Youan

It was nice that pensions can fit a big group, and we could park one car in the garage. The whole place was clean, and we slept well on the soft bedroom bed. They had the tools and seasonings for a comfortable barbecue. You can’t see Mt. Fuji from here, but LAKE BAKE, ranked in the Top 100 on Tabelog, is nearby, so bringing your own food could be a good idea.

Having to give all our names over Skype at check-in was inconvenient. I’d also have liked clearer online information: we checked in person and were told children could use fireworks, but the website didn’t say so and the call center told us they were prohibited. There was a rice cooker too, and that should be included in the facility details. I was disappointed to find that the barbecue grill cost 3,500 yen, since I thought it was free. The bathroom felt like a home bathroom set up for elderly care and had no charm. The facility has been renovated and is reasonably spacious and convenient, but at 100,000 yen a night in peak season, the price felt far too high for a somewhat old, rural, family-home-style building. The value for money was poor.

The owner showed us how to make the barbecue taste even better, which we enjoyed during our family visit last month. There was plenty of room indoors for everyone to relax, and I kept using the massage gun because it felt so good. Oishi Park is very close, so we took a daytime walk there. We went during autumn foliage season, and it was absolutely beautiful.

Lake Kawaguchi is only a short drive away, and next time we’d like to return with the kids for a family getaway. We booked this quiet place for a small-group hike and year-end party because the COVID-19 pandemic meant we couldn’t have the party at a restaurant. The interior was lovely, and we were surprised by how flexible the accommodation was: we could bring food, heat it in the microwave, and use the yakiniku equipment. The detailed information sent in advance was a big help. We’re looking forward to staying again ^^