Though Tokyo has an endless supply of stylish hotels, I personally prefer to stay in apartments, especially when it’s for a longer trip. To be able to have a kitchen, dining table, bedroom, and very importantly…a laundry machine, makes the stay much more comfortable. If you are on the same boat, in the hood might be something worth looking at.
近兩年去東京都喜歡住公寓 – 能有廚房、餐桌、卧室，感覺自己生活在這個城市裡，而不是個匆匆過客。今年春天在搜尋公寓是發現了一家專門給外國人提供房源的公司 “in the hood“，感覺挖到了寶 ，分享給你。
In the hood operates apartments in some of the most interesting neighborhoods of Tokyo – Shinjuku, Azabu, Tsukiji, Meguro, Omotesando, Ningyocho, Nippori, Otemachi…etc., each with its own unique character. The apartments vary in sizes and prices, it’s easy to find something you like based on personal preferences.
In the hood 在東京好幾個區域都有公寓 – 新宿、麻布（東京鐵塔）、築地、目黑、表參道、人形町、日暮里、大手町…etc.，大小跟價位有高有低，可以根據自己的需求選擇。
My last trip to Tokyo was divided up into two parts because I sandwiched in a side quest to Kanazawa, so I rented two different apartments via in the hood. The first one was in Tsukiji, located conveniently near Tsukiji metro stop (4-minute walk) and a short stroll away from the hustle and bustle of Ginza.
Note: There’s another metro station “Tsukiji Shijo” close by, about a 7-minute walk.
我這次去東京因為中間夾了金澤行程，所以前後各租了一間公寓，剛好也體驗到不同區域的氛圍。第一家住的是 in the hood Tsukiji（築地），抵達時已經是晚上了，從最近的地鐵站 “築地駅” 出來步行大約4鐘左右就可以看到公寓溫暖的入口。
註：附近還有一個 “築地市場駅”，步行大約7分鐘。
There’s a small reception on the first floor, and though there was no staff on duty when we arrived, we’ve already received the passcode to enter the building and our apartment. Very easy self check-in/out system.
一樓有個簡單的接待處，我們抵達時沒有服務人員，不過自助 check-in/out 的密碼已經事先通過郵件給到我們，不需要工作人員就可以進入公寓。
The building itself feels very new, everything’s clean and sleek.
感覺是一棟很新的建築，電梯間也打理的非常整潔乾凈。
The apartment is about 40 sqm including a living room, bedroom, kitchen, and bathroom. The price was around 17,500 JPY/night – quite a steal given the location, space, and overall design (with this price at a nearby hotel, we would only be able to get a room of about 20 sqm).
Note: in the hood apartment prices vary according to the dates. I checked the price for August out of curiosity, and the price is quite a bit higher at 23,000 JPY/night, probably because it’s a more popular travel season.
用密碼順利進入我們的公寓，40平米包括客廳、卧室、廚房、還有乾濕分離的衛浴和廁所。當時住一晚是17,500日幣左右，以這個地點、大小、裝潢來說CP值滿高的（在附近同價位的酒店，房間大概只有20平米左右）。
註：公寓價格會跟著日期而變化，比如我剛才試算了8月份的價格，一晚價格是23,000日幣左右，應該因為是旺季的關系。
The kitchen is fully equipped with stove tops, oven, fridge, water kettle etc. For those doing a longer stay in Tokyo and don’t want to eat out everyday, these would come in handy.
廚房裡爐子、烤箱、冰箱、熱水壺等都有，設備齊全，如果是要在東京待上一陣子，又不想每天外食的話，就可以派上用場。
There’s also a laundry machine with laundry detergent and softener provided. We were in Tokyo + Kanazawa for a week in total, so to be able to do a load of laundry or two during the trip was really essential.
也有洗衣機、洗衣精、柔軟劑等。我們去東京 + 金澤總共待了一周時間，中間能洗衣服真是太棒了，要是住酒店就無法啦。
The bathroom, shower and bathtub both available (with bath ducky, too).
