Hikari House - Hostel

Ok, so let me qualify my title a little; Hikari House is quaint little hostel tucked away in what I would say is THE most Korean quarter of Tokyo, so don't be surprised if you hear strains of the latest K-pop hits amidst a smorgasbord of dakgalbi, samgyeopsal and chimaek joints - mostly written in Japanese. You'll never be far away from a bbq joint (there's one attached to the hostel) so if that's your thing, you'll DEFINITELY love Hikari house. But there's a lot of other stuff to love - the location is amazing, for one. 5 minutes from Shin-Okubo station, 3 minutes to Don Quijote (aka 24-hour souvenir and snack shopping heavne), 2 minutes to the nearest 7-eleven, and around just 8 minutes to the pulsating, vibrant, neon-filled heart of Shinjuku. Come out of the hostel, turn left, head across the main road, walk down the lane beside the Nakau 24-hour eatery, and straight ahead for a bit, and you'll be in Kabuki-cho. The service is awesome too; the staff I had the pleasure of interacting with spoke English, as well as Korean and Japanese and even some Mandarin. Rooms were super-clean, well-lit and comfortable - there's a fridge and water facilities on every floor, so you can fill up your bottles and such before you head out. There's a also a self-service laundry (no dryer though - it was summer when I came, so I didn't actually need a dryer, but if YOU do, turn right out of the hostel and walk down a minute or two, and there's a 24-hour laundry there with a dryer). Washrooms and toilets are shared, and there's a men's only shower facility on the roof level (they're a bit exposed, which is why they're not unisex). Everything's clean, neat and organised, perfect for long or short stays. Bring your own towels if you can, or you can rent them there. Toiletries are provided though, so no need to lug yours around unless you're picky. For just around RM100 per person per night (that's about USD25), I'm definitely staying here again next time I need an accessible and comfortable stay in this part of Tokyo. I hope you will, too!