TOKYO / ITABASHI
Ume
Ume
Two beds, a small kitchen and a dining table — making a Tokyo stay feel like your own small daily life.
Photo source: Trip.com hotel gallery
A small stay for two people who want somewhere to sit down and eat
- A ground-floor apartment at Maison Maple 103: 25 sqm, with one bedroom and a living-room layout.
- The twin room lists one single bed plus one small double bed, for up to three people.
- About an 8-minute walk from Kami-Itabashi Station; with a small kitchen and washing machine, you can set your own daily rhythm.
If you are looking in Tokyo for somewhere that is more than just a bed, I would keep a small apartment like Ume in mind. The bedroom has two beds, and outside it there is a small kitchen and a dining table, so when two people come back, one can rest while the other prepares a meal, instead of both sitting on the edge of a bed.
It is in Wakagi, Itabashi Ward, at Maison Maple 103, on the ground floor, 25 sqm. This kind of space suits people who want to sleep in separate beds and are happy to handle simple daily life themselves; if you want to stay right in the middle of a large shopping area every day, weigh the walk to and from the station and the transfers together.
My choice would start with the number of people. For two people, the two beds and the dining table are easy to use comfortably; for three travelling together, decide first who shares the small double bed with whom, and do not read a twin room as three people each getting their own bed.
Getting there: walking from Kami-Itabashi Station into the Wakagi residential streets
Ume’s address is Maison Maple 103, 1-7-16 Wakagi, Itabashi Ward, Tokyo, about 530 metres from Kami-Itabashi Station, about an 8-minute walk. I would count this stretch into every day’s plans, especially when arriving with luggage or coming back after a full day out.
Kami-Itabashi is on the Tobu Tojo Line; when going to other parts of Tokyo, it is easier to plan with Ikebukuro as the connecting direction. Kami-Itabashi is not the same station as JR Itabashi or subway Itabashi-honcho, so when checking tickets and airport routes, choosing Kami-Itabashi directly avoids detours.
Kami-Itabashi Station has lifts, so with a large suitcase you can follow the in-station lift signs and then leave the station for the property. The property itself is listed on the ground floor, which saves carrying suitcases up to a high floor; people with a stroller or step-free access needs should still ask about how to enter the building.
This place’s appeal is its in-room living space, not a location right by a station exit. If your Tokyo trip changes area every day, I would first plan two or three days of actual routes and see whether you like this rhythm of walking a stretch home each day.
Photo source: Trip.com hotel gallery
25 sqm, two beds: comfortable for two sleeping separately; three people need to decide how to sleep first
The twin room is listed as 25 sqm, with one bedroom and one living room; the bed type is one single bed plus one small double bed, for up to three people. The two beds in the photos are different widths, not two standard single beds of the same size.
Two friends travelling together can each use one bed; two adults with a child need to arrange bed-sharing by the actual number of people. No extra bed or baby cot can be added, so I would first be clear about the ages of the children travelling with you and how they will sleep, to avoid finding out in the room that everyone expected something different.
There is a sliding door between the bedroom and the kitchen dining area, which is handy when one person wants to lie down first and the other still needs to prepare food. Still, this is one 25 sqm accommodation unit; I would treat it as a small apartment with zones, not a large family suite with several bedrooms.
The ground-floor photos show a small outdoor table and chairs and floor-to-ceiling windows. People who like fresh air and sitting down with a drink may like this corner; if you care more about visual privacy, use the curtains and sliding door well when resting, and keep a quiet boundary in your own way.
Photo source: Trip.com hotel gallery
Photo source: Trip.com hotel gallery
Photo source: Trip.com hotel gallery
Small kitchen, dining table and washing machine: keeping daily life simple
The photos show a stove, sink, refrigerator, microwave and washing machine, plus a small table to sit and eat at. This equipment is very practical for a longer stay: eat simply in the morning, buy food back in the evening to prepare, without having to find a restaurant for every meal.
I would treat the kitchen as a tool that keeps flexibility in the trip. Buy only a small amount of whatever you want to eat, so ingredients and packaging do not fill the space; clean up straight after using the stove, and clear the table after eating, and the room stays comfortable more easily.
If you stay several nights and do not want to bring too many clothes, the washing machine is a big help. When planning a wash, also leave time for drying and putting things away, rather than leaving all the laundry until the night before check-out.
The property lists a free private parking space, which must be reserved in advance. If you drive, I would agree the space and the car type before setting off, and not read free parking as a guarantee of any free space on arrival. Free luggage storage can also be asked about in advance for handover times, to fit your arrival and departure plans.
Photo source: Trip.com hotel gallery
Photo source: Trip.com hotel gallery
Photo source: Trip.com hotel gallery
Photo source: Trip.com hotel gallery
Unit bathroom: it has a bathtub, but you will take turns
The bathroom photos show a bathtub, washbasin and toilet in the same space. Whether you want a shower or a simple soak in the evening, you have your own bathroom, without sharing with other guests.
If two people rush out in the morning at the same time, showering, using the toilet and brushing teeth will need to take turns. I would keep toiletries in one fixed small bag, packed the night before, so in the morning you do not have to keep searching in a compact space.