浴室，有淋浴也有浴缸，還附了一直可愛泡澡小黃鴨。
The bedroom, in warm colors.
溫暖色調的卧室。
What the apartment looks like during the day.
白天的樣子。
There’s a little patio, though it doesn’t really come with a good view.
有個小露臺，雖然看不到什麼景觀。
It was raining the next morning, thankfully in the hood had thoughtfully supplied an umbrella in the apartment.
第二天還下起了雨，好在公寓里很貼心地準備了雨傘。
What it looks like from the outside.
公寓的外觀是長這樣的，白白凈凈。
In the hood Tsukiji happens to be quite close to Bongen Coffee, a lovely little cafe tucked away in an alley a few blocks away from the main actions of Ginza, so we strolled over for a morning coffee.
In the hood Tsukiji 正好離我喜歡的 Bongen Coffee 很近，早上散步去這里喝了杯咖啡。地點在銀座附近的小巷裡，雖然只是過幾個街角的距離，但沒有了銀座的繁華絢麗，只有磨咖啡豆的聲音和空氣中的香味。
This tiny shoebox of a cafe seats no more than four people, and is filled with the glorious aroma of freshly brewed coffee. The barista is a bonsai-lover, so there is always a beautiful one on display in the back of his shop.
店很小，像個鞋盒似的長方形，老闆一人打理。因為喜歡盆栽，所以吧台後面總是擺了一株，養得很美，聽說不定期會更換。
On my two visits here, I’ve tried the amasake soy milk latte, brown sugar kinako latte, and Bongen Latte (with three espresso shots), all delicious! Don’t miss this charming place on your next visit to Ginza.
這次是二訪，去年第一次來時嚐了甘酒豆乳拿鐵，這次試了黑糖黃豆粉拿鐵以及放了三份意式濃縮的招牌 Bongen Latte，超濃郁的幸福感呀。下次到銀座，不要錯過這家小店。
On another note, in the hood also provides recommendations specific to the neighborhood, many are local favorites not known by tourists. Turret Coffee, for example, was also recommended to me by a Japanese friend who works in the Ginza area.
順帶一提，in the hood 也會提供一份當地推薦，總共十幾頁的內容都是針對公寓所在的區域的，裡面有不少觀光客自己難以發現的點。這家 Turret Coffee，我之前也聽在银座上班的東京朋友推薦過呢！
The second apartment we stayed at was in the hood Azabu, right near Tokyo Tower / Shiba Koen. To be able to see this view every morning and night was a treat in itself:
我們住的另一間公寓 in the hood Azabu 在東京鐵塔/芝公園邊上，每天出門和回家一抬頭就能看見東京鐵塔，瞬間有 “啊，真的在東京呢！” 的感覺。
The location is convenient – the closest metro station “Akabanebashi” is only two minutes away, and Shiba Koen is just a short walk apart. The weather was perfect on the day of our visit, and the park was dotted with picnickers soaking up the sun and the view – what a life! Can we move to Tokyo please?
地點非常方便，離最近的地鐵站 “赤羽橋駅” 步行 2 分鐘，而且散個步就可以到芝公園。這天風和日麗，好多當地人在公園里野餐曬太陽，一抬頭還有東京鐵塔的景觀。
Compared to the Tsukiji apartment, the Azabu one is smaller at about 28 sqm. It’s comfortable for one person, but might seem a bit tight for two.
Azabu 這間公寓偏小，只有28平米（一個人住ok，兩人可能略顯擁擠）。
The apartment is clean, tidy, and equipped with everything we needed: desk, TV, couch, side table, wifi, etc., the decorative greens are also a nice touch.
公寓里乾凈、整潔，該有的東西也都有：書桌、電視、沙发、茶幾、wifi，還有裝飾的綠植。
There are also a few guidebooks on Tokyo, though in the hood guides (received via email on the day of check-in) are more updated + specific and therefore more useful.
