Meet Akiko
Listener, Helpful, Friendly
As a family we love meeting people from other cultures. Our kids are very eager to talk and interact with diverse people. Our house is very spacious and eco-friendly (carbon positive) with solar panel
On a typical day...
I have a very open house. My house is your house.
When I host guests...
I like to chat with them when they are home but have my own things going on.
Family Hobbies
Football, Tennis, Basketball, Cooking, Reading
Hosting guests since
2019
Registration number
M270011937
Response Rate
90%
Response Time
Within a few hours
About the Homestay
- Welcomes
- Males
- Females
- Couples
- Families
- Students
2 train stations only 5 & 10 mins on foot, located between Osaka and Kyoto (20-30 mins train ride to each downtown respectively).
Public transport is so convenient that we have never owned a car here.
We're a bilingual family (English/Japanese), and we love learning different languages, so we love meeting people from all over the world.
Our kids are 10 and 15. We always enjoy helping our guests with recommendations, direction and other issues they may face in Japan.
My husband is a photographer/guide in Kyoto and loves literature & languages, so you can ask him for tips about Kyoto. My son loves PC games. My daugher loves painting and colors. I love food, slow life, cosy family time and nature.
Our house is modern, large (about 200 sq. metre / 2100 sq. feet.) & green (runs on solar energy) with a large living, dining room.
The neighbourhood has many traditional style houses, narrow streets, a 1300 year old temple and a shrine. A quiet place to stay and enjoy local life, but Kyoto and Osaka only a few minutes away.
I also hold culture classes at home [tea ceremony+calligraphy+kimono], and cooking classes [making sushi+tempura] as part of Airbnb experiences, which you can join at at a lower price than non-homestaying guests.
We do not provide dinner, but we offer a light breakfast of toast and coffee.
Bedrooms available for booking
About the Area
+A perfect location to explore cities like Kyoto, Osaka, Kobe, Nara and even Hiroshima (2 hrs), Himeji (1 hr) and easy access to Tokyo (3 hrs by train).
+Attractions include 1000 temples and shrines in Kyoto, Osaka and Nara
+Universal Studios Japan (40 mins on train)
+Kansai International Airport (72 mins) and easy train access.
+Osaka Aquarium (world's largest) 1 hr away.
+Expo City & Park (20 mins away)
+Itami airport (40 mins)
+Shinkansen Station (Shin-Osaka) 15 mins on train.
Local Area Facilities
- Park
- Library
- Restaurant
- Train station
Meals
Hosts can offer a complimentary light breakfast at their discretion. All other meals, including a full breakfast, might incur an additional cost, if offered. Meals and any additional payment should be arranged directly with your host.
Included in the stay
- Complimentary Light Breakfast
- Use of Kitchen
House Rules
- Check-in after 4 PM, Check-out before 10 AM
- Returning home before 10 PM
- Quite Hours from 11PM-7 AM
- Take off your shoes inside the house
- No cooking apart from using a kettle or microwave
- We need to make photocopy of your passport or ID and register your details on a book (these are required by Japanese Law under our homestay registration with the local government).
-use of kitchen is okay for preparing food for small kids, babies. Use of kettle for boiling water is also fine.
Registration Number: M270011937
Cancellation Policy:
Homestay.com collects 25% of the price of the stay on your behalf at time of booking. Homestay.com will transfer this deposit to you 2 business days after their scheduled arrival. (less a small service fee). If a guest cancels more than 7 days in advance they will be refunded this deposit. To avail of this option, you need to register your bank details with Payoneer.
Smoking Rules
Your host is a non-smoker.
Smoking is not allowed.
46 Reviews
September 2024
Satisfied about the stay, everything was good same as my earlyer stay in 2023!
September 2024
We had a lovely stay with Akiko and can really recommend the host. Akiko is well-organized. For example, she took time for us at breakfast and was always able to give us good advice. We had a nice, clean room with plenty of space. She and her family were very friendly and kind, so there was a welcoming atmosphere in the house and we felt very comfortable. Thank you very much for your hospitality.
August 2024
I absolutely want to recommend this homestay to everyone visiting Osaka and Kyoto!
