Simple Stay Miyajima – Hostel

It’s near a 7-11, which is handy for breakfast, but I’d adjust expectations before staying. The place needs more upkeep. Check-in is unmanned, with the instructions sent by email and the key left at the counter. You put your shoes on a rack and change into Crocs, though the ones there didn’t look very clean. My second-floor room had four bunk beds and felt a little cramped. Not everyone could open their luggage at once. The air conditioning was strong, which was great in summer, but you have to put on your own pillowcase and sheets, like at a hostel, and bath towels aren’t provided. The corridor was very warm, though it has sinks for washing up in the morning. There’s one shower at the end, with enough room for clothes and a towel. The toilets at the corridor ends smelled pretty bad. The kitchen didn’t look maintained well enough for me to use it.

Being near the rail station is the only good thing I can say about this place. It felt disgusting and had a prison vibe. There’s no common area, and the kitchen was too disgusting to use. The worst hostel I’ve seen.

The best thing here is being so close to the ferries for The Great Torii, which makes it easier to beat the morning crowds. Out back there’s bicycle and scooter parking, and people tend to dry their clothes there. My dorm had just two beds, and I was the only one renting, which was nice. There was no window, just a little desk. I only saw one shower and one sit-down toilet on my floor. There’s no communal area, but there is a microwave, fridge, and kettle. Clothes washing seemed cheap, though I didn’t try it. It’s okay for a single night, especially if you’re saving money during Golden Week, but I’d only stay again if all I wanted was a place to sleep.

This is a bare-bones backpackers hostel, and the weak yen worked out to about $35 a night. I’m staying a little over a month while I wait for a job offer at MCAS Iwakuni to be reinstated. Other places this close to Miyajima cost well over double or triple, but you’re not getting hotel extras here. Most tiny rooms have four bunk beds, and mine was small. It has bunks, two futon and pillows, and no TV. The shower is very hot with a strong flow. There’s a small shared refrigerator, and you can heat tings in the upstairs microwave. Downstairs there’s a small burner and toaster you can use if you clean up. There’s also an upstairs communal room with zabuton to sit on. The halls have no heating or air conditioning. Staff aren’t around all the time, and when they are, they speak little or no English, but they’re friendly. This is really for people traveling with backpacks.