unito residence Shinjuku Wakamatsu Review: Our Month in a Tokyo Airbnb

Our month at unito residence Shinjuku Wakamatsu was the most we've ever paid for a place to stay. It was also a 10/10. I'd book it again.

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In this guide 10 sections

It wasn't big. It didn't need to be. Every inch was set up so well that a small Tokyo apartment felt like plenty for two people. And it taught us what a real Japanese apartment is like, right down to the heated toilet seat.

Cream and I rented it on Airbnb for a month in Shinjuku. Here's what it was like to live there, what it cost, and who should book it.

Is unito residence Shinjuku Wakamatsu Worth It? My Quick Answer

Yes. We gave it 10 out of 10. It's clean, organized, and has everything you need for a month: a kitchen, a washer and dryer, great Wi-Fi, and a bath we used every night. The catch is the location. It's in a quiet residential corner of Shinjuku, so for a one-week first trip, the walk into central Shinjuku might be too much.

Where unito residence Shinjuku Wakamatsu Is

The building is in Wakamatsu-cho, a few minutes' walk from Wakamatsu-Kawada Station on the Toei Oedo line, away from the crowds of central Shinjuku. The map shows the area, plus other places to stay nearby with today's prices, in case our building is booked for your dates.

Map of places to stay around unito residence Shinjuku Wakamatsu in Tokyo

This map comes from Stay22, a booking partner.

Arriving at unito residence

Getting in was easy. The host sent very clear instructions, with photos of what everything looked like, so we knew what to look for before we even arrived. Our key was waiting in a lockbox outside the building.

Get Data Before You Land

We landed in Tokyo with an Airalo eSIM already working, and we used our data right away to figure out the train from the airport. You'll want it again for the walk from the station to the lockbox. Set it up at home, and it switches on when your plane lands.

Get an Airalo eSIM (15% off your first one)

The Building

The building has elevators, but we were on the first floor, so we never needed them. The station was another story. It's a short walk away, but it had no elevator, so day one started with suitcases on the stairs. Pack light if you can. Here's how to get from Narita to Shinjuku, including the cheap train we rode in on.

Inside Our Apartment

The first thing we noticed was how clean it was. Everything was tidy and organized, and it had everything you need. This was our second Airbnb in Japan after Osaka, and Japanese Airbnbs keep winning. The host's listings for this building describe units of about 37 square meters (about 400 square feet).¹ That's small, but nothing was wasted.

The Living Room and Our Work Table

The living room had a sofa, a floor lamp, and a table with two chairs. That table was our office for a month. We worked from the apartment every day, and the Wi-Fi was great. I can't complain about a thing.

It was also our dinner table. We ate a lot of 7-Eleven and grocery store dinners at home, spread out across that table.

The Kitchen

The kitchen was small, with two gas burners, a sink, a small fridge, and a water kettle. Small, but it had what we needed.

The Bedroom (and Cream's Sofa)

The bedroom had a bed big enough for one person. So Cream took the sofa bed for the month. It wasn't ideal, but it was actually comfortable. If you're a couple who wants to share a bed, check the bed setup in the listing before you book.

The Bathroom: Three Rooms, Not One

This is where Japanese apartments shine. The toilet had its own room. The shower had its own room. And there was a separate area just for washing your hands and brushing your teeth.

And the toilet? A heated bidet, with its control panel on the wall. It was one of my favorite things in the apartment.

The shower room had a shower and a tub. We just happened to use the tub a lot. Every night, in fact. Near the end of our month, we were walking 30,000 steps a day for Pokémon GO Fest. After days like that, the bath was how we relaxed.

The Washer and Dryer

We had a washer and dryer in the apartment. For a month of living out of suitcases, that's huge. We never needed a laundromat.

The Little Things I Fell in Love With

The apartment came stocked with so many good cleaning products. And then there was the lint roller for the floors. It's a sticky roller on a long handle. You roll it over the floor and it picks up every hair and crumb. I used it every day.

We also had a cute little trash can with a section for each kind of recycling. Japan sorts its trash carefully, and the bin makes it easy. I loved it.

The Neighborhood: Wakamatsu-cho

Wakamatsu-cho is a residential part of Shinjuku. It wasn't busy, and we never heard any noise, from the street or the neighbors. Japan is so quiet.

There was a little shrine I went to every morning. It was peaceful. On the way, you see real Tokyo life, like moms on souped-up bikes with two or three kids on board. I loved that.

