Your 2nd home in Tokyo ,Shinjuku

Thank you so much Yoko-san and Aki-san for hosting us! We had such a fun and enjoyable stay with you! We wish to come back to japan just to visit you both :) Yoko-san and Aki-san are such amazing hosts and made us feel like home. They're also amazing cooks! We felt like we they made our Japan experience feel incredibly special.

For location, it's in a quiet residential neighbourhood with easily accessible transportation all around. We loved walking around the neighbourhood and the restaurants around were fantastic.

Thank you again for taking care of us! We miss you both!

First and foremost Thank You Yoko-san and Aki-san, for warmly welcoming my family into your home in Japan. However, I’m giving this place 2-star rating because it failed to meet the key expectations that were clearly advertised in the listing. These were important considerations when I booked the stay almost 4 month in advance for my wife and son's arrival, who were visiting a new country for two weeks.
Pros:
Warm Welcome: Hosts Yoko-san and Aki-san warmly welcomed the guest’s family into their
home.
Responsive Communication: Yoko-san was prompt and helpful in responding to messages.
Cleanliness: The home was clean, tidy, and well-maintained throughout the stay.
Laundry Service: Aki-san provided complimentary laundry service as per the listing (two
washes per week).
Thoughtful Gestures: Hosts offered a few home-cooked dinners and once purchased breakfast,
showing kindness and hospitality.
Cons:
Unfulfilled Advertised Services: "Also I can pick you up from the nearest stations or from the
airport for options."
But came to know that they don't have car and can't help with pickup.
Kitchen access was not available unless host is at home.
Misleading Meal Policy: Breakfast was offered only once; the listing was unclear and
inconsistent about what was actually included.
Missing Amenities & Noise: Bedside Locker was not provided as per tatami room details , and
nighttime noise from upstairs affected sleep quality.

We kindly encourage you to update your listing regularly to reflect any changes in meal offerings, kitchen access, pickup services and availability. Transparency builds trust, and guests deeply appreciate knowing what to expect—especially when traveling abroad. If personal schedules or policies change, simply communicating this in advance can make a big difference.

We were drawn to this home-stay based on the cultural values we admire in Japan—honesty, openness, and commitment to one’s word. When those expectations weren’t met, it was disappointing.

That said, we believe in giving constructive feedback in the spirit of improvement, not criticism.

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.