Oakhouse Higako Sports is a home away from home. This lovely sharehouse accommodation is one of the best places to stay in Tokyo. The former apartment building has transitioned to guest houses for long or short term stays.
As you enter the property just minutes away from Higashi-Koganei Station, you are greeted by the lovely hosts, who show you to your room and around the premises. As they go over some of the rules and procedures, you can have your photograph taken for their wall so everyone can see who lives there and where they are from. The top two floors, four and five, are for women only while the bottom three levels are mixed. Each floor has a small kitchenette to use for making something quick.
Each room comes with your own temperature controls, your own refrigerator, a desk, a twin-sized bed, and a lovely balcony. As you move around the 160-room structure you notice the energy of the accommodation. On the ground level in the entrance way, a comfy seating area sits right outside the courtyard. As you enter into the kitchen, a soft glow from the warm wood transforms the space. There's a relaxing lounge with multiple areas to socialize and congregate. A TV to watch games and movies rests at the far wall while a vending machine with an assortment of drinks is located nearby. The long kitchen table stretches almost half of the room, making for many nights sitting around the table laughing and drinking with new friends.
Higako Sports is great because, unlike most accommodation in Tokyo, it features an outdoor court to use for basketball, soccer, and tennis. A studio inside on the second floor next to the social office is a wonderful space to do yoga or just lounge around and watch a movie on the 150-inch projector. There is also a traditional Japanese-style bath suite that switches every week from ladies to gents. And you can also enjoy a bicycle ride through Koganei Park for just ¥2,000 – a bicycle rental lasts for the whole month.
I truly enjoyed the Oakhouse Higako Sports sharehouse accommodation. They allowed for me to feel social and to make new friends while also providing the space to maintain a healthy lifestyle with physical activity.
