Takeshi is friendly and knows some English from having lived in Sydney for awhile. The restaurant is cool and I would recommend having some sake there as they source it from local sellers. It’s not a party accommodation place so if you’re looking to make friends with other travellers this will probably be a bit more difficult.
There is a supermarket just around the corner from the accommodation and it’s on the walk back from Sumiyoshi station. If you leave earlier in the day Sumiyoshi is about 30 minutes from Shinjuku. So that’s another thing you may want to consider. The hostel is a fair way away from major attractions (typically 30-40 minutes) but if you’re looking to chill out after a busy day this is a good place.
If you’re looking for a party accommodation place this is probably not the place for you as there’s not really any space to socialise. That being said the other guests were all really friendly and helpful.
The stairs to the rooms are small and steep so you will want to have good vision and easily portable luggage. I had a 17kg bag and it was manageable but hard to manoeuvre. There’s not a lot of space in the rooms though so be prepared for this. I ended up storing my smaller items like toothbrush etc underneath the bed so they were easily accessible because otherwise you will have to drag your bag out into the hallway to get items out of it (if you’re staying in the shared bunk room).
My friend and I booked together and we did not realise we would be sharing a bunk bed together...as in one mattress. This was fine though as the blankets were plentiful and the mattress is the equivalent of a double bed (or just under).
I recommend you take a walk along the river to Akihabara if you’re staying at Takeshi’s place.
Wish we were there for longer!