Guests checking into this hotel in Tokyo’s historic Asakusa district are handed a little something extra with their room key: a traditional masu (a square-shaped wooden sake cup) containing that day’s recommended rice wine. Sake Bar Hotel Asakusa is a new venture that introduces guests to various aspects of Japanese culture, with sake from the century-old Kikkawa Brewery at the heart of the experience.
With design that drinks deeply from Japanese tradition (though Western-style beds are offered), this 21-room premises features a guests-only lounge offering all-you-can-drink sake, as well as sake cocktails and other tipples. Mindful of the danger of drinking on an empty stomach, the lounge also serves Kyoto-style obanzai cuisine.
Here the masu cup is an emblematic design motif, appearing across guest room walls as receptacles displaying origami and other crafts. In a nod to more contemporary culture, rooms also contain a selection of popular manga in both Japanese and English. Prices begin at ¥20,000 per night for a standard room.
The hotel's spa comes with an outdoor bath, itself resembling a giant masu cup, with occupants invited to sip sake under the night sky. There's also a communal foot bath, which allows guests to gaze out over the Asakusa skyline, again with masu cup in hand.