Onsen Ryokan Motoyoshi

I picked this place because it's fairly close to the Abashiri Prison Museum and the Okhotsk Drift Ice Museum. There wasn't anything especially outstanding, but it was a pleasant spot to unwind near Lake Abashiri. The lake is right nearby, and the building has a slightly historic feel. Hokkaido furnishings around the interior create a nice atmosphere, and the stove was a welcome touch for the season. The Japanese-style room wasn't large, but it was comfortable, and the snow outside the window was lovely. The futon, though, was hard rather than fluffy and wasn't great on my back. There was no toilet or bathroom in the room. Two shared toilets and bathrooms are on the first floor. An elderly woman and two elderly men helped me at the front desk. One of the men behaved in a way that didn't feel appropriate for customer service. The place felt more like a guesthouse than a traditional inn. My room had yukatas, towels, bath towels, toothbrushes, and razors for each guest. The hot spring bath can be used anytime during your stay, which is nice. The tub is about 4.5 tatami mats in size, not huge, but it never got crowded while I was there. The washing area has room for about eight people. There's shampoo and body soap, but no conditioner, and I'm not sure if the shampoo was a rinse-in kind. No facial cleanser either. Water drips from different parts of the ceiling, perhaps because of the building's structure. There isn't an open-air bath or sauna. The changing rooms have keys and lockers, but no washroom, cotton swabs, lotion, or similar supplies. There's just one hair dryer. A hairbrush was next to it, and there was another one in the washroom beside the dryer. I couldn't tell if guests were meant to use them or if someone had left them behind. When I went to the changing room toward evening after checking in, the lights were off, so I had to find the switch and turn them on in the dimness. For dinner, I chose the affordable Business Pack Plan and wasn't expecting much, but the amount and variety were more than enough. It came with a small hot pot, pork cutlet, simmered herring, and large sashimi pieces, salmon and octopus that day. It was delicious. Other plans also offer sukiyaki and hairy crab. Breakfast was a Japanese set meal with simple sides, natto, miso soup, and tamagoyaki. My grilled salmon still had a piece of plastic wrap crust stuck to it, which must have been forgotten.