A grocery store and all the convenience stores were close by, which is how we ate so many dinners at home. If you're still deciding on the area, here's what living in Shinjuku was really like, from the morning shrine to the walk into the neon.

Getting Around From Wakamatsu-cho

Central Shinjuku was a 15 to 20 minute walk, and it's a little hilly. We walked it at night too, and it always felt safe.

For everything else, we used the Toei Oedo line from Wakamatsu-Kawada Station (E03). If you've never ridden it, Tokyo Metro 101 walks through it step by step. It took us straight to Ueno, and the ride to Ueno-okachimachi cost 220 yen in 2026. That's about $1.40.

The station opened in 2000 and sits between Higashi-shinjuku (E02) and Ushigome-yanagicho (E04), with Waseda University nearby.⁴ The same Oedo line also stops at Shinjuku Station, Roppongi, and Tsukiji.⁵

Do You Need a Car?

Not in Tokyo. We never rented a car there, and between the Oedo line and walking, we didn't need one.

A car makes sense for day trips out of the city, like Mt. Fuji or Hakone. To drive in Japan, most visitors, Americans included, need an International Driving Permit issued under the 1949 Geneva Convention, along with their home license.⁷ You get it at home before you fly, and it's good for up to a year in Japan. Remember that Japan drives on the left.

If you're planning a road trip, compare rental cars in Japan with Auto Europe.

Booking unito residence Shinjuku Wakamatsu: What to Know

We booked on Airbnb and it was easy. Here's what we found when we looked into the rest, so you know what you're signing up for.

Who Runs It

unito is a Japanese company that rents furnished apartments by the night or the month in cities across Japan, including Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, and Fukuoka.³ Its Shinjuku Wakamatsu building is listed on Airbnb with a 4.81 rating from 399 reviews, as of October 2026.²

Check-In and House Rules

The building is unstaffed. Check-in is self-service, and unito says keys come by smart key or key box.³ Check-in is from 4 PM and check-out is by 10 AM.

The Airbnb listing asks foreign guests for a passport copy, asks you to sort your trash and keep it in the apartment, and says there's no cleaning or towel change during your stay.² On a month-long stay, that means you're the housekeeper. The washer, dryer, and that lint roller help a lot.

Airbnb or Book Direct?

unito also rents its apartments by the month on its own site. The terms are a 30-day minimum, Wi-Fi and utilities included, and payment by bank transfer only, with no credit cards.³ In October 2026, its monthly prices started at 130,000 yen, and the examples on its site ran from 110,000 to 263,000 yen a month, depending on the building. We haven't booked that way, so compare it with Airbnb for your dates.

What a Furnished Month in Shinjuku Costs

Our month cost about $2,000. At around 155 yen to the dollar, that's roughly 310,000 yen.

For comparison, a 26-square-meter furnished one-bedroom in Yotsuya, also in Shinjuku, was listed at 255,000 yen a month in 2026, plus utilities and a move-out cleaning fee.⁶ So we paid toward the top of the range. We knew that going in, and for a clean, quiet place with laundry and a bath, it was worth it to us.

What We Didn't Love

Honestly, not much. When I was asked what bothered us, my answer was "Nope! It was perfect!" But here's what to know before you book:

• The bed. Our unit had a bed for one, so Cream was on the sofa bed. It was comfortable, but it wasn't ideal for a couple.
• The walk. We had time to walk into central Shinjuku most days, but it's a bit of a walk. On a one-week trip, you'd feel it.
• The stairs. Our station had no elevator. With big suitcases, that's a workout.

Who Should Book unito residence Shinjuku Wakamatsu

Book it if you're staying a few weeks or longer, working remotely, or want to see how people in Tokyo actually live. You'll get a quiet street, a real kitchen, laundry, and a bath at the end of a long day.

Skip it if it's your first trip and you only have a week. You'll want to be closer to the center of Shinjuku.

Our Verdict

Japanese Airbnbs are the best we've stayed in, and this one earned its 10/10. It cost more than anywhere else we've stayed, and we knew that going in. It was worth it. I'd 100% stay here again.

Next Steps for Your Tokyo Trip

• Shinjuku vs Shibuya: why we picked Shinjuku.
• Tokyo Metro 101: how to ride the Oedo line from Wakamatsu-Kawada.
• Narita to Shinjuku: how we got from the airport to the apartment.
• The must-eat foods in Tokyo, for when you're done with grocery store dinners.