Where to Stay in Japan: THE JAPAN AIRBNB

Have you heard of Japan AIRBNB? There are many things I consider in booking an accommodation such as safety, convenience and cleanliness. Months before our trip to Japan last June, I already reserved two hotel rooms to stay in Japan, one in Tokyo and another in Nagoya.

JAPAN AIRBNB, TEAM UY TRAVELS
JAPAN AIRBNB, TEAM UY TRAVELS

However, my main dilemma was the small size of the hotel rooms. So I asked for suggestions from my friends who had been in Japan, that’s when I learned about AIRBNB. (click here to get P1,100 discount on your first booking)

Airbnb is a website where an individual, called host, can offer his humble abode or house to be rented by others. The tenant may choose from the types of accommodation :

  • – Entire home (Have a place to yourself)
  • – Private room (Have your own room and share some common spaces like bathroom or living room) 
  • – Shared room (Stay in a shared space, like a common room)
My choice then was to rent an entire home where I and my family could enjoy privacy.
Natsumi’s Entrance Door

My husband and I sorted things out and we picked the Shinjuku District because according to many reviews, this was the area that has numerous line of shopping stalls, malls and not to mention the quiet neighborhood. And wait, the Shinjuku Station houses the main JR Train and Bus Stations so it would really be convenient for us because we would be going back and forth to Nagoya.

We shortlisted some houses near the mall but we also wanted to experience how Japanese people live in a Ryokan Style house where there is tatami floor and sleep in floor mattresses.

Natsumi’s House- Tokyo, Japan 

We all saw the features we wanted in Natsumi’s house in Nakano-ku area, our final pick in Tokyo.

 The house can accommodate 13 people. 
  • TOILET

Upon arrival, the first thing I checked was the toilet of the house. It is separated from the bathroom area that has a metallic bathtub. My daughter really loved to swim in there. It is furnished with an automatic toilet, electronic water temperature control system and shower. Natsumi also provided us with shampoos, conditioner, hand liquid and body liquid soaps. There is a waching machine and dryer.

Natsumi’s Powder and Laundry Room
Natsumi’s Bathroom

 

  • KITCHEN
The kitchen has complete cooking and dining utensils. There is a large refrigerator. The water supply is sufficient. Kitchen is adjacent to the stylish dining room.
Natsumi’s Kitchen
Natsumi’s Dining Room

 

  • LIVING ROOM

The living room is made of tatami floors and has a television and sofa set. There is a center table with throw pillows.

Natsumi’s Living Room

 

  • BEDROOMS

Upstairs, there are 3 large bedrooms and each has air conditioning system. One of the room has
a baby crib while another has a television too. To sum all, there are 10 bedrooms
and mattresses.

Natsumi’s Room 1
Natsumi’s Room 2
Natsumi’s Room 3
  • AMENITIES
There are slippers and even shoes for tenants. For healthy buddies, there are two bicycles that you can use for free. Natsumi also provided a free portable pocket Wifi and another cabled wifi within the house.

The house is very easy to find, it is just a one minute walk to the nearest bus stop and 15 minutes travel to Shinjuku Station.

 
During our stay in Natsumi’s house, we always dropped by the big supermarket which was 5 minutes away from the house. There are nearby 24 hours convenient store and drug store. 
 
We only paid P10,372 for 3 nights.
 
 
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Oki’s Loft- Nagoya, Japan

 

In Nagoya, we also stayed in a Japan AIRBNB house, Oki’s Loft
Our host Oki was very accommodating and even waited for us when we came at midnight from our long day bus trip from Tokyo. He fetched us from Nagoya Main Station and took us to the apartment. He even offered us to transfer to a bigger house because our daughter got her foot injured due to a bike accident in Tokyo.
 
Right after we reached the house, he asked about our plan for Nagoya Trip. He was very accommodating and helpful in our tour itinerary.
 
  • KITCHEN
Oki’s house is a very tidy and cozy minimalistic loft You won’t see any insects crawling or hiding behind the mattresses or sofa. The kitchen is well equipped and has a stove and refrigerator. My daughter enjoyed the free chocolates and stuffs.
  • LIVING ROOM

The living room is very posh and accentuated with black and beige colors. There is a sofa with throw pillows, a television and center table. 

  • AMENITIES

If you want to clean the house, you can find the vacuum machine inside a small room where the hangers and heater are also kept.

  • TOILET

The bathroom is also separated from the toilet area. I loved the bathtub and the powder/laundry room.

There is a washer but no dryer. But don’t worry, you can hang your clothes at the veranda.
 
  • BEDROOM
The bedroom upstairs has a big computer desktop where we watched Youtube videos before we went to sleep. The mattresses and futons were so soft and clean. The air conditioning system worked properly and you can dim the house light whenever you want.

