When Tokyo first hosted the summer Olympic Games in 1964, many Western-style hotels opened one after another to accommodate the increasing number of foreign visitors. Now that the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo is in sight, hoteliers have started to offer Japanese-style accommodation and hospitality for those who want to experience authentic Japanese culture.
Foreign guests who used to visit remote areas in search of an "authentic" Japan can now experience traditional ryokan-like facilities without even leaving the capital.
Grand Prince Hotel Takanawa, which is located just five minutes' walk from Shinagawa Station, for example, recently completed renovations of its 16 Japanese-style rooms, which are located on the fourth and fifth floors of its annex. Named Hanakohro, the rooms are designed to give visitors a sense of Japanese serenity.