Pros: Kazushi was very fast in responding to my messages and very flexible in terms of check-in times, which really helped when I had to change my travel plans multiple times. He also took us around the neighbourhood in search of dinner options, which was great after arriving at 12am in the morning. The neighbourhood was very cute and had plenty of eating options. After we got used to the hard Japanese mattresses, we slept extremely well.
Cons: The place was a little out of the way, especially coming in from Narita. It was also more like 40 minutes from Shinjuku instead of 20. Also, while Kazushi was a conscientious host, we didn’t feel particularly welcome. The second we arrived late at night from the airport, we were delivered a long list of rules in a stern tone, as though it was already expected that we would break some of them. There were also a few moments when orders were gruffly barked at us, like when we were told to place used bedclothes in a plastic bag while checking out. While we appreciate that this is Kazushi’s home and that he has every right to make cleanliness rules, we just don’t feel comfortable when we are treated like we’ve already done something wrong even before we’ve stayed the night. We respect people’s homes and are happy to adhere to any rules, but we’d much rather be asked to do so nicely.