2 Day Itinerary in Ryogoku, Tokyo: Recommended Hotel and Nearby Spots

Summary

This time, my friend and I visited Ryogoku, the city of sumo wrestlers, which has been attracting a lot of attention and gaining popularity recently. We stayed at the newly opened hotel called FAV TOKYO RYOGOKU and explored around the hotel area! Please take a look at it for your reference✨

*Please note that information and prices listed are subject to change.

Travel Itinerary (Day 1)

1:30pm CAFÉ Tarot (カフェタロー)

First of all, we wanted to eat something, so we came to a cafe, a 2-minute walk from Asakusabashi, for lunch! Here, you can enjoy plant-based meals and sweets while enjoying the interior with a tarot world theme.

Interior

There are many tarot-themed items inside the cafe!

You can do tarot!

I can play with the sample tarot in the cafe! It came with instructions and was easy to understand even for beginners!

Open Sandwich Plate (1,500 yen)

All food and sweets are vegan! Eggs were also replaced with a vegan eggs, but I was surprised that it didn’t feel different at all!

Falafel plate (1,500 yen)

The chickpea croquettes were crispy and delicious✨

The coaster’s back also features tarot designs.

CAFÉ Tarot is a stylish cafe located in Asakusabashi, Taito-ku, Tokyo. Created as a museum café for an art museum, it offers plant-based meals and museum goods for purchase, and the two-story storefront has hidden tarot motifs, including a sun, making it a fun place to search for them like a treasure hunt. The menu includes open sandwich plates and tea, and when you order at the cash register, you will receive a randomly selected tarot coaster. It is also easily accessible from Asakusabashi Station, just a 3-minute walk away.

3:00pm FAV TOKYO RYOGOKU (FAV TOKYO 両国)

For tonight, we are staying at FAV TOKYO Ryogoku. Let’s check-in!

The view from the window is spectacular✨️

The night view was even more beautiful!

The beds are so big!

Two people can comfortably sleep in one bed! Ideal for groups traveling together.

Original mug and Ryogoku map

Original FAV TOKYO Ryogoku mugs can be purchased in the lobby on the first floor! The Ryogoku map is useful for introducing tourist spots around the hotel! Its cute, game-like design makes you want to pick it up.

Board game time

We played a board game we borrowed from the front desk before going to sleep.

Breakfast

Breakfast is available in two choices of yogurt and sandwiches! You can also eat at the cafe on the first floor or take away to your own room!

FAV TOKYO Ryogoku is an accommodation located in Ryogoku, Sumida-ku, Tokyo. Located a 6-minute walk from Ryogoku Station, it is a perfect base for sightseeing and business. It can accommodate up to 6 people, making it ideal for group travel.

5:00pm Bridge COFFEE & ICECREAM

After checking in and resting in the room for a while, we went to a cafe in a nice old building where ice cream is popular!

Cute

Salted caramel ice cream (top) and pistachio ice cream (bottom)

I got the double ice cream (600 yen). The salted caramel is quite salty and sweet✨The pistachio is rich and tasty!

The lemonade (600 yen) and chai tea latte (600 yen) were also delicious and authentic tasting.

Bridge COFFEE & ICECREAM is a cafe located in Nihonbashi Bakurocho, Chuo-ku, Tokyo. The deep blue tiled exterior is distinctive, and the spacious interior is a stylish space with the aroma of coffee. The cafe is also equipped with Wi-Fi, making it a great place to take a break or get some work done.

7:00pm Tamaya (玉屋)

Dinner was at an old soba restaurant that has been business since 1919. It is close to the station and the hotel!

Karatamba (left) and shochu with Soba hot water (right)

Karatamba (500 yen) is a very easy to drink sake. Shochu with soba hot water (490 yen), as the name suggests, is shochu mixed with a pot of buckwheat water.

Tenzaru (Tempura and Soba Noodles Served on a Zaru Basket)

We ordered regular tenzaru (1430 yen) and kuruma-ebi(shrimp) tenzaru (1730 yen)! The tempura is crispy and juicy and goes well with the soba noodles✨

Tamaya is a long-established soba restaurant established in 1919 in Ryogoku, Sumida-ku, Tokyo. Its specialty is a buckwheat noodle with a firm texture that goes down your throat, and has been loved by locals and sumo wrestlers alike. The restaurant is crowded with people who seem to be regulars, and the atmosphere is wonderful. Also popular are the tenzaru and prawn tempura, and the fried scraps (agedama) are sold for 100 yen per bag. Soba shochu (buckwheat shochu) with sobayu (buckwheat hot water) and other alcoholic beverages such as Karatamba are also available, and even first-time drinkers can enjoy the clean, refreshing taste without any peculiarities.

8:30pm FAV TOKYO RYOGOKU (FAV TOKYO 両国)

After a very satisfying dinner, we returned to the hotel. We bought snacks and drinks from a convenience store, so now we’re prepared for supper time. We spent a great night playing board games and watching movies on the big TV!

Travel Itinerary (Day 2)

10:00am Ekoin Temple (回向院)

After breakfast and checkout at the hotel, our day 2 begins! We came to the iconic temple of Ryogoku near the hotel.

Nature in the city

Amazing

There was a booth to experience Shakyo (sutra transcription).

They also seem to be holding other events such as a Dharma talk café!

Ekoin Temple is located in Sumida Ward, Tokyo. The round-arched gate is impressive, and the temple is also famous for the stone touring tours.

11:30am Cafeteria Newston (カフェテリア ニューストン)

The last stop is a cafe at a pure coffee shop just a short walk from Ryogoku station!

Retro store

Menu

In addition to melon soda float and some other floats, there are also such as cream stew and pasta menu too.

Cheese toast (690 yen), Royal milk tea (690 yen)

Simple cheese toast served with potato chips.

Spicy keema curry (880 yen) and iced tea (190 yen)

Recommended for those who like spicy food!

Cafeteria Newston, located in Ryogoku, Sumida-ku, Tokyo, is a coffee shop with a Showa-era atmosphere. It offers a wide variety of morning and meal menus as well as alcoholic beverages. Located just a short walk from Ryogoku Station, it is recommended for those who want to experience the atmosphere of a retro coffee shop.

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