My wife and I, along with 3 young adults in their 20’s, stayed at the Pencil house for 10 days in November of 2016…and we could not be more pleased with the accommodations! It provided everything we were looking for…nice accommodations in a safe, quiet neighbourhood with convenient access to stores, restaurants, the metro and all that Tokyo has to offer.

Right from booking I was comfortable with the place. Compared to hotel rooms, it provided great value. Ash answered all my questions quickly provided useful information in the welcome package. Getting off the shuttle bus from the airport at the Tokyo Hyatt we were welcomed by Masa for the short walk to the house. He took the time to familiarise us with the place and made us feel at home right away which was a great relief after a long flight.

As the name implies, the house is tall and skinny but the layout makes the place feel larger than the square footage would indicate. It provided privacy and comfort allowing a mix or early risers and night owls to co-inhabit without disturbing each other. The kitchen and living area were comfortable and well equipped. Internet was fast and the portable WiFi was very handy when going out. The bedrooms were private and well laid out, although closet space is tight if you have a lot of luggage. People with mobility issues might find the steps to be challenging.

The area had many food stores as well as a great selection of local small restaurants. Even though we speak little Japanese, we had no problem finding places to eat that offered good food at a good price by friendly staff. Peaceful Yoyogi park was a short stroll away, and Shinjuku Gyoen Garden was also easy to get to (just don’t go on Monday as the promenade is closed).

A metro stop less than 2 blocks away, and only 1 stop from Shinjuku station, which got us to a variety of shopping and entertainment options. From there, the rest of Tokyo was just a short ride away making it easy to get to Shibuya, Harajuku, Roppongi, Ginza, Akihabara, or numerous other locations in the Tokyo area. Shinjuku station is also the gateway for day trips to Fuji, Hakone, Mt Takao, Yokohama and others. My son easily made his way to Tokyo station to catch the bullet train to Kyoto.

So if you are coming to Tokyo, there are many reasons to have the Pencil house on your short list of places to stay and few, if any, not to have it at the top of the list!