JJ Court Kujo

The room had an elevator, air conditioning, washing machine, induction cooker, microwave, tableware, and a huge bathtub for relaxing. The main thing I missed was a deodorizing spray like "Fengbeiqing," the popular Chinese brand, because after a barbecue meal I wanted to get the smell out of my clothes. The location turned out to be incredibly convenient: about a 5-minute walk from Kujo Station, serving the Osaka Metro Green Chuo Line and the Hanshin Electric Railway Hanshin Namba Line. It’s probably the closest I’ve stayed to a subway line on my recent Japan trips. There’s a shopping street and McDonald's by the station exit, which made my dream of having one nearby come true. FamilyMart, 7-Eleven, and Lawson are all close as well. I found the place on booking.com and booked after checking the exterior and room photos and roughly checking how close it was to the nearest subway station.

I booked a few nights through Booking.com for the World Expo. Since it was my first vacation apartment, I was pretty nervous. The guest list came by email the day before. I also got a photo notification from the website the day before check-in, then used the automatic lock to enter. Each room has its own key. There’s a camera in the elevator, so you can see inside while waiting on the first floor. The bathroom had a dryer, hairdryer, towels, bath towels, and a bath mat. There was a washing machine with detergent, shampoo, conditioner, body soap, a kitchen with cookware, frying pan, plates, cups, and glasses, plus dish soap, a sponge, microwave, toaster, refrigerator, hand soap, toothbrush, toothpaste, air conditioner, hangers, a trash can, and one roll of toilet paper. It was comfortable, and I didn’t run into any inconveniences. The sink right by the entrance was handy for washing my hands, and the air conditioner cooled the room well. Having a washer was the best part: I could do laundry and hang it to dry in the bathroom. At checkout, trash needs to be taken out to the outside collection area. A few things were missing: fabric softener, chopsticks, a cup for brushing teeth, paper towels, and clothespins. Also, there was just one of each type of towel, no matter how many nights you stay.

The price and location may look appealing, but if anything goes wrong, it’s a disaster. The room itself was good, which made these issues all the more disappointing. The washing machine was coated in mold and dust, so I had serious concerns about hygiene. The kitchen had dishes, but no dishcloth, drying rack, or paper towels, so I had to leave the dishes out after washing them. There were no towels at all. I arrived late at night and couldn’t get in touch with anyone, so I rushed to a convenience store to buy some. Later, they said they couldn’t refund me because I hadn’t kept the receipt. I also had to replace the bathroom light bulb myself when it burned out. I wouldn’t recommend this place.

Universal Studios Japan is just two stops away with no transfer, so it’s a handy option for visiting the park. The station is close, and there’s a convenience store nearby. The location was great, and the elevator meant getting around wasn’t inconvenient. I didn’t use the kitchen, but there was a washing machine and detergent, so I could wash my underwear while traveling.