Recently, I’ve been doing a lot of work with a brand called Weave Living as my digital marketer and online media buyer alter ego. The company provides hassle-free accommodations to expats as well as Japanese individuals who don’t want to go through all of the rigmarole of renting an apartment the normal way. Fully furnished, these premium units strike the perfect balance between convenience and price. As I was looking at my ad performance one day though, it struck me that rental properties like the ones offered by Weave Living would also be great for travelers planning extended stays in Japan.
Now, anyone who has read this blog for any length of time will know that I am a huge proponent of getting off the beaten path in Japan. While it’s entirely possible to do so on a shorter trip if you’re coming from Asia, most travelers visiting from North America or Europe would be better served by opting to stay a little bit longer. Doing so allows you to dial back the frantic pace of your travels while also providing ample time to dive deep into the local culture. Thankfully, more and more people in recent years are coming around to the fact that anything less than one month in Japan is just too short.
Previously, whenever friends, followers, and family asked for suggestions on where to stay in central Tokyo for long-term stays, I would usually suggest that they look into an Airbnb or a share house for the duration of their trip. Unlike with traditional hotel facilities, these alternatives have all of the requisite amenities required for daily life (e.g., kitchen, washing machines, etc.). Since working with Weave Living though, I can safely say that their listings are by far the superior option on the market. Moreover, the apartments can be leased entirely online, something that is a first for Japan.
In the later portions of this article, I’ll get into the details of Weave Living’s actual listings in central Tokyo for those of you interested in learning more. Before that though, I want to quickly cover some of the unique market conditions that contribute to making Weave Living’s apartments my go-to recommendation for anyone looking to stay in Japan for longer than a month. If you just want to check out the facilities, skip down to the subsequent section.
Why Use Monthly Rentals Over Hotels
Unlike in some other countries, the prices of hotels in Japan are usually set based on the number of guests and not per room (e.g., you’ll be charged 150% of the nightly rate if it’s for two people). This means that couples and families need to pay a lot more than they otherwise would overseas. Of course, in the context of longer stays in Japan, this means that staying in a handful of hotels during your trip can often be prohibitively expensive. As a result, almost anyone looking to visit for at least a solid couple of weeks is going to want to rent a property somewhere in the city center that is furnished.
Though hotels charge on a per pax basis, Airbnbs in Japan tend to have a flat fee per night. What’s more, just as is the case with Weave Living’s apartments, these units come equipped with most of the facilities that one would need for daily life in Japan. Still, while you won’t need to worry about having a room without a kitchen, Wifi, or any furniture to relax on, visitors making use of Airbnbs for weeks on end are going to rack up quite the hefty bill by the end of the month.
By the way, since I know someone is going to ask it, know that ryokan will charge you the full price per guest. So, while you are indeed going to be sharing a large room with friends or family when lodging at one of these traditional Japanese inns, the total cost will be billed based on the number of people staying with you at the property. The reason for this difference is that ryokan serve both dinner and breakfast and thus the fee is set based on the number of mouths that need to be fed.
While it’s anyone’s guess, likely the aforementioned pricing policies that you see at hotels are a historical holdover from ryokan. As is often the case with a lot of things in Japan, no one bothered to update the standard operating procedures as hotels became the de facto places to stay when traveling and the practice just stuck around…
Serviced Apartments & Key Money
Given that Airbnb is probably going to be cost-prohibitive for anyone planning to stay one month or more, a different solution is required. As you’ll see if you go to Google, Japan has actually long had a number of apartment alternatives for people not interested in the standard style of long-term lease. The kicker is that many of these so-called “weekly mansions” are either hard to reserve without the ability to read Japanese or cater to wealthy expats that are being temporarily sent to Japan by global companies like Amazon, Google, etc.
Since most readers are not going to get their job to foot the bill, the short-term rental offerings from a company like Weave Living are just what the proverbial doctor ordered. Though indeed priced a tad higher than one would pay for an unfurnished apartment, you can skip paying the agency fee and multiple months of key money that one usually needs to fork over at the start of a contract. Moreover, since lease contracting can be completed entirely online, you can have a place before you even land at one of the two airports that serve Tokyo.
