Some months before we left, we had a look at the Airbnb website for places to stay. The main criteria was to be near a subway line and to have a comfortable place to call home. We didn’t really know what a “good” neighbourhood would be so we just chose something more or less central with subway access. This Taito City airbnb was exactly what we were hoping for. I would definitely stay here again. In case you are interested, here is the listing.

This is our home base in Tokyo. It is small but has everything you could possibly need including a bathtub and laundry machine. My camera doesn’t have a wide angle lens so it is a little tight to photograph. Two of us fit comfortably in here. It is clean and bright and well organized. Anytime I return after living in one of these compact places, I wonder why we seem to need so much space. This is also my first experience with a tatami room and futons like this. But they are comfortable and warm, better than any hotel bed where the sheets are screwed down under the mattress. Lots of windows make it bright and cheerful so it is a nice place to wake up in. I think enough natural light can make any small space liveable for me. I like it here. Iriya is a few minutes walk and has lots of good food, grocery stores and coffee. High quality inexpensive sushi and sashimi is available everywhere. I am eating it everyday, sometimes twice!