Harper House

Close to multiple stations with good connection to Osaka city center, comfortable room with lots of amenities.

Only thing of notice would be the lack of a smart TV you can cast your phone to.

The location was great, really close to the train station. Very comfortable apartment, enjoyed the authentic ryokan experience.

Nothing

Property was amazing! It looked great and was so fun to stay in.

The only issue we had is that you couldn’t cast your device to the TV.

For two average sized individuals with big luggage, the one bedroom apartment at Harper House was exceptional. The apartment was very spacious and had most of the amenities you can think of. There was plenty of space to store your luggage, the futons and comforters were very comfortable after a long day out, and every other room served its purpose. We were extremely thankful for the large trash bin, seeing as most accommodations in Japan have a teeny tiny bin that barely fits a bento meal. Not to mention the building owners and cleaning staff, who were super duper helpful with concerns and offered solutions when any arised despite not physically being in the property. We were very happy with our accommodation at Harper House!

The apartment does get very hot during the day despite the AC unit and fan. Fortunately, opening the balcony door helped a lot. Our only other problem, which is completely our fault, is not doing a lot of research on the location - which we did not like. The apartment building is located in a quiet residential area populated by the senior community and smokers. There is a nearby train station, but it takes about 20-30 minutes to get to any of the “notable” spots in Osaka. Not to mention the heavy traffic of bicycle riders who don’t ride on the properly labeled bicycle lanes of the sidewalk/street so you’re in constant fear of running into them if you’re not a local. It was very tough commuting through the neighborhood as a result. I also wanted to clarify some notable mentions I saw on the reviews for the property: if you’re a family of four, you probably won’t fit comfortably in the apartments so a different accommodation might be necessary. Japan apartments are very small, and so are Japanese people. The stairways are narrow, so no, there is no elevator and if you’re in the third floor you will have to haul your luggage down on your own. The walls and flooring are not soundproof, so you will hear footsteps, conversations, and even vacuuming through the walls - please keep this in mind if you’re a light sleeper or prefer a more quiet accommodation. Not everyone is having a “party” upstairs, they’re allowed to walk from one corner to another. Read the description of the property, read other reviews, look at the images, calculate square footage, look at Google maps, inquire. It’s a wonderful property but it definitely isn’t for everyone.