People bringing children should also think about how to get in and out of the bathtub and how an adult will help with bathing. A private bathroom is convenient for a family, but a compact unit layout still feels different from an apartment with a separate bath and toilet.
Photo source: Trip.com hotel gallery
Photo source: Trip.com hotel gallery
A small corner outside the ground floor: leave a little breathing room when you want to rest
Outside the room there is a small table and chairs, good for slowing the pace a little. Whether you want to sit down with a drink or sort out your belongings before going out, this small corner is enough; after the evening, remember to use it within the property’s quiet hours.
Photo source: Trip.com hotel gallery
Photo source: Trip.com hotel gallery
No breakfast served: the dining table and small kitchen are your morning flexibility
Ume does not serve breakfast. I would buy bread, drinks or simple food I like the night before, eat at the dining table in the morning and then go out, without having to fit a hotel’s meal times.
If you plan to go shopping in Ikebukuro that day, you can also fit breakfast into the plan after leaving the station. This place suits people who arrange their own meals; if you want a hot buffet waiting every morning when you wake up, put that need into the comparison too.
Having a small kitchen in the room does not mean you have to cook every day of the trip. Eating in the room occasionally and exploring Tokyo restaurants at other times is also a more relaxed way to plan.
Nearby plans: a day of shopping in Ikebukuro, another stretch for a park walk
I would treat Ume as a living base in Itabashi Ward, first arranging shopping and transfers in the Ikebukuro direction, then grouping other Tokyo sights into a day along the way, to cut down on constant trips back to the property.
For a change of pace, you can plan a walk under the trees and across the open spaces of Johoku Chuo Park. The park has strolling space and a children’s play area, good for times when you do not want to walk in crowded shopping areas every day; with children, you can also leave a stretch of time without rushing for a train.
If you need to buy food and drinks on the way back, I would think the night before about what the next morning’s breakfast needs. The convenience of a small apartment often comes from these small arrangements: buy it back, sit down and eat, then slowly prepare for the next day.
Short and longer stays: get the door code first, then enjoy your own rhythm
Check-in is generally after 15:00 and check-out before 10:00, with self check-in; you need to contact the property to get the entry code, and check-in information is provided after booking. I would save the instructions before setting off and make sure my phone can open them at any time, rather than leaving how to get in until I am at the door.
For a short stay of one or two nights, separate beds and the ground floor are the easiest advantages to feel; for a longer stay, the small kitchen, dining table and washing machine come into their own. If you stay only one night and have to rush off early, I would care more about whether the route from the station to the property suits you.
Quiet hours here are 22:00 to 05:00. Staying with friends, you can chat happily in the daytime and lower your voices when you come back at night; do laundry and pack as early as you can, rather than leaving everyday noise until late at night.
Children may stay, but no extra bed or baby cot can be provided, and pets are not allowed. Travelling with children as a family, I would first arrange bed-sharing and washing arrangements, then decide whether 25 sqm suits your family’s activity habits.
Trade-offs I would weigh: the walk, separate beds, and looking after things yourself
Guests like the clean interior, the kitchen and the washing machine, and also note that there is a walk from the station. If you are used to dropping your luggage straight after leaving the station, this residential-area small apartment and a station-front hotel have a different daily rhythm.
Choose the bed type by the twin room’s actual layout, and do not expect two equally wide large beds just from the room name or one photo. If all three people care a lot about sleeping space, I would first compare other room types by who sleeps where.
People who want a front desk nearby to help at any time should also think about whether they are used to code-based self check-in. People willing to read the instructions themselves, arrange meals and handle daily tidying usually find it easier to make use of this place’s character.
Pros and trade-offs, compared against your own way of travelling
| Aspect | Pros | Trade-offs to accept |
|---|---|---|
| Room | 25 sqm, bedroom and dining area separate | Three people still need to share one of the beds |
| Bed type | One single bed plus one small double bed | The two beds are different widths; no extra bed can be added |
| Living facilities | Small kitchen, dining table and washing machine are practical | Meals and laundry need to be arranged and tidied yourself |
| Transport | Kami-Itabashi Station connects to the Tobu Tojo Line | About an 8-minute walk from the station; leave time for sightseeing trips there and back |
| Bathroom | Private bathroom with a bathtub | Unit layout, so mornings require taking turns |
| Check-in | Ground floor and self check-in with a code are flexible | Check out before 10:00; evenings must follow quiet hours |
How to choose in the end: a two-person trip for people who like the feel of a small apartment
If you like sleeping in separate beds, want a dining table to sit at, and are willing to arrange your own breakfast and simple laundry, I would put Ume on the shortlist for a two-person Tokyo stay. It puts everyday functions into a not-large apartment, and suits people who have time to use the room.
For three people or a family travelling together, I would first arrange bed-sharing, the no-extra-bed rule and the check-out time. When choosing a stay, if the sleeping arrangements and transport match your own rhythm, this place’s ground-floor space, small kitchen and lived-in feel are more likely to count in its favour.
Fact-check date: 2026-10-25