European comfort with Japanese style

Hiroyuki and his wife Nobuko were super kind and helpful, even taking us on a visit to a nearby temple and botanical garden. Their daughter Yukiko cooked us a delicious breakfast feast which was big enough that we did not need lunch that day! They all speak excellent English. The house is a traditional Japanese style with a lovely tatami room adjoining the living room/kitchenette. We found it very convenient to have 2 powder rooms - one upstairs and one downstairs, as that is not a very common feature in Japanese rental properties. We loved the outlook onto the garden courtyard with lanterns and statues set among the plants - much nicer than an apartment. The local town of Kugayama is a 10 minute walk south from the house. It has supermarkets, a great dollar store, and plenty of good little restaurants. From there you can take a train to Kichijoji or Shibuya. You can walk a longer distance or take a bus from along the street to the station at Nishi-Ogikubo, which is on the Chuo line which goes to Shinjuku and Tokyo stations. We loaded up with groceries in Nishiogi, as the locals call it, and took a taxi to the house for under $10. We spent a fun morning exploring the antique shops in Nishiogi. It is perfect for travellers who want to experience a real neighbourhood. It is close enough that you can spend the day visiting the sights in busy downtown Tokyo, but come back to relax away from the bustle.