Even travelers who love Tokyo’s high-octane pace occasionally crave a serene retreat. Now, at last, there is a typically Japanese inn or ryokan, complete with a proper hot-spring spa, right in the middle of Tokyo. As conceived by Azuma Architect & Associates, the property is set back from the street, beyond a courtyard with an artful cluster of trees.

Guests arriving by taxi pull up to a subterranean entrance concealed behind a black hemp curtain, the kind typically used as a divider in Japanese shops. The tatami matting (upper area) was woven from rushes; the stone tiles (lower area) provide contrast in color, texture, and feeling underfoot.