Yume's place was exactly as pictured--even better in person. It was spotlessly clean and "lived" a lot bigger than the square footage would indicate. The kitchen is big by Japanese standards with a large refrigerator and 3 burner flat-top cooktop (no oven). It's well stocked with glasses, pots and pans, plates, high-end appliances (love the rice cooker), and condiments. It was a godsend to have a washer/dryer, which worked perfectly (don't know why there aren't these types of combined units in the USA). The air conditioners worked great--cooled the place down in a few minutes during the humid Tokyo summer.
Upstairs was a comfortable Queen size bed and a great bathroom with a large bathtub--not the usual small "soaking" tub common in most Japanese homes. With the open loft, spiral staircase, and many windows, Yume's house felt very roomy.
The home is in a low-rise upscale (but not snotty) residential neighborhood, and consists to the upper 2 floors (and loft) of a 3 story building, with private entrance and stairway leading to the living room. It's located towards the end of a narrow, pedestrian street away from any street noise and traffic. But the street it's connected to is full of restaurants, bars, and other stores. There is a high-end market across the street and an international grocery store about 3 blocks away. Best of all, the home is literally 1 minutes away from a subway station that connects you directly to most of desirable Tokyo--Roppongi, Ginza, Tsukiji, Akihabara, Asakusa--and one stop away to transfer to Shibuya, Shinjuku, Harajuku. It was the perfect home-base for our eleven day exploration of Tokyo.
Yume was a great host. She speaks excellent English and was very helpful. She welcomed us with tea and a snack, explained how everything in the house worked. She was easy to get in touch with via email or phone. When it was time to leave (so sad), Yume literally carried my backpack and duffel bag to the road and hailed a taxi for us. Thanks Yume!!!. Would stay here again in a heartbeat.