[Tokyo, Higashi Ueno] We visited the apartment hotel "Sumu," which is experimenting with a new form of travel.

A new travel style of "staying longer at travel destinations" is gaining popularity around the world. An experimental apartment hotel called "Sumu Ueno East," which matches this popular travel style, is set to open on February 15, and I got a sneak peek.

What is an apartment hotel that offers a new lodging experience?

"Sumu Ueno East," an experimental apartment hotel that has appeared in Higashi Ueno, Tokyo, is set to open on February 15, 2026. This hotel is a cross-sector project that provides a new lodging experience that transcends traditional hotel concepts, based on the "home sharing" culture that Airbnb Japan has cultivated, encouraging travelers to live like locals. It is said to be born as a "venue for future-focused experimental demonstrations."

The creators are "ADDReC," a production company in the architecture and real estate sector, "Airbnb Partners," and "CCC" (Culture Convenience Club), which operates Tsutaya bookstores. The space is designed to transform the stay into a cultural experience.

The main target audience is inbound tourists, but of course, residents of Japan can also book for domestic travel. All rooms start at the same rate, with the possibility of fluctuations based on future popularity.

Stays are available for bookings of 2 nights or more through the reservation site, with expectations of stays ranging from 3 to 7 nights. To accommodate longer stays, all rooms are equipped with kitchens and cookware, allowing cooking and dining within the Sumu guest rooms.

The first location, "Sumu Ueno East," has 9 rooms across 10 floors. Four of these rooms have unique features on each floor (room). For example, room 701, "Playground," is designed with the concept of introducing Japan and Tokyo to families as they play with their children, providing a fun space to keep small children entertained during medium to long-term stays. Items that stimulate intellectual curiosity are provided.

The floor plan consists of one room per floor, fundamentally the same across all rooms. The sofa in the bedroom converts into a bed, and it appears that the height is safe enough for very young children to avoid falling out of bed.

The "Game" room 601 is a space where you can enjoy Japanese gaming culture. In addition to being able to select software online, the proximity of Higashi Ueno to Akihabara makes it attractive that everyone can enjoy the software that they have bought together. The guest rooms are equipped with Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 5.

CCC’s concierge has carefully selected! A fun room where you can touch culture is also available.

One of the features of Sumu is the curation and production of some of the lounges and guest rooms by the concierges of Tsutaya Books, operated by CCC, which has become a hot topic. CCC curates the "Culture" types of "Japan" and "Music" in two of the nine rooms, allowing guests to stay surrounded by fun items selected by the concierges in both rooms.

In 401 "Japan," themed around "Living with the Beauty of Japan," the travel concierges of Tsutaya Books, who have traveled around the world, select folk crafts, crafts, and daily tools based on a culture rooted in the daily lives of Japanese people, rather than a tourist image of Japan. This allows for a natural encounter with real Japanese culture, edited from the perspective of the residents, to be experienced while traveling.

For example, in Japan, there is a traditional sake vessel for playing Japanese sitting games called "Beku Cup" from Kochi Prefecture, which is available for guests to use freely. Additionally, experiences like brewing tea and playing kendama, where the act of directly interacting and "using" items themselves become the experiential value of the floor.

At first glance, it may not be clear what it is or how to use it, but by utilizing the NFC feature of smartphones, you can instantly access information pages for each item through "Play with Culture." The item names, instructions, and background information are provided in multiple languages, making it easy to understand for first-time visitors from different cultures.

Additionally, the "Music" section at 301 allows you to experience Japanese music culture as an extension of everyday life, themed around living with analog records. The room is equipped with a record player and a selection of carefully curated records, including popular city pop and J-pop albums that have gained popularity overseas in recent years. Of course, it is also possible to play records that you bought yourself.

This special space allows you to leisurely enjoy a "musical life" while traveling, including the unique ritual of placing the needle on the record. It’s a paradise for record collectors.

The cultural lounge connecting travelers and the city is also enjoyable.

The first floor is designed as a lobby (lounge) with the concept of "Welcome Back." It has a space where guests can relax with offerings such as a café, books, and souvenirs. There is also a desire to make this an open space for local residents.

The locally produced retort curry (on the right), arranged like books, can be brought into the guests' rooms to enjoy. The board next to it (on the left) is for sharing "recommended shops" that guests have actually visited within an 8-minute walk. This allows for immediate access to real local information that is not included in tourist guidebooks. In addition to this real map, a digital map is also available for guests to use on their smartphones while going out.

This lobby features a variety of books related to Japanese culture, which is also a characteristic curated by CCC. At the start, it will only be available for browsing within the facility, but it may eventually become available for purchase. Since the selection is well-curated, it's nice to be able to buy and take home any favorites.

When introducing Japanese culture, one tends to imagine something easy to understand, but what's interesting about the selections made by the concierge of Tsutaya Bookstore is that subculture is also included. It's a selection that can be enjoyed not only by inbound tourists but also by Japanese people.

Sumu, which plans to expand to a total of 15 buildings in the Tokyo area in the future, is also planning regional cooperation for disaster prevention, and it is said to become a place for various "experiments." This new lodging experience seems intriguing not only for inbound tourists from abroad but also for domestic travelers.

Overview of Sumu Ueno East
Location: 2-12-1 Higashi Ueno, Taito-ku, Tokyo
Access: 7-minute walk from JR, Ginza Line, Hibiya Line Ueno Station, 5-minute walk from Hibiya Line Okachimachi Station
Opening Date: February 15, 2026

Number of Rooms: 9
Capacity: Up to 6 guests per room
Accommodation Price: Starting from 60,000 yen
Check-in/Check-out: 11 AM, 4 PM

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