Shintaro's place was located at the quiet part of Ikebukuro. His extended his hospitality the moment I booked the apartment, and promptly provided local tips. The walk to his apartment from Ikebukuro Station is not as straightforward, but he gave extremely clear step by step breakdown on how to locate it. Given my subpar sense of direction, I was able to navigate to it - so can anyone else haha!
Note that we stay together with him in his apartment, which I personally feel that's the most authentic AirBnB experience. There are very subtle but thoughtful touches - we are provided keys to lock our bedrooms when we head out; the towels are washed every single day; slippers (red and blue, not sure if it's intended for gender identity) are provided at the front door.
Sometimes Shintaro will hang out with us at the living area, recommending places or activities based on our itinerary. Overall it was an extremely comfortable stay, highly recommended! :)