Friday, June 7, 2013

Japan Trip 2013 Highlights: Great Accommodation!

I really am enjoying writing these Japan Trip 2013 posts; it's like as if I'm reliving my grad trip again. :') 

Anyway, one of the reasons why we had a relatively good time in Japan was because of the various amazing accommodation that we stayed in. Thank you GohChayChay for researching and finding out about these fabulous locations! :) We had one average stay (Hana Hostel, Hiroshima) but other than that, the rest were really comfortable and sometimes made me want to stay in all day. 

For our first Tokyo trip, we stayed at Guest House toco. and I definitely will recommend it to everyone! :) Although we stayed in a 8-bed mixed dormitory, the experience was still a comfortable one. We were unlucky one night because we stayed with multiple snorers, however I fell asleep quite quickly because the mattress and quilt they used were really soft. Early mornings can be quite a hassle because of the shared toilets and shower cubicles but well it's nothing to complain about because it's expected since we opted to stay in a hostel. 

Here are some details regarding Guest House toco.:



A couple of photos to show you guys the hostel's beautiful garden!



In Osaka, we opted for an airbnb accommodation and we definitely made the correct decision. The apartment that we chose was quite small, but it was furnished very thoughtfully and so it was a very comfortable one-week stay. Thank you to Ryan and his wife, and the very cute mother-in-law! Ryan's wife (I feel bad because I can't remember her name!) even bought some juice and ice cream for us when she visited! :) 

If you are visiting Osaka and are planning to visit the nearby touristy cities near Osaka, then I will suggest that you book/rent a space in Osaka, and then make day trips out to the other cities. I think for airbnb accommodations, it's cheaper to book weekly than nightly. That was why we booked the space for 7 nights. We spent two days exploring Osaka, and the the other days were spent in Kyoto, Kobe and Nara. Going to Kobe/Kyoto/Nara from Osaka is like travelling from one end of the East West line to the other end, so making day trips is convenient and quick! 

Here are the information you need if you want the rent the same space:
  • Ryan's airbnb listing: https://www.airbnb.com.sg/rooms/857345
  • Price: Weekly price (stated in website) = S$918, with administration fees we each paid around S$315 for 7 nights. 
  • Nearest train station: Shin Imamiya (I think it's 5/6 stops away from the main Osaka station. If you are taking the shinkansen, you need to change from Shin-Osaka station to Osaka station before making your way to Shin Imamiya)
  • One station away from Namba - shopping district. 

The first two photos are photos taken from Ryan's airbnb listing! Their photos are legit. Everything looked the same! 







After 7 nights in Osaka, we moved to the Hiroshima area but we didn't go to Hiroshima straight away. Instead, we stopped by Onomichi first because we wanted to enjoy the sea and the serenity. We definitely did get both out of our Onomichi trip. Onomichi is a really peaceful sea-side city that has amazing sea views. However, the night can get quite scary because everyone is back in their houses and the streets become rather deserted.

We spent 3 nights in Anago no Nedoko Guesthouse and to be frank, I think this was the best accommodation we stayed in. It has a very queer vibe to it but a good queer, not a bad queer. I feel like I was transported back into old Japan when I stayed there!

According to the website:

"Our staff, busy bees ranging from reclamation design to management, is made up of and administrated by members of the non-profit organization of the Onomichi Vacant Housing Renewal Project (Akiyasaisei Project). They are thoroughly committed to the renewal and design of the vacant houses in the old urban area of Onomichi. A variety of faces such as architects, craftsmen, designers, cartoonists, artists, students, and homemakers bring their wisdom, creativity, and fun-loving spirit together."

 Perhaps this was why the entire stay felt so nostalgic! 

 Details, details!:

  • Official website: http://anago.onomichisaisei.com/?cat=1&lang=en
  • Price: 2500 yen/night/person for mixed dormitory
  • Easily walkable from the main Onomichi train station (10 minutes?)
  • It's located in a shopping parade. Just spot the weird panda machine and you are there!

Just spot this panda thingy and you are at the Guesthouse!



I love this guesthouse because they had English-subtitled mangas displayed all over the room!



We then moved to Hiroshima City for another 3 nights. Our stay at Hana Hostel wasn't very pleasant. Maybe it's because the wifi was really terrible; we kept getting kicked out of the network from our room. =___=

But it's cheap and each bed had a really top-notch privacy curtain. So give and take lah.


Our last accommodation was 4 nights in Tokyo. We decided to change areas this time round, and also decided on another airbnb location. I was really drawn into the accommodation because it was stated in the airbnb listing that it had a legit espresso machine that makes better coffee than Starbucks. I WAS SOLD THE MOMENT I READ THAT. I thank my travel partners immensely for making my coffee dreams a reality. HAHA.

Stefano was the owner of the house and he was a very generous and humorous guy. He fetched us at the train station and gave us a tour of the area while walking back to his place. His house was really clean, really cosy and he let us use anything and everything in the common area!

Frankly speaking, his house is not very near to the train station. Furthermore, the train station is not very near to the city centre. However, it's a good place to come back to after a long day of walking and sight-seeing.

I'll definitely recommend Stefano's place for those interested to stay further away from the city centre!

Information on Stefano's place:

  • Stefano's airbnb listing: https://www.airbnb.com.sg/rooms/952976
  • Price: S$36 per night
  • Nearest train station: Nishimagome (A-01), last station on the Asakusa line.
  • 20 minutes to Shibuya, 25 minutes to Shinjuku, 25 minutes to Tokyo station

First 3 photos are from his airbnb page!




This espresso machine is LEGIT. I had good days in Tokyo because I had good coffee in the morning.


For me, I'd much prefer to stay in an airbnb house rather than a hostel because it feels more like home? Sometimes, you get to make friends with the house owners as well! :) I definitely will use airbnb more often for my future travelling! :)

Hope the post has been useful to those who want to visit Japan! Have a great Friday guys! :)
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