Shirakaba Sunshine Lodge

The skylight gave us a lovely view, especially around sunset. The host’s mother was reassuring and made us feel at ease. She was very accommodating with breakfast and other needs, which helped a lot. The morning and evening meals were delicious, and I was very satisfied, though the next dish sometimes came a little too quickly, especially the fish followed by the meat. I’d worried that the room fan might be a problem, but it was cool and comfortable. Maybe it’s because of my height, but the stairs and second-floor ceiling felt low. It’s a wonderful lodge, and I’d like to return. Thank you very much.

The food was delicious at both dinner and breakfast, and a young boy helped serve dinner. He was trying hard, though I wish he’d been a little friendlier. When I went to pay by card, I was told reservations at XX were cash only. I hadn’t heard that, and it surprised me that cards weren’t accepted these days. Later I checked the ○○ website and saw they don’t take credit cards. I should’ve checked more carefully, so I learned something. This was my first stay at this kind of lodging, and I guess you shouldn’t expect it to be like a hotel. The room was a little small but clean. Voices and noises from other rooms were bothersome, there was no Wi-Fi, hair dryer, or razor, and the toilet was dirty. There were two other toilets outside the room, though, and one had a comfortable washlet. What’s with that difference? The woman at reception annoyed me a bit because her explanations were sloppy. When I asked about the bath, she started with “Because...!” I was asking because the information hadn’t been explained, so that answer felt odd. I figured that was how a privately run place was. Apart from the food, it wasn’t a very good stay. In some ways it was a good experience, for better or worse.

The breakfast was great, the ski rentals were cheap, and having parking right out front was a big plus.

We stayed in a Japanese-style room, my friend, her child, and I. It showed its age, but the dining room had a nice charm, and we opted to eat indoors instead of choosing BBQ. The relaxed Western-style home-cooked meal was lovely. I especially remember the foil-baked fish. It was a whole small fish with its head still on, not fillets. Once we stepped outside and walked a little way from the building, the sky was full of incredibly beautiful stars. I thought the price was good, especially with both breakfast and dinner included.