Beautiful Japanese style room, Sunpika - Kirin no ma

A well balance between uniqueness, functions and price

Nov 28, 2022

Introduction

I stumbled upon Sunpika from an Airbnb search. This place is gorgeous. The accommodation was completed at the beginning of 2022, during the COVID period. I have stayed in this hotel so many times, because of the right cost, great location, beautiful rooms and great amenities. I met the owner of the place who lived on the fourth floor of the accommodation. There are only three rooms in this place. All of them with unique Japanese designs and all of them are handmade.

The entrance to the meditation room is on the right

Kirin no ma is my favourite room. It is the largest room of the three. The room has a meditation area and a small kitchen for light cooking plus a tall dining table.

Comfort: 9/10

The beds are comfortable. Although they are low on the floor, it fits very well with the overall design of the room. They are large enough for two people. The tatami mat on the floor is comfortable to touch. The seats and dining table next to the kitchen are nice for having a meal or working on your laptop. The TV itself is placed opposite the table so we can watch movies during the meal or use it as a speaker.

The amenities are top-class. I love the body soap, shampoo and conditioner used in this place. The dryer is Dyson, which some people might have a love/hate relationship with it.

The only thing I wish they have is a washing/drying machine or coin laundry nearby. I have told the owner about that and he is working on something to address that.

Location 9/10

The accommodation is close to Otsuka station on the JR line. There is a tramp line called the Sakura Tram line, which is the only tramp line still operating in Tokyo. Although it is close to the station, the surrounding is quiet. There is a lot of restaurants near the station. There is a Don Quijote which is open 24 hours on the north side of the station. Bonus point, there is a famous onigiri place, also on the north side of the station as well. Highly recommend it if you don’t mind queuing up!

Onigiri Bongo , north side of the station

Uniqueness 9/10

Each of the rooms has its own design and paint on the wall. They are all hand-painted. I love the design of this entrance to the meditation area, plus the woodwork on the ceiling is a very nice touch. The room is well designed, with everything you would need for your stay. The common area is also beautiful, with power plugs under the seat so you can spend time working there if you want to.

The owner always prepares some welcome snacks and drinks in the fridge. They are small and highly welcome touches.

Cost 8.5/10

Given the room is brand-new, and beautifully designed, and the location is close to JR station the cost is well justified. Kirin no ma is slightly larger than a normal room in a hotel. Since there is a cleaning cost, booking it for multiple nights will cut down the overall cost per night. I would love to stay here for a month or longer if I can effort it.