Throwback - Hotel New Koyo

I turned on the television the other day to find a feature about "where foreigners gather in Tokyo." Mostly, it showed places I had already known about, but then, at the very last, it took a turn for the unexpected.
 The camera brought me through the familiar streets of Minami-Senju...and to the doorstep of Hotel New Koyo. Where my adventure began!

I used to be there, doing that!

  Man, I loved that place. Although the increase in tax rates in Japan has also upped the pricing, I was glad to see that New Koyo still seemed to be doing well, and was rather unchanged. Don't get me wrong, New Koyo provides you none of the big hotel luxuries you might find elsewhere. They won't bring dinner to you room and the like - but you do get everything you need to get you started on your own adventure: a bed that won't break your budget, an interesting area in the vicinity of Asakusa/Ueno, open wi-fi internet access, and a lobby full of fellow travelers in search of companionship. I made good friends in New Koyo, some of which I'm still in touch with!
 The owner, Mr Bobby, was incredibly friendly, open-handed and easy to talk to, and frequently invited my friends and I out to drink or to watch movies.
 The current price for a single room is 2900¥, and you can look at other details here.
 This post may be almost three years overdue (God, has it been that long already?) but let it be know that Hotel New Koyo is the best place to start from that I know of.