Charming Tokyo Stay for ¥9,000!? 🏨 Near Station + Shrine on a Rooftop⛩️

Charming Tokyo Stay for ¥9,000!? 🏨 Near Station + Shrine on a Rooftop⛩️

This time, I’m exploring the Nihonbashi and Mitsukoshimae area, where tradition meets modern flair.
I’m staying at Hotel Villa Fontaine Tokyo Nihonbashi Mitsukoshimae. I got to enjoy a rooftop view from a historic department store and discovered an amazing hidden Asian restaurant! Mitsukoshimae Station connects the Tokyo Metro Ginza and Hanzomon Lines.
It’s a calm, refined area surrounded by historic streets and long-established department stores. Today’s hotel is just a 5-minute walk from Exit B6—about 450 meters away.
That short walk really helps in this summer heat! On this channel, I mainly introduce hotels in Japan, along with local sightseeing spots and great food. If you’re interested in Japanese travel, be sure to subscribe to the channel! Right after coming up the stairs, you’ll see the new Mitsukoshi Main Store in Nihonbashi. This building was created to mark Mitsukoshi’s 100th anniversary, based on the concepts of “Global Message,” “Migrations,” and “Japanese Spirit.” Nihonbashi is actually the starting point of all national highways in Japan.
There’s even a marker showing the “Origin of Japanese Roads” on the bridge. This was designated as the center of Japan’s road network in the Meiji era,
and to this day, six national highways still begin here. The current Nihonbashi Bridge, completed in 1911, is an arched stone bridge made of granite.
It’s recognized as an Important Cultural Property of Japan. Originally, it was a wooden bridge. After the Great Kanto Earthquake and fire, it was rebuilt into the version we see today. I wonder what the original wooden bridge looked like. In the center of the railing on Nihonbashi Bridge,
you’ll find a bronze statue of a Kirin standing guard over the streetlight. This winged Kirin statue was added in 1911 when the bridge was completed.
It’s shown mid-flight, symbolizing hope for prosperity as Japan’s main road starting point. After walking through the bright, bustling streets of Nihonbashi,
the hotel is tucked away in a quieter backstreet area. There weren’t many people around, so it might feel a bit too quiet at night, especially for solo female travelers. Breakfast is included with the stay.
To get a better deal, I chose a plan where I couldn’t select the specific room. The front desk seems to be in the basement.
Let’s take the elevator down. Villa Fontaine operates 21 hotels nationwide.
Some even let you stay with your dog! There’s one near Shiba Park.
If you’re interested, check it out ♪ By the way, the hotel offers an airport luggage delivery service to Haneda or Narita.
So you can enjoy sightseeing hands-free even after checkout! The lobby has a calming, modern design in soft grey tones. They’ve got self check-in kiosks,
so checking in and out is really convenient. You can pick up only the amenities you need in the lobby, which is a nice touch. A toothbrush… A body sponge… And even loungewear!
You don’t often see that in the amenity corner. Is this where breakfast is served?
I was a bit surprised—it’s so close to the front desk! There are restrooms and vending machines here too. They even have alcohol! Highballs and lemon sours are really popular these days.
I’m glad there are plenty of vending options. Most hotels have vending machines on one of the guest room floors,
but here it’s in the lobby—super convenient if you want to grab something before heading to your room. Alright, let’s check out the room for tonight! Today’s room is on the 4th floor.
The hotel has 12 floors and 154 rooms in total. I saw lots of reviews saying the breakfast buffet is really good,
so I’m looking forward to it! Apparently, they even lend out ReFa hair irons. Walking down the calm, white and brown hallway… Room 414. This is my room for the night. Just touch the card key to open the door. There are two beds! I booked a budget-friendly plan,
so I wasn’t sure what to expect—but it looks like I got a twin room! Like the hallway, the room features a white and brown design.
The pistachio-colored curtains are a nice touch! The floor space is a bit tight—
it might be hard to fully open a large suitcase. The room is 14 square meters.
A bit cramped for a twin room, honestly… The air conditioner is remote controlled. There’s no desk, so nowhere to work or eat. What’s this…? It’s a safe!
Built-in safes are pretty rare. Oops! The electric kettle is quite big. There’s a mug and even an extension cord here. The fridge… hmm… won’t open? It’s a compact fridge—just big enough for a few plastic bottles. In twin rooms, the beds are often close together,
so you have to squeeze between them (lol). There’s a flyer from Fujikura Clinic, which has been around for 120 years.
Looks like you can even call for a chiropractic massage. It’s a nice touch having tissues right by the pillow. The beds are pushed so close together,
