Ihr 2. Zuhause in Tokyo, Shinjuku

I had a wonderful three-week stay with Yoko-san and Aki-san and will hope to return on my next visit. The two bedrooms were perfectly functional (bed, desk, closet, TV, windows) light, and quiet. They share a toilet and washroom/bathroom (with an excellent shower) on the ground floor with the host family on the upper floors. Aki-san is home during the day and is very sociable. He is eager to communicate and is quite the comedian. Yoko-san works during the weekday but is very friendly and solicitous when home. They are both genuinely nice people and take their roles seriously. The neighborhood is quiet but has konbinis, supermarkets, pharmacies and a library close by. It is a 12-minute walk to the very useful Marinouchi subway line, but, best of all, bus lines are at the end of the road which service Shinjuku (twenty minutes) and Shibuya (thirty minutes). I can highly recommend this homestay.

My girlfriend and I absolutely loved our stay with Yoko-san, Aki-san (her husband), Gin-chan (the wise 18-year-old cat), and Yuki-chan (the sweet 11-year-old cat).

From the moment we arrived, Yoko-san and Aki-san were incredibly warm and welcoming. I only wish we had stayed longer than three nights. It truly felt like a home away from home. Despite the language barrier, Aki-san shared his stories with such infectious enthusiasm and animated gestures that we were always smiling and laughing. Yoko-san, who speaks excellent English, gave us thoughtful recommendations about the city and must-see local spots. It was also heartwarming to see the way she lovingly looks at her cats: her “children,” Gin-chan and Yuki-chan.

Being able to witness Yuki-chan’s one-sided love for Gin-chan was especially adorable and added a unique charm to our stay.

Yoko-san was also wonderfully communicative on WhatsApp. She was always on top of things, helping us arrange luggage forwarding and providing clear, detailed instructions on how to find her home. Everything was incredibly well organized and smooth, thanks to her care and attention.

If you are looking for a genuine local experience filled with kindness, warmth, and a touch of feline love, we wholeheartedly recommend staying with Yoko-san and Aki-san. Just don’t forget to bring an omiyage. You will be glad that you did!

Yoko-san and Aki-san made me feel so welcome and part of the family for my short stay of 5 days.
Both hosts had me laughing daily not to mention their lovely cats treated me well too!
It was a lovely experience to have a meal together on the first and last night of my stay and the hosts provided all bathroom and bedding amenities necessary with the bedroom in top shape.
The language barrier was no problem as both hosts could speak English very well and also allowed me to practice my beginner Japanese with them.
The location of the homestay was very easy to navigate to central areas such as Shinjuku and Shibuya by bus and then use the subway from there if necessary.
I would love to stay with Yoko and Aki again and highly recommend their homestay!

We stayed with Yoko and Ali for 6 nights. They were very kind and helpful. We could do laundry, and she cooked dinner for us twice. We had to arrange breakfast ourselves, but with a konbini around the corner and two supermarkets not far away, this was no issue.
Main difference with my previous home-stay experience: there, everyone was in the common room to hang out and socialize. With Yoko, guests mostly kept to their own room, and didn't interact with other guests much. Whether that is good or bad, depends on your personal preference!
We enjoyed our time, and appreciated the subway at 15-mins walking. Trains went every 10 minutes, or more often.

Yoko and Aki have been wonderful and perfect host for us! We had a long flight and arrive quite late at the homestay. Yoko gave us a lot of usefull informations on how to get to their place. They both were really caring for us, they even welcome us with a beautiful soba with duck and gyosa supper!

All of our stay, they were really nice and helping to us. It is our first visit to Japan and staying at Yoko and Aki was the best way to start this wonderfull trip.

The area where the homestay is located was well surrounded by public transportation and it was really easy to go around and visit all of Tokyo. We warmly recommend this place.