Akigawa Station vacation rentals

Hiroyuki and his wife Nobuko were super kind and helpful, even taking us on a visit to a nearby temple and botanical garden. Their daughter Yukiko cooked us a delicious breakfast feast which was big enough that we did not need lunch that day! They all speak excellent English. The house is a traditional Japanese style with a lovely tatami room adjoining the living room/kitchenette. We found it very convenient to have 2 powder rooms - one upstairs and one downstairs, as that is not a very common feature in Japanese rental properties. We loved the outlook onto the garden courtyard with lanterns and statues set among the plants - much nicer than an apartment. The local town of Kugayama is a 10 minute walk south from the house. It has supermarkets, a great dollar store, and plenty of good little restaurants. From there you can take a train to Kichijoji or Shibuya. You can walk a longer distance or take a bus from along the street to the station at Nishi-Ogikubo, which is on the Chuo line which goes to Shinjuku and Tokyo stations. We loaded up with groceries in Nishiogi, as the locals call it, and took a taxi to the house for under $10. We spent a fun morning exploring the antique shops in Nishiogi. It is perfect for travellers who want to experience a real neighbourhood. It is close enough that you can spend the day visiting the sights in busy downtown Tokyo, but come back to relax away from the bustle.

This place was a short walk to the train station and a bunch of local food shops. It was close to Shinjuku and everything was provided to us from the hosts who took great care of us.