you could probably sleep across both if you tried (haha). Always a good idea to check the evacuation map. The closet doesn’t have a door,
but the open storage is convenient. There’s even a deodorizing spray. There are four hangers. And below, there’s a baggage rack and some slippers. The slippers are individually wrapped—nice for hygiene. There’s even a shoe shine brush! The baggage rack feels super light… It’s standard size, but I wonder how sturdy it is.
Feels like it might collapse under something too heavy. Alright, time to check out the bathroom.
Hmm… It’s a typical unit bath.
Feels a little tight, to be honest. There’s one bath towel and one face towel. The large mirror will definitely be handy when getting ready in the morning. There are two cups. The hair dryer is a KOIZUMI model with a negative ion function. And the water pressure? Perfect. There’s something called a “ReFa Room” in the basement.
The showerhead, hair dryer, and shampoo are all ReFa brand. (Not available in this room, though.) The shampoo, conditioner, and body soap were original hotel products
—and they smelled amazing. The bathtub is small, so it’s hard to fully stretch out and soak. It’s a compact space overall, but should be fine for solo travelers. It’s getting late, so I’m heading out for a quick dinner. I looked around for places near the hotel
and found a little “hidden” Asian restaurant! HATY HATY serves Indian, Thai, Vietnamese, and Indonesian cuisine. The owner is originally from Bangladesh
and adjusts the flavors to suit Japanese tastes. I’m excited! The interior has a calm, Asian vibe.
You can watch the kitchen from the counter lined with condiments. They have a huge selection of curries alone… Today I went with the “Special Asian Set.”
For the main dish, I chose chicken thigh pho. The pre-meal lassi was cold and delicious. The appetizers included steamed chicken, shrimp toast, and Vietnamese fried spring rolls. Is this chili sauce? Alright, time to dig in. The steamed chicken was juicy and paired great with the spicy sauce.
It totally made me crave a beer ♪ Next up—Vietnamese fried spring rolls.
Just picking one up with chopsticks, I could tell how crispy it was! Even crispier than expected.
It had shrimp inside and was really satisfying. Now for the shrimp toast. It was fluffy—kind of like shrimp-flavored hanpen (a type of fish cake). The pho arrived, steaming hot and looking amazing. It came with three kinds of toppings.
I like that you can customize the flavor as you eat. Alright, let’s give it a try. Still piping hot! The soup had a rich chicken broth flavor.
Honestly, I wanted to pour it into a tumbler and take it with me (lol). Let’s start with some cilantro… And a little chili pepper too. The coriander’s exotic aroma and spicy chili
instantly gave it that Vietnamese flair. For dessert, I got sesame dumplings. Oops—excuse me! These were freshly fried and still super hot! You often get these at Chinese restaurants after a meal,
but am I the only one who always wants two or three? (lol) Thanks for the meal! Just a short walk from the hotel, and I’m feeling totally satisfied.
I’d definitely come back here again ♪ Back at the hotel, I tried on the loungewear. The waffle fabric makes it breathable and comfy, even in warm weather. Good night. Good morning! The roller shades and curtains blocked out the light well—
I slept soundly. Time for breakfast! It was a really minimalist and simple breakfast,
but since there aren’t many breakfast spots nearby, I was glad they had this. It seems like a lot of people stay here when attending concerts or live events.
This place might be just right for that kind of traveler. Many reviews mentioned how good the curry and corn soup are.
I saw quite a few posts about it. Is this the salad bar…?
Looks like you can create your own salad from different ingredients. Today’s soup is mushroom potage.
They also have allergy labels, which is reassuring. Fried chicken, pilaf, and sausages. I always end up eating too much at breakfast buffets… Scrambled eggs, German potatoes, and meatballs. There were muffins and bread too,
perfect if you want something lighter. Cereal, granola, yogurt, and fruit punch.
They also had milk, apple juice, tea, and a coffee machine. It’s nice they had a toaster so you could reheat things. In the end, I ended up grabbing a bit of everything (laughs).
Being able to sample lots of things in the morning is really nice. However, the front desk is right next to the breakfast area,
so the stream of guests checking out was a bit distracting. Aside from the front desk and breakfast space,
there’s also a coin laundry and a smoking room on the basement level. I took a little stroll. Only two washing machines… Here’s the laundry pricing, for reference. It’s nice that detergent is included. But with only two machines, it might be tough to use them during busy seasons… Since I’m out, I’ll take a walk over to Mitsukoshi! By the way, this hotel was built in 1997, so it’s 28 years old.
