TaKoBeYa

The location is pretty handy, just a few stops from Shinjuku. If you miss the last train, it’s a 50-minute walk or about a 20-minute ride on the LUUP scooters. The rooms aren’t large, but that’s what they advertise. The walls are thin, so your experience may depend on who else is staying there. During our visit, everyone was quiet and respectful. It was a great place to come back to at the end of a day exploring Tokyo.

The place is handy for a cheap night or two, with convenience stores and restaurants close by, and the detailed directions made it easy to find. The room was small but manageable, and the showers were nice and had soap and shampoo. Cleanliness seemed to depend on who had used them before you. There wasn't much interaction with other guests, just brief encounters during the morning routine or in the very narrow hall. The main drawback is the location away from central Tokyo. Getting back takes about 30-45 minutes, so you have to plan around the trains stopping. The room also gets very humid: things left on the floor may be wet when you pick them up a couple of hours later. The walls are thin enough that you can hear coughing, sneezing, and hair dryers next door. For the low price, I'd recommend it if you mainly need somewhere to sleep and shower before heading back out into Tokyo.

The building is aging, so keep that in mind. I've stayed in lots of places, and this guesthouse didn't feel very comfortable to me. Airbnb stays can be expensive, though the price might seem low compared with a regular hotel. The service felt minimal for what they charge. If you still want to stay, that's up to you, but I think you can find somewhere more comfortable.

Look elsewhere. The house rules were posted all over the place, and every one seemed to come with a threat, which made the stay really uncomfortable. You also have to go down and back up a flight of stairs, so it's awkward with luggage. A capsule hostel would be a better choice.