As noted above, the price for a furnished apartment at one of the many other players on the market can often be exorbitant. Despite being able to skip paying the agency fee and other upfront costs that normal apartment contracts are subject to, it’s still going to cost you a pretty yen. Thankfully, this isn’t the case with Weave Living’s many properties in Tokyo. Though the furnished apartments will indeed cost more than what you’d be looking for a standard two-year contract in Japan, the pricing includes all utilities and internet access. Thus, for visitors doing one month or more in Japan, the rent is actually comparatively quite cheap.
For those on a budget, there is also always the option of living in a share house. However, while you will indeed get a private room during your long-term stay, a lot of these properties have seen better days (at least according to many international residents of Japan on Reddit). While you’ll need to find someone else to hang out with in your spare time, having your own furnished apartment from Weave Living that is both safe and secure easily beats out the life in a share house for travelers planning an upcoming new adventure in Japan.
Introducing Weave Living’s Properties
Thus far, I think I’ve done a decent job showcasing why one might want to rent a furnished apartment for longer visits to Japan. In this section, I want to introduce all of the current Weave Living properties in Tokyo. We’ve been adding new units at a breakneck pace so I’ll try to keep this section updated with the latest details whenever a new location comes online…
- Asakusa Kaminarimon
Located but a mere stone’s throw away from the venerable Senso-ji temple compound, this apartment complex is one of Weave Living’s finest in the city. With easy access to Tokyo’s most iconic temple and the ever-iconic Tokyo Sky Tree, Asakusa Kaminarimon is the perfect home base for travelers. From the nearest station, you can both take a direct train up to Nikko and Kinugawa Onsen as well as explore all of Tokyo. - Ryogoku
Ever wanted to live in the sumo capital of Japan? Well, now you can thanks to Weave Living’s Ryogoku apartment building. If you rent a unit here, you’ll be able to regularly catch a glimpse of sumo wrestlers going to and from practice as well as enjoy convenient train access via both the JR and Toei Oedo Lines. While living here, be sure to at least give Chanko Nabe a try at least once in honor of the area! - Morishita
Though Morishita is indeed less well known than the aforementioned two alternatives, know that travelers on a longer visit to Tokyo could do a lot worse when it comes to neighborhoods to rent an apartment in. Only slightly removed from the heart of Tokyo, Morishita is a little slice of tranquility to come home to in the middle of the biggest city on the planet.
In addition to the properties noted above, the following apartment complex duo are the locations that Weave Living launched last year in October 2023…
- Waseda Park
This one is perfect for Waseda University students as well as anyone who is looking to live close to Shinjuku Station. It’s conveniently situated right by the Kanda River, a place that is absolutely enchanting during the period when the cherry blossoms are out (as can be seen pictured above here). - Monzennakacho
Situated between the popular hubs of Ginza and Tokyo Station, the Monzennakacho property has easy access to much of the city thanks to it sitting on both the Tozai and Oedo Lines. The lively and historic neighborhood itself boasts numerous restaurants and eateries and is a great home base for your trip.
Note that if you go onto Weave Living’s site, you’re going to see properties in Higashi-Koenji and Kunitachi. Both of these listings are unfurnished and are designed to go through traditional Japanese sales channels. As such, you’ll need to cough up the standard agency fee and have a guarantor to rent one of them. Instead, just stick to the ones that I’ve listed above for the company’s famous hassle-free renting experience.
Digital Nomading in Central Tokyo
Before wrapping this one up, I want to take a second to note that Japan recently announced a new visa type for digital nomads. Assuming that you make over 10 million yen per year and are from one of the 49 visa-exempt countries, you can now apply to live in Japan for up to half a year. While visitors doing longer stays in Japan could probably somehow get by with hotel hopping alone, those looking to work on the go are going to want a place with furniture and internet that is conveniently located in the city.
Though the new Asakusa Kaminarimon location is Weave Living’s current “flagship” for the Japanese market, my fellow coffee addicts out there may want to look at staying in Monzennakacho instead. From here, the lovely Kiyosumi-Shirakawa is within easy walking distance. As you’ll see if you waltz your way over (or take the train one stop to Kiyosumi-Shirakawa Station), there are an insane amount of craft coffee shops located in this part of the city for you to work from.
Finally, since there is no point in being a digital nomad without also doing a bit of travel, those heeding my advice and renting an apartment in the Monzennakacho complex would do well to check out the Fukagawa Edo Museum, Kiyosumi Gardens, and the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo. I covered the faithfully recreated townscape on display at the Fukagawa Edo Museum before in this article but I’ll leave it up to you, the reader, to do some digging on further details in the spirit of brevity.
Until next time travelers…
