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Ochanomizu Hotel Shoryukan, a long-established hotel in Ochanomizu, was founded in 1950, and the manga legend Osamu Tezuka once stayed here. From midday, its breakfast room turns into “Jazz Olympus,” where regulars gather for the famous red chicken curry and jazz on vinyl. Daisuke Kobayashi, the third-generation owner, showed us around. (From the June 2026 issue of Hon no Machi, “Town Walks” installment 13)
Founded in 1950 as “Shoryukan Annex.” In 1964 it was rebuilt as a four-story reinforced-concrete building, and after an extension in 1973 it was renamed “Tokyo Family Hotel.”
The eldest of four siblings, Daisuke worked as a company employee before joining his father in 2000 to learn the hotel business. In 2009 the entire building was renovated, keeping half of the original frame. Reborn as a hotel in a modern Japanese style, it went back to its old name, “Shoryukan,” and made a fresh start.
On weekdays, many guests are repeat business travelers; on weekends, many come for leisure, staying over for events at Tokyo Dome or the Nippon Budokan. What makes him happiest, Kobayashi says, is when regulars check out saying “Itte kimasu”—the “See you later” you say when leaving your own home.
He loves his work so much that he says, “Since taking over, I’ve taken maybe a few days off, if that,” and he continues to welcome his guests with care every single day.
Guests receive a free Japanese breakfast that is a favorite with visitors: freshly cooked Koshihikari rice sourced directly from Ibaraki Prefecture, miso soup and a choice of egg dishes. There is also a large communal bath that feels like a trip to a hot spring, and after bathing you can unwind in a massage chair.
And the breakfast room is the other face of this hotel.
From midday, the breakfast room operates as “Jazz Olympus.” Its famous spicy “red chicken curry” is authentically delicious, in the style of Indian curry, and has many fans.
Classic jazz albums play one after another on the record player, and a steady stream of regulars drops in to enjoy the curry with some mellow jazz—a calm space for grown-ups. The full article and photos are available in the June issue PDF.
Ochanomizu Hotel Shoryukan / Jazz Olympus
Address: 3-24 Kanda-Ogawamachi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
Phone: 03-3293-3001
Founded: 1950 (as “Shoryukan Annex”)
Nearest station: Ogawamachi Station (Toei Shinjuku Line); Awajicho and Shin-Ochanomizu Stations (Tokyo Metro); Ochanomizu Station (JR)
*Please check with the shop for Jazz Olympus’s hours.
▶Shop page (map and related articles)
Photographer ELLI’s Town Walks All installments
#1 Luncheon
#2 The Adirondack Café
#3 Hasebe
#4 Toyodaen & Daisen
#5 @Wonder
#6 Book House Cafe
#7 Kissa Hotaka
#8 Mamekobo
#9 Banuken
#10 Asanoya
#11 Yamagataya Paper Shop
#12 Kissa Poupée
#13 Ochanomizu Hotel Shoryukan (this article)
#14 Kanda Awahei
#15 Daiki Shoe Store
#16 Sakaiya Sports
#17 Fuji Record Sha
▶See every installment and a map of the shops ELLI has visited on the series page
Eri Ito (ELLI)
Photographer. She writes the series “Photographer ELLI’s Town Walks” for Hon no Machi, visiting a different shop in Kanda, Ochanomizu and Jimbocho every month.
This article introduces installment 13 of “Photographer ELLI’s Town Walks” (photos and text by Eri Ito), published in the June 2026 issue (Vol. 14) of Hon no Machi, the community salon magazine of Kanda, Ochanomizu and Jimbocho.
▶Read the June 2026 issue of Hon no Machi (PDF, in Japanese)
Founded in 1980, Hon no Machi brings you the latest from Book Town every month, together with Jimbocho’s bookstores, publishers, cafés and galleries.
▶Back issues of our series are being published on our note page (in Japanese)
日本語で読む — Read this article in Japanese