Yorimoto Ryokan

This hotel sucks. They lock the door at 11pm and won’t let you shower after 10pm. What?!

We picked this inn for its Japanese-style room, since we had two infants with us. It has a retro Showa-era atmosphere, like going back in time. The woman at the front desk was kind, friendly, and attentive. The room and bedding had a faint smell of cigarette smoke that lingered and reminded me of my father. The bath had the same Showa-era feel, and my two children and my mother, who’s in her sixties, enjoyed a relaxing soak.

It’s a three-minute walk from the Shinkansen exit at Hiroshima Station, just beyond MaxValu. There are Japanese-style and Western-style rooms, some with en suite bathrooms and some with shared ones, so check the details when booking. The en suite rooms are on the fourth floor, and there’s no elevator. The stairs are narrow, which could make a multi-night stay with large luggage difficult. The in-room bathroom has old tiles, but the water temperature is easy to adjust. Rinse-in shampoo and body soap are provided in the bath.

I used to stay here regularly around 1995-1996 while on business trips to the Higashi Ward Community Cultural Center, so returning after all these years brought back memories. The landlady is still the same, and it reminded me what a lovely inn this is. It’s near Hiroshima Station, reasonably priced, and they’ll even try to accommodate what feel like unreasonable requests. A real hidden gem! I’ll stay again next time I’m in Hiroshima. I also remembered there used to be an okonomiyaki restaurant next door.