The location between the two cities is really great to reach both of them and gives you a big freedom for planning your days. The quiet little town has everything you need – combinis, a post office, two stations, restaurants, …
Akiko and her family were all very friendly and helpful and answered all our questions with lots of patience - no matter if it was about her home or rules, about spots to visit or about Japanese culture. They are also very interested in other languages and we had a lot of fun trying some new German words.
My daughter an I stayed in the Japanese room downstairs, which is pretty spacious, and had really good and refreshing nights; and the breakfast was delicious, too. Of course – with five members in the family – there sometimes was some waiting for the bathroom, but never too long.
Our stay only lasted one week, but we definitely enjoyed it – thank you Akiko for this great time!August 2024
Tres agreable sejour au sein de la famille d Akiko. L accueil est charmant et toute la famille tres agreable. Merci encore.
August 2024
We stayed with Akiko and her family for 4 nights in their japanese room. It was a new experience for us to sleep on futons, and it was one of the better nights of sleep I've had. The room was spacious and also had a AC which kept the temperature perfect.
We felt very welcome at their house, and overall had a really great stay. Akiko and her family was very including and helpful, but also gave us space to ourselves.
June 2024
We had a fantastic time with Akiko and her family. The room was perfect, they were great company and it was lovely to learn more about life in Japan from them all. Would highly recommend!
May 2024
We had an amazing time with Matt and Aikiko and their children. The home is beautiful, the hosts are considerate and generous, and the quiet neighbourhood was a nice change from the big city while close enough by train to shopping and restaurants. Highly recommend.
April 2024
What a wonderful, good natured family with a fabulous sense of humor I truly appreciated!! We thoroughly enjoyed our stay. Room/Beds were perfect, nice cross breeze, fabulous working AC & such fun spirited family. Akiko took time out to accompany us to store & share her knowledge, which is so appreciated. We also took part in her Calligraphy/Kimono/Tea Ceremony class (which I HIGHLY recommend).
I do so hope that upon my return to Japan, they will still be Hosting, as I will be planning around their availability :)
Thank you again for having us & hope to see you again in near future!!!Host reply
Thank you for staying with us! We all had a great time with you. I feel our house is empty without you two :) I'm glad to hear that you
slept well in our house.
You're always welcome so we’ll keep hosting until you are back here!
Thank you again for staying with us and hopefully see you again near future;)March 2024
Akiko and her family are wonderful hosts and a true delight to visit. Their very comfortable house is located in a pleasant neighborhood with easy access to Kyoto and Osaka. We have stayed in many places around the world but this was a highlight for us in many ways. We learned a great deal about Japanese culture and enjoyed getting to know this family who are very hospitable and kind. Would highly recommend this home stay.
Host reply
Hi Nicole!
Thank you for staying with us.
We had such a wonderful time with you all! Especially, my daughter really enjoyed hanging out with your daughters.I hope you are having fun in Japan.
Have a safe rest of your journey.January 2024
This is the perfect homestay experience for those seeking a peaceful base to explore Kyoto and Osaka from. Akiko was really helpful with how to get to places and supplying visit suggestions when I arrived. The room was spacious and welcoming.
Thanks Akiko!
How do I book?
Contact the host to check their availability and ask them any questions you have about staying with them. Once the host confirms they’re available for your dates, you can complete your booking.
When do I pay?
Once a host confirms they're available, you can go ahead and pay the 15% booking fee (maximum of 250 $£€ for longer term bookings) and a 25% deposit using a choice of payments: Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Maestro, Laser, JCB & PayPal. The deposit is collected in advance on behalf of the host to protect against no show or late cancellations (within 7 days of arrival). You then pay your host the balance due on arrival. The 25% deposit payment is made to the host 2 business days after your scheduled arrival date. This deposit payment will only be refunded if you cancel the booking at least 7 full days prior to arrival.
When can I share my contact details?
Host and Guest email address, phone number and home address will be exchanged in a confirmation email sent to both immediately after a booking is completed. It's against our policy for Guests and Hosts to exchange direct contact details via our messaging system.