Jinya

This is the closest inn to the Ichijōdani Asakura Clan Ruins, in a lovely, quiet setting. The food is good, and although the bath and toilet are shared, they're clean and perfectly adequate. A major Japanese booking site marks hand towels, hair dryers, and bidet toilets as unavailable in its amenities list, but that only means they aren't in the private rooms. The shared toilets do have bidets, and the shared washbasins have both hand towels and hair dryers. Expect a warm room, bath, meal, and welcome. The proprietress laughed that she sometimes gets asked, "Are there no baths or toilets?"

During the rainy season, the place was quiet and nearly empty, so I could relax in the detached building. I was visiting Eiheiji Temple, and the national forest behind the inn gave me a rare chance to see fireflies from my room. There's a stream out front, and the main house is an impressive example of traditional Japanese construction. I had a delicious breakfast and a warm welcome from the family. I'd like to return to this guesthouse.

I was referred here by an acquaintance, but I won't be back. Traffic on the highway and a stop to avoid tailgating delayed my check-in and dinner, and I accept that was my fault. Even so, there were empty seats at dinner and I was made to sit across from a stranger. We managed to chat and eat, but later another guest reported that the laundry room lights wouldn't turn on and the washing machine didn't work even when plugged in. Staff apparently went to the guest's room instead of the laundry room, then said the lights and air conditioning worked. That wasn't the problem. When the guest tried to explain, staff kept saying not to hang laundry on the sliding doors because there was a lintel to use, and that the washer had a switch by the room entrance. The guest said nobody had explained where the laundry room was, and that they ended up washing clothes by hand and hanging them to dry. No apology came. Things grew tense, and staff acted as if it was not their fault. I tried to mediate, saying we hadn't checked with each other properly, but staff clenched their fists and said, "What? Say that again," as if ready to hit me. There was still no apology, and I ate a meal I already found unappetizing in a bad mood. The food was terrible. You could get as much rice as you wanted, but it was old and flavorless, with no distinct grains. There were very few side dishes, and they tasted bad. I would rather have cooked in the kitchen myself or eaten British military oatmeal rations. At least those would have filled me up. There was no kettle, so I couldn't bring in cup ramen. They showed me to a room, but didn't have me fill out a registration form. The place isn't barrier-free: there are many steps, narrow corridors, a Japanese-style toilet, and steep stairs. It wouldn't suit someone with weak legs. The room door had a single spring lock that didn't work well, leaving a gap of about 5 mm even when shut. It could easily be opened from outside with a ruler. The accommodation building's front door was unlocked, with no manager on site and no reception, so anyone could walk in. There was no security at all. Sleeping in my car would have felt safer, and I see no benefit to staying here. There was no safe or refrigerator, and no kettle. They had only a teapot, as an afterthought. Staff disregarded guests' timing for the bathroom, telling people to use it whenever it was free. That's understandable in a guesthouse where guests take turns using one unit bath, but the bathroom was full of mold, and the floor had slimy spots. They could have done a quick clean after each guest. The futon was just a mattress and towel blanket. There may have been other bedding, but nobody explained it. There was visible dust in the room corners. I only learned about the laundry room from the complaint above, but nobody told me where it was, and I didn't find out until the very end. The parking lot was extremely cramped. When I opened my car door, I nearly hit the vehicle next to me. I could hear conversations and TVs from other rooms. Some people slept with the TV on, making it hard to sleep, and in the morning I was woken by other guests vomiting while brushing their teeth. The sink was covered in water drops and hadn't been wiped. Guests had to reuse toothpaste cups, with no paper cups, which seemed like a serious public health problem. Given both hygiene and crime prevention concerns, I can't believe the government granted this place a business permit. Even at a tourist destination, is this what a guesthouse in a declining village is like? The attitude felt like, "We're letting you rent our property, so do as we say. Leave your money and leave immediately." The service gave the same impression. Even during a festival, 8,000 yen for this was an exorbitant profit. After the way I was treated at the first meal, I should have paid for it, checked out, and gone to a town hotel, even though I didn't want to pay after what I was told. I came on an acquaintance's recommendation, but I feel this place is run by people who shouldn't be in the business of serving customers.

Fukui City was full, and my family and I were accommodated here. Thanks very much for helping us out. It was a homey guesthouse, and the rate was 6,800 yen per night with breakfast.