Mariko is a very nice host and tried to be very helpful when there were issues with the apartment. It's a big apartment and has alot of closet space. We knew in the beginning that it was a 5 story walkup, so we were not surprised of the excercise in the morning. The interior is very rustic and basic (hot plate) and if you need tons of space you will find it here. The TV didn't work since there is no cable, but Mariko offered us her Hulu/Netflix DVD recorder which was very nice. We had some trouble with the internet so if you are here for longterm and need to work it's very spotty. If you are in the apartment for a short trip, its the perfect spot! But be aware cooking could be an experience. Overall it was very nice to stay here for a month and we were thankful.