Minshuku Akiba

It’s a nice place to stay, with a clean traditional guest house, tatami and futon beds. There are two floors, and each one has toilets. The downside is that there’s only one bathroom for quite a few rooms. I was there in winter, luckily, because I can’t imagine the bathroom queue in summer :)

The host was friendly and happy to offer recommendations, and he gives guests a lift to the ski resort each day along with bus tickets for the ride home. The accommodation has traditional rooms with tatami mats, and there’s a hot tub available in the evenings on a first-come, first-served basis. Highly recommended for a traditional stay in this area.

I slept better here than anywhere else on our Hokkaido visit. The room was fairly large, with tatami flooring and two futon beds with special pillows. It’s close to the train station, supermarket and restaurants, and the place is very comfortable. The bathroom is spacious and has a bathtub. Everything was clean, the owner was helpful and not too strict, and the price was quite modest for this kind of place.

This is a typical Japanese family-run motel, with clean, comfortable rooms and excellent service from the owner. There’s no elevator, so keep in mind that you may be assigned a second-floor room. Towels aren’t provided, but you can rent a face and body towel set for ¥150. Like most places in Hokkaido, there’s a heater but no air-conditioning.