But the interior was renovated in December 2024, so it feels nice and fresh. The exterior still shows the building’s age a bit though… There weren’t many people around in the morning,
and aside from some construction noise, it was quiet and peaceful. This is the Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation Nihonbashi branch.
It’s a magnificent building in the stately Neo-Renaissance style, reminiscent of a European palace. I’ve arrived at Mitsukoshi. The main building was completed in 1914 and is said to be Japan’s first full-scale department store. It was cutting-edge at the time, equipped with elevators and escalators.
There’s even an anecdote that people were so shocked by the “moving stairs” they couldn’t go back! Marble columns, intricate carvings, stained glass—
it truly drew attention as a “palace-like” department store. In 2016, the main and new wings of the Mitsukoshi Main Store became the first department store designated as an Important Cultural Property of Japan—an extremely rare case for a private commercial facility. During WWII, the entire building was painted black to avoid air raids.
Thankfully, it survived and was able to reopen after the war. These lion statues at the main entrance are a symbol of Mitsukoshi Nihonbashi.
“Let’s meet at the lion” is a well-known phrase among Tokyo locals even today. The lions were modeled after those in London’s Trafalgar Square. The store’s about to open. It was my first time entering a department store right after opening! (lol) I heard more “Good morning, welcome!” greetings than I’ll probably hear in my entire life! (laughs) To mark the 111th anniversary of the lion statue,
an exhibition called “III” was held.
It featured artwork and concept materials by director Takeshi Koike, some shown for the first time. This powerful statue is called the “Magokoro Statue.” It was created and installed in 1960 to celebrate Mitsukoshi’s 100th anniversary.
It’s about 11 meters tall and weighs 10 tons! No matter how many times I visit, the basement floor of a department store is always exciting! From Patisserie Maison Ladurée’s macarons
to HuMorgan’s vanilla-scented butter sandwiches… Porcini mushroom and cheese sablés from Beans and Nuts,
and rich madeleines from Noix de Beurre. Shiose Souhonke, one of Japan’s three great manju makers,
and Kyoto Gion Anon’s mascarpone-an paste combo were also tempting. There were even truffles with champagne filling and limited-edition chocolate bars by a top chocolatier… There were just too many to list! (laughs) But today, the real highlight is the rooftop garden. I’m probably the only person heading straight to the rooftop garden right after opening.
It felt like a private retreat—pure luxury. So excited. Oooooh!! Looks like they’re still watering the plants, but I’m going in anyway. The flowers and greenery are beautiful, and the sound of running water makes it feel cool and refreshing. Is that… a bonsai? You can really tell how well it’s maintained. Who would’ve thought there’d be this much greenery on top of a department store in the city? Wait… there’s even a shrine? This is the Mitsukoshi Theater Shrine.
It was established in the early Showa period as a guardian shrine for the store. Many long-established department stores in Japan have rooftop shrines.
Since this one is in Nihonbashi, the cultural heart of old Edo, it’s believed they placed importance on Inari faith—praying for prosperous business. There’s even a traditional water basin here! Let me purify one hand while I’m at it. There’s even a rumor among staff that visiting this rooftop shrine will get you promoted—
it’s become a bit of a secret power spot! Apparently, job-hunting students and salespeople also stop by for good luck,
and hashtags like #MitsukoshiInari and #RooftopShrine sometimes trend on Instagram and X. It was such a uniquely Tokyo scene—where tradition and spiritual culture blend with department store life. The lawn area is also perfect for picnics,
and you can bring up food and sweets from the food floor below. Thanks for watching until the end.
I’ll keep sharing hotel stays and sightseeing spots, so please subscribe to the channel!

Looking for a peaceful #TokyoHotel near Tokyo Station? I stayed at Villa Fontaine Nihonbashi-Mitsukoshimae, just a short walk from Tokyo Station and right by Mitsukoshimae Station.
The room was clean, quiet, and elegant—and the price was only around ¥9,000! 🏨
There’s even a charming #ShintoShrine on the rooftop of a nearby department store, perfect for a quick visit during your stay.
If you’re looking for a relaxing and affordable Tokyo hotel, this one’s worth checking out!

📍Google Map
https://maps.app.goo.gl/PXzWqpiJ4EhEiLaW6 （Placeholder – final URL to be inserted）

🏨 Official Website
https://www.hvf.jp/eng/nihonbashi/

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