Daishin Ryokan

The friendly staff were the best part of my visit. The ryokan is simple and nothing fancy, but it's decent and close enough to the station. My room was reasonably clean, and the air conditioner kept it warm.

Slept well, and the onsen is included for free. The staff were very polite. A great stay.

Our room faced the road, with large trucks passing constantly, and the room key seemed unreliable, which worried me a bit. Still, this gave us a better experience than an ordinary business hotel, for better or worse. As the reviews say, it's very much a Showa-era inn wherever you look. Being old doesn't mean it's dirty, though. The toilet, bathroom, and room were all really clean.

I was in Choshi on the eastern edge of Chiba Prefecture for a day trip and wanted to try a public bath. The bathroom at my hotel wasn't very appealing. I considered a public bathhouse, but its Google Maps reviews weren't great, and when I arrived, people were sitting outside, which put me off. So I called Daishin Ryokan, a place I'd been curious about, and asked whether day visitors could bathe. They could, and I went a little after 4 PM. Even though I wasn't staying overnight, they were really kind and helpful. I paid at the front desk and was shown to the bath. The building felt old and worn, and with my weight the floor creaked and bounced enough to make me nervous. I felt like I might fall through it, cartoon-style. The bathing area looked big enough for about five people to wash at once, and the tub could fit more than five bathers. Since it isn't a public bathhouse, they provide body soap and other amenities, which was great. The water was just a little lukewarm, not too hot, so I ended up soaking for around 30 minutes. Next time I'd like to stay overnight and include meals. That's about it.