 

Oki also provided us a pocket wifi. There was also a bike but we hesitated to use it that time.
The place is very walkable to the subway station which is just around 10 minutes away. There are plenty of stores along the road such as 711 and gaming stations nearby. The house is just a block away from the main bus route.

I paid P14,031 for 3 nights. To sum it up, our experience with our two AIRBNB hosts was amazing and very memorable. Both showed us extra generosity and their houses are just so family-friendly. This is one of the reasons I enjoyed my stay in Japan to the fullest and we’ll surely come back there in the coming years.

If you want to sign up and try Japan Airbnb, click this link www.airbnb.com/c/catu39 and you’ll get P1,100 off to your first booking,
Note: Oki’s loft pictures are not mine but from his AIRBNB site.Talking about a stress-free Japan trip. This post might help you. https://teamuytravels.com/blog/2017/09/20/tips-for-your-stress-free-japan-trip/

 

21 Comments

  1. Great post! We were just talking of making it to Japan in the summer! This one goes into bookmarks 🙂

    1. thanks! we’ll be coming back this year. So many things we missed the first we went there. Be sure to read some of my tips. 🙂

  2. I just tried Airbnb for the first time in January and loved it. Thank you for the tips. I hope to head to Japan someday! 🙂

    1. wow that’s great. Japan airbnbs are lovelier compared to other countries’. 🙂

  3. I am great fan and host of Airbnb! I haven’t been to Japan yet but thanks for the informative post!

  4. Great post! I have been looking at air B&B properties but have been a little put off by comments that people have gone to another country to find there is no accommodation available and their money has been taken. So nice to hear you found so many great places to stay for your family.

  5. I have not used airbnb yet, but planning to in July! I am excited to get familiar with the airbnb experience as it seems like a great idea and there are SO MANY of them! I would definitely consider using airbnb in Japan (that is, if I ever get to go)! Thanks for sharing your experience!

  6. I can see why you chose to stay in an airbnb. For families, it is more ideal to stay in a real house than hotels. And it looks like you were lucky to find a good home in Shinjuku. I like that everyhing is in order and they have complete appliances. But Oki’s Loft is much cuter and appeals more to me. I am a fan of minimalist spaces, and its overall design is much better than the first one. Not sure when I’d be able to return to Japan but I wouldn’t mind taking these two accommodation in my consideration.

  7. wow I had no idea Japan had places like this, very neat!

  8. Even I prefer Airbnb while traveling. I loved Oki’s Loft more than the previous one. Lovely place. You can have the whole place by yourself. Airbnb rocks.

  9. I’ve not tried Air Bnb before but looking at this post I should try it soon! Among the two Oki’s loft looks cute and cozy. I’m glad you found the perfect places to stay in Japan. Thanks for sharing!

  10. I love this post! I love the idea of Airbnb’s (although I have yet to use it). Oki’s Loft sounds the most interesting because I love the idea of an accommodating host. The bedroom also sounds nice 🙂

  11. I have not stayed in Air B& B till now. However, I am considering this option in the future when I travel with my family.
    I liked Natsumi’s house as this place looks very spacious, neat and organized. I always prefer staying nearby to grocery stores and bus stops. Thanks for sharing this great information as it will be helpful when I think of traveling to Japan.

  12. I love Airbnb! I’ve used it all over and it’s been so handy. The prices are always really competitive too. Good to know you can avoid the small rooms in Japan with Airbnb.

  13. Knowing that you were able to get a good accomodation though Japan has a small Hotel room is really rewarding. I have not tried AirBnb before and looks like really great, I love how smooth the booking transaction was and the place looks like something you can call your home. I also love how you convey your AirBnb exxperience because it is very detailed. Thank you so much for sharing this, and will get to keep this in mind as I’m planning to travel to Japan soon.

  14. Wow!! For a Japanese home standard, that house looks HUGE! What a good deal! My first Airbnb experience was in Florence, though most of my trips nowadays are in hotels and hostels, Airbnb is still in my list.

  15. I’m a big fan of Airbnb and it looks like you got a really good deal. I’m heading to Japan next year so I think i’l probably opt for an airbnb especially if I can get one like this with a washer and dryer etc.

  16. you have described the article so well , with some lovely visuals to ensure that the reader gets a very clear idea of the property . great post and am glad you had a great experience

  17. The airbnb looks so neat and clean and well stacked. I love the way it has all the basic things that one looks for comfort when staying in an airbnb. The pictures are also beautiful. I would definitely go for staying here when in Japan.

  18. It’s so great that Japan has AirBNB! That way you have the option to save and stay at an actual home. This is perfect for families who are traveling with kids and do not want to live in capsules or expensive hotels.

  19. These both look like perfectly lovely places to stay! The first one was HUGE though! I think I Lied the second one better. It was all so nice and white and clean looking 🙂

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