If at first it seems sketchy, don't be alarmed. It's in a very nice neighbourhood with plenty of shops and restaurants around, and within walking distance (30 minutes) to many interesting sights. The bed was firm and quite comfortable, though it has a thin blanket and sheet with one pillow, so bring extra if you need it. The sink in the room is convenient; the toilets and showers were clean though I did wear shoes, the only problem was that the locks on the doors for those were a bit difficult to use. The room has a closet and lots of drawers to unpack your stuff into, plus a powerful fan for cooling. The wireless internet does work in the rooms (2nd floor) though it dropped once or twice, but it's to be expected if lots of people use it. The ground floor smells a little bit like cats, though it diminished over the 5 days I stayed there, so it was probably temporary. The room is very clean and there were no bugs or anything gross.

The place is within walking distance (about 1-2 minutes walk) from the Little Tokyo station on the Gold Line which leads to Union Station, where you can travel to almost anywhere in LA. Some nice places in the neighbourhood were "Wurstkuche", a beerhall/sausage place; "Caffe Dulce" for sweets and tea; "Nijiya Mart" for convenience/grocery; "Kinokuniya" for books and stationary.

Alex, the manager, was very helpful and kind. I had a very nice conversation with him, and he made me feel welcome.