TOCORO. Mt. Fuji Hostel

For a low-priced hostel, this is a handy base for hikes, with Kawaguchiko Station nearby and Lake Kawaguchi also close. The rooms were clean, though a little cramped as expected, and staff kept the shared facilities clean too. You can rent bikes, which is useful around here since beautiful views are dotted all over the region. And if you like that sort of thing, it's also very close to THE lawson in front of fujisan.

Just a couple of minutes on foot from Kawaguchiko Station, and the room came with a kettle and green tea packets, plus toothbrush and toothpaste. The toilet, shower, microwave, and refrigerator are shared. Bring your own face wash and skincare, especially in winter when skin dries out easily. The pillow and mattress weren't especially comfortable, but they were acceptable.

The location is the main upside: just a few steps from the main station, a view of about a quarter of Mount Fuji from Room 3, and half the mountain visible from the end of the street. The famous Lawson with the Fuji view is one block away, and there's car parking on the next street. The room was a decent size for Japan, and the communal ladies' bathroom had nice LED mirrors. Coin laundry and a dryer are available in the communal area. But I would not stay here again. We were a couple in corner Room 3, with bunk beds, and left early because the room made us feel unwell. As soon as we entered, there was a very strong rotten onion smell, like mold or mildew in the walls. I have a good nose for mold and it was really bad. The air felt heavy, it was hard to relax or sleep, and we both had runny noses and headaches. Opening the window and running the aircon didn't help. We felt better as soon as we left, then sick again when we returned. There was also heavy condensation, with droplets on the windows and sill that stayed even with the aircon on and windows shut. The bed setup was uncomfortable too. The duvet cover was open on one side, so the duvet itself was exposed to what previous guests had touched. The pillows were both thin and hard, and there wasn't enough headroom on the lower bunk to sit up properly. My supposedly clean towel was thin and smelled bad, almost like pee, and each person gets only one shower towel. There was no information about getting another clean one, so you'd have to catch housekeeping and ask. Shoes aren't allowed inside, which is understandable, but the provided rubber slippers were dirty and seemed to get reused between guests. Housekeeping was a major hassle. Cleaning starts before lunch and takes hours, often finishing just before dinner. If you want to sleep in and shower afterward, good luck. For hours, rubbish bags and mess sat in the common areas, by the sinks, and in the bathrooms, while showers were blocked with cleaning signs. One day I saw and heard the showers being cleaned, then returned a couple of hours later and used one that was empty and had no sign telling guests not to enter. Housekeeping then told me off quite strongly. I was also scolded for wearing shower slides I'd bought at Daiso for hygiene, even though there was no sign saying they weren't allowed. I apologized, but how was I meant to know? The whole interaction felt very upsetting and unwelcoming. The shower itself was unpleasant. The water was boiling even on the cold setting, and the weak fan left so much steam that I felt sweaty and in need of another shower as soon as I got out. The communal sinks look nice but are too small to wash your face without splashing everywhere. The entrance is also where people stand to smoke in the side alley, so sometimes you have to walk past smokers. Getting to the hostel means climbing a very steep, winding staircase with no lift, which felt dangerous while carrying a suitcase. There's no mirror in the room, and the communal washer gives no way to tell what temperature it uses. The dryer also beeps loudly at random, loud enough that I worried it would bother other guests.

Being only 1-2 minutes from Kawaguchiko Station made it really easy to catch the route bus to Subaru Line 5th Station. We had a private room for two, with shared toilets and showers. The ladies' bathroom had three toilet cubicles and two showers, all clean and well kept. It was a comfortable, clean place with the basics covered, nothing fancy.