Nohga Hotel Ueno

Two weeks ago I was invited to a trial stay at the now just opened Nohga Hotel in Ueno, north eastern Tokyo (conveniently close to Narita). Ueno is usually not an area I frequent very often, unfortunately, because the place is has a long history of crafts and is home to a range of great workshops, eateries and shops well worth visiting. Nohga hotel hase been trying to capture exactly this. It greets you with mix of modern design, well curated artwork and original products by local craftspeople, designers, and artists in the area; glassware from Kimoto glassware, brass pieces from Alloy and coffee from my favourite Kabuki Coffee, to name a few. When entering you’re initially caught by the open restaurant area next to the lobby, an open airy space with quite a few meters up to the ceiling mainly occupied by a huge wooden communal table (I would much like to have in my own house…). Here both breakfast and dinner is served and the room invites to conversations in a very gentle way.