有提供東京相關的旅游書和地圖，不過比起這些，in the hood 自己編制的 neighorhood guide 還是比較實用。
A sunny little patio.
和上一間公寓一樣，也有個陽光小露臺。
The kitchen is much smaller in this apartment, adequate for very simple cooking. Laundry machine is also available.
廚房空間比較小，簡單煮個麵或弄個早餐還 ok。也有洗衣機。
Unlike hotel rooms, the apartment doesn’t come with a mini bar, but there’s a large bottle of drinking water in the fridge, a small but thoughtful gesture. There’s also a convenience store right downstairs of the apartment, so it’s easy to get snacks and drinks whenever.
短租公寓沒有酒店的 mini bar，不過冰箱里放了一大瓶飲用水，也算是貼心了。公寓樓下就有便利商店，要臨時採購些啤酒、零食等都方便。
The bathroom, with a shower and bathtub, basically a mini version of the previous apartment.
浴室，有淋浴 + 浴缸，基本是上一間公寓的迷你版。
Note: this apartment is next to an expressway so there are traffic sounds at night. I had no trouble sleeping after using the free earplugs provided by in the hood (can be picked up downstairs at the elevator entrance), but light sleepers might still be troubled by the noises.
在這里給淺眠的人一個小提醒：這間公寓在高架旁邊，所以晚上會有一些車子的聲音。我屬於比較好睡的，加上 in the hood 有在一樓 check-in 的地方提供可以自取的耳塞，所以小噪音對我來說不是問題。
If you do end up staying at this apartment, I recommend trying Tofuya Ukai, a tofu specialty restaurant located just a 10 to 15-minute walk away. Before or after the meal, make sure you take a stroll in its gorgeous 6600 sqm traditional Japanese garden tastefully arranged with Koi ponds, waterwheels, pine trees, lanterns…
如果住在這個公寓的話，推薦你來步行十幾分鐘就可以抵達的 豆腐屋うかい（Tofuya Ukai）。這是一家以自製豆腐出名的料亭，地點就在東京鐵塔腳下，位於廣闊的日式庭院之中（大約有6600平米的驚人大小）…穿過燈籠和水車，踩過踏腳石，感覺來到了另一個時代。
The handmade tofu at Ukai is crafted using high quality soy beans and spring water, resulting in a rich and subtly sweet flavor. Amongst all the dishes, I was most impressed with the age-dengaku (frying sliced-tofu and then cooking it with wood charcoal) and tosui-tofu (tofu in tosui soup, a blend of dashi and soymilk).
Ukai 的豆腐用高品質大豆和涌泉水自家製作，可以嚐到大豆自身淡淡的甘甜，樸實又華麗。最令人印象深刻的有兩種：將切成薄片的豆腐經過油炸，並用炭火烤制的烤豆腐串（Age-dengaku），以及讓豆腐漂浮在豆漿和湯汁中的豆汁豆腐（Tosui-tofu）。
The apartment is also super close to Pizza Studio Tamaki (PST), a local pizzeria that became super popular after an appearance on Netflix’s Ugly Delicious by David Chang. Not to be missed if you are staying at in the hood Azabu.
公寓附近還有一家很美味的比薩店 Pizza Studio Tamaki (PST)，因為在美國美食節目 Ugly Delicious 里讓紐約名廚 David Chang 贊不絕口而人氣高漲。從 in the hood Azabu 走過來只要兩分鐘，也不要錯過啦。
Check out in the hood’s website to see their range of apartments, and once you see something you like, booking and follow-up communications can be done via Airbnb. Take a browse and find a home for your next trip to Tokyo! Bon voyage 🗼
In the hood 官網上可以按照你喜歡的區域來瀏覽公寓，訂房的話則會鏈接到 Airbnb，跟房東的溝通也都是通過 Airbnb 的 messenger，回復非常迅速，有問必答。祝你能為下一次的東京旅程，找到一間最適合你的完美住宿～ 🗼
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