My tween daughter and I spent 5 nights at Toshiko’s place and absolutely loved it. It is small by Western standards but extremely functional. We managed to carry out our daily routines and even have Momo and Ken (Toshiko’s two most adorable tiny dogs that live next door with her) over for play dates. We traveled with 2 small carry-ons, so storage was not an issue for us. There was enough room to keep them under the bed but we chose to put them by the door for easy access.
The room is basically a separate apartment inside Toshiko’s house. It has its own bathroom that you don’t have to share with anyone. What you share is just the entrance hall. Shampoo, conditioner, body wash, toothpaste, toothbrushes and hairdryer are provided. Towels are changed after 3-4 days. There’s no kitchen but you have a good size mini-fridge (bigger than in most hotels) with a separate freezer. We used the microwave and the teapot daily. There’s also a toaster oven and a special pot for boiling eggs in the microwave. Besides paper towels, tissues, kitchen utensils, a cutting board, plates and bowls, you can also find a lot of other useful things (Q tips, big bottle of water, tea, coffee, salt, pepper, soy sauce and a big basket of Japanese snacks are there for you too. scissors, trash bags, etc.) that Toshiko thoughtfully put in the storage bins on the shelves next to the bed, which we found quite comfortable compared to other beds we slept in while traveling in Asia.
A pocket Wi-Fi (something that hotels don’t usually provide) was absolutely indispensable in our travels around the city. There are also multiple tourist brochures and maps in one of the bins that could help with planning your daily trips if you run short of ideas.
I might have missed some of the details but the most important thing here is that you can feel the caring touch of the host in this space. Toshiko herself is always ready to help: very quick in her responses, very tactful, flexible and generous. My daughter was crazy about Toshiko’s dogs, so she allowed her to bring them over into our room and also agreed to take her along when she went to walk them. For us it was really interacting with Toshiko—experiencing her kindness and sense of humor—that made our stay so much more pleasant and memorable.
The neighborhood is safe, quiet and very cozy—we enjoyed exploring it during our walks to and from Yoyogi subway/metro. There’s a nice supermarket that carries some interesting deli items that we enjoyed exploring close by. Toshiko taught us how to use the ordering machines in local restaurants, and a whole new world of soba and ramen noodles opened up to us. Yoyogi park is an amazing escape from all the hustle and bustle of the mega city. Unfortunately, we didn’t have enough time to explore it properly. I guess we’ll just have to come back 😊