Kujukurihama Pension Minshuku Taiyo

The owner was friendly and helpful, and having the bath open around the clock was a real help. I stayed without meals while surfing. The building and some facilities felt a bit old, but that seemed within the usual range for a coastal area. I'd stay again if I get the chance.

The bus ride from Mobara Station is just under 20 minutes, then it's about a two-minute ride from the stop. Getting there was easy: from Tokyo, you can take the Yokosuka Line or Sobu Line Rapid straight to Mobara without changing trains. Round-trip transport cost about 5,000 yen. For one night and two days, travel and accommodation came to around 10,000 yen, which made for a relaxing solo trip. The pension was affordable, starting just under 3,000 yen for one adult in a room without meals. Mine was a detached Japanese-style room with eight tatami mats, plus its own sink and toilet. There were two bathrooms, kept immaculate and locked for safe, relaxing use. A Family Mart is only a minute's walk away, and the hot springs are a few minutes on foot, so a day trip there followed by an overnight stay made for a lovely, inexpensive break.

The room was clean, with free Wi-Fi, and there was a washlet toilet, plus a microwave and fridge in the shared space. I used the hot springs for bathing, so I can't comment on the bath here. The thin walls could be an issue if you're sensitive to noise, but otherwise I thought it was good value for the price. It's a good-value guesthouse for a work trip, with an unusual setup: a bed in a Japanese-style room. The building and some facilities are a little old. The dog was cute, and the owner was handsome and had a great personality.

The owner surfs and is a really nice guy, and it seems like many of the guests surf too. It's close to the beach, and there's a FamilyMart nearby for convenient shopping. There's also a Chinese restaurant even closer to the beach than the FamilyMart, and the food is delicious. Staying without meals at this price is great.