Traditional Japanese inns have gone the way of the geisha in Tokyo, and so it was with some fanfare that this ryokan opened its discreet doors in 2016. Hidden among Otemachi’s high-rises, it’s an oasis of Japanese refinement, apparent the moment you are greeted upon entering by a traditionally clad hostess, who will place your shoes in one of the decorative bamboo boxes that line the corridor like works of art. In fact, you won’t wear shoes or slippers at all during your stay (except for your own bathroom slippers), because tatami runs throughout the inn, inviting you to relax and feel at home. Rooms are decorated in a graceful minimalist style, resplendent with natural materials like wood, bamboo, slate-colored papered walls, and shoji covering floor-to-ceiling windows. In keeping with the personalized service that’s the trademark of a great ryokan, each of the inn’s 14 floors has its own Ochanoma Lounge, where guests are invited to relax and enjoy tea, sake, and snacks. But the crowning glory is the top-floor hot-spring bath, a rarity in Tokyo, with water drawn from 1,500m (4,921 ft) from below ground and an open roof, letting you gaze up at passing clouds or maybe even falling snow. It’s hard to believe you’re in Tokyo.