Nui Hostel

Nui Hostel is a popular place to stay along the Sumida River. Its closest station is Kuramae, on the Tokyo Subway Asakusa Line. From there, it’s only a short hop to the center of Asakusa and its famous tourist spots. This makes it a great choice for anyone wanting to experience the more traditional side of the city, or attending one of the many festivals in the area, like the Sumidagawa Fireworks.

What facilities does it have?

Nui Hostel is tucked away down a side street, in a multistorey, nondescript building. There’s a café, as well as a common area with a kitchen, where you can prepare your own food. There’s also a laundry room (coin-operated machines), work area (with a PC for guests), and bathrooms with free shampoo, body wash, and hairdryers. You can rent amenities like toothbrushes (¥50), towels (¥100 – ¥150 yen), and chargers (¥300 – ¥700 yen) from the front desk throughout your stay.

Is there anywhere to hang out?

The first floor is a popular café, and it’s always packed with hostel guests and visitors stopping in for light snacks. At night, it transforms into a bar, with live music and custom cocktails to help the mingling mood. If you’re staying, you also have access to the sixth floor common area to unwind in, or the rooftop terrace with its view over the river.

What are the rooms like?

Nui Hostel has a selection of different rooms for all budgets — if you’re feeling like a splurge, the riverside double room offers the most space and a great view out onto the water. There are also regular and economy double rooms at affordable rates, and for the real cheapos, dormitory options. The dorms sleep eight, and you can choose between mixed gender and female-only.

What are the dorms like?

The dorm rooms have four bunk beds in each, so your room can have up to eight people in it. They’re pretty basic rooms, with lockers tucked at the far end and not much space besides that. They’re mostly a place to sleep rather than talk or hang out — people usually use the sixth-floor common area or the first-floor café. Guests will usually change for bed in the bathrooms. These have a communal area with a bench for drying your hair, as well as private shower and toilet cubicles.

Each bunk has the bedding and sheets prepared, but you’ll have to make the bed yourself. You’ll have two power outlets near your head, as well as a container for any small valuables. When you’re all settled in, there are privacy curtains you can pull around your bunk.

Nui Hostel’s Wi-Fi is quite reliable, so you’ll have good service in the rooms, and the air conditioning is decently strong. This makes your bed a comfy place to lounge on your phone or laptop — but you’ll want to keep it down after lights-out at 11 p.m. Unfortunately, not everyone will be as considerate, and you may get lucky or unlucky with roommates. In our case, we had a couple arguing at 2 a.m. keeping us awake!

Should I order breakfast?

Depending on the package you book, breakfast may be included with your stay. If it is, make sure to ask for a breakfast ticket when you check in, which you’ll redeem when you order. Breakfast is served in the café area on the first floor. If breakfast is not included with your stay, you can also just order from the menu when you’re feeling peckish.

There’s a good mix of sweet and savory breakfast plates, along with coffee, tea, and juice. We went for the French toast with a latte, and the bill came to about ¥1,600. A little pricey, perhaps; it was worth it though — the French toast was freshly cooked and served with a dark, rich maple syrup.

What’s the location like?

The closest station to Nui Hostel is Kuramae Station on the Tokyo Metro Asakusa Line. The front door is only about four minutes away from the station.

How is the access to trains and subway?

The closest stations are:

• Kuramae Station (4-minute walk): Take the Asakusa Line for Asakusa, Oshiage Sky Tree, Ginza, and Shinagawa.
• Asakusa Station (9-minute walk): Take the Asakusa Line, or the Ginza Line to Ueno, Tokyo, Ginza, and Shibuya.

The closest JR station is Asakusabashi, about a 14-minute walk away.

Getting there from the airport

From Narita Airport, the easiest way to get to the hostel is to take the Keisei Skyliner or Sky Access line to Keisei-Takasago Station. From there, you can change to the Keisei Line towards Sengakuji — this will become the Asakusa Line, and you can get off at Kuramae Station. On the Sky Access, the trip will take around 1 hour and 10 minutes, and set you back about ¥1,400. If you choose to take the Skyliner, you’ll pay extra for the ticket. However, it doesn’t save you much time, so stick to the Sky Access if you can.

From Haneda Airport, just take the Keikyu Line towards Keisei-Takasago. Once it reaches Sengakuji, it will become the Asakusa Line, so you can stay on the same train all the way to Kuramae Station and then hop off. The trip will take approximately 50 minutes and cost you around ¥550.

What’s the neighborhood like?

Even though it’s near one of Tokyo’s most popular tourist spots (Asakusa), Kuramae is a quaint area of the city that has recently taken a trendier turn. The area is packed full of boutique stores, as well as indie cafés and art galleries hiding down side streets. You might be in a rush to get to the old temples up the road, but Kuramae has plenty of things to keep your modern side busy.

Are there good places to eat nearby?

There are several convenience stores on the main street if you feel like a midnight snack, but exploring is a good idea for a full meal. There are plenty of small restaurants along the waterfront — from cozy French chalet dining, to handcrafted kaiseki. If you’re too tired to experiment, head up to Asakusa where you’ll find more chain restaurants (and English speakers).

What points of interest are within walking distance of the hotel?

• Sensō-ji Temple (13-minute walk)
• Sumida Park (13-minute walk)
• Ryogoku Kokugikan National Sumo Arena (14-minute walk)
• Edo-Tokyo Museum (Closed until 2025) (16-minute walk)

Who should stay here?

Since the majority of the private rooms at Nui Hostel are twins or doubles, it’s a great place for couples to stay on a budget. Likewise, the cheaper dorms are a good spot for traveling students or backpackers. The vibe in the hostel is geared towards the early 20s, with the common area and café often packed full of young adults chatting over drinks.