Découvrez Taditional Japanese House! Sumire

We had been to Tokyo before and always stayed in the tourist areas on the west side of the river. This time we were interested in experiencing life in a Tokyo neighborhood and we found that at Sumire House. The house is old (immediate post-war) but well maintained and retains many traditional features. (Even if you’re average height you need to watch your head in places.) At the same time it has a modernized bathroom, washer/dryer, good wifi, and tv with many channels including a few in English. We enjoyed exploring the neighborhood, which had many small shops and restaurants. Like other reviewers we encountered many non-English speakers, but we found people were very nice and we were able to get by with our limited Japanese. (We avoided places where it looked like language would be an issue if they were very busy.). Although a little off the beaten path, the house is about a 10 minute walk to two train stations that provide good access to the rest of Tokyo. The owners and property manager were very nice and responsive. This house isn’t for everybody, but if you’re interested in experiencing Tokyo beyond the tourist zone we highly recommend it.

We loved our stay at this sweet little house in a traditional neighborhood next to a beautiful Shinto Shrine. Despite being older, it's very well equipped with a large bathroom by local standards, a nicely stocked kitchen with everything you need to cook and store food, and comfortable beds! It's convenient for seeing historic parts of the Sumida ward including Asakusa and many museums, situated close to a beautiful pedestrian and cyclist only bridge crossing the Sumida river. The very modern Skytree is also close by; along with restaurants of all kinds. The Hikifune and Oshiage(Skytree) train stations aren't too far, but expect to walk a little ways and plan your days. We had a great time and would highly recommend Sumire House!

We loved our stay here. The neighbourhood is really convenient and our host was wonderful.

This little house is an interesting dive in the history of Japan. If you go to the Edo-Tokyo Museum or the Shitamachi Museum, you will find the same architectural elements found in the house. That said, you can also have modern comfort. The kitchen, although small, is well equipped. At the time of our stay, there was only one armchair in the living room (instead of two in the photos). The Skytree tower is visible as soon as you leave the house. If you have the opportunity, go to the Kameya Bakery, you will enjoy!

For our two week trip to Tokyo, three of us (mom and two kids) stayed at the charming SUMIRE house for the first 10 days, ideally located in a residential area of Tokyo, within walking distance to Skytree station and a 10 minute bus ride to Asakusa. Please note that this location is outside of the more touristy areas, so plan to spend 35+ minutes by train getting to Akihabara, Ginza, Ueno, and more to Odiaba or Harajuku. You can order a cab or take Uber, but expect to pay at 3000¥ and over to these locations.

Rarely will you find a rental of this character, situated next to a revered neighborhood shrine and steps away from a Family Mart where you can find anything you need. The night time can be a bit noisy with large cars driving by, and in the summertime the cicadas are quite noisy at daybreak, but this was not enough to deter us from renting again (will just bring headphones or earplugs).

The home is small - the ceilings and doorways are very low (5’7” at the kitchen)- so I do not recommend renting with more than 4 people, or if you are over 6’ tall. The kitchen is nicely equipped, the beds comfortable, and the bathroom was nicely renovated with western convienences.

We are familiar with Asian customs, but if you haven’t yet traveled to Japan, take note that the bath towels are not large or fluffy, so you may want to bring one or two of your own.

The owners were very helpful and communicative by email, and the house provides a nice guide to the appliances and attractions.

Overall, I highly recommend SUMIRE house if you are traveling with one or two people and want to get a true local experience in a unique home.

Thank you Hide for sharing your place with us.