Written by Patrick Balfe
Japan’s tourism boom isn’t just about bigger crowds, it’s about longer stays. As more visitors trade whirlwind itineraries for extended adventures, furnished apartments are becoming one of the smartest ways to experience Tokyo.
To find out more about short-term, fully furnished apartment rentals in Tokyo, we spent a day with Weave Living — a well-known rental housing company that provides flexible-stay properties. We checked out some of their top offerings around the city, hung out on a 15th-floor rooftop, and even hit the gym.
Big win: With all of Weave’s properties, you can share with your partner or friends, which is rare for Japan.
The “living like a local” experience at Weave
In the last few years, there’s been a global trend towards slow travel, and developments in Digital Nomad and Working Holiday visas have made it a bit easier to #travelslow in Japan.
For people staying for a month or more, vacation rentals were once an obvious accommodation choice. But with potential crackdowns and skyrocketing hotel prices, short-term furnished apartment rentals are an increasingly popular option — especially for those looking for a more local experience. And that’s exactly what Weave Living offers.
On our site visits, our friendly Weave leasing team guide confirmed that more and more visitors are seeking “real Japan” experiences. You could say it’s a natural evolution beyond the not-so-secret “must-visit” locations recommended by every second person with a TikTok account, and a remedy for brainrot.
Getting to know the daily rhythms of a neighborhood, humming along to your local 5-o’clock chime, memorizing the stations on your train line, and trying all the nearby mom-and-pop restaurants and grocery stores are part of experiencing daily life in Tokyo. They’re also things you typically can’t get from a hotel stay in the middle of Shibuya or Shinjuku.
Low up-front costs
A big selling point for Weave is their minimal up-front costs. Anyone who’s rented a property in Japan will know that it has its … challenges, like minimum lease requirements, key money, hefty deposits, and agency fees. Even without a language gap, there are more than a handful of barriers to entry when looking for a place to live in Tokyo.
Weave don’t charge key money or agency fees and don’t require a guarantor, which means you could save thousands of dollars in upfront costs. You can also rent for as little as one month, and their entire booking process can be done online, easily and in English.
Booking process
Renting an apartment with Weave is a lot like booking a hotel. You search for your preferred location and dates, then enter the number of guests and browse the available properties. The whole process, from start to finish, can be completed online, and they accept credit card payment in local currency via the website.
If you have any questions throughout the process, they have bilingual staff, so English support is available from booking through check-in and check-out online, via email, over the phone, or in person.
Utilities and furniture
Sorting out utilities and furniture is another classic struggle when getting set up in Japan. It can take months to get settled in, particularly if you don’t have a Japanese phone number or bank account. Cup noodles on a dollar-store futon is fun for a day, but then it gets old, fast.
Weave Place’s furnished apartments are already set up with the necessary utilities, furniture, and appliances, so you can skip that stress. As our guide pointed out, the ability to cook at home is a big plus, and with a fully equipped kitchen, you can whip up your new favorite Japanese recipes or comfort foods without fuss.
Location, location, location
Another thing that a furnished apartment has over a long-term hotel stay is the choice of locations and apartment styles. While hotel stays are generally limited to major tourist areas, Weave has fully furnished apartments across a variety of sought-after inner-city neighborhoods.
Whether you’d prefer to be closer to the city center, universities, or cultural hubs, Weave has short-term options available in:
- Asakusa
- Roppongi, Azabu
- Ueno, Kanda
- Meguro, Shirokane
- Waseda, Shinjuku
- Ryōgoku, Oshiage
And other areas, too.
Ranging in size from one-bedroom to family-sized, Weave apartments cater to students, working holiday makers, digital nomads, and families for anywhere from one to 12 months.
How much do Weave furnished apartments cost?
When we checked, furnished properties were priced from around ¥191,000 per month for a one-bedroom apartment in Kōenji, to roughly ¥339,000 per month for a two-bedroom apartment in Asakusa.
For those looking for longer stays or who prefer more conventional unfurnished apartments, Weave Base also has unfurnished locations across the city, allowing you to fit out your apartment the way you like.
Unfurnished apartments are available in popular areas like Taitō, Shinagawa, Itabashi, Kita, and Nerima, and range in price from roughly ¥111,000 for a one-bedroom apartment to around ¥263,000 per month for a spacious three-bedroom unit.
Our impression of Weave apartments
We visited Weave Place – Meguro Fudōmae and were taken aback by how much “home” it was giving. The two-bedroom apartment had a spacious dining area and living room, and even the one-bedroom unit had a comfortable kitchen and living area.
But to be honest, all of the Weave properties we visited were modern, comfortable, and secure (we actually struggled with the extra hi-tech security lock on the rooftop balcony in Ueno).
As an added bonus, some of the apartments have sweet perks. Weave Place – Ueno South has a rooftop balcony with views of Skytree and the city, for example, while Weave Place – Asakusa Kaminarimon, just a short walk from Sensō-ji, is equipped with a gym.
Our final take: Weave Living is offering new ways to rent in Tokyo with something for everyone. Weave Place is an excellent option for anyone here for a year or less but still wants a comfortable, move-in-ready home to live like a local. And for folks looking to set up something more permanent, Weave Base is also an easy recommendation.
FAQs
A couple of other tidbits about Weave apartments.
How long does it take to move in?
It’s possible to move in right after your plane lands, even if it’s late at night. The entire booking process can be done online, and you can move in any time after midnight on your lease start date.
What do I need to bring with me?
With Weave’s furnished apartments, you can move right in with just your suitcase and toiletries. They’ve got fresh linen, towels, and a hair dryer at the apartment.
How does check-out work?
You can check out any time before 11:59 p.m. on your lease end date. A member of Weave’s team will confirm your check-out timing, and a final check can be done a few days before you leave.
