going back to Taiwan two days later, so I would not have been able to buy much anyway. That was why I gave up on visiting it. Although it is a little far on foot, you can borrow a bicycle from the hotel and ride there. That would make the distance feel much shorter. Also, after buying a lot of things, you would not need to worry about carrying everything back by hand.

Another thing that made me happy here was that the vending machine prices were very cheap. Minami-Senju is a somewhat declining area, and some people even call it a poor district of Tokyo. Maybe because of this, the drink vending machines in this area are not expensive.

I saw a large can of Lifeguard here for only 140 yen. Outside this area, the same drink usually starts from at least 150 yen wherever I looked.

At the street corner, there was also a vending machine selling freshly brewed hot drinks for 100 yen. There were also several vending machines where all drinks were priced at 100 yen. Some even had drinks from the Gogo no Kocha series. These were cheaper than buying drinks at a supermarket.

Every morning, when I walked to the bus stop, I would buy one from the vending machine on the way. It was really great.

Conclusion: Juyoh Hotel Offers Great Value Around Minami-Senju

Among the many accommodation options in Tokyo, the Minami-Senju area attracts many domestic and international travelers because of its cheap hotels. However, not many hotels in this area can be booked easily online. Many still rely on phone reservations. For foreign travelers who do not have a Japanese phone number or cannot speak Japanese, the choices are actually quite limited.

After comparing several hotels with detailed information available online, I feel that Juyoh Hotel offers the best overall value among private single-room options around 3,500 yen per night.

First, the transportation and safety are both good. Juyoh Hotel is very convenient in terms of access, especially because it is close to bus stops. This can be a big advantage in some situations. For female travelers, being able to return to the hotel safely at night is very important. In many reviews of hotels in this area, people mention that the walk from Minami-Senju Station back to the hotel may feel a little unsafe, and women are advised not to walk alone too late at night.

However, if you use buses and subways together, you basically do not need to pass through Minami-Senju Station. Even if you really need to return from Minami-Senju Station at night, you can still take a bus back to the hotel. This gives you an extra layer of safety.

Second, the facilities are quite complete. Juyoh Hotel has an elevator and free shower rooms available all day. These may sound like ordinary facilities, but they are not always standard in this area. Many cheaper hotels do not have elevators and only have stairs. For travelers with suitcases, that can be a nightmare.

The shower rooms are also a major plus. Some hotels in this area use shared bath facilities instead of private shower rooms. For people who do not like using public baths, this can be a problem. Juyoh Hotel provides separate shower rooms, and I think this is very important.

As for the rooms, some rooms at Juyoh Hotel have loft beds. Among the hotels I could find online, Juyoh Hotel seems to be the only one offering this room type. Most other hotels only provide futons or simple Western-style beds. If you do not have much luggage, this may not matter. But if you have more luggage or plan to stay longer, a loft bed can help you use the room space much more effectively. The outward-opening window also makes the room feel less cramped. However, if you prefer sleeping on a futon, you can skip this advantage. Almost every hotel in this area offers futon-style rooms.

For nearby daily convenience, there are supermarkets and drink vending machines around Juyoh Hotel. The cheap vending machine prices were especially interesting to me. This may not be the most important thing, but it became a fun little part of the travel experience. Other hotels in the area may also have convenience stores and vending machines nearby, but the supermarkets and vending machines around Juyoh Hotel are especially close. There is a supermarket right beside the hotel, and there are four or five drink vending machines around the corner within less than a minute’s walk. For travelers who are already exhausted after a full day outside, these small conveniences can feel like a blessing.

The only small downside is that both 7-Eleven and Lawson are a bit far away. For travelers who want to buy Japanese convenience store food, this may be a little inconvenient. If you really want to enjoy convenience store food, I recommend buying what you need before returning to the hotel. That way, once you are back at the hotel, you do not need to walk far again just to buy food.

This trip to Tokyo left me with a strong impression of Juyoh Hotel. Because of that, when I had another chance to visit Tokyo, I decided to stay in this area again. After all, the price is very reasonable. For solo travelers, the cost of staying around here is honestly quite practical.

When I looked for hotels in this area again, I did consider other options. However, after comparing different factors, Juyoh Hotel was still my first choice. Unfortunately, because I booked too late, there were no rooms left for the dates I wanted. I did not expect that booking three months in advance would still be too late. I really regretted not booking earlier when I first checked. There were still many rooms available at that time.

Luckily, after looking around for a while, I still found another hotel near Juyoh Hotel. Although its transportation was not as convenient and the room was a little smaller, the overall stay was still slightly more comfortable than Juyoh Hotel. Even so, I really missed the transportation convenience of Juyoh Hotel.

Overall, with its excellent location, complete facilities, and reasonable price, Juyoh Hotel is still the best accommodation choice around Minami-Senju in my opinion.

Related Article

• Solo Stay at Hotel Accela (ホテル アクセラ): A Convenient Location Near Minami-Senju Station, with Tokyo Skytree Views from the Women-Only Floor and a Surprise Encounter with Sanja Matsuri at Asakusa Shrine. (This article is currently available in Chinese only.)