MIMARU Tokyo Akasaka — a real 40 sqm apartment with a working kitchen, the rare Tokyo workation find
Finding accommodation in Tokyo that comes with a real kitchen, separate living area, and proper workspace — without paying luxury-hotel prices — is harder than it sounds. MIMARU Tokyo Akasaka is the answer many people have been searching for: a 4★ Japanese aparthotel brand offering 40 sqm rooms with an IH stove, a 120L fridge, a separate sofa area, and a 1.5-metre work desk, sitting quietly in Akasaka — a business district far calmer than Shinjuku or Shibuya, yet easy to reach from anywhere in the city.
MIMARU Tokyo Akasaka sits at 2-17-54 Akasaka in Minato-ku — five minutes on foot from Akasaka Metro Station and seven from Tameike-Sanno Station. That means easy access to Roppongi one stop away, TBS Television City within walking distance, and Shibuya or Shinjuku just a handful of metro stops further on. The Akasaka area itself hosts over 100 izakaya and restaurants along its shopping street, so there is never any shortage of dinner options right outside the door — all of it noticeably quieter than the tourist-heavy streets of Shinjuku or Shibuya.
"The room is huge by Tokyo standards. The kitchen actually works. We saved a fortune on food — it honestly felt like having our own apartment in the middle of the city."
What makes MIMARU stand apart from the average Tokyo aparthotel is the room size and kitchen that genuinely functions. The Standard Apartment at 40 sqm comes with a two-burner IH stove, microwave, 120-litre fridge, and a living area that is genuinely separate from the sleeping space — not just a corner squeezed into the bedroom. A 7-Eleven convenience store sits directly in front of the building, and Maruetsu supermarket is four minutes' walk away, making it easy to stock up and cook. For stays of five nights or more, those grocery savings add up to a meaningful amount.
For remote workers and workation travellers, the 1.5-metre desk in the living room is one of the most-mentioned features in guest reviews. It is big enough to set up a second monitor, spread out notebooks, and keep work documents separate — without the classic Tokyo hotel problem of having to sit on the bed to use a laptop. With the living area screened from the sleeping zone, it is also easy to hold a Zoom call without disturbing anyone resting nearby.
The in-building coin laundry on the basement floor is another convenience guests appreciate consistently. At ¥300 per wash cycle and ¥100 to dry, it is considerably cheaper than sending clothes to an outside laundry service and far more convenient than tracking down a laundrette. For stays from five nights upward it becomes a genuine part of the daily routine. The one thing worth knowing: between 18:00 and 22:00 there can be a queue. Doing laundry in the morning or before noon avoids the wait.
The weekly rate discount of 20% is where MIMARU's value equation really clicks into place. For stays of seven nights or more, the per-night average drops to around ¥16,800, translating to roughly ¥125,000 for the week. For a family of four or a team of colleagues on a workation, that divided per head is hard to beat compared with booking separate hotel rooms nearby. It is the kind of structure that rewards longer stays and makes a Tokyo trip of one to two weeks genuinely affordable.
A few things worth knowing before you book — MIMARU Tokyo Akasaka has no restaurant and no breakfast service. This is a pure aparthotel built around the assumption that guests will cook or head out to eat. If a hotel buffet breakfast or full concierge service is important to you, this place will not tick that box. The Standard Apartment also lacks a dishwasher, meaning hand-washing after meals. These are genuine trade-offs, though for anyone on a workation or family stay they tend to feel very minor against the amount of space and the savings on both food and nightly rate.
Straight talk: if you are planning a Tokyo stay of five nights or longer — whether as a family of four, a group of friends, or a solo remote worker — MIMARU Tokyo Akasaka offers something genuinely hard to find at this price point in the city. Real space, a real kitchen, a quiet but well-connected neighbourhood, and a weekly rate structure that rewards commitment. Rooms start from ¥21,000 per night for a 40 sqm apartment sleeping four.
Summary from Booking & Agoda
- ✓ 40 sqm apartment + IH stove + sofa area — bigger than standard Tokyo options
- ✓ 20% weekly rate · ~¥125,000/week makes workation stays excellent value
- ✓ Akasaka Metro 5 min walk · quiet district, close to Roppongi + TBS
- ✓ In-building coin laundry at ¥400/cycle — convenient for longer stays
- ! Standard Apartment has no dishwasher — hand-washing required
- ! Basement coin laundry can have a queue in the evenings
- ! No in-house restaurant or breakfast service
- ✓ Generous room size by Tokyo standards · separate living and sleeping areas
- ✓ Fully equipped kitchen lets you save significantly on food costs
- ✓ 1.5 m work desk in the living area — comfortable for full days of remote work
- ✓ Accommodates 4 guests comfortably · children have space to move around
- ! No breakfast service — you cook or go out
- ! Coin laundry between 18:00 and 22:00 can have a wait
- ! Not a full-service hotel — pure self-catering model
- 💡If you want a buffet breakfast or concierge service — this is a pure aparthotel with no restaurant → a full-service 4★ hotel will suit you better.
- 💡If you prefer not to hand-wash dishes — the Standard Apartment has no dishwasher → upgrade to the Deluxe Apartment (50 sqm, with in-room washer/dryer), or consider an alternative property.
- 💡If you are staying just one or two nights — the 20% weekly discount does not apply, and a conventional hotel with included services